View allAll Photos Tagged Tamboli
[Capparis Tournefort ex Linnæus 1753: 144 (IT: 4) spp]
Conspecific sympatric concurrent specimens, lateral habitus.
Different flavonoids were identified in Capparis spinosa Linnæus 1753: rutin (quercetin 3-rutinoside), quercetin 7-rutinoside, quercetin 3-glucoside-7-rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-rutinoside, astragalin and kæmpferol 3-rhamnorutinoside. C. spinosa contains more quercetin per weight than any other plant. Se is present in C. spinosa @ high concentrations in comparison with other vegetable products.
REFERENCES
A. Pignatti & al. 2019: Flora IT, v.2, p. 884; v.4, p. 639.
H. Zhang & Z.F. Ma 2018: Capparis spinosa phytochemistry.
A. Tamboli & al. 2017: Capparis molecular phylogeny.
S. Chedraoui & al. 2017: Capparis spinosa systematic review.
S. Fici 2014: Capparis spinosa species group revision.
Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838 – 15 October 1918; resided in Shirdi), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master who was and is regarded by his devotees as a saint, fakir, and satguru, according to their individual proclivities and beliefs. He was revered by both his Hindu and Muslim devotees, and during, as well as after, his life it remained uncertain if he was a Hindu or a Muslim himself. This however was of no consequence to Sai Baba himself.[1] Sai Baba stressed the importance of surrender to the guidance of the true Satguru or Murshid, who, having gone the path to divine consciousness himself, will lead the disciple through the jungle of spiritual training.[2]
Sai Baba remains a very popular Master,[3] especially in India, and is worshiped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. He gave no distinction based on religion or caste. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in,[4] practised Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek" ("One God governs all"), is associated with Hinduism, Islam and Sufism. He also said, "Trust in me and your prayer shall be answered". He always uttered "Allah Malik" ("God is King").[2]
ackground[edit]
No verifiable information is given regarding Sai Baba's real name, place or time of birth. When asked about his past, he often gave elusive responses. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west Indian state of Maharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognised him as a Muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'. Sai or Sayi is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'[5] and in Banjara language, "sayi" means good one.[citation needed] The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in most Indian and Middle Eastern languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man".[1] Alternatively, the Sindhi and Urdu word "sāī.n" (سائیں), an honorific title for a virtuoso, a saint, or a feudal lord (i.e. a patron), is derived from the Persian word "sāyeh", which literally means "shadow" but figuratively refers to patronage or protection. The Hindi-Urdu word "sāyā" comes from the same borrowing. Thus, it could also mean "Master Father." However, Sāī may also be an acronym of the Sanskrit term "Sakshat Eshwar", a reference to God. Sakshat means "incarnate" and Eshwar means "God".
Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mahalsapati, a priest of the Khandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.[6][7] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot.[7]
Early years[edit]
Shirdi Sai Baba (right) and some of his devotees at Dwarakamai, his own Temple.
Sai Baba's biographer Narasimha Swamiji claims that Sai Baba was born as the child of Brahmin parents:
"On one momentous occasion, very late in his life, he revealed to Mahalsapathy the interesting fact that his parents were Brahmins of Patri in the Nizam's State. Patri is Taluk in Parbhani district, near Manwath. Sai Baba added, in explanation of the fact that he was living in a Mosque, that while still a tender child his Brahmin parents handed him over to the care of a fakir who brought him up. This is fairly indisputable testimony, as Mahlsapathy was a person of sterling character noted for his integrity, truthfulness and vairagya." —Narasimha Swamiji, Life of Sai Baba.[8]
Shirdi Sai Baba with some devotees
According to the book Sai Satcharita, Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, British India, when he was about 16 years old. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Shri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers:
The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practising hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.[9]
His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers, and he was regularly visited by the religiously inclined, including Mahalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha. Some considered him mad and threw stones at him.[10] Sai Baba left the village, and little is known about him after that.
There are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver. He claimed to have been with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[11] It is generally accepted that Sai Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year, and returned permanently around 1858, which suggests a birth year of 1838.[12]
Return to Shirdi[edit]
In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi. Around this time he adopted his famous style of dress consisting of a knee-length one-piece Kafni robe and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Sai Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to the end of his spine' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohiddin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typical Sufi clothing.[13] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.[14]
For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree and often wandered for long periods in the jungle around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.[15] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms, and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ashes ('Udhi') to his guests before they left. The ash was believed to have healing and apotropaic powers. He performed the function of a local hakim and treated the sick by application of ashes. Sai Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an. He insisted on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa), and often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.[16]
Sai Baba participated in religious festivals and was in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs.
After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint with the power of performing miracles or even as an Avatar.[17] They built his first temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat.[18]
Teachings and practices[edit]
Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devotees
Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. He was an opponent of religious orthodoxy – Christian, Hindu and Muslim.[19] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.
Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name, and read holy scriptures. He told Muslims to study the Qur'an and Hindus to study texts such as the Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vasistha.[20] He was impressed by the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita and encouraged people to follow it in their own lives.[21] He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, love every living being without any discrimination, and develop two important features of character: devotion to the Guru (Sraddha) and waiting cheerfully with patience and love (Saburi). He criticised atheism.[22]
In his teachings, Sai Baba emphasised the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters and of being content regardless of the situation. In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.[23] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba enjoyed listening to mawlid and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.[24]
Sai Baba interpreted the religious texts of both Islam and Hinduism. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. His philosophy also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths — Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga — influenced his teachings.[25]
Sai Baba encouraged charity, and stressed the importance of sharing. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will certainly be pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."[26] Other favourite sayings of his were "Why do you fear when I am here" and "He has no beginning... He has no end."[27]
Sai Baba made eleven "assurances" to his devotees:
No harm shall befall him, who steps on the soil of Shirdi.
He who comes to my Samadhi, his sorrow and suffering shall cease.
Though I be no more in flesh and blood, I shall ever protect my devotees.
Trust in me and your prayer shall be answered.
Know that my spirit is immortal, know this for yourself.
Show unto me him who has sought refuge and has been turned away.
In whatever faith men worship me, even so do I render to them.
Not in vain is my promise that I shall ever lighten your burden.
Knock, and the door shall open, ask and it shall be granted.
To him who surrenders unto me totally I shall be ever indebted.
Blessed is he who has become one with me.
Worship and devotees[edit]
Main article: Shirdi Sai Baba movement
The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, while he was living in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest, Mhalsapati Nagre, is believed to have been his first devotee. In the 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. The movement started developing in the 20th century, with Sai Baba's message reaching the whole of India.[3] During his life, Hindus worshiped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims considered him to be a saint. Many Hindu devotees – including Hemadpant, who wrote the famous Shri Sai Satcharitra —consider him as an incarnation of Lord Krishna[28] while other devotees consider him as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. In the last years of Sai Baba's life, Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai Baba movement.[3]
Because of Sai Baba, Shirdi has become a place of importance and is counted among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.[29] The first Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi is visited by around 20,000 pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number can reach up to a 100,000.[30] Shirdi Sai Baba is especially revered and worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. In August 2012, an unidentified devotee for the first time donated two costly diamonds valuing Rs 11.8 million at the Shirdi temple, Saibaba trust officials revealed.[31]
The Shirdi Sai movement has spread to the Caribbean and to countries such as the United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.[32]
Notable disciples[edit]
Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs, appointed no disciples, and did not even provide formal initiation (diksha), despite requests. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures, such as Upasni Maharaj of Sakori. After Sai Baba left his body, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasni Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times within 10 years.[33]
Claimed miracles[edit]
Sai Baba's disciples and devotees claim that he performed many miracles such as bilocation, levitation, mindreading, materialisation, exorcisms, making the river Yamuna, entering a state of Samādhi at will, lighting lamps with water, removing his limbs or intestines and sticking them back to his body (khandana yoga), curing the incurably sick, appearing beaten when another was beaten, preventing a mosque from falling down on people, and helping his devotees in a miraculous way. He also gave Darshan (vision) to people in the form of Rama, Krishna, Vithoba and many other gods depending on the faith of devotees.[34]
According to his followers he appeared to them in dreams even after he left his body and gave them advice. His devotees have documented many stories.[35]Even today if one prays to baba and ask him any question with full devotion, he answers through his biography "sai satcharitra." Not only that he may give an exact answer through any book.
Historical sources[edit]
Shirdi Sai Baba in 1910
Biographers of Sai Baba (e.g., Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) have based their writing on primary sources. One such source is the Shirdi Diary by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi.
Speculation about the unknown episodes of Sai Baba's life are primarily based on his own words.
The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita, written in Marathi in 1916 by Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, whom Sai Baba nicknamed 'Hemadpant'. Consisting of 53 chapters, it describes Sai Baba's life, teachings, and miracles. The book compares Sai Baba's love to a mother's love: caring and loving, but reprimanding when needed. It describes Baba's lifestyle, his selfless attitude, and his love for his devotees. The book describes how one should surrender one's egoism at God's feet and trust one's guru. It explains how God is supreme and His devotees should trust Him and love Him. It teaches that God is omnipresent in all living things, so that everything on Earth must be treated with love and respect.
