Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Padukas where Baba used to stand


Padukas where Baba used to stand
Padukas

Just behind the cooking area is the place where Baba would stand, usually before going to Lendi, leaning against the mud wall. He would call out to villagers in a friendly way, "How are you?" "How's the crop coming along?" "How are your children doing?" Following Baba's mahasamadhi, a pair of padukas was installed in this spot and a small shrine placed over them. In the wall above is a smaller set of padukas where he is said to have leaned his arm.

The bell

Hanging to the left as you enter Dwarkamai is a bell. This is rung three times a day, at 4.00 a.m. 11.30 a.m. and 8.30 p.m. If it rings at any other time it is taken as an alarm signal, and villagers will rush to Dwarkamai to find out what the trouble is.

Some people say that Baba put the bell here himself. Certainly we know that it was there during his lifetime as there is reference to it in Shri Sai Satcharitra. When Baba sent Hemadpant to talk with Shama, just as Shama had finished relating a beautiful leela to him, "the bell in the mosque began to ring, proclaiming that the noon worship and arati ceremony had begun. Therefore Hemadpant and Shama hurried to the mosque."

No comments:

Post a Comment