 |
| Swami moves from the aircraft into the vestibule-lift at the Pune airport |
Happy landing? Ultimately yes, but a lot of uncertainty for me
The
Pune airport,
where we were scheduled to land is a ‘complicated’ airport. It
is shared between civilian and military aircraft and thus, extra
rules and regulations exist there which complicate life for the
normal traveller at times. Some of the elders had scared us -
especially the ones with cameras - that we ought to be very
careful at Pune. Our cameras might be snatched away for security
reasons, they had warned us. Even as the plane landed, I could
see a plethora of dignitaries who had arrived to welcome Swami.
If you have come directly to this post, I would like to egg you on to enjoy the full story with its history.
Link to part 1 is given below and the link to the next part will be at the end of each previous part. Thank you.
Hadshi Mumbai diaries - Part 1 - The blessing materializes )
Prominent among them was the former Lok Sabha
speaker, Sri Shivraj Patil. Hordes of security people hovered
around the craft and a couple of them even came and sealed the
back exit, damming us within the plane. The elder Jadhav, Mr.
Uttamrao, himself was literally held hostage at the back exit of
the plane due to the guards. CG and I were also held up, but
then I told the security personnel,
“See, all those important persons will want a photo
with Swami. In case they ask us why we did not capture images, we
will have to blame you. So please let us go there.”
I had a look at the name on his badge as I spoke. He
reluctantly said that he would permit one of us to go. I asked CG to
go since a video camera captures more than a photograph. If a
picture is worth a thousand words, imagine a moving picture!
CG went to shoot no doubt, but very soon, he also
went away in the divine convoy! Meanwhile, I was at the plane’s rear
with the Jadhavs and the State President of the Maharashtra Sathya
SAi Seva Organisation, Mr. Ramesh Sawant. As I got down from the
plane, I got to know that the entourage would be proceeding to
Hadshi in a specially arranged bus. Swami would be visiting the
Jadhav residence in Pune before driving to Hadshi. Now, I began to
envy CG’s good fortune and began thinking how I too could go to the
Jadhav residence.
I saw Mr. Sawant running in another direction. I
caught up with him and asked,
“Uncle can I come with you?”
“Sure”, he said with a look of surprise. I was under
the wrong impression that he would also be going to the Jadhav
residence. Even as I realized that I had been wrong in my
assumption, I saw the elder Jadhav brother hop into an Audi SUV. I
was barefoot and I ran, camera around my neck, towards the SUV in
the hot sun. Luckily, the vehicle slowed down and I pressed my face
against the window glass. The Jadhav recognised me as the
photographer on board the flight and asked me whether I would join
him. I nodded gladly and in moments, was cooling off in the
super-power air conditioner of the car. Apparently, the younger
Jadhav was already at home and the elder brother beside me was
Swami’s escort from Puttaparthi who had got left behind.. All the
other boys, in the meanwhile, were being transported to Hadshi in a
luxury bus.
In the car, Mr. Uttamrao asked me what I intended to
do when I reached his residence. I had no idea about anything and I
told him that I would ‘see’ what had to be done.
“It will be impossible to get into the house there.
Knowing the huge crowd that Swami attracts, security has been
arranged so that nobody other than the family gets into the house.
So here, take this badge. It is a ‘Family’ badge and now you will
also be allowed in.”
I gratefully accepted the badge. It struck me as very
singular that when you work for God, the entire world becomes your
‘family’ in no time. My only credentials were that I was ‘Swami’s
photographer’ and here was Mr. Uttamrao instantly making me part of
the Jadhav family! That is His magic!
 |
|
The happy luncheon session at the
Jadhav home wherein Swami ate almost nothing and used the visit
to bless all the family members. |
By the time we reached the home of the Jadhavs, Swami
was already there at their dining table. I flashed my ‘Family’ card
to gain entry into the home. I saw CG in a far corner of the large
hall, busy capturing visuals which posterity would appreciate. I too
moved in slowly and took up a position nearby.
Swami was at a dining table and a ‘host’ of people
surrounded Him in the pretext of serving Him. In India, it is
tradition that one’s love and appreciation towards the guest is
directly proportional to the amount of food that one can feed that
guest! It seemed as though Swami had become a victim of this
tradition! He was being served from more than 20-30 dishes that had
been prepared. However, in His plate were not more than a few
morsels of food!
 |
|
Swami's smile is so cute and
sweet! Here, the younger Jadhav washes the Divine hand after the meal. |
I have not had many chances to see Swami dine from
such close quarters and have mostly let my imagination fill in the
gaps as to how it might be. That day as I saw Him, Swami felt so
human! He saw me and, suddenly, a smile of recognition lit up His
face. Everyone looked up to see who was receiving this lovely smile
from the Lord. I felt very special. That smile was to have a
lingering role as we shall see later!
