Bhivpuri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.

Dear Sai readers
Wish you a happy Thursday and Baba's day.I have received few mails asking to post on specific temples ,I wish to explain on this and I hope readers shall agree with me .I have been noticing from the day I have started writing on Shirdi Sai Baba blog every post of mine is never the way I wish to do .Whatever I prepare and I am ready to send does not get published ,(with some or the other reason )where as what HE wishes comes out from no where and I get in posting that.HIS WILL IS SUPREME.

Writing on Baba itself I take as HIS wish otherwise a Agyani like me can never think to write a single word on Almighty the ocean of knowledge .

Same started happening with the post in this blog too.I prepared article on few mandirs ready to post but they did not come in limelight and others got posted .Last post was on the temple which researcher claims to be Baba's birth place which I did not prepare or intend to do first but at last minute it happened.Now the post on this temple is again the same story....

I fully surrender to Shri Sainath's feet and take HIS direction and ask the readers to bear with me if they want some specific post on particular mandir to be posted ,it shall definately come but when ? its HIS Will.I can write and prepare but I completely believe that what I wish does not happens so I do as HE wishes . At the feet of my Sathguru Sai.
Jai Sai Ram .

History of Bhivpuri the first ever Sai Baba Mandir.

This temple has a very interesting history. The story behind its construction reveals the astonishing manner in which Baba pulls his devotees to him.

Inscrutable are the ways of Baba for when He showers His grace, the impossible and unimaginable is possible. Baba rarely left Shirdi in the physical body, except to go to Rahata, Nigoj and Rui. In this Leela, He goes to stay in Ukrool village near Bhivpuri road.

Keshav R.Pradhan was a hardcore atheist. But, his dearest friend was an ardent devotee of Sai Baba.

Pradhan worked for a pedhi(a collector of debts owed to his employer) of a Parsi gentleman at Bombay. His job entailed him to go Manmand, Nasik and Kopargaon for bill collections. His friend who frequently visited Shirdi urged him to go to Shirdi either during his tour of duty or to accompany him. But all his requests fell on deaf ears. After much cajoling Pradhan finally agreed to accompany his friend. Before he made the trip, he told his friend emphatically and clearly that he wouldn't step into the Masjid. After he was quite sure that his friend agreed, only then did he accompany him.

Upon reaching Shirdi, they took a room on rent and stayed there. Soon, it was time for the Noon Arati and his friend went to Dwarakamai, leaving Pradhan in the room. At 12.00 noon, the Arati started and the peels of ringing bells filled the air and charged the atmosphere with spiritual energy. Pradhan heard the bells ring in his room. He got restless and soon it turned into a hypnotic spell as he stood up, swaying to their beat.

Before he realized it, he was walking in that direction and soon entered the Dwarakamai and stood among the rest of the devotees. When the Arati was over, the devotees went to Baba, one by one. Pradhan, however, sat in a corner and looked at Baba with intense concentration and try as he may, he couldn't take his eyes of Baba's divine form. He sat there and gazed at Baba, bewitched.

Soon, the Dwarakamai was empty and Baba beckoned to him. Still in a daze, he went and sat in front of Baba. With a smile, Baba put out His hand and asked for Dakshina. Pradhan thrust his hand into his pocket and handed over Rs.2,500/-, the entire sum, that he had collected for the pedhi(a collector of debts owed to his employer). Then, in the same dazed state, he returned to his room. When he came to his normal state, he was mortified at what he had done.

Thinking about the money, he realized that he hadn't enough money to return home, let alone repay his employer. Nonetheless, he started for Kopargaon by tonga. As he had no money with him, he took of his gold ring and offered it to the tonga driver. He requested him to sell the ring and take the fare from it. Suddenly, a well-dressed gentleman appeared on the scene and paid the fare. He proceeded to buy the ticket to Bombay and expertly made all the arrangements for a comfortable journey.

He then seated Pradhan in the compartment and disappeared in the crowd. Pradhan was speechless and wondered at the kindness of the gentleman.

He reached home, but was in a lot of turmoil about the repayment of the money to his employer. He wasn't affluent and kept wondering as to how he would repay the money and what explanation he could give. So, he decided to call 'in sick'. He sent word to his employer that he was unable to attend work due to an illness and he may be absent for a long period. The employer, however, granted him the leave, and told him to return only after he was fully recovered.



