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Dear all,
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I thought that the temple we construct should be on the model of the Shirdi temple. I visited the place of Thaleem Arts in Mumbai and found that they had a mould of Sri Sai similar to the one at Shirdi. I told the persons there I wanted a life-size statue of Sri Sai Baba and asked him the cost.
As the price quoted by him was very high I took with me a committee member, by name mr. parthasarathy, and started by Bombay Mail. He had the degree of Siromani in Hindi. He was a true devotee of Sri Sai.
I remembered how Sri Baba shrinking his body sat on a two-foot plank. In the train I tried to sleep in the middle berth and P.S. in the lower berth. P.S. said that he hooked my berth to the chain and so I began to sleep.
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Sri baba saved us both with great care. If my berth came down and hit P.S. he would have been seriously injured P.S. was a great devotee of Sri Sai.
We had tickets up to the Kalyan station. Visit to the Thaleem Arts had been arranged. Someone should have come and met us. None came to the station. So we did not get down at the Kalyan Station.
We thought we could go to the Victoria terminus. We approached the ticket examiner that we would pay the extra fare for the Victoria Terminus.
The ticket examiner said that he would make arrangements after the train crossed four stations. The train was speeding and approaching the Victoria Terminus. We reached the station. As the ticket examiner did not come even then we tried to get down.
At that time the ticket examiner came towards us and told us that each of us should pay Rs.311/- as penalty. Getting our tickets he asked us to follow him. A special checking team was examining the passenger’s tickets. We uttered the sacred name ‘Sairam” and relying on the grace of the Almighty, Sri Sai Baba, we were following the ticket examiner. He did not take note of us. Leading us out of the station he gave us back our tickets and asked us to go. In that Friday dawn it was a wonder that we did not pay the penalty.
When we went to a place to buy a statue of Sri Baba the price was reduced very much.
In 1995 I went to Shirdi and returned. By that time the pedestal for the statue in the form of a chariot had been got ready. Those who donated money liberally helped in finishing the pedestal soon. The trust Secretary misappropriated a good deal of money and he tested my patience. A Sai devotee volunteered to get the Sri Sai statue to Chennai bearing all the expenses. The statue reached our temple. Sri Baba gave us much peace.
But as the statue made in Mumbai was hollow the Trust Secretary gave an order for a statue in Jaipur and paid an advance. The temple construction was in the finishing stages and some more money was needed. The Secretary somewhat indifferently and with carelessness, casting a sarcastic look on me told me in an imperious tone, “Give us some more amount. WE will finish the work.” His stance was a clear proof that he sided the contractor with whom he was hand in hand. The hollow statue was placed in the Dhyana Mandapam.
My heart bled and my mind suffered intense anguish. I was sad beyond description. Overcoming all my anguish and collecting myself I appealed to Sri Baba with great fervor. Sri Baba in his characteristic tone of overflowing grace told me softly but firmly,”He swindles money. You are holding my feet in a firm grip. Let him resign if he wants to. Am I not there to give protection to you, to shield you from any dangerous consequences.”?
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1.Bhairava Shirdi Sai Baba Temple -Chennai.
2.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Mandir.
3.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Manidr -part 1.
4.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Mandir-part 2.5.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Mandir -part -3
6.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Mandir-part-4.
7.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Mandir-part 5.
8.Leelas of Sai in the life of Meenakshi Sundaramji-Founder Bhairava Sai Mandir-part 6.
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