Swami was asking about the different items on the
menu, though He was not eating everything. He seemed interested in a
particular type of
vada
(a fried, Indian delicacy). More of it was brought accordingly, but
Swami did not take anymore. Now an interesting episode took place.
Mr. Shivajirao Jadhav's wife entered with a plate filled with eats.
Swami asked,
"What is that?"
Mr. Jadhav replied, “Swami, the same
saboodana vada.
She has cut it to small, conveniently-sized pieces for You to eat."
Swami was so pleased at this attention to detail! As
a reward, He accepted a few pieces. He then asked Mr. Srinivasan and
Satyajit to have a few tidbits as well. As CG and I shot pictures,
both of us were offered fruit salad. I was feeling quite hungry
because I had not eaten anything since morning (I had skipped the
in-flight breakfast to click photographs)! But as the Divine sight
was on us, we politely declined. And Bhagavan seemed satisfied and
happy at the way we had conducted ourselves.
Swami soon finished the meal and blessed all the
members of the family. To a lad who wanted to pursue MBA after
finishing his BCom, Swami advised to do Chartered Accountancy as it
would come useful for the family’s business. As He slowly moved out,
Swami was told that all would be going to Hadshi. Shortly,
aarthi
was taken and I was the lead singer simply by the
sheer absence of any other singers nearby!
 |
| The Lord's visit is never a secret! Crowds had already gathered in Pune to catch a glimpse of the lovable form in orange. |
And so began the drive from Pune to Hadshi. I was in
Mr. Uttamrao Jadhav's car and, talking to him, I found out about how
they had organized the Latur-Chakur trip as well. He told me,
"This visit to our home was a last minute job. Swami
agreed to bless us in this fashion out of the blue. Therefore, the
arrangements were not so good. See the arrangements we have made at
Hadshi."
“Wow!” I thought, “If this was supposed to be a ‘last
minute job’, I want to see their thorough arrangements!”
He further acknowledged, “Swami was so very happy
when He saw you. You students are loved so dearly by Him! It is
amazing.”
I could only trace all this admiration and respect to
one source – that single smile from dear Swami!
 |
|
We were the third car behind
Swami's Toyota Estima on the journey from Pune to Hadshi. |
Before long, we could see the beautiful Mandir atop the hill from a distance. All along the way, hundreds of villagers stood in awe and devotion as Swami's car passed by. Many of them did not seem to know which vehicle to look at, thanks to over a dozen cars arranged by the Jadhavs, which were all similar to Swami's Toyota Estima! Once the climb began, I had a glimpse of the arrangements. The entire road to the top was lined with children and devotees welcoming Swami with flags, placards and ribbons. At every hairpin bend were beautiful posters carrying His message and teachings. All along the way were banners inviting Bhagawan to Pandurang Kshetra. Yes! That was the name for Swami’s shrine at Hadshi.
 |
|
All along the way, for dozens of
kilometers, people lined the road. There were also many arches
and banners which I photographed from the moving vehicle. |
We presently arrived at the main entrance of the
grand "fortress-temple" that towered over us. I jumped out of the
vehicle to march in front of Swami's car on foot, taking photographs
all along. Little did I realize that there was almost half a
kilometre to be traversed before the final destination! Music from
the bands reverberated in the air. Little boys wearing orange
turbans with cymbals in hand welcomed Swami. It was a real
"red-carpet" reception for Bhagavan, right up to His residence. The
entire stretch had been barricaded but nothing could prevent the
fervent prayers and passionate longing of the people from reaching
the Lord. Mr. Uttamrao Jadhav, the elder brother, was in a
devotional fervour as he, alighting from the car, moved amidst the
people egging them to sing aloud and rejoice, for the Lord had
arrived. His enthusiasm was highly infectious!
 |
| A view of the sea of humanity at Hadshi, waiting to welcome Swami. |
Traditionally dressed Maharashtrian village women
with pots balancing delicately on their heads were also part of the
welcome team. Everyone was so thrilled at the mere sight of Swami’s
car. The red carpet now gave way to a green one and a congregation
chanting Vedic hymns began to lead the procession. Soon we arrived
at the Residence. A shehnai artist accompanied by percussionists
filled the ambience with welcome tunes. In fact this was to become a
daily feature during the entire period of our stay - a shehnai
artist playing music outside the Residence as it was done outside
the palaces of emperors! The members of the Jadhav family had lined
up at the final stretch before the divine home. A beautiful,
circular
rangol,
about two metres in diameter,
adorned the entrance with the words ‘Aum Sri Sai Ram’
etched in Devanagari script.
 |
| The drive-through in Hadshi, at the Pandurangakshetra itself was about a kilometer long. |
A pink ribbon fastened across the door awaited the
inaugural snip from His hand. I wanted to rush in to take pictures
from the inside but was rudely prevented. This time the younger
Jadhav brother issued instructions that I was not to be stopped and
must be given complete access! Again, the power of the Smile I had
received at the Jadhavs’ residence in Pune… So it was that I could
get a photo of Bhagavan inaugurating the Mandir and arriving inside.
 |
| The magnificent Residence building which Swami inaugurated by cutting a pink ribbon. |
A golden rose lay on Swami’s lap, offered by a
devotee. As soon as Swami came into the Mandir, the Jadhavs washed
His feet, and collected the sacred water into a silver plate to be
taken as
teertham
(holy water) by the privileged family.
