Short Summary, Chapter-1 The Story of Grinding Wheat (Shri Sai Satcharita)

Shri Hemad Pant, after prostrating first to his Ganapathi Shri Sainath, Salutes to Maa Saraswathi, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Siva, Narayan Adhinaath, all Rishis of his Lineage (Gotra), later day saints, & his forefather's and then narrates the following event:

Some time after 1910 one fine morning Baba started grinding Wheat in the Masjid. Large crowd gathered to see his action. Four ladies voluntarily came forward, forcibly removed Baba and started grinding the Wheat, singing his praise. Later when they tried to share the flour among themselves, Baba became furious and ordered them to spray it at the outskirts of Shirdi. People said that his was the panacea Baba devised for warding off Cholera from Shirdi. On thinking of this divine sport my(Hemad Pant) heart filled with joy and an urged to write Baba’s "Satcharitra". Sai Baba, who lived in Shirdi for almost 60 years, used to grind wheat on many occasions. In reality, he was grinding off the Sins, Physical & Mental agonies of his countless devotees..

Om Sai Ram..

ॐ श्री शुभ साई रात्री

मन्दिर मस्जिद दूर है, सरल जाप साईं नाम।
श्री चरणों में साईं के, बसते चारों धाम ।।

ॐ साई राम

गणेशोत्सवाच्या तुम्हाला व तुमच्या कुटुंबियांना हार्दिक शुभेच्छा

SAI KI UDI

From the earliest days, Baba gave UDI- holy ash from the dhuni - to his visitors. The healing power of Baba's udi is well documented and there are numerous cases of people being healed of pain or sickness by taking Baba's udi both before and since his mahasamadhi.

Baba would sometimes apply UDI to his devotees when they arrived, or when they were taking leave of him, and he often gave out handfuls which he scooped up from the dhuni. The Shri Sai Satcharitra tells us that "when Baba was in a good mood" he sometimes used to sing about Udi "in a tuneful voice and with great joy": "Shri Ram has come, Oh he has come during his wanderings and he has brought bags full of udi." Udi is still collected from the fire for distribution. Since this is a continuation of Baba's own practice, and the udi comes from the very fire that Baba himself lit and tended, it is considered extremely sacred. Today a small tray of udi is kept for visitors near the steps.

For devotees of Sai Baba there is an emotional attachment to udi as a tangible form of Baba's blessings, a vehicle for Baba's grace and a link to Baba himself. People usually put it on the forehead and/or in the mouth. Shri Babuji also gives Baba's udi as a symbol of Baba's blessing. When a Westerner unfamiliar with the custom once asked him why he did this, Shri Babuji replied that because the udi is from the fire that was lit and touched by Baba, the ashes are a connection to Baba and to his touch - and thus no ordinary ash. Putting the udi on the forehead, says Shri Babuji, "always gives me the experience of the touch of my Beloved and the udi is a symbol of his grace."

Udi is available in small packets from a small booth outside the Samadhi Mandir.

Five Important Samadhi of Devotees in Samadhi Mandir Complex

Just outside the southern fence of Lendi, across the square from Dixit Wada, is a row of five samadhis (tombs). Each is labelled with name and dates. The five people buried here include important Sai devotees. They are described below