Panvel: The serene idol of Shri Saibaba of Shirdi watering the plants at the Shri Bhagawati Sai Sansthan’s Saibaba temple here is becoming a very popular spiritual selfie point for Sai devotees thronging the Panvel shrine in large numbers particularly on Thursdays and the temple’s festive days. The said idol was ceremoniously and ritually installed in the temple premises on Guru Purnima Day this year on July 3.

Shri Saibaba pioneered the transformation of a dumping ground and barren, rocky terrain into a beautiful garden nearly 120 years ago, that today houses the most pious and most visited pilgrimage destination – Shri Saibaba’s Samadhi and Sathe Wada in Shirdi. Today, the local self-government bodies are emulating the said initiative like the Nisarg Udyan in Koparkhairne transformed from the city’s dumping ground by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
The Sansthan celebrated the most auspicious Sri Guru Pournima Utsav, in the Spiritual Presence of their most beloved Sadguru H.H. Sri Sai Narayan Baba in the premises of Sri Sai Narayan Baba Ashram of Sri Bhagawati Sai Sansthan, here, from 7.15. a.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Sri Guru Pournima Utsav, as always was attended by innumerable devotees inland and overseas – Vachhani and Arjun Aswani family from Dubai, Chhugani family from Lagos, Bhartesh Bhai from Houston, Dayaldas Mulchandani from Nagpur, G.P. Singh, Romi Sidhwani and others from various centres of the Sansthan with great enthusiasm, emotion, devotion, dedication, affection and love towards H.H. Sadhguru Sri Sai Narayan Baba-the true personification of infinite selfless and unconditional Divine Love.

The programme started with the Sansthan’s daily usual puja of Baba including abhishek, archana, arati and Vedaparayan from 3.00 a.m to 7.00 a.m., followed by Sri Vyas Puja, homam, archana and poornahuti performed by the temple Shastri- Sri Vishwanath Bhatt.

At about 9.00 a.m, Rev. Guruji’s Palki was carried reverentially from His personal room and carried to the Temple, Samadhi Sthal and Hanumanji with offering of prayerful parikramas, as Guruji used to perform.

The live Murti of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba (Lendi Baugh pose- Baba watering the plants of Lendi Baugh) was then unveiled on this day. The Mantra Sadhana mandali lead by Archana Jhurani and Srilekha Choudhuri and Smt. Chandrani Chatterjee conducted Sri Sai Mahima, Sri Guru Mahima and Sri Hanuman Chalisa Path.

This was followed by Sri Maha Charan Puja of Rev. Guruji. Devotees had the privilege of performing abhishek of the holy charan paduka of Rev. Guruji. Maha Charan Paduka Puja of Rev. Swami Karunanandaji was performed in the temple’s Yajna Bhavan to offer obeisance to Swami Karunananda – father-cum-Sadguru of late Sri Sai Narayan Baba, the founder Guru of the Sansthan.
DVD messages of Sri Sai Narayan Baba were telecasted on the occasion which included, the significance of Sri Guru Vyasa Pournima which is considered to be the most significant occasion as it is on this day that dedicated devotees derive Guru’s grace and blessings in abundance to make their rare human life more purposeful.

The Sadguru’s message expounded that ‘Sri Bhagawan Veda Vyasa has rendered unforgettable service to humanity by compiling the 4 Vedas. To simplify the Vedas, he has written 555 Brahmasutras, 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and finally the Srimad Bhagawat. We can only repay the deep debt of gratitude we owe him by regularly studying his works and practicing his teachings in this Iron age. In honour of Sri Veda Vyasa, devotees perform Sri Vyasa puja and homam on this auspicious day. Devotees worship their Spiritual Preceptors, Saints, Monks and Men of God and honour them with acts of charity with faith and sincerity.

Right from this auspicious Sri Guru Pournima day, the devotees undertake a rigorous spiritual ‘KALPAVAAS’ for a period of 4 months – ‘Chaturmaas’ leading a totally secluded life mostly spending in meditation, scriptural studies and Satsang in a place of pilgrimage. Whatever an aspirant learns through reading, writing, hearing and seeing during the preceding 8 months is put into practice during this Chaturmaas. Many devotees either observe total fast on this day or live on milk and fruits only.

Just as the full Moon on the Ashadhi Pournima day reflects its full splendor of the glorious light of the Sun and glorifies the Sun, similarly on this significant Sri Guru Pournima day, advanced aspirants also reflect in splendor the glorious Spiritual light of their Guru and enrich other devotees by their glorious dazzling Guru’s light. It is through the medium of the Preceptor that an individual can raise himself to Cosmic Consciousness. It is through this medium that an imperfect can become Perfect, the finite can become Infinite, and the mortal can become Immortal. The Guru is verily a link between the individual and the Immortal. He enables us to attain victory over our mind and ego to make us truly free.

The Guru is the Divine Flower who disseminates the Aatmik aroma of Divinity in this world and thus proclaims the Immortal Lord who is invisible to our physical eyes. He is the standing witness to the Supreme Self, the Counterpart of the Lord on earth and through worship of Him, one attains Self- realization or God-realization which is the only Goal of our rare human life.

May the Supreme God who is worshipped by different Names, in different Forms and by different Ways, on this most significant Sri Guru Pournima day in the form of our Sadguru Sri Sai Baba protect us, guide us, confer Peace, Prosperity and Happiness and finally enable us to attain the spiritual goal of our rare human life’.

This was followed by offering Maryada to overseas devotees, thanksgiving to all the devotees and Maha prasad was served to all.

Devotees appreciated the continuous and tireless efforts of Sri Ram Thadani for organizing all the celebrations of the Sansthan as used to be celebrated by Rev. Guruji during His lifetime. Sri Ramlal Choudhary, Sri Sham Mangtani, Sri Suresh Pamnani, Sri Ramlal Patil- Temple Manager put in great efforts for the successful conduct of the festival. Chairman Khemchand Gopalani appreciated one and all and thanked Rev. Guruji and all the devotees for making the event religiously colorful.

Ex-Corporator Ajay Bahira, chairperson in the Municipal Corporation Mrs. Waghmare, former Mayor Dr Kavita Choutmal, Dr Prakash and Dr Jayashree Patil from Lifeline Hospital, Dr. Pradip Mahindrakar CMD, Micron Metropolis and Dr Arvind Takle were among the dignitaries who graced the occasion.