Aarthi
was then performed as all the members of the family gathered before
the Lord.
A note here about the Jadhav family – The total
number of members ran in excess of two hundred and the family tree
had multiple branches, twigs and leaves! They seemed to be
harvesting the fruits of joy and satisfaction which the Gardener had
delivered to them. Since this was a huge ‘tree’, only the 'trunk'
and 'primary branches' were in the Residence and they added up to
almost twenty to thirty members!
Their large and airy home had four guest rooms, one
at each of the corners of the rectangular hall. Swami’s dining table
stood at the northern side of the hall, while about half a dozen
other tables for the guests were arranged at the southern end.
Swami moved across the length of the entire hall and
had a look at the four rooms. He was immensely pleased with the
meticulous care and effort of the Jadhavs. In the south-east corner
of the House stood the kitchen, where the youth waited for Swami.
They were the youth from Mumbai and Maharashtra who had been chosen
to serve Swami and His guests for the trip. Swami blessed them.
Meanwhile, the rest of the students who had been
driven down by bus straight from the Pune airport arrived. Swami was
very happy to see them, even as He moved towards the lift which was
a small enclosure with a grilled gate inside and a wooden door
outside. It was just sufficient for Swami's chair and Satyajit. As
He entered the lift, Swami brought the index finger and the thumb of
His hand together to gesture the sign ‘excellent’ and said,
"It is so nice here. There are all facilities (anukoolanu)
for everyone to stay comfortably."
 |
| Swami was very happy with the facilities for all as He moved into the lift to go to His room. |
Swami then went up to His room which was in the
northwest corner of the Residence. There was a huge atrium in this
one-storeyed building to allow natural light from the sky to fill
the house. This central area had a wooden parapet and from here
Swami saw all of us gathered below as He moved to His room as He
retired for the afternoon.
After this, we did a silent
Brahmaarpanam
(the food prayer) and had a hearty meal. Soon after, we were shown
our living quarters. There were three double rooms and each one
contained six cots. Ah! The beds were so inviting. We dived into
them instantly to stretch out our tired bodies.
After an hour’s rest, we were back in the Mandir.
(I call the Residence as the Mandir, for that is the
term for the place where God resides.) We waited down in the area
resembling a verandah and soon, Swami came down the lift. He called
all the elders to have tiffin with Him. And so, Prof. G.
Venkataraman, Mr. S.V. Giri, Dr. Dash, Mr. Gokal Das, Mr. Balaram
and Mr. Naganand occupied the table along with Swami.
After they had finished, Swami asked for their plates
to be cleared and fresh ones laid. He also supervised the dishes
served, and then He beckoned me! I was taken aback and realized with
excitement that Swami was inviting me to eat at His table. I was so
delighted that I quickly found myself there. He continued, "Mugguru
mugguru ikkada kuchondi
(Three each sit on either side).” I called out for a few others and
soon Phaneendra, KVSK Ganesh, Aravind Sai, Sai Dath, Nishikant and
myself were at His table seeing Him for most of the time with
momentary glances at the items served on our plates!
The rest of the boys now filled the other tables and
soon a thundering
Brahmaarpanam
began. Everyone around me seemed to close their eyes. I however
opened mine as wide as possible and drank in deep the
darshan
of sweet Swami. I was feeling so privileged. I am sure I have done
nothing to deserve this but as He says, "If you love me, you deserve
me!" I was feeling such a surge of happiness welling in me. I
managed to look at Neeraj Acharya and asked him to take a snap of
that glorious moment! Swami then told us to start eating.
 |
| Sitting at the farthest end to Swami's right, it was an unbelievable opportunity to dine with Him. |
As I began, Swami asked me, "Ay
photographer,
nee
video cameraman
ekkada?"
(Photographer! Where is your video camera man?)
I quickly rose and called out to CG who was at
another table. He came forward. Swami saw him and then asked him to
return and eat well. Again I was so happy that at the physical level
Swami had identified me as something – a photographer! He told all
of us that we would not eat well if He was there! And so, He left
saying He would be back in a while by which time we should have
filled our stomachs freely.
I ate with trembling excitement and soon Sai Krishna told me that the privilege we had been blessed with was not bestowed upon anyone even in Kodaikanal – sharing the table with Swami! Once we were done, we waited once again to receive Him.
to be continued in Part 4 located at the below link:
Hadshi Mumbai diaries - Part 4 - A shrine is born
