Back in Shirdi

We returned to shirdi the same night by 9 pm. I wished to go for ShejArati and remain there for Kakad Arati in the queue but my parents refused. So I remained in the room. The next day we booked tickets for Sai Satya Vratam. Very few people are there. Only the first 4 rows are filled.

But this time VIP disease attacked this place too. The first row is reserved for VIPs. I was little disturbed as I always used to get the first row whenever I go to do the Pooja. (Initially too that day I was disturbed.) But I feel like wherever we sit, we have to do the Pooja with utmost devotion. But this time I was somewhat angry on baba and satyanarayana swamy and I begin to shed few tears with frustration. I began to question baba and satyanarayan swamy that I love this vratha and believe in the greatness of this pooja but why I was deprived of the fruits of this vratha and why HE was so indifferent to me and my sorrow.

There was very less crowd. I could take baba's darshan leisurely for 1/2 an hour. I got cova (sweet) as prasad from the security guards inside the samadhi mandir. They took the prasad from the priest and they distributed it to some of us who are standing in the Samadhi Mandir. I went to Dwarakamai, Gurusthan and Parayan Hall. I distributed the prasad of Sai Satya Vratam in the prayer hall and also to the beggars near hanuman temple. I also bought bread and distributed them among the beggars there. I usually do not go for shopping and try to spend as much time in the Parayan Hall as possible. This time I went for shopping and bought few photos of baba and also a small idol of Natya Ganapathi (Lord Ganesh in dancing pose).

The taxi driver who brought us from Nagarsol came that day as promised. There were two friends (elderly male) who travelled in the same taxi with us to Shirdi from Nagarsol also were there. They are from Sec'bad. One is a Psychiatrist and the other is a Copy Writer.

The return journey was also good except for I feel very uneasy and on November 1st, 2005 I got fever and couldn't enjoy diwali.

Visit to Trayambak

Trayambak, one of the Jyothirlingas and also the idol of Shivlinga is very different. The shivlinga here is the form of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We can see the forms at 3 corners of the same linga. (I am not good at explaining this form. I wish we can see the idol in photos). The architecture of Trayambak temple is in the Hemadpant's style. One has to see the sculpture. So lively and lovely are the images over there.

But the premises of the temple changed a lot. The place became very crowded with shops and all. At the back of the temple one can see a temple of Gayatri Devi. It is so beautiful. We can go inside and can touch the feet of the idol. We also can see a thin line of water (godavari) here.
We have to walk for 5 minutes to go to a place where we can find Pushkarini (with godavari water). Actually Trayambak is the birth place of Godavari. We have to climb 750 steps to see that place. Unfortunately I couldn't go there even this time (this is my 3rd visit to Trayambak). Only in the morning time pilgrims are allowed to go to the spot.

Near the pushakarini we can find Shiva temple and the priest there offers to perform Archana and bless us that our trip to Trayambak be successful and we get the fruits of the pilgrimage to the place.

One can see different types of prayer articles here in various metals. We feel an urge to buy all of them. On the way back to Shirdi, we can find a hotel run by telugu people (from Vijayawada). We left Trayambak at 6:15 pm on 30th october, 2005.

Visit to Panchavati

We visited Nasik (only a temple with all marble idols and also Padmavyuham) and Trayambak earlier when we went on a trip to holy places in a tourist bus. But they didn't take us to Panchavati.

Panchavati is an area of few acres where Rama used to live for 4 months during the Vanavasa period. (I wish the entire place is walled and there shouldn't be any residents but only trees to be planted.) We have to go through old and narrow streets to see 6 to 7 mandirs. Godavari water here is very dirty.

We can see 'Arthanareeswara' form of Lord Shiva before the confluence of Godavari river and two more rivers. We can see children diving into the water and they ask the pilgrims to throw coins into the water so that they can bring them back and keep those coins with them. Diyas (lamps) are also sold with flowers as a set to be left in the water.

After few yards, we can see the temple which houses the lords Dattatreya, Gayatri Devi, Shiva , Ganapati.

