As i reached Manmad on way to Sai's abode

As i reached Manmad

 

As i reached Manmad just after 10 on a Saturday night, the options before me were split between taking a shared taxi to Sai's abode or wait for a train that would drop me at Kopargaon. The indecisive  phase lasting close to an hour finally led me to settle for a shared taxi ride, coming at 80rs for one passenger. I was amidst a family hailing from Maharashtra and yet  having never secured an opportunity to visit the Sai's abode. The toy machine the vehicle looked to be given the light wrapping it had from all sides, the ride lasted over 90 minutes interspersed with rotational thunder that erupted from cell songs that were being played out. The volume was purely erratic and a fair sense that was hard to locate.

 

It was well after 1 at night i reached Sai's abode in Shirdi, coming face to face with another eruption on lodge fare front which had surpassed all expectations with the minimum starting at 600rs and flexibly upward bound to reach 2500. This was true of those lodges which hovered in the range of 500 to 600rs at the most. Given a public holiday the surge in tariff was still unreasonable and here the absence of monitoring had led to this upheaval of sorts. The tariff that was being quoted actively by some was as clear as :  if i wish to stay from 1.30 to 6 in the morning better settle for 1000 and any stretch lasting to 2 in the afternoon 2500rs was the reigning beat.  An old association with a lodge that was being built in 2009 march-april secured me the lower tariff advantage.

 

With sleep high on my mind, i skipped the morning aarti. Entry to the temple was around nine amidst a rush that was normal by any standards on a  public holiday. Having seen the surging numbers quite often in the past, the sighting did not dilute my confidence and majority of those who made the crowd. It was at a waiting hall , probably three or four, which is the last one before one takes the descent by stairs that we could reach by 11. And from here the wait continued well past the 12 pm aarti followed by clearing of the hall for the swift movement of the crowd behind.  

 

With afternoon aarti prayers said in the hall - this waiting hall has a renewed synergy during the aarti period- the sighting of Sai and the spell came well after 1.30. As always made it a point to approach the right side of the Lord (from his sitting posture it is on the left) and yet could not rest my palm on the platform on which he rests. There was a temporary glass panel that had been put to ensure fast movement of the crowd. The Sai of that day looked to be a bit tired. Perhaps the observation may be not absolutely accurate but the Lord to me looked to be a little tense. Went past the Lord with the belief that the palm resting on the wall outside the aarti hall would be equally effective.

 

The evening aarti was accomplished in the vicinity of the window which is in the samadhi mandir. Post aarti left for Ahmedabad and reached the city the next morning.

 

When in Sai's abode

 

- try to take meals from prasadalaya and a word of praise for the swift handling should be recorded.

- try to approach the lord from the right side and make an early exit as huge numbers are following you.

- try to visit meditation hall in the vicinity of reservation centre.

 

Changes seen this time

 

- all pictures that adorned the walls inside the waiting halls have been done away with including the one that you came across after descending stairs.

-  a new ST bus stand coming up in Shirdi

- the man selling papers seems to have reported sick; the actual paper centre has shifted outside the bus stand.

- new structures are coming up opposite the samadhi mandir probably leading to relocation of water park. What some believe is that in the first place the water park should not have been there given the scarcity of water and power in the area.

- soda water shop opposite the prasadalaya and one should try that

- a slip road that takes you to prasadalaya.

 

As i left the place, the area had scanty rainfall and till yesterday not much change had been seen. All small vendors need to be encouraged and hope they are able to tide over their problems. Small vendors selling guava, kishmish, sai's pictures and other gifts are the heart and soul of Ahmednagar and as long as they are in a functioning mode the sai adherents would have a smooth float.