He also told him not to worry as he had received double the amount of money from the customers. Pradhan was astounded to hear this and it dawned on him that the kind gentleman and the recovery of the money was Baba's Leela. At that moment, the atheist turned into an ardent devotee.

This event had such a profound effect on him that he started visiting Shirdi as often as he could. After darshan he would ask Baba to come to Ukrool (Bhivpuri road) at each and every visit. Once in 1916 he visited Shirdi after darshan he requested Baba to come to Bhivpuri. Baba picked up one of His replicas given to Him by a devotee and handing it over to Pradhan said

"Go back to Bhivpuri. Erect a temple and place this replica in it. Start
all the functions there and don't come to this place again for that is your
Shirdi".

Pradhan brought the replica to Bhivpuri but did not follow Baba's orders. When he visited Shirdi, Baba said

"When I have come to your house why do you come here? Bhivpuri is your
Shirdi now".

After a few day he erected a small temple and installed the replica with all the rituals and daily pooja with offerings were performed. So also, all the festivals.




The temple was built adjacent to his house and was serene, beautiful with abundant trees and luscious greenery. In front of the temple and to the left was a huge ancient peepal tree next to a
banyan tree.


Once at mid-night, Pradhan heard the temple doors open. He and his family went to see who it was? every one was surprised at what they saw. Baba entered the temple and closed the door behind Him. At 3.00 A.M.the door was opened and Baba left. He narrated this wonderful experience to all his friends and relatives who also came to behold this wonderful event.

In the silence of the night the sound of the temple doors opening would sometimes be heard. Baba’s form would be seen coming out of the temple and resting under a tree in the front yard. The sound of the temple doors closing would be heard again at three in the morning. All these leelas were experienced not only by Pradhan and his family but also by their guests who stayed overnight.



Pradhan had no doubt that Bhivpuri was indeed his Shirdi and he became an even more ardent devotee of Baba. The temple was developed to include an inner chamber, a big hall in the forecourt, a verandah and guestrooms for the use of visiting devotees.

Tulsi Vrindavan Picture where Baba was seen in 1916.

Sri V V Gupta, Pradhan’s son-in-law, took an active part in conducting the various affairs of the temple and helped further develop it. Sri Gupta had first visited Shirdi in 1936 and experienced bliss at the sight of Baba’s samadhi.

He prayed fervently to Baba to make the temple at Bhivpuri as glorious and awesome as the Samadhi Mandir at Shirdi. Baba answered his prayers and the Bhivpuri temple became famous with more and more devotees visiting it.

Pradhan passed away in 1939 and responsibility for the temple fell on Gupta’s shoulders. He started an organization for running the temple called the “Sri Sadguru Sainathuni Seva Sanstha”. The rush of visitors increased and the existing facilities became insufficient. Funds were inadequate to meet the huge influx of devotees. Finally, Baba’s help was sought.

A devotee called Narayan Purohit started the formal reading of Sai Baba’s life -Sai Satcharitra parayan. On the fourth day Baba came to him in a dream and said,

“Where is my dhuni? How can this be Shirdi without a dhuni? How
can my temple be complete without
a dhuni?”

As he had the dream twice, Purohit informed Gupta and it was decided forthwith to build a dhuni as instructed by Baba. Sri Valvalkar, the grandson of Sri Hemadpant (author of Sri Sai Satcharitra – Baba's life story and leelas), first lit the dhuni on the Ramanavami day of 1949.
The total expenses were borne by Kumar Sen Samarth.
This is a 'must visit' temple. Because it has many notable features.


Festivals:
Ramanavami and Baba’s samadhi festivals are celebrated here with great fervour and glory.

Keshav.R.Pradhan Picture




Address of Sai Temple:

Bhivpuri Road is a small station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is on the Karjat route. Neral is the previous stop and Karjat is the next stop. Bhivpuri is in Karjat Taluka near Mumbai.Bhivpuri is scenic place on the outskirts of Mumbai. .

If one gets out at this station and looks right towards the fields, a temple spire is clearly visible. This is the Sai temple at Bhivpuri.First ever temple of Sai Baba of Shirdi ,it is often visited by devotees and pilgrims here It is a short walk across the fields to the temple.


©SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE INFORMATION

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