Sai Baba of Shirdi and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an in-depth study of Sai Baba's life routine and activities. Shortly after Sai Baba's passing, devotee B.V. Narasimhaswamiji compiled accounts by eyewitnesses such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings and Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba.
Regarding the original photographs of Shirdi Sai Baba, research still needs to be done to identify the authentic ones, as there are also paintings as well as photographs of other persons of similar appearance in circulation besides the few genuine photographs.
In various religions[edit]
Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry
Hinduism[edit]
During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".[36] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".[36] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagad guru upon him.[37][38] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).[39] He was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.[40]
According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent up to 1954 even among some of his devotees in Shirdi.[41]
Zoroastrianism[edit]
Sai Baba is worshiped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the Zoroastrians' most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure.[42]
Meher Baba, who was born into a Zoroastrian family, met Sai Baba once, during World War I, in December 1915. Meher Baba was a youngster named Merwan Sheriar Irani, when he met Sai Baba for a few minutes during one of Sai Baba's processions in Shirdi. This event is considered as the most significant in Meher Baba's life. Shri Sai Satcharita (Sai Baba's life story), makes no mention of Meher Baba. But in Lord Meher, the life story of Meher Baba, there are innumerable references to Sai Baba.[33]
Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect Masters: Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj. He declared Sai Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad (the highest of the five Qutubs, a "Master of the Universe" in the spiritual hierarchy).[43]
Islam[edit]
From a Sufi perspective, Sai Baba of Shirdi is considered as a Pir or Fakir. Sai Baba's teachings attracted a lot of Muslim devotees as his teachings and lifestyle was severely influenced by Sufism like uttering "Allah Malik" (God is King) and "Sabka Malik Ek" (One God Governs All) continuously . Baba was extremely well-versed in Quran. He occasionally quoted passages from the Quran. His devotee Abdul Baba went on writing down what Baba used to utter which is mentioned in the book (in Marathi and Modi script) which contains the gracious utterances of Baba. He gave spiritual experiences to many Muslim devotees about eternal spiritual love for God as explained in Quran. Shirdi was one among the very few places in British India, where the Hindus and Muslims lived peacefully even during the intense communal riots. Many fundamentalists left behind their fanaticism being in contact with Sai Baba. Hindus and Muslims devotees never realized any differences between them in their spiritual journey.
In culture[edit]
Sacred art and architecture[edit]
In India, it is a common sight to see a Sai Baba temple in any city or town; in every large city or town there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba.[3] There are also temples located in countries outside India, including in the United States, Netherlands, Kenya, Cuba, Canada, Pakistan, Australia, United Kingdom.[44] In the mosque in Shirdi, in which Sai Baba lived, there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried.[45] In Sai Baba temples, his devotees play devotional religious music, such as aarti.[46]
from wikipedia
Sai Baba of Shirdi (Unknown – October 15, 1918), also known as Sai Baba (Marathi: शिर्डीचे श्री साईबाबा, Urdu: شردی سائیں بابا), was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. Many Hindu devotees – including Hemadpant, who wrote the famous Shri Sai Satcharitra – consider him an incarnation of Lord Krishna[1] while other devotees consider him as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Satguru, an enlightened Sufi Pir, or a Qutub. No verifiable information is available regarding Sai Baba's birth and place of birth.
Sai Baba's real name is unknown. The name "Sai" was given to him upon his arrival at Shirdi, a town in the west-Indian state of Maharashtra. Mahalsapati, a local temple priest, recognized him as a Muslim saint and greeted him with the words 'Ya Sai!', meaning 'Welcome Sai!'. Sai or Sayi is a Persian title given to Sufi saints, meaning 'poor one'.[2] However Sāī may also refer to the Sanskrit term "Sakshat Eshwar" or the divine. The honorific "Baba" means "father; grandfather; old man; sir" in Indo-Aryan languages. Thus Sai Baba denotes "holy father", "saintly father" or "poor old man". Also , as SA means Devi and Aayee (I of SAI) means Maa & Baba means Father it also means Heavenly Parent.[3]
Sai Baba remains a very popular saint,[4] especially in India, and is worshipped by people around the world. He had no love for perishable things and his sole concern was self-realization. He taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, and devotion to God and guru. Sai Baba's teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam: he gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi to the mosque he lived in,[5] practiced Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions, and was buried in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams, "Sabka Malik Ek " ("One God governs all"), is associated with Islam and Sufism. He always uttered "Allah Malik"("God is King").[6]
Some of Sai Baba's disciples became famous as spiritual figures and saints, such as Mahalsapati, a priest of the Khandoba temple in Shirdi, and Upasni Maharaj. He was revered by other saints, such as Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint Gangagir, Saint Janakidas Maharaj, and Sati Godavari Mataji.[7][8] Sai Baba referred to several saints as 'my brothers', especially the disciples of Swami Samartha of Akkalkot.[8]
Historians and devotees agree that there is no reliable evidence for a particular birthplace or date of birth. Various communities have claimed that he belongs to them, but nothing has been substantiated. It is known that he spent considerable periods with fakirs, and his attire resembled that of a Muslim fakir. He did not discriminate based on religion and respected all forms of worship to God. Little has been officially documented on the early life of Shirdi Sai Baba. An account of Shirdi Sai's missing childhood years has been reconstructed by his disciple Das Ganu, after researching in the area around the village of Pathri. He collected this story in four chapters on Sai Baba, later also called the Sri Sai Gurucharitra.[9][10] Das Ganu states that Sai Baba grew up in Pathri, with a fakir and his wife. At the age of five, says Das Ganu, the fakir's wife put him in the care of the saintly desmukh Venkusha, where the boy stayed several years. Dasganu calls the young Sai Baba the reincarnation of Kabir. Because Das Ganu was known to take poetic liberties when telling stories about Sai Baba, and as there are no other sources to corroborate this story, it usually is left out of biographies of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Sai Baba's biographer Narasimha Swamiji states that Sai Baba was born as the child of Brahmin parents: "On one momentous occasion, very late in his life, he (e.g. Sai Baba) revealed to Mahlsapathy the interesting fact that his parents were Brahmins of Patri in the Nizam's State. Patri is part of Parvani taluk, near Manwath. Sai Baba added, in explanation of the fact that he was living in a Mosque, that while still a tender child his Brahmin parents handed him over to the care of a fakir who brought him up. This is fairly indisputable testimony, as Mahlsapathy was a person of sterling character noted for his integrity, truthfulness and vairagya." [11]
The above mentioned account is largely overlapped by the narration by Sathya Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba states as well that the fakir and his wife adopted the baby that was to become Sai Baba shortly after his birth.[12]
According to the book Sai Satcharita, Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, British India, when he was about 16 years old. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Shri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers:
The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.[13]
His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers, and he was regularly visited by the religiously inclined, including Mahalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha. Some considered him mad and threw stones at him.[14] Sai Baba left the village, and little is known about him after that. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver. He claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[15] It is generally accepted that Sai Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year, and returned permanently around 1858, which suggests a birth year of 1838.[16]
[edit]Return to Shirdi
In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi. Around this time he adopted his famous style of dress consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Sai Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to the end of his spine' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohiddin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typical Sufi clothing.[17] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.[18] According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent up to 1854 even among some of his devotees in Shirdi.[19]
For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.[20] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms, and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ashes ('Udhi') to his guests before they left. The ash was believed to have healing and apotropaic powers. He performed the function of a local hakim, and treated the sick by application of ashes. Sai Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an. He insisted on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa), and often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.[21]
Sai Baba participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs.
After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint with the power of performing miracles, or even as an Avatar.[22] They built his first temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat.[23]
Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. He was an opponent of religious orthodoxy – Christian, Hindu and Muslim.[24] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.
Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name, and read holy scriptures. He told Muslims to study the Qur'an, and Hindus to study texts such as the Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vasistha.[25] He was impressed by the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita and encouraged people to follow it in their own lives.[26] He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, love every living being without any discrimination, and develop two important features of character: unflinching perseverance (Shraddha) and waiting cheerfully with patience and love (Saburi). He criticized atheism.[27]
In his teachings,Sai Baba emphasized the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters, and of being content regardless of the situation. In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.[28] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.[29]
Sai Baba interpreted the religious texts of both Islam and Hinduism. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. His philosophy also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths – Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga – influenced his teachings.[30]
Sai Baba encouraged charity, and stressed the importance of sharing. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will certainly be pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."[31] Other favorite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here", and "He has no beginning... He has no end."[32]
[edit]Worship and devotees
Main article: Shirdi Sai Baba movement
The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, while he was living in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest – Mhalsapati Nagre – is believed to have been his first devotee. In the 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. The movement started developing in the 20th century, with Sai Baba's message reaching the whole of India.[4] During his life, Hindus worshipped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims considered him to be a saint. In the last years of Sai Baba's life, Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai Baba movement.[4]
Because of Sai Baba, Shirdi has become a place of importanceand is counted among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.[33] The first Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number can reach up to a hundred thousand.[34] Shirdi Sai Baba is especially revered and worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. In August 2012, an unidentified devotee for the first time donated two costly diamonds valuing Rs 1.18 crore at the Shirdi temple, Saibaba trust officials revealed.[35]
The Shirdi Sai movement has spread to the Caribbean and to countries such as the United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.[36]
[edit]Notable disciples
Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and appointed no disciples, and did not even provide formal initiation (diksha), despite requests. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures, such as Upasni Maharaj of Sakori. After Sai Baba left his body, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasni Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times within 10 years.[37] Sai Baba had many devotees, and the most notable among them are:
Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Sai Baba saved this man's daughter from labor complications.