'Nasika' means Nose in Sanskrit. It is here that Lakshmana, younger brother of Lord Rama, cut the nose of Surphanakha, younger sister of Ravana. Hence the name 'Nasik'. The agitated Ravana sends his brothers with army to kill Lakshmana. Then Rama hides Sita in a secret place (Guha) and to remember the place he plants 5(Panch) trees (Vata) - (Pancha Vati). So we can see 'Seetaguha' there. We have to go downstairs through a very very narrow opening. We can see beautiful idols of Seeta, Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuma.

Besides that there is a Sivalinga in another room and we have to come upstairs from that side through another narrow opening. Near Sitaguha we will find the 5 trees numbered.

The best temple in Panchavati is Kalaram temple. One must visit this temple if they happen to go to Nasik. The story goes like this. In the godavari river (actually the confluence of three rivers) near this temple, people found the black idols of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman.
So the then peshwa of the place brought black stones from different places and built the present temple. They used only limestone and milk instead of cement. The significance of the architecture of the temple is that on the day of Srirama Navami, the first ray of sun falls at the feet of the idol of rama in the sanctum sanctorum.

The temple is in the middle and there is much open space on all sides inside the prakara (compound wall). We can take the photo of the idols here. The autowallas charge Rs. 51 to take us to all these temples and they act as guides too.

Visiting Vani - Saptasringi goddess' abode

We started by 7 am at Shirdi and reached Vani by 11 am. The temple is on seven hills like the lord Venkateswara. The condition of road is good and also the way is full of greenery. I could see many flowery crops(Bamti Poolu) and grape gardens.

The ghat road on the hills is not so curvy. Even the climate is sunny. I haven't seen the picture of Saptasringi Devi until the vehicle was parked at a shop. There are many shops that sell different pooja items. We can offer Rupas (the forms of hands, legs and different organs of body), coconut, saree, bangles, flowers, incense sticks and camphor. The sarees are also of different measurements viz., 5 gajas, 6 gajas etc., But the sarees of length 12 gajas can only be decorated to goddess. A basket of pooja items - a coconut, incense sticks, camphor and flowers costs Rs. 31. If 5 gajas saree is added, it costs Rs. 101. If 6 gajas saree is added, it costs Rs. 125. That is about the cost of the pooja items.

From this place (atop seventh hill), there are approximately 750 steps. The steps are somewhat stoop and slope like. I too feared a lot to climb them. I climbed each step by chanting baba's name. I was the first one to reach the sanctum sanctorum. The Darshan was wonderful. The goddess is so beautiful and she is decorated wonderfully. The idol is 8 ft. tall and she is smeared with Sindhoor and was tied a Silk Saree (Pattucheera). There are many idols of Lord Ganapati beside the steps on the way to the temple. There are also the idols of Lord Hanuman smeared with Sindhoor. Also present were Lord Rama with Sita, Laxmana and Hanuman. One can also see many monkeys as one climbs the steps.

My mother and her friend stopped half-way. I went to the main temple and offered the pooja items of ours and also aunty's to the priests there. One has to see the beauty of the goddess' idol. It is really wonderful and decorated well. Though the eyes are big, she looks cool but not as 'Ugra Roopini'. We also can find 'Padukas' there and we can touch the padukas as we cannot touch the idol which is at a distance to us. One priest will keep Sindhoor on devotees' foreheads.

Heart in heart I wished they(my father, mother and aunty) too come and offer prayers. Slowly my brother, my father, then my mother and her friend too came. They are all very happy that they could climb the steps and could take darshan successfully. I thought of doing archana but as my father couldn't sit (due to Rheumatism - Knee pain), I paid money and requested the archana to be done on Diwali day.

On return journey we feel a sense of strength in us and we were very much rejuvenated. We all understood that it is the result of the darshan.

How the place, Vani, came into picture!

