First Day in Chennai
As we are new to Chennai, we don't know how to go to my net friend's house. He has given the address as sms. I only know that we have to go to Velachery and then I have the direction. He has given the bus number and it is from the koyembedu station. But we dropped at Central station as one passenger told us that our destination is near from this place. By that time my leg is swelling like anything. It got bulged. But I am anxious to visit Sai Puram. (when can I go to this person's house, when can I get ready, when can I be able to visit the temple. Oh my god, you want me to be late.....) I rang to my net friend and he asked me to go to Guindy and then from Guindy take auto to his house. His mother is waiting for us. Then we went to Guindy by train and then went to his house. It was very easy to locate his house. His mother received us very well. We took bath and had our brunch.
Meanwhile this guy asked me about the phone number and all to enquire about the timings. I asked him to browse the Shirdi-sai-baba.com/forum and check my post under 'prayers' section. I am confident that the fellow sai bandhus of the forum will reply me. As expected Shammiji and Sushmaji replied. The phone number is of Mailapur temple and they gave the saipuram temple's number. Thus we started by 12 pm. By that time I became weak and I feel drowsy and we started. We need to go to Tiruvanmayur and from there we can get sharing autos or buses. We got the bus for tiruvayur and from there we went to Tiruvanmayur. I couldn't walk by this time. It was very difficult and everyone are staring at me. My brother felt embarrassed and said 'See. All are looking at you'. I care a damn for it. I am just waiting for the moment to step into the temple.
When we alighted at Tiruvanmayur and were waiting for bus, sharing autos were moving by. One person shouted 'Injambakkam, Injambakkam'. I asked him if he could drop us at Sai temple. They didn't know Saipuram. One of the passengers in the auto told me that if we have to go by bus, we need to say 'Prarthana Theatre' (I suppose so.) as the stop. I visited Kovalam in May and at that time I don't know about Saipuram. Anyhow we reached there and bought the threads, lamps, coconut and also the craddle. I slowly walked and atlast could step inside the temple. I felt very joy though I am weak. I thought 'Oh, Baba! Atlast you brought me here. Thank you. But what is the use if you do not talk to me. Please talk to me and grant my wish'. I have been saying so. I felt very much joy because I longed like anything to visit Saipuram from the moment I came to know about it. I think it is Sangeetaji who told me about Saipuram and the wish fulfilling tree. I thank her very much. Really this is a temple every sai devotee must visit.
I liked the baba painting on the back of the marble statue in the sanctum sanctorum than the statue itself. In that baba's hands are like inviting us to hug him. It was like Jesus stretching hands. It is a rare photo I guess because I never saw baba in this pose, stretching hands. I feel like hugging him. It was like meeting after a long time and celebrating the occasion. Ofcourse baba is every where. But I liked the photo a lot. I roamed all the temple and everywhere the photos are life-like images. You could really see HIM in those photos. You feel as if HE is staring at you, directly into your eyes. As I couldn't eat well, I became hungry and got sleep. But I wished to do pradakshina too. I was just doing rounds to the main statue. I thought like lets do as many as I can. I usually count 9 * 12s. One 12 at a time. Once I complete 3 rounds ( 3 * 12 = 36), I sat for a while, doze and then again go round. In this way, I could complete 108. I did this as if I am limping for the pain. I have been praying HIM like how can you cheat me baba, how can you be silent, please answer, please bless me. why are you so silent, I know you accompanied me here. Without you I couldn't come. When this ardent wish to visit Saipuram came true, why can't the other which takes my life away. Please do not send me without your blessing, do not send me with empty hands. Atleast give an answer to me'. In this way I have been praying HIM all through. By the time I completed 108 pradakshins, I was exhausted completely. I ate banana.