Ganapath Rao Sahasrabuddhe, also known as Das Ganu: police officer who resigned to become an ascetic and singer of kirtans. He was an itinerant who spread Sai Baba's message.
Tatya Patil: had immense faith in Sai Baba and served him until Sai Baba took samadhi. Sai Baba used to treat Tatya Patil as His nephew.
Baija Mai Kote Patil: Sai Baba treated her as His elder sister and equivalent to mother. She was Tatya Patil's mother.
Haji Abdul Baba: He served Sai Baba until Sai Baba left his body in 1918.
Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba.
Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant): Sai Baba allowed him to write the Shri Sai Satcharita.
Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A priest of Khandoba Temple.
RadhaKrishna Mai: A great devotee of Baba, cleaned the temple every day and looked after Baba's needs.
Sai Baba's millions of disciples and devotees believe that he performed many miracles such as bilocation, levitation, mindreading, materialization, exorcisms, making the river Yamuna, entering a state of Samādhi at will, and lightning lamps with water, removing his limbs or intestines and sticking them back to his body (khandana yoga), curing the incurably sick, appearing beaten when another was beaten, after death rising on third day like Jesus Christ, preventing a mosque from falling down on people, and helping his devotees in a miraculous way. He also gave Darshan (vision) to people in the form of Rama, Krishna, Vithoba and many other gods depending on the faith of devotees.[38]
The marble statue of Sai Baba of Shirdi, in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi, 2008
According to his followers he appeared to them in dreams even after he left his body, and gave them advice. His devotees have documented many stories.[39]
Shirdi Sai Baba in 1910
[edit]Historical sources
Biographers of Sai Baba (e.g. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) have based their writing on primary sources. One such source is the Shirdi Diary by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi.
Speculation about the unknown episodes of Sai Baba's life are primarily based on his own words.
The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita, written in Marathi in 1916 by Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant. Consisting of 53 chapters, it describes Sai Baba's life, teachings, and miracles. The book compares Sai Baba's love to a mother's love: caring and loving, but reprimanding when needed. It describes Baba's lifestyle, his selfless attitude, and his love for his devotees. The book describes how one should surrender one's egoism at God's feet and trust one's guru. It explains how God is supreme and His devotees should trust Him and love Him. It teaches that God is omnipresent in all living things, so that everything on Earth must be treated with love and respect.
Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an in-depth study of Sai Baba's life routine and activities. B.V. Narasimhaswamiji has written important books such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings and Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba.
[edit]In various religions
Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry
[edit]Hinduism
During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".[40] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".[40] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagad guru upon him.[41][42] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).[43] He was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.[44]
In 1940, Indian guru, Sathya Sai Baba proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi.[45] Sathya Sai Baba had a considerable number of followers in the 20th and 21st century.
[edit]Islam
In a minor section of Islam community, Sai Baba is mainly considered as a Muslim fakir. He also appears in Sufism as a Pir.
[edit]Zoroastrianism
Sai Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the Zoroastrians' most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure.[46]
[edit]Others
Meher Baba, who was born into a Zoroastrian family, met Sai Baba only once in his lifetime, during World War I, in December 1915. Meher Baba was still a youngster named Merwan Sheriar Irani when he met Sai Baba for a few minutes during one of Sai Baba's processions in Shirdi. This event is considered as the most significant in Meher Baba's life. Shri Sai Satcharita (Sai Baba's life story), makes no mention of Meher Baba. But in Lord Meher, the life story of Meher Baba, there are innumerable references to Sai Baba.[37]
Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect Masters – Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Narayan Maharaj. Meher Baba declared Sai Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad – the highest of the five Qutubs, a "Master of the Universe" in the spiritual hierarchy.[47]
[edit]In culture
[edit]Sacred art and architecture
In India, its a common sight to find a Sai Baba temple in any city or town, in every large city or town there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba.[4] There are even some in towns and cities outside India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai Baba lived, there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have also been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried.[48] In Sai Baba temples, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as aarti.[49]
[edit]Stamp
Indian Postal Service released a Sai Baba commemorative stamp in May 2008.[50]
On July 30, 2009, the New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah inaugurated what has been acclaimed as the largest solar steam system in the world, at the Shirdi shrine. The Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust paid an estimated Rs.1.33 crore for the system, Rs.58.4 lakh of which was paid as a subsidy by the renewable energy ministry. It is said the system can cook 20,000 meals per day for pilgrims visiting the temple.[12][51][52][53]
Description: An outdoor group portrait of the 1969-1970 Boston College Teacher Training Class. Thirty-seven female trainees and seven male trainees pose in three rows. Director of the Teacher Training, William Heisler and Rose M Vivian, the Principle of the Deafblind Department stand together on the left side of the group.
Back row left to right:
John O'Leary
Patrick Jr. Colucci
George Goodwin
Charles Vierling
Linda Almasy
Priscilla Marsh
2nd row from back left to right:
Sheila O'Leary
Melanie Webb
Trudy Kaehler
Frances Ito
Bernadette Kappen
Olivia Ferrante
Arlee Puchalski
3rd row from back left to right:
Director of the Teacher Training, William Heisler
Perkins Director and lecturer, Dr. Edward J. Waterhouse
Jennifer Jones, Jennifer
Nancy Paciorek, Nancy
Nancy Smith, Nancy
Cheryl Irvin, Cheryl
V.J. Kuriakose, V.J. — India
Mrs. Cynthia Burns (Baker)
4th row from back left to right:
Principle of the Deafblind Department, Rose M Vivian
Janet Johnson
Mrs. Roxane Hanson
Ahn Soo Lim — Korea
Mrs. Pratibha Arya — India
Kantilal Gahdhi — India
Katherine Hyman
Virginia Linares — Venezuela
Front row left to right:
Mrs. Castro
Cavas Tamboli — India
Willie Mwenesongole — Zambia
Virginia Kammer
Marc Katz
Mary Lee Brady
Kathleen Boyle
Absent from photograph:
Lang, Georgia
Conry, Margaret
Jacobs, Judith
Miles, Lucinda
Historical Note: In 1966, Perkins ended its partnership with Boston University and began a collaboration on teacher training courses for teachers of blind and deafblind students with Boston College.
Full Text: (from album label)
B.C. Teacher Training Class 1970-1971
Front Row.
Mrs. Castro
Tamboli, Cavas India
Mwenesongole, Willie Zambia
Kammer, Virginia
Katz, Marc
Brady, Mary Lee
Boyle, Kathleen
Second Row.
Mrs. Vivian
Johnson, Janet
Mrs. Roxane Hanson
Lim, Ahn Soo Korea
Mrs. Pratibha Arya India
Gahdhi, Kantilal India
Hyman, Katherine
Linares, Virginia Venezuela
Third Row
Mr. Heisler
Dr. Waterhouse
Jones, Jennifer
Paciorek, Nancy
Smith, Nancy
Irvin, Cheryl
Kuriakose, V.J. India
Mrs. Cynthia Burns (Baker)
Fourth Row
O'Leary, Sheila
Webb, Melanie
Kaehler, Trudy
Ito, Frances
Kappen, Bernadette
Ferrante, Olivia
Puchalski, Arlee
Back Row.
O'Leary, John
Colucci, Patrick Jr.
Goodwin, George
Vierling, Charles
Almasy, Linda
Marsh, Priscilla
Not in the Picture
Lang, Georgia
Conry, Margaret
Jacobs, Judith
Miles, Lucinda
Creator: unknown
Date: circa 1970-1971
Format: photograph
Provenance Part of AG49 box 2 untitled photograph album.
Digital Identifier: ag49_003_0010
Rights: Perkins Archives, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838 – October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian guru and yogi, regarded by his followers as an incarnation of God. Some of his Hindu devotees believe that he was an incarnation of Shiva or Dattatreya. Many devotees believe that he was a Sadguru. There are many stories and eyewitness accounts of miracles he performed. He is a well-known figure in many parts of the world, but especially in India, where he is much revered.
The name 'Sai Baba' is a combination of Persian and Indian origin; Sāī (Sa'ih) is the Persian term for "holy one" or "saint", usually attributed to Islamic ascetics, whereas Baba (honorific) is a word meaning "father; grandfather; old man; sir" used in Indo-Aryan languages. The appellative thus refers to Sai Baba as being a "holy father" or "saintly father".[1] His parentage, birth details, and life before the age of sixteen are obscure, which has led to a variety of speculations and theories attempting to explain Sai Baba's origins. In his life and teachings he tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam: Sai Baba lived in a mosque which he called Dwarakamayi, practised Hindu and Muslim rituals, taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions and was buried in a Hindu temple in Shirdi. One of his well known epigrams says of God: "Sabka Malik Ek" ("One God governs all") which traces its root to Islam in general and sufism in particular. He always uttered "Allah Malik" - Lord is the sole protector. He had no love for perishable things, and was always engrossed in self-realization, which was his sole concern.
