Sai leela under Neem tree of Shirdi

Jai Sai Ram,
Today I wanna share with u a beautiful experience…It happened in mid Feb, 2008 when I was going to Shirdi with my father. One co-passenger told my Father that anyone who goes to Shirdi for the first time with true devotion, surely gets Sai’s darshan in some form.

I became very upset on hearing this because I had been to Shirdi earlier and did not get any such darshan.

I felt as if Sai had not accepted my bhakti.

I was almost in tears. When we reached Shirdi, we went for darshan.

There are 3 small adjoining temples in Shirdi Sansthan (of Lord Ganesha, Hanuman  God, if I m not wrong). You enter from one temple and exit from the third one. I felt that I can have darshan of these Gods anywhere in India, But Shirdi is only one and I should spend more time in Dwarkamai or Samadhi Temple

Moreover, all Gods are  Sai only. So I decided to bow head without going into the temples. Obviously I was wrong as I had unknowingly shown disregard for my own beloved Sai.

When I committed this error, Sai decided to correct me.

When I was asking my Father to move, I saw a man moving hurriedly inside the temple. Believe me, he looked similar to Shirdi Sai Baba.

100%. Same attir,.same white clothes, same kafni and safa – A divine beauty on face. I don’t know what force drove me to follow him while calling out “baba..Baba” but the man did not stop.He entered the 1st temple. I followed him and went inside the temple, bowed my head. By that time, the man was inside the 2nd temple, I followed him there and bowed my head but by then the man was already in the 3rd temple.I went there and offered pranam.

Please note that I could catch the man only at the exit of the 3rd temple. Only after I had darshan of all the 3 temples, Then, I again called out “baba”…this time he stopped and turned a little.

I bowed down at his feet. His feet were so clean. So divine and he did not speak anything but kept his hand on my head and blessed me.

Before I could understand anything, he vanished in the crowd in no time. What is more surprising is the fact that my father was also following me but did not see any such man. This incident took place around 11 AM..

It all did not end here..At around 8PM, I insisted to do darshan of the sacred Neem tree once again but my Father was too tired and ill to do. So he was not ready but I saw few benches and asked my father to sit there for 2 minutes.He agreed and I rushed towards the holy Neem tree. After darshan, I headed towards my father.

There is a single storey building (diagonal to the Neem tree). I saw the same man sitting there in the same white clothes and posture which Sai adopts in many photos. I had 20Rs in my pocket.

I went near him, bowed down at is feet and offered those 20 Rs by saying “Baba..dakshina. He again did not speak anything.He accepted my dakshina and blessed me.Please note that both the times my father could not see him…

After I came home, I narrated this incident to all and everyone said that he was none other than my own Sai. I clearly saw Sai in him and that’s why followed him so madly and also offered dakshina but still I was in two minds.

I thought why Sai would give darshan to an ordinary girl like me? So when I visited Shirdi the next time in Feb 2009, I prayed to Sai this way “Baba, if you only gave me darshan, please give me some signal or indication at the same place near the holy Neem tree

When I went to that building near the holy Neem tree, I saw Nanasaheb Nimonkar grandson sitting on the very same place where Sai sat earlier. I had seen him on Aaj Tak and had also met him on my early visit in Dwarkamai.

You must be knowing this but still I would like to mention that when Nanasaheb Nimonkar’s grandson was an infant, he fell seriously ill and was taken to Baba for treatment.

Baba had held that fortunate infant in his holy arms. The infant is today an old man in his 90s and one of the very few who have enjoyed Sai’s company and is still alive. I was in tears. Tears of joy.

People can interpret this experience in their own ways but after Sai gave me this indication, I have begun trusting that my Sai only gave me darshan there.

Making mistakes is a common trait of human beings but I m very fortunate that Sai himself came to correct me and show me the right path.

– Romalisa