Sairam friends,
This Thursday, I was really upset to see one of the Shirdi Saibaba temple I regularly visit in Coimbatore was open for devotees. I don’t want to mention the temple’s name as that’s not my intention. This is the temple I consider as a part of my everyday life. Its my evening breath.
My logic is simple – Even when Shirdi was closed because of Covid-19, its wise for all other Shirdi Saibaba temples across India and abroad to close. Having said that, if the temples gets just handful of devotees per day, there’s nothing wrong in opening it.
I was upset to see the temple I visit regularly was open for huge crowd of devotees last Thursday. Well, I myself went to the temple because I love being in temple but the day before, I did told my opinion that its wise to close Saibaba temples atleast on Thursday.
I also can’t bear their show-off asking devotees to leave immediately when they had hot prasad in hand which also can’t be taken so fast. One should have common sense during a pandemic.
Just because these people know authorities in Coimbatore to support them, that doesn’t mean they can do whatever they desire.
They were doing too much of build up like name sake reading of temperature and announcing on mike. I found it crazy because why open the temple when the whole world is closed?
I felt even the company I work for is much better than temples which behave irresponsible. Its OK for Sai devotees to go back home without darshan.
Even people who are on Pilgrimage to Shirdi, Kashi and Varanasi are shown a closed door. Why not a local Saibaba temple? I felt it too painful but honestly can’t do much about. Since its a temple I respect with heart and soul, I just can’t write beyond this.
On Friday, went I drove into Saibaba temple, I found that the temple was closed. I don’t like such show-off. I argued with my friends that there’s no point in closing the temple after letting huge crowd to gather on Thursday.
If the government is taking initiatives to control social gathering, its responsibility of all of us to support it.
I was standing in the corner of the road and stopped few cars from going into the small road into the temple because if they go in, then, it takes time to take reverse. So its better to stop the cars on the edge of the road and inform them that the temple is closed.
I am addicted to visiting this favorite Saibaba temple every evening. So I will be bored for the next couple of days. Hope they open it later or I will get bored. In any case, if it remains closed too, I understand that its all for good.
My Mom was telling my Father that, even God doesn’t want us to seek us for help and hence the even the temples were being asked to be closed.
I don’t take it that way.
I feel this is an amazing opportunity to see God within us. If you are a Sai devotee, learn to see Sai in your heart.
Sai is antaryami. The one who resides in the walls of your heart. After years of devotion, I still can’t understand Sai. I don’t know who he is?
After several hundreds of dreams in which Saibaba has guided me, I still have no clue about how to describe Sai.
The problem is that we all try to see Sai in temples and in his human form through statues and photographs. We have not tried to see the real soul of Sai.
Not only during this time of Covid lock-down.
Anytime in future too, if you can’t make it to a temple, learn to see Sai and God within yourself.
Meditate.
Think positive.
Read good books.
Work on a small project which you have been planning for long time.
Sai will always be with you and your family.
Om Sai Ram
Venkat