Sai Baba taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, devotion to God and guru. His teachings combined elements of Hinduism and Islam and tried to achieve communal harmony between these religions.
Sai Baba remains a very popular saint[2] and is worshiped by people around the world. Debate over his Hindu or Muslim origins continues to take place.[3] He is also revered by several notable Hindu and Sufi religious leaders.[who?] Some of his disciples received fame as spiritual figures and saints such as Upasni Maharaj and Meher Baba.
Sai Baba's origin is completely unknown to this day. He did not disclose to anyone where he was born nor where he grew up. Because of his unknown past, various communities have claimed that he belongs to them. Nothing has been substantiated, however. It is known that he spent considerable period with fakirs. His attire resembled that of a Muslim fakir. There is mosque at Shirdi which he visited regularly.
Baba reportedly arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India, when he was about 16 years old. Although there is no agreement among biographers on the date of this event, it is generally accepted that Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year and returned permanently around 1858, which posits a possible birth year of 1838.[4] Some claim Baba was born on 28 September, 1835, with no apparent reason on how the date was arrived at. In any case, the only agreement amongst historians and his devotees is that there is no conclusive evidence of his birthday and place. He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers
The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.[5]
His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers and the religiously-inclined such as Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha regularly visited him, while others such as the village children considered him mad and threw stones at him.[6] After some time he left the village, and it is unknown where he stayed at that time or what happened to him. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver; he claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[7]
[edit] Shirdi and teaching
In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi with Chand Patil's wedding procession. After alighting near the Khandoba temple he was greeted with the words "Ya Sai" (welcome saint) by the temple priest Mhalsapati. The name Sai stuck to him and some time later he started being known as Sai Baba.[8] It was around this time that Baba adopted his famous style of dress, consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to his buttocks' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typically Sufi clothing.[9] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.[10] According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent even among some of his devotees in Shirdi, even up to 1954.[11]
For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle in and around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.[12] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he had the custom of giving sacred ash ('Udhi') to his guests before they left and which was believed to have healing powers and protection from dangerous situations. At first he performed the function of a local hakim and treated the sick by application of Udhi. Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an, especially insisting on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa). He often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.[13] He participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs (he enjoyed the songs of Kabir most). His behaviour was sometimes uncouth and violent.[14][15]
After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint (or even an avatar) with the power of performing miracles.[16] and they built his first ever temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat as desired by Sai Baba.[17][18]
[edit] Mahasamadhi
Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi on October 15, 1918 at 2.30pm. He took samadhi on the lap of one of his devotees with hardly any belongings, and was buried in the "Buty Wada" according to his wish. Later a mandir was built there known as the "Samadhi Mandir".[19]
This day was a very holy day for Hindus as well as for Muslims as Hindu's festival 'dassera' and Muslim's festival 'muharram' had come on the same day. Sai Baba is a symbol of unity of religions, especially Hindu and islam and he left his body on this very holy day when 'dassera' and 'muharram' came simultaneously. This is also a great sign of his greatness as people believe that great soul leaves the earth on some holy day.
In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.[20] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.[21] He also wore clothing reminiscent of a Sufi fakir. Sai Baba also opposed all sorts of persecutions on religious or caste background.
Sai Baba of Shirdi was also an opponent of religious orthodoxy - both Hindu and Muslim.[22] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.
Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name and read holy scriptures - he told Muslims to study the Qur'an, and Hindus, texts like the Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranam, Bhagavad Gita (and commentaries to it), Yoga Vasistha.[23] He was impressed by the philosophy of Bhagvad Gita and want people should follow the facts of life written in Bhagvad Gita in their life to make life more meaningful and beautiful.He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others,love every living being without any discrimination, treat them with love and develop two important features of character: faith (Shraddha) and patience (Saburi). He also criticized atheism.[24] In his teachings Sai Baba emphasised the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters and being ever content regardless of the situation.
Sai Baba also interpreted the religious texts of both faiths. According to what the people who stayed with him said and wrote he had a profound knowledge of them. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. This was the character of his philosophy. It also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths - Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga - were visible in the teachings of Sai Baba.[25] Another example of the way he combined both faiths is the Hindu name he gave to his mosque, Dwarakamai.[26]
Sai Baba said that God penetrates everything and lives in every being, and as well that God is the essence of each of them. He emphasised the complete oneness of God which was very close to the Islamic tawhid and the Hindu doctrine, e.g. of the Upanishads. Sai Baba said that the world and all that the human may give is transient and only God and his gifts are eternal. Sai Baba also emphasised the importance of devotion to God - bhakti - and surrender to his will. He also talked about the need of faith and devotion to one's spiritual preceptor (guru). He said that everyone was the soul and not the body. He advised his disciples and followers to overcome the negative features of character and develop the good ones. He taught them that all fate was determined by karma.
Sai Baba left no written works. His teachings were oral, typically short, pithy sayings rather than elaborate discourses. Sai would ask his followers for money (dakshina), which he would give away to the poor and other devotees the same day and spend the rest on buying wood to maintain Dhuni. According to his followers he did it in order to rid them of greed and material attachment.
Sai encouraged charity and the importance of sharing with others. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."[27] Other favourite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here",[28] "He has no beginning... He has no end."[28] Sai Baba made eleven assurances to his devotees:
Sai Baba of Shirdi (took samadhi in 1918)
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of My Samadhi.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from My tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to Me, who surrender to Me and who seek refuge in Me.
8. If you look at Me, I look at you.
9. If you cast your burden on Me, I shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek My advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house of My devotee.
[edit] Worship and devotees
Main article: Shirdi Sai Baba movement
The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, during his life, while he was staying in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapathy - is believed to have been his first devotee. However, in the 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. It started developing in the 20th century and even faster in 1910 with the Sankirtans of Das Ganu (one of Sai's devotees) who spread Sai Baba's fame to the whole of India. Since 1910 numerous Hindus and Muslims from all parts of India started coming to Shirdi. During his life Hindus worshipped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims revered him greatly, considering him to be a saint. Later (in the last years of Sai Baba's life) Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai movement.[2]
The Sai Baba mandir in Shirdi is active and every day worship of Sai is conducted in it. Pilgrims visit Shirdi every day. Shirdi Baba is especially revered and worshipped in the state of Maharashtra and in Gujarat. A religious organisation of Sai Baba's devotees called the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust is based there. The first ever Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri,Karjat.
The devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba have spread all over India.[2] According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Religion there is at least one Sai Baba mandir in nearly every Indian city.[2] His image is quite popular in India.[2] Some ordinary non-religious publishing houses (such as Sterling Publishers) publish books about Shirdi Sai written by his devotees.[29] Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.[30] The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is partially organised. Only a part of his followers and devotees belong to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan or to other religious organisations that worship him.
Beyond India the Shirdi Sai movement has spread to other countries such as the U.S. or the Caribbean. Sai Baba mandirs and organisations of his devotees have been built in countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the USA. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.[31]
According to estimates the Sai mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number amounts to a hundred thousand.[32]
Sai Baba had many notable disciples:
1. Nana Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Baba saved his daughter from labor complications).
2. Mhasalapathi: Priest of Khandoba Temple in Shirdi. He is the first one to have addressed Baba as Sai Baba.
3. Ganapathi Rao: Popularly known as Das Ganu, police Constable, later resigned to become an ascetic.
4. Tatya Patil: Ganapathi Rao's son had immense faith in Sai Baba and served him until Sai Baba died.
5. Madhava Rao Deshpande later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba
6. Hemadpant: Baba allowed him to keep memos and write Sai Sat Charitra
Sai Baba's millions of disciples, followers and devotees believe that he had performed many miracles. Some of them were: bilocation, exorcisms, curing the incurably sick, helping his devotees in need in a miraculous way, reading the minds of others. Numerous inhabitants of Shirdi talked about these miracles. Some of them even wrote about them in books. They talked and wrote about how they (and others) were the witnesses of his unusual Yogic powers: levitation, entering a state of Samādhi at wish, even removing his limbs and sticking them back to his body (Khanda Yoga) or doing the same with his intestines.
According to his followers he appeared to them after his death, in dreams, visions and even in bodily form, whence he often gave them advice. His devotees have many stories and experiences to tell.[33] Many books have been written on these events.
[edit] Historical sources
Biographers of Sai Baba of Shirdi (e.g. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) when writing about him base it on what people who knew Sai Baba said and wrote. Another source they use is the Shirdi Diary written by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi. When speculating about the unknown episodes of Sai Baba's life, they mainly base their conclusions on his own words.
The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita written in Marathi, in 1916 by Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar (translated into English by Nagesh Vasudevanand Gunaji with English title: Shri Sai Satcharitra) whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant, which is an account of his life, teachings and miracles. Other important sources about Sai Baba are books by B. V. Narasimhaswamiji such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings or Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba. Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an indepth study of Sai's life's routine and activities.