There is a meditation room below the sanctum sanctorum. Instead of meditating, me and my brother just slept. I thought someone would come and scold us. But luckily no one came there. As it is friday afternoon, visitors are very less. It was something like I couldn't move my leg and it is paining. I again got doubt. Baba, what is this, I am not able to move. I cannot return without visiting other temples. I can't lay sick in someone else's house. Please give me strength etc., Few times I tried but I couldn't move. I just sit for sometime and then I could move. Before that when we decided to leave, I prayed to baba for His answer and told HIM that I will open just once. I took the books that I bought in Shirdi. In one book, I got the incident of Sapatnekar. 'See this person thinks that I killed his child. Did I do that? Never mind. I will bring the very child back to her womb and bless him'. In the same page also there is the incident of Dr. Pillai. I opened another book. To my surprise in that page there was the incident of Chandbhai Patil. ' You didn't lose your horse. It is nearby only. Search there'. (Not exactly the same sentences). I am happy for this replies. Ofcourse I didn't get any confirmation. The more he replies, the more we wish for confirmation. Anyway HE kept quiet. But I felt good. Its ok. It is better than keeping mum or giving irrelevant answer.
Then I decided to go to Mailapur Sai Temple. We went to Tiruvanmayur and then boarded a bus for Mailapur. We had to walk a lot to reach the temple from the bus stop and we couldn't get the auto. My leg began to pain again and I sat there without going for darshan as I couldn't stand in line. Though it is not similar, this temple resembled the baba temple in Nellore. Somehow I felt so though there is no resemblance at all. After half an hour, I stood up and went for darshan. I really wished for the flower from baba drop on me. But the priest there removed the flowers leaving no chance for it :( I thought 'Its ok. I shouldn't ask for more. It is ok. :)) The prasadam there is 'sambar rice' and believe me it was so delicious and I was so hungry that I wished to ate a plate full of it. But as it is prasadam and that person might scold me for I went for second time, I resisted the temptation. But it is too good that my mouth waters even now while I type:)
In Mylapore temple people lit candles. I too lighted. My brother asked me to visit the doctor there in the temple but I feared as the dispensary is allopathic. Anyway as my foot bulged like anything and swelling, I decided to return to my net friend's house instead of going to other temples. But no one in Mylapore could give correct answer about Shenoy Nagar Sai Temple. They suggested a small temple near Guindy and told us that it is itself Shenoy Nagar. By the time we returned to his house, his wife and child are back from office and school respectively. After sometime my NET friend came. This was the first time that we met.
Meanwhile this guy asked me about the phone number and all to enquire about the timings. I asked him to browse the Shirdi-sai-baba.com/forum and check my post under 'prayers' section. I am confident that the fellow sai bandhus of the forum will reply me. As expected Shammiji and Sushmaji replied. The phone number is of Mailapur temple and they gave the saipuram temple's number. Thus we started by 12 pm. By that time I became weak and I feel drowsy and we started. We need to go to Tiruvanmayur and from there we can get sharing autos or buses. We got the bus for tiruvayur and from there we went to Tiruvanmayur. I couldn't walk by this time. It was very difficult and everyone are staring at me. My brother felt embarrassed and said 'See. All are looking at you'. I care a damn for it. I am just waiting for the moment to step into the temple.
When we alighted at Tiruvanmayur and were waiting for bus, sharing autos were moving by. One person shouted 'Injambakkam, Injambakkam'. I asked him if he could drop us at Sai temple. They didn't know Saipuram. One of the passengers in the auto told me that if we have to go by bus, we need to say 'Prarthana Theatre' (I suppose so.) as the stop. I visited Kovalam in May and at that time I don't know about Saipuram. Anyhow we reached there and bought the threads, lamps, coconut and also the craddle. I slowly walked and atlast could step inside the temple. I felt very joy though I am weak. I thought 'Oh, Baba! Atlast you brought me here. Thank you. But what is the use if you do not talk to me. Please talk to me and grant my wish'. I have been saying so. I felt very much joy because I longed like anything to visit Saipuram from the moment I came to know about it. I think it is Sangeetaji who told me about Saipuram and the wish fulfilling tree. I thank her very much. Really this is a temple every sai devotee must visit.