As our trip was scheduled for 3 days, I thought of going to Pandarpur. My mother likes the place a lot and me too. Also it has been a long time (2 years) since we visited Pandarpur. We boarded in 'Hotel Sachin' run by Sri Kumaraswamy, a resident of nellore. He asked us to stay in that hotel when we went to meet him in our previous trip to shirdi. He was not there but his people there provided us the room and all as we informed them before hand. When I enquired them about pandarpur they said it was almost 16 hr journey to and fro. So we gave up the idea and decided to stay back in shirdi itself.

While on the queue to Samadhi Mandir my mother spoke to one gentleman and he said that he is a telugu guy and he has been residing in Nasik for the last 23 yrs with his family. He then spoke of Vani and said that it is a 2 hr journey from Trayambak and she is a powerful goddess and there would be festivities during Vijayadasami. Then I felt happy. I always wished to visit the places mentioned in Sai Leelamrutam. So I thought of going to Vani. It was as if baba is saying through him to go to Vani.

When we went to hotel I enquired them and they rang to the taxi person and they said that very few people ask for Vani and they have to bring a vehicle only for us for the trip and it would cost Rs. 1600 to and fro (Vani, Trayambak and Panchavati). First my dad and my brother decided to stay at shirdi only. So we told him that we will ask my father and will inform him whether we go or not.

At the same time, the cook there told that she has been to Vani many times and it would be like Tirumala on seven hills and we have to walk 750 steps to reach the temple after reaching the top hill. Then my heart was sinked with disappointment as both my mother's friend and my dad have arthritis problem and they may cancel the trip. My dad denied to visit vani and he said that he would stay back. Only my brother agreed to come along with us. But the next day morning somehow my dad too changed his mind and we embarked on the journey.

The hotel people are so considerate that they offered the empty room(as the rooms are vacant. Shirdi too is normal without much crowd.) to have our bath quickly. The van came late and we started at 7 am instead of 6 am. The driver is a telugu guy only. I am also happy that we are visiting Trayambak (I like this temple too a lot for the architecture. Two eyes are not enough to see the beauty of it). I am also happy that I am going to see two new places Vani and Panchavati. In my earlier trips (on tourist bus) they didn't show us.

My seventh trip to Shirdi

I thought of visiting shirdi when my offer to the new company was confirmed. When I rang my aunt (mother's sister) to accompany us, my uncle (her husband) replied that we will go to Konark or some other place this time as we had visited shirdi few times. I made up my mind to go to some other place this time. Heart in heart I thought of going to Chennai if the trip to Konark do not materialise. Due to heavy rains in their place, it was evident after few days that we can't go to Konark.

I began pressuring my mother to visit Chennai. One of my mother's friend never visited Shirdi before and she doesn't even know the story of baba. She just knows that baba is a god through my mother (her childhood friend) and also by the many temples of him. She asked my mother to take her to Shirdi and Srisailam sometime. I am asking my mother to go to Chennai and they are planning to visit Srisailam.

Suddenly aunty asked me last sunday like why don't we go to Shirdi first? I replied ok, then, why not, as I first thought of visiting shirdi only. But to go to shirdi we can't take decision (ofcourse to go to any place, I need HIS permission). I told her like once I return home I will ask for HIS consent and if he gives the permission we will go. I came home and opened Sai Leelamrutham. There I got the message like, 'A pilgrimage would be fruitful only when it has got Sadguru's blessings'. Then I insisted like that is what I am seeking your permission and blessing. I again opened the book and there HE gave HIS consent. 'First go to shirdi and then go to your home'. This is the first time in few years that HE has given a message as soon as it was requested.

Later when we heard the news of floods in Chennai my mother commented that 'That is why baba changed our minds and directed us to Shirdi instead of Chennai'. Yes. I was in such a state that I feel like going to chennai at any cost (this time I wished to visit Anna Baba Mandir too and other temples too if possible). It is too adamant to say that I would have gone (No one can do anything without HIS wish), but my urge was as such. Anyway baba directed me to shirdi itself.
That is how we planned a trip to shirdi and we got the tickets in RAC. Anyhow on the day of leaving our reservation was confirmed.