[edit] In various religions
Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry
[edit] Hinduism
During Sai Baba's life, the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".[34] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".[34] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagadguru upon him.[35][36] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).[37] Sai of Shirdi was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.[38] Swami Kaleshwar publicly worships Sai Baba, and treats him as a great saint and his own guru.[39]
[edit] Other religions
Sai Baba is considered a Pir by some Sufi groups. Meher Baba declared Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad - the highest of the five Qutubs.[40] Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure attracting the attention of Zoroastrians.[41]
Most of the roadside temples are dedicated to him, we have several in my area at Bandra.
One person who is a staunch devotee of Sai Baba is actor Mohan Babu ,and my dear friend and patron Ram Manghnani of East West Travels..
sourced from wikipedia
Sai Baba of Shirdi (d. October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian guru, yogi and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim followers as a saint. Some of his Hindu devotees believe that he was an incarnation of Shiva or Dattatreya, and he was regarded as a satguru and an incarnation of Kabir.
The name 'Sai Baba' is a combination of Persian and Indian origin; Sāī (Sa'ih) is the Persian term for "holy one" or "saint", usually attributed to Islamic ascetics, whereas Bābā is a word meaning "father" used in Indian languages. The appellative thus refers to Sai Baba as being a "holy father" or "saintly father".[1] His parentage, birth details, and life before the age of sixteen are obscure, which has led to a variety of speculations and theories attempting to explain Sai Baba's origins. In his life and teachings he tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam: Sai Baba lived in a mosque, was buried in a Hindu temple, practised Hindu and Muslim rituals, and taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions. One of his well known epigrams says of God: "Allah Malik" ("God is Master").
Sai Baba taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, devotion to God and guru. His philosophy was Advaita Vedanta and his teachings consisted of elements both of this school as well as of bhakti and Islam.
Sai Baba remains a popular saint[2] and is worshipped mainly in Maharashtra, southern Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Debate on his Hindu or Muslim origins continues to take place.[3] He is also revered by several notable Hindu and Sufi religious leaders. Some of his disciples received fame as spiritual figures and saints.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Biography
o 1.1 Background
o 1.2 Residence in Shirdi
* 2 Notable disciples
* 3 Teachings and practices
* 4 Worship and devotees
* 5 Miracles
* 6 Historical sources
* 7 In various religions
o 7.1 Hinduism
o 7.2 Other religions
* 8 In culture
o 8.1 Sacral art and architecture
o 8.2 Film and television
* 9 References and footnotes
* 10 Further reading
* 11 See also
* 12 External links
[edit] Biography
[edit] Background
Although Sai Baba's origins are unknown, some indications exist that suggest that he was born not far from Shirdi. Historical researches into genealogies in Shirdi give support to the theory that Baba could have been born with the name Haribhau Bhusari.[4] Baba was notorious for giving vague, misleading and contradictory replies to questions concerning his parentage and origins, brusquely stating the information was unimportant. He had reportedly stated to a close follower, Mhalsapati, that he has been born of Brahmin parents in the village of Pathri and had been entrusted into the care of a fakir in his infancy.[5] On another occasion, Baba reportedly said that the fakir's wife had left him in the care of a Hindu guru, Venkusa of Selu, and that he had stayed with Venkusa for twelve years as his disciple.[6] This dichotomy has given rise to two major theories regarding Baba's background, with the majority of writers supporting the Hindu background over the Islamic, while others combine both the theories (that Sai Baba was first brought up by a fakir and then by a guru).[7]
Baba reportedly arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India, when he was about sixteen years old. Although there is no agreement among biographers about the date of this event, it is generally accepted that Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year and returned permanently around 1858, which posits a possible birthyear of 1838.[8] He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers: "The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody."[9] His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers and the religiously-inclined such as Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha regularly visited him, while others such as the village children considered him mad and threw stones at him.[10] After some time he left the village, and it is unknown where he stayed at that time or what happened to him. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver; he claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[11]
Shirdi Sai Baba sitting in front of his mosque
Shirdi Sai Baba sitting in front of his mosque
[edit] Residence in Shirdi
In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi with Chand Patil's wedding procession. After alighting near the Khandoba temple he was greeted with the words "Ya Sai" (welcome saint) by the temple priest Mhalsapati. The name Sai stuck to him and some time later he started being known as Sai Baba.[12] It was around this time that Baba adopted his famous style of dress, consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to his buttocks' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typically Sufi clothing.[13] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.[14] According to B V Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent even among some of his devotees in Shirdi, even up to 1954.[15]
For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle in and around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.[16] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he had the custom of giving sacred ash ('Udhi') to his guests before they left and which was believed to have healing powers and protection from dangerous situations. At first he performed the function of a local hakim and treated the sick by application of Udhi. Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an, especially insisting on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa). He often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.[17] He participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs (he enjoyed the songs of Kabir most). His behaviour was sometimes uncouth and violent.[18][19]
After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint (or even an avatar) with the power of performing miracles.[20] and they built his first ever temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat as desired by Sai Baba.[21][22]Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi on October 15, 1918 at 2.30pm. He died on the lap of one of his devotees with hardly any belongings, and was buried in the "Buty Wada" according to his wish. Later a mandir was built there known as the "Samadhi Mandir".[23]
[edit] Notable disciples
Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and appointed no disciples. In fact, he did not even provide formal initiation. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures like Upasni Maharaj of Sakori and Meher Baba of Ahmednagar. After Sai Baba passed away, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasani Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times with an interval of 10 years.
[edit] Teachings and practices
Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devotees
Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devotees
In his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.[24] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.[25] He also wore clothing reminiscent of a Sufi fakir. Sai Baba also opposed all sorts of persecutions on religious or caste background.
Sai Baba of Shirdi was also an opponent of religious orthodoxy - both Hindu and Muslim.[26] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.
Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name and read holy scriptures - he told Muslims to study the Qur'an and Hindus texts like the Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranam, Bhagavad Gita (and commentaries to it), Yoga Vasistha.[27] He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, treat them with love and develop two important features of character: faith (Shraddha) and patience (Saburi). He also criticized atheism.[28] In his teachings Sai Baba emphasised the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters and being ever content regardless of the situation.
Sai Baba also interpreted the religious texts of both faiths. According to what the people who stayed with him said and wrote he had a profound knowledge of them. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. This was the character of his philosophy. It also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths - Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga - were visible in the teachings of Sai Baba.[29] Another example of the way he combined both faiths is the Hindu name he gave to his mosque, Dwarakamai.[7]
Sai Baba said that God penetrates everything and lives in every being, and as well that God is the essence of each of them. He emphasised the complete oneness of God which was very close to the Islamic tawhid and the Hindu doctrine, e.g. of the Upanishads. Sai Baba said that the world and all that the human may give is transient and only God and his gifts are eternal. Sai Baba also emphasised the importance of devotion to God - bhakti - and surrender to his will. He also talked about the need of faith and devotion to one's spiritual preceptor (guru). He said that everyone was the soul and not the body. He advised his disciples and followers to overcome the negative features of character and develop the good ones. He taught them that all fate was determined by karma.
Sai Baba left no written works. His teachings were oral, typically short, pithy sayings rather than elaborate discourses. Sai would ask his followers for money (dakshina), which he would give away to the poor and other devotees the same day and spend the rest on matches. According to his followers he did it in order to rid them of greed and material attachment.
Sai encouraged charity and the importance of sharing with others. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."[30] Other favourite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here",[31] "He has no beginning... He has no end."[31] Sai Baba made eleven assurances to his devotees:
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of My Samadhi.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from My tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to Me, who surrender to Me and who seek refuge in Me.
8. If you look to Me, I look to you.
9. If you cast your burden on Me, I shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek My advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house of My devotee.
[edit] Worship and devotees
Main article: Shirdi Sai Baba movement
The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the nineteenth century, during his life, while he was staying in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapathy - is believed to have been his first devotee. However, in the nineteenth century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. It started developing in the twentieth century and even faster in 1910 with the Sankirtans of Das Ganu (one of Sai's devotees) who spread Sai Baba's fame to the whole of India. Since 1910 numerous Hindus and Muslims from all parts of India started coming to Shirdi. During his life Hindus worshipped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims revered him greatly, considering him to be a saint. Later (in the last years of Sai Baba's life) Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai movement.[2]
The Sai Baba mandir in Shirdi is active and every day worship of Sai is conducted in it. Pilgrims visit Shirdi every day. Shirdi Baba is especially revered and worshipped in the state of Maharashtra. A religious organisation of Sai Baba's devotees called the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust is based there. The first ever Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri,Karjat.
The devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba have spread all over India.[2] According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Religion there is at least one Sai Baba mandir in nearly every Indian city.[2] His image is quite popular in India.[2] Some ordinary non-religious publishing houses (such as Sterling Publishers) publish books about Shirdi Sai written by his devotees.[32] Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.[33] The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is partially organised. Only a part of his followers and devotees belong to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan or to other religious organisations that worship him.