I liked the baba painting on the back of the marble statue in the sanctum sanctorum than the statue itself. In that baba's hands are like inviting us to hug him. It was like Jesus stretching hands. It is a rare photo I guess because I never saw baba in this pose, stretching hands. I feel like hugging him. It was like meeting after a long time and celebrating the occasion. Ofcourse baba is every where. But I liked the photo a lot. I roamed all the temple and everywhere the photos are life-like images. You could really see HIM in those photos. You feel as if HE is staring at you, directly into your eyes. As I couldn't eat well, I became hungry and got sleep. But I wished to do pradakshina too. I was just doing rounds to the main statue. I thought like lets do as many as I can. I usually count 9 * 12s. One 12 at a time. Once I complete 3 rounds ( 3 * 12 = 36), I sat for a while, doze and then again go round. In this way, I could complete 108. I did this as if I am limping for the pain. I have been praying HIM like how can you cheat me baba, how can you be silent, please answer, please bless me. why are you so silent, I know you accompanied me here. Without you I couldn't come. When this ardent wish to visit Saipuram came true, why can't the other which takes my life away. Please do not send me without your blessing, do not send me with empty hands. Atleast give an answer to me'. In this way I have been praying HIM all through. By the time I completed 108 pradakshins, I was exhausted completely. I ate banana.
There is a meditation room below the sanctum sanctorum. Instead of meditating, me and my brother just slept. I thought someone would come and scold us. But luckily no one came there. As it is friday afternoon, visitors are very less. It was something like I couldn't move my leg and it is paining. I again got doubt. Baba, what is this, I am not able to move. I cannot return without visiting other temples. I can't lay sick in someone else's house. Please give me strength etc., Few times I tried but I couldn't move. I just sit for sometime and then I could move. Before that when we decided to leave, I prayed to baba for His answer and told HIM that I will open just once. I took the books that I bought in Shirdi. In one book, I got the incident of Sapatnekar. 'See this person thinks that I killed his child. Did I do that? Never mind. I will bring the very child back to her womb and bless him'. In the same page also there is the incident of Dr. Pillai. I opened another book. To my surprise in that page there was the incident of Chandbhai Patil. ' You didn't lose your horse. It is nearby only. Search there'. (Not exactly the same sentences). I am happy for this replies. Ofcourse I didn't get any confirmation. The more he replies, the more we wish for confirmation. Anyway HE kept quiet. But I felt good. Its ok. It is better than keeping mum or giving irrelevant answer.
Then I decided to go to Mailapur Sai Temple. We went to Tiruvanmayur and then boarded a bus for Mailapur. We had to walk a lot to reach the temple from the bus stop and we couldn't get the auto. My leg began to pain again and I sat there without going for darshan as I couldn't stand in line. Though it is not similar, this temple resembled the baba temple in Nellore. Somehow I felt so though there is no resemblance at all. After half an hour, I stood up and went for darshan. I really wished for the flower from baba drop on me. But the priest there removed the flowers leaving no chance for it :( I thought 'Its ok. I shouldn't ask for more. It is ok. :)) The prasadam there is 'sambar rice' and believe me it was so delicious and I was so hungry that I wished to ate a plate full of it. But as it is prasadam and that person might scold me for I went for second time, I resisted the temptation. But it is too good that my mouth waters even now while I type:)
In Mylapore temple people lit candles. I too lighted. My brother asked me to visit the doctor there in the temple but I feared as the dispensary is allopathic. Anyway as my foot bulged like anything and swelling, I decided to return to my net friend's house instead of going to other temples. But no one in Mylapore could give correct answer about Shenoy Nagar Sai Temple. They suggested a small temple near Guindy and told us that it is itself Shenoy Nagar. By the time we returned to his house, his wife and child are back from office and school respectively. After sometime my NET friend came. This was the first time that we met.
posted by saigeetika | 5:20 AM
1 Comments:
|om shri sai nathaya namah|
May SHIRDI SAI BABA bless u alwys !
saiom
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