Beyond India the Shirdi Sai movement has spread to other countries such as the U.S. or the Caribbean. Sai Baba mandirs and organisations of his devotees have been built in countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the USA. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English speaking countries.[34] According to estimates the Sai mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number amounts to a hundred thousand.[35]
Sai Baba had many notable disciples:
1. Nana Chandorkar: Deputy Collector (Legend has it that Baba saved his daughter from Labor complications)
2. Mhasalapathi: Priest of Khandoba Temple in Shirdi ( He is the one to have addressed Baba as Sai Baba)
3. Ganapathi Rao popularly known as Das Ganu: Police Constable later resigned and became ascetic
4. Tatya Patil: Ganapathi Rao's Son had immense faith on Sai Baba and served him until his death (Sai's Death)
5. Madhava Rao Deshpande later known as Shama: One of the staunch devotee of Sai Baba
[edit] Miracles
Sai Baba's millions of disciples, followers and devotees believe that he had performed many miracles. Some of them were: bilocation, exorcisms, curing the incurably sick, helping his devotees in need in a miraculous way, reading the minds of others. Numerous inhabitants of Shirdi talked about these miracles. Some of them even wrote about them in books. They talked and wrote about how they (and others) were the witnesses of his unusual Yogic powers: levitation, entering a state of Samādhi at wish, even removing his limbs and sticking them back to his body (Khanda Yoga) or doing the same with his intestines.
According to his followers he appeared to them after his death, in dreams, visions and even in bodily form, whence he often gave them advice. His devotees have many stories and experiences to tell.[36] Many books have been written on the same.
[edit] Historical sources
Biographers of Sai Baba of Shirdi (e.g. Govindrao Ragulnath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) when writing about him base it on what people who knew Sai Baba said and wrote. Another source they use is the Shirdi Diary written by Ganesh Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi. When speculating about the unknown episode's of Sai Baba's life, they mainly base their conclusions on his own words.
The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita written in Marathi, in 1916 by Govindrao Ragulnath Dabholkar (translated into English by Nagesh Vasudevanand Gunaji with English title: Shri Sai Satcharitra) whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant, which is an account of his life, teachings and miracles. Other important sources about Sai Baba are books by B. V. Narasimhaswamiji such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings or Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba. Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an indepth study of Sai's life routine and activities.
[edit] In various religions
Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry
Sai Baba depicted on a tapestry
[edit] Hinduism
During Sai Baba's life the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a spiritual "diamond".[37] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "jewel".[37] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagadguru upon him.[38][39] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).[40] Sai of Shirdi was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.[41] Swami Kaleshwar publicly worships Sai Baba, and treats him as a great saint and his own guru.[42]
[edit] Other religions
In Islamic culture Sai Baba appears mainly in Sufism and is considered a Pir of a very high order. Meher Baba declared Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad - the highest of the five Qutubs.[43] Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure attracting the attention of Zoroastrians.[44]
[edit] In culture
[edit] Sacral art and architecture
In India in nearly every larger city there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba.[2] There are even some in towns and cities outside India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai Baba lived there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have also been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried.[45] In Sai Baba mandirs, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as aarti.[46]
Healing Hands Foundation conducted free health checkup drive at Kasturba Gandhi Vasahat, Aundh, Pune. The camp was organised in collaboration with Vriddhamitra.
On behalf of Healing Hands Foundation, PUNE, Dr. Sachin Dongre and Dr. Neha Nanandane examined the patients.Tejashree Khalate and Dhanashree Rohankar counseled them and helped them with free medicines.Aashana Tamboli helped with registration. Anand Misal arranged the setup. Camp organiser Anita Said organised the camp under the guidance of Dr. Ashwin Porwal(Founder-President, HHF), Dr. Snehal Porwal (Founder-Secretary, HHF), and Madhura Bhate(NGO coordinator, HHF).
Total 82 patients benefitted through the drive.
Thanks to Vriddhamitra team for collaborating with us and helping the public through awareness.
apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-florida-heart-att...
Scientists: COVID-19 may cause greater damage to the heart
BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — The pain in his chest was sudden, heavy.
Juan Sosa was at home doing pushups in the bedroom where he had isolated himself for almost two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. His mild symptoms were long gone, and it was the final day of his quarantine.
A retired carpenter, Sosa had been vaccinated and considered himself a pretty healthy 58-year-old. He thought he had gas and wasn’t too worried. But the pain was severe so he drove himself to a walk-in clinic.
Doctors quickly determined Sosa was having a heart attack. An ambulance rushed him to HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. The last thing he remembers that day is a nurse cutting open his T-shirt.
Veteran cardiologist Hoshedar Tamboli was seeing patients at his Brandon office when he got the call about a patient in cardiac arrest.
Tamboli hurried to the emergency room. After a quick examination, he ordered Sosa moved to a cardiac catheterization lab equipped to open blocked arteries.
Sosa’s blood pressure and vital signs were dropping. Tamboli needed to figure out why, quickly.
He had performed an estimated 20,000 heart catheterizations, but the effort to save Sosa’s heart — and his life — would be a case like no other.
“Time is muscle in my business,” Tamboli said. “Like the brain, once the heart muscle dies, it doesn’t generate back.”
Sosa’s case, which played out in late September, fits a striking pattern among COVID-19 patients nationwide – one that researchers and practitioners alike are working furiously to understand.
Scientists now believe that COVID-19 patients suffer more than respiratory issues. Several studies have revealed that the virus can also damage the heart.
For those with a heart condition, the threat is even greater.
A September 2020 study found that the risk of a first heart attack increased by three to eight times in the first week after a COVID-19 infection was diagnosed. The study, published by medical journal The Lancet, followed nearly 87,000 people in Sweden infected over an eight-month period. Their risk of stroke increased up to six times.
Another study published in February in Nature Medicine looked at Department of Veterans Affairs health data for about 153,000 veterans who contracted the virus. Researchers found the veterans suffered from an elevated risk of several heart conditions for up to a year afterward.
The veterans also had a higher likelihood of experiencing irregular heart rhythms and potentially deadly blood clots, the study found. They had a 52 percent higher risk of stroke, a 63 percent higher risk of heart attack and 72 percent increased risk of heart failure.
The study showed that even those who weren’t hospitalized had a higher likelihood of cardiac issues. Severe COVID-19 symptoms indicated even greater risk.
Cardiologist Hoshedar Tamboli displays a picture on his computer screen from the heart angiogram taken of patient Juan Sosa at the Heart Vascular & Vein of Tampa Bay in Brandon. Studies have shown that a COVID-19 infection can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. That may be why Sosa, 58, suffered a heart attack two weeks after he got infected. Tamboli operated on Sosa and saved his life.
How does a virus that primarily attacks the lungs also endanger the heart?
COVID-19 can spread through the bloodstream, leaving damaged cells. The same virus proteins so adept at attaching to cells in the lower respiratory system can also attach to heart tissue, said Richard Becker, a physician, professor and director of the Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
The body’s immune response to the invading virus, he said, can also increase inflammation and the amount of injured heart tissue.
As many as 20 percent of people with severe COVID-19 show signs of heart damage, Becker said.
Even mild infection can cause damage, most often from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that occurs two to three times in every 1,000 COVID-19 cases, Becker said. It also increases the risk of blood clots that can lead to heart attacks.
Why COVID-19 patients are more prone to clots is not clear, Becker said. It could be connected to inflammation of blood vessels and certain kinds of antibodies.
”The potential for long-term cardiovascular risk is a concern,” he said.
Sosa had all the symptoms of someone whose artery was dangerously clogged by either cholesterol plaque or a blood clot.
To find the blockage, Tamboli inserted a catheter — a hollow tube — through a small incision in Sosa’s groin and into an artery directed toward his heart. He injected dye into Sosa’s bloodstream that showed up on live X-ray images, giving the medical team a glimpse inside his arteries and heart.
Looking at the images, Tamboli discovered that Sosa’s heart had an unusual anatomy that he’d only seen in two or three other patients in his decadeslong career. Functionally, the organ was OK. But it made it difficult to identify the problem.
Tamboli knew time was pressing. Finally, he found a clot.
The cardiologist carefully fed the catheter through the blocked artery. Attached was a suction device that Tamboli planned to use to vacuum the clot.
He planned to then insert and inflate a miniature balloon to open the artery, followed by a mesh metal tube known as a stent that would keep the artery open and the blood flowing.
Then Sosa’s heart stopped.
A dozen medical staffers rushed to the lab. This was a “code blue” — Sosa needed resuscitation.
A critical care doctor directed the responders. They intubated Sosa to keep him breathing, hooking a tube to a ventilator and inserting it down his throat. They injected him with medication to increase his heart’s output. With a defibrillator, they shocked his heart.
Three medics took turns performing CPR.
In the midst of this “organized chaos,” Tamboli was still trying to open Sosa’s blocked artery. X-ray images showed his stopped heart.
“He’s dying on me, literally dying on me,” Tamboli remembered.
Under ideal conditions, steering a catheter wire through arteries toward the heart is a tricky procedure, a series of delicate, minute movements and adjustments.
Tamboli was trying to perform it on a body being jolted by defibrillators and pounded by chest compressions.
“It’s like trying to fix an engine with the engine running,” he said.
Tamboli told those performing CPR that he needed them to pause for 10-second intervals. Four times, CPR was halted.
Knowing he had little time left and only a rough idea of where the clot was, Tamboli asked a nurse for the longest stent they had. Then he fitted the 1¼-inch-long mesh tube inside Sosa’s right coronary artery.
With the stent in place, doctors were able to restart Sosa’s heart. For about a minute, he had been clinically dead.
Sosa was alive, but barely.
His blood pressure was “in the toilet” and no one in the room was confident he would survive.
“The critical care doctor tells me, ‘You know, I think he’s gone. Maybe we should go and talk to his wife,’ ” Tamboli said.
Tamboli knew it made medical sense to stop. But something inside told him to persevere. He knew Sosa was relatively young and, other than high blood pressure, had been in good health.
As a last resort, he made the decision to install a tiny heart pump inside Sosa known as the Impella. The device does much of the work of the heart, pushing out healthy blood to the organs. He hoped that it would reduce the strain on Sosa’s heart muscles, allowing them to recover.
The device was inserted through the same femoral artery. But even with the pump, Sosa’s heartbeat remained weak.
There wasn’t much more doctors could do. They took Sosa to intensive care and placed him in a medically induced coma. He was given IV drips of medication called inotropes, which makes the heart squeeze harder.
His body temperature was lowered to about 36 degrees to give his brain the best chance of surviving undamaged.
”I told his wife and the family to pray hard for divine help as we had done what we could,” the doctor said.
Sosa had not improved when Tamboli returned to the hospital the next day.
Three days later, doctors started to thaw Sosa out, slowly warming his body. Tamboli kept calling for updates.
On the fourth day, the nurse’s report gave Tamboli hope. Sosa’s medications had been reduced and he was not as reliant on a ventilator.
When Tamboli made his rounds, he examined Sosa himself. An echocardiogram showed a stronger heartbeat. Sosa occasionally opened his eyes. Standing next to their unconscious patient, doctor and nurse hugged and cried. They didn’t know Sosa but they knew how hard the medical team had worked to save him. They knew how close he had been to death.
On Sept. 28, five days after his heart attack, Sosa’s doctors removed the heart pump.
It was another two days before Sosa regained consciousness.
He woke to find his arms and legs restrained to the hospital bed, a precaution against movements that could disconnect IV drips and sensors monitoring his vital signs.
There were dark marks on his arm. His whole body felt beat up.
He thought it had been a day since the ER nurse cut open his shirt. A nurse explained he had been unconscious for a week.
He was sitting up when Tamboli entered his room. The doctor gaped.
“He was so amazed,” Sosa said. “It’s like when you see a dead person.”
Tamboli cannot say with certainty that Sosa’s COVID-19 infection caused the blood clot and his heart attack.
Normally, clots appear alongside plaque, a telltale sign of high cholesterol issues, the doctor said. To see a clot in an artery with no plaque was unusual.
Sosa had never had heart issues before. Never smoked. Never drank.
Those who’ve caught the virus seem to have higher clotting tendencies, in Tamboli’s experience. Many of his patients who are discharged after an infection end up on blood thinners, he said.
Tamboli can’t explain why Sosa survived. In his 35 years treating cardiac patients, no patient has been so close to death and lived. In cases like this he believes a higher power intervenes, be it fate or providence or God.
“That’s the law of the universe,” he said. “There’s something higher than us. There’s a bandmaster ahead.”
Sosa, who turned 59 in January, says he feels in good health but gets tired more easily.
He’s on a daily regimen of 12 pills that includes blood thinners. Every three months, he must see a heart specialist.
In the five months since his heart attack, he’s experienced many of the same emotions — relief, gratitude, an increased closeness to God and a newfound joy in life — as others who have suffered near-death experiences.
He hopes his experience will be a warning to others not to ignore symptoms that could signal heart trouble.
Sosa still exercises, but gently. He still takes on handyman jobs around the house, but no longer works through the evening.
He makes more time to be with his wife, children and three grandchildren, to walk on the beach, to enjoy life a little more.
“I know how fragile we are,” he said.
[Capparimyia Bezzi 1920: 8 (IT: 1) spp]
[Capparis Linnæus 1753: 144 (IT: 4) spp]
REFERENCES
A. Pignatti & al. 2019: Flora IT, v.2, p. 884; v.4, p. 639.
A. Tamboli & al. 2017: Capparis molecular phylogeny.
M.J. Ebejer 2015: Tephritoidea of the Maltese islands.
C. Inocencio & al. 2006: Capparis revision.
Center, BIll and Jane Pierce speak with Allison Murphy, Brenau's galleries manager, as Franc Tamboli, left, speaks with Melissa Morgan, Brenau's galleries director, during the silent auction portion of the Brenua Gala.
Description: An outdoor group portrait of the international trainees from the 1970-1971 Boston College Teacher Training Class. Two female and six male trainees are arranged in two rows on a staircase. Three of the trainees wear sunglasses. Dr. Edward J. Waterhouse and William Heisler the Director of Teacher Training stand with the new Perkins Director Benjamin F. Smith the back row.
Back row left to right:
Former Perkins Director and lecturer, Dr. Edward J. Waterhouse
Director of the Teacher Training, William Heisler
Perkins Director, Benjamin F. Smith
Front row left to right:
Willie Mwensongole — Zambia
Cavas Tamboli — India
Ahn Soo Lim — Korea
Kantilal Gandhi — India
Mrs. Pratibha Arya — India
V.J. Kuriakose — India
Virginia Linares — Venezuela
Note:
In 1966, Perkins ended its partnership with Boston University and began a collaboration on teacher training courses for teachers of blind and deafblind students with Boston College.
Full Text:
Overseas Trainees 1970-1971
Front Row.
Mwensongole, Willie — Zambia
Tamboli, Cavas — India
Lim, Ahn Soo — Korea
Gandhi, Kantilal — India
Mrs. Pratibha Arya — India
Kuriakose, V.J. — India
Linares, Virginia — Venezuela
Back Row.
Dr. Waterhouse
Mr. Heisler
Mr. Smith
Creator: unknown
Date: circa 1970-1971
Format: photograph
Provenance: Part of AG49 box 2 untitled photograph album.
Digital Identifier: ag49_03_0012
Rights: Perkins Archives, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA
Khatron Ke Khiladi 11: Nikki Tamboli Sizzles in a Blue Monokini during Bikini Shoot in Cape Town - Celebrity Tadka
Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 contestant Nikki Tamboli shared couple of pictures of her bikini shoot from Cape Town as she raises the hotness quotient.
Introduction :
Birthday Pawri Lyrics by Meet Bros is Latest Hindi song sung by Meet Bros, Amit Mishra, Aditi Singh Sharma, Mellow D and this brand new song is featuring Arradhya Maan, Nikki Tamboli. Birthday Party song lyrics are penned down by Kunwar Juneja while music is given by Meet Bros and video is directed by Mudassar Khan.
Song Details :
- SONG- BIRTHDAY PAWRI
- MUSIC- MEET BROS
- SINGERS- MEET BROS FT. AMIT MISHRA, ADITI SINGH SHARMA,
- RAP - MELLOW D
- LYRICS- KUNWAR JUNEJA
- PROGRAMMED BY- AISHWARYA TRIPATHI CHIEF
- MUSIC ASSISTANT & MUSIC PRODUCTION HEAD - UDDIPAN SHARMA
- MUSIC ASSISTANT- PIYUSH MEHROLIYAA, MONIS AHMED
- SONG RECORDED BY- UDDIPAN SHARMA & MONIS AHMED
- @ MEET BROS RECORDING STUDIO
- MIXED AND MASTERED BY- GAUTAM CHAKRABORTTY @MEET BROS RECORDING STUDIO
- BUSINESS MANAGER- KETAN MANIAR
- PRODUCTION MANAGED BY- SURAJ KUMAR , RUCHIR SAXENA
Birthday Pawri Lyrics
Hey Baby Yeh Cake HaiAur Yeh Gifts HaiYahan Pe Pawri Ho Rahi HaiBirthday Pawri Ho Rahi Hai
Yeh Chakna HaiAur Yeh Meri Makhna HaiYahan Pe Pawri Ho Rahi HaiBirthday Pawri Ho Rahi Hai
Ae Ae Ae Ae Ae Ae AeIt’s A Happy Birth Day Day Day DaySabki Aankhein Tujh Pe Pe Pe Pe PeAisi Party Ho Rahi Hai
Ae Ae Ae Ae Ae Ae AeIt’s A Happy Birth Day Day Day DaySabki Aankhein Tujh Pe Pe Pe Pe PeAisi Party Ho Rahi Hai
Happy Happy Happy HappyHappy Happy BirthdayHappy Happy Happy HappyHappy Happy Birthday
Happy Happy HappyIt’s Your Happy Happy BirthdayAaya Hai DinBirthday Boy Ka Hai
lyricspublisher.com/birthday-pawri-lyrics-meet-bros-ft-am...
Photo By: Jay Tamboli
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and new Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan exchange a few words outside Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Circuitous Succession: Epilogue
Curator:
Jason Miller
Featuring:
Pixy Yijun Liao, Jay Etkin, Jason Lanier, Beth Edwards, Erin Jennings, Jed Jackson, Caterina Tiazzoldi, Shara Rowley Plough, Eduardo Benamor Duarte, Valia Oliver, Nathan Yoakum, Julie Wright, Norman Soskel, Pinkney Herbert, Brian Anderson, Colin Kidder, Amelia Briggs, Judith Barrie, Jeane Umbreit, Lauren Coulson, Mike Coulson, Annette Fournet, Lawrence Jasud, Joey Miller, Ross McLean, Anne Froning, Saj Crone, Mary K VanGieson, Eric Painter, Terri Phillips, Greely Myatt, Nancy White, Roy Tamboli, Elisha Gold, Judith Barrie, Jeanne Seagle, Robin Salant, Bienvenido Howard Romero, Jan Hankins, Wayne Simpkins, Mari Trevelyan, Fletcher Golden, Jon Hart, Anna Maranise, Robert Lewis
Erected in January of 2014, the Max Rose monument honors the memory of a young man who died in a car accident in Kansas. He was a native Memphian and a student at Rhodes College. The sculpture is thirteen feet tall and is constructed of bronze. The monument was sculpted by Memphis artist Roy Tamboli.
Elmwood Cemetery
Memphis, Tennessee
For the first time ever, Jt Commissioner of Police Mr. Sadanand Date invited leaders of Welfare and Student Associations from Northeast India to join their Flag Hoisting Ceremony at Police Station. He aranged three police stations Bandra Kurla Complex, Chembur and Malabar Hill for this. Some of us decided to attend the function at Malabar Hill. Here is our photo with Mr . Nisar Tamboli, DCP and his team.
Bigg Boss 14 promo: Rakhi Sawant struggles to nominate Abhinav, Nikki Tamboli adds twist to game
www.apnlive.com/bigg-boss-14-promo-rakhi-sawant-nikki-tam...
Shrimping boats - ordinarily draped with fishing nets - instead loaded with hard boom near Cocodrie, Louisiana.
photo by Miles Wolf Tamboli
Hard boom and a petroleum pipeline warning in a marsh affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill near Cocodrie, Louisiana.
photo by Miles Wolf Tamboli
Healing Hands Foundation conducted free health checkup drive at Kasturba Gandhi Vasahat, Aundh, Pune. The camp was organised in collaboration with Vriddhamitra.
On behalf of Healing Hands Foundation, PUNE, Dr. Sachin Dongre and Dr. Neha Nanandane examined the patients.Tejashree Khalate and Dhanashree Rohankar counseled them and helped them with free medicines.Aashana Tamboli helped with registration. Anand Misal arranged the setup. Camp organiser Anita Said organised the camp under the guidance of Dr. Ashwin Porwal(Founder-President, HHF), Dr. Snehal Porwal (Founder-Secretary, HHF), and Madhura Bhate(NGO coordinator, HHF).
Total 82 patients benefitted through the drive.
Thanks to Vriddhamitra team for collaborating with us and helping the public through awareness.
Last evening, just after taking this shot laden with lilies, met Gautam in the house opposite. In the light drizzle, we chatted up. They have a wonderful Spirit of Community with two kundi for folks going on M4. Once in a while, they even stock Iced Tea in them!
He has spiritual eyes. We were soon joined by his son, who was cut from a similar cloth.
Invited him to join our morning Baddy and he was quite keen. He felt that Baddy could be played for longer years than tennis.
He used to row in Lucknow [goo.gl/maps/83waUBcbdo42] as the Gomti river has a straight stretch for about 1½ km and that too right in the heart of the city.
We parted, planning to keep in touch over WhatsApp the Wonder App [bit.ly/gssxWhatsApp].
~~~
Late last evening, Marty wanted to have some chAt at Forum Value Mall. He rarely asks for anything, so i told him that i'd take him over after 9:30 PM.
We went over to Delhi Walle in the Food Court at FVM. It was pretty clean and cool, so he ordered a dahi papdi. Made that double.
The nice afternoon discussion was very much in the mind, so i told him about Dilip Panicker and how we would go together to Muttukadu, near Fishermans Cove, Chennai [goo.gl/maps/C8TWyPEoypT2]; Dilip for some sailing and moi for some rowing.
Strangely, i turned out to be a natural at it. Folks like Sanjay Tamboli would row for ever and not move an inch from the goddam place, but i could get some where.
Dilip would treat us to Mallu jokes from his IIT-M days. He had no discernible Mallu accent, but he would narrate how his freshmen brethren would be caught and quizzed:
Q (pointing to a flagpole): What is this?
F: A rode
Q (pointing down): What's this?
F: A rode
Q: What's the bloody difference?!
We used to go out for late-night coffee, but Dilip would have Horlicks, mouthing that word in a weird way! He killed me.
Bigg Boss 14 घर से एक-साथ बेघर हो गए 3 कंटेस्टेंटखास बातेंBigg Boss 14 को लेकर आई बड़ी खबर
घर के बेघर हुए एक साथ तीन कंटेस्टेंट
सिद्धार्थ शुक्ला की हार गई थी टीमनई दिल्ली: बिग बॉस 14 (Bigg Boss 14) जैसे-जैसे आगे बढ़ रहा है उसका रोमांच भी बढ़ता नजर आ रहा है. दर्शकों में भी इसका उत्साह दिखने लगा है. इसी बीच शो को लेकर हाल ही में एक बड़ी खबर सामने आ रही है. दरअसल, एक टास्क हारने के बाद सिद्धार्थ शुक्ला (Sidharth Shukla) की टीम के तीन कंटेस्टेंट घर से बेघर हो गए हैं. बता दें, सिद्धार्थ शुक्ला, हीना खान और गौहर खान बिग बॉस (Bigg Boss House) हाउस में सीनियर के तौर पर रह रहे हैं और घरवालों पर अपना हुक्म चला रहे हैं. ऐसे में एक टास्क के दौरान बिग बॉस 14 के कंटेस्टेंट टीमों में बंट गए. हालांकि जब सिद्धार्थ की टीम हार गई तो पवित्रा पुनिया (Pavitra Punia), एजाज खान (Ajaj Khan) और शहजाद देओल (Shehzad Deol) को घर से बेघर होना पड़ गया. Breaking! #TheKhabri#SidharthShukla team lost the task So#EijazKhan#PavitraPunia and #ShehzaadDeol are out of the House #Nikki is safe as she was already ConfirmedThey could be in secret room or Somewhere else
— The Khabri (@TheRealKhabri) October 19, 2020यह भी पढ़ें
इस बात की जानकारी 'द खबरी' के ट्विटर हैंडल द्वारा दी गई है. हालांकि, ट्वीट के मुताबिक एजाज खान, पवित्रा पुनिया (Pavitra Puia) और शहजाद देओल किसी सीक्रेट रूम में है. और वह जल्द ही घर में वापसी करेंगे. वहीं, निक्की तंबोली (Nikki Tamboli) इसलिए घर से बेघर नहीं हुई क्योंकि वह पहले से ही सेफ थी. 'द खबरी' के इस ट्वीट पर लोग खूब कमेंट कर रहे हैं और अपनी प्रतिक्रिया दे रहे हैं. बता moviesblogs.com/bigg-boss-14-%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%a6%...
Nothing can dim her light,
because she shines from within✨..
On the occasion of International Women's Day, Healing Hands Foundation in coordination with Astitva Social Foundation-One Vision organised a health awareness and check-up drive at Gandhinagar, Yerwada, Pune.
Dr. Ashwini Pargewar joined us for the noble cause. She helped 101 patients with diagnosis and expert guidance. Tejashree Khalate counseled them and Aashana Tamboli helped them with medicines. Anand Misal and Santosh Kamble arranged the setup.
The camp was organised by Anita Said(Camp coordinator-HHF)under the guidance of Madhura Bhate(NGO coordinator-HHF).
People are still not ready to share about the conditions like piles, fissures, fistula, pilonidal sinus & constipation. So we are collaborating with NGOs to spread the word of awareness.
Everyone speaks comfortably in these camps. Here they share their issues with counselors and doctors.
Special thanks to Mona More, Sagar Nikalje, Savita Bhalerao, of Astitva Social Foundation, and Santosh Sukale for providing space for consultation during camp and actively participating in it.
Shanti Teaser
| Feet. Millind Gaba & Nikki Tamboli | Asli Gold | Satti Dhillon | Out on 22nd June
Shanti Teaser
| Feet. Millind Gaba & Nikki Tamboli | Asli Gold | Satti Dhillon | Out on 22nd June
is promoted by L-Series Music Company is continuously working to create an ample catalog of music comprising plenty of languages that covers the length & breadth of India.
Shanti Teaser | Feat. Millind Gaba & Nikki Tamboli | Asli Gold | Satti Dhillon | Out on 22nd June
Gulshan Kumar & T-Series presents Bhushan Kumar's "Shanti" -Teaser. The song is in the voice of Millind Gaba #MusicMG, also the music is composed and lyrics are penned by Millind Gaba, Asli Gold. The song features Millind Gaba & Nikki Tamboli. The video is directed by Satti Dhillon. The full video is set to release on 22June 2021. --------------------------------------- ------------------------ Connect with T-SERIES bit.ly/TSeriesYouTube
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YouTube presence
L-Series joined YouTube on 18 November 2016, but only started uploading videos for Himachal Lokgeet and pahadi music. Under this channel, L-Series primarily shows music videos and film trailers. On our YouTube channel, we upload only genuine music videos.
We produce our videos in the Studio and our singers and actors are working hard to provide good quality content.
lseries.in/hindi-latest/shanti-teaser-feet-millind-gaba-n...