Shirdi wale sai baba Aaya hain tere dar pe sawali

Every individual worships god (some do not admit it but secretly they do worship some form of god or atleast have fear). I believe in God and for some reason I have immense faith on Shirdi Baba and I make it a point to visit his divine mandir every year. This is the first time I am writing about the wonderful trip.

1. A sudden trip to Shirdi: As I said before, I have been visiting Shirdi almost every year for Baba's darshan. I somehow find solace in shirdi. There is something about the place that draws me there evrytime. With a lamba weekend (3 holidays back to back) and with some important decisions to be taken, mom and I decided to make a quick 9 hour trip to Shirdi to seek baba's blessings.

2. The nice and not so nice bus journey (Mumbai to Shirdi): We left on Thursday night. Like always we boarded the 8PM bus from Goregaon. The nice part of the journey was that there was a cute looking guy with deep dimples adding sobha to his chehra sitting behind me. He was chit chatting with me endlessly and we were laughing over silly of the silliest jokes. I had started dreaming of a dance sequence too, wherein, we both were doing salsa (the song was tera hone laga hoon from ajab prem kii gajab kahani). I was brought down to earth by my mom who realized that unki beti ki niyat kharab ho rahi hain. The not so nice part of the journey came when he called up his girlfriend and said loudly "jaanu tumhe aana chahiye tha, main tumhe miss kar raha hoon". Bas this was enough to make me feel disheartened and I fell asleep.

3. The enchanting baba's darshan and the indisciplined public: Shirdi has become a popular pilgrimage destination in India. After Tirupati and Vaishano Devi, Shirdi is the place twhere lakhs of people come to seek baba's darshan. After taking a room in a decent hotel, mom and I freshened up and went to seek baba's darshan at 7 AM. We wanted to go for the 4AM aarti, but I was way too lazy to get up and go. I got good darshan of baba and was mesmerized by the enthu public who kept repeating "Om sai namoh namah, shri sai namoh namah". But what irked me was the indisciplined crowd that tried to break the lines and wriggle like a worm between two people standing for darshan. It was pretty bad of them to do so. In order to avoid people barging in between, we had to stand in close proximities, and literally got suffocated. I even told a lady that "baba sabko darshan denge aap zara line mein khade rahiye", but all my pleas fell on deaf ears. I sincerely hope that the Saibaba Trust takes a note of this and works towards bringing orderliness amongst the devotees.


Bolo Shri Satchitananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj kii Jai!!!

4. A maha boring return journey (Shirdi to Mumbai): We took a return bus from Shirdi to Mumbai at 1PM on Friday. As I had returned after taking baba's darshan, I had decided to be a good girl and stop fooling around with good looking guys. The moment I settled down in my seat, I plugged my ears, closed my eyes and listened to Rafi singing Shirdiwale Sai baba. Luckily there were no good looking guys in the bus to divert my attention. The buswala had put Akshay Kumar's Chandni Chowk to China. It was a 3 hour ordeal for me to watch a weird looking Deepika and equally boring Akshay Kumar making fool of themselves, but somehow I did manage to put up with it. But aal izz well. The journey was smooth and we reached home safely.

5. Conclusion: I have come home refreshed with full of energy and with zeal to take right decsisions. I must admit, no matter how commercialized the place may have become, the simplicity of the local people and the magic of Shirdi is still visible. I suggest that whenever you make a trip to Maharashtra, don't forget to make a trip to Shirdi and if you are coming to Mumbai, don't forget to take my darshan :)

Will leave you with an awesome song from the movie Amar Akbar Anthony. I love this song (please ignore nirupama roy and her melodrama, just listen to the song).

40 comments:

eye-in-sty-in said...

the tiresom journey, the unruly crowds are all worth it when we get the darshan... only if people act a little civil, the experience would be even more awesome... Did you get to sit for the aarti after the darshan?

Shanu said...

I am an ardent devotee of Saibaba myself and truly feel at peace every time I make a trip there.

My next trip is overdue..lets hope we both board the same bus this time :)

Blunt Edges said...

your mom sure knows u pretty well ;)

wonderful 2 see u back :)

Insignia said...

Nice to see you back.

Awwww..i feel so bad for you after that chit-chat with the guy!! Anyways he was stupid to call his girl friend!!

Glad you had a break..

Bikram said...

he hehe and excuse me its not bikramJI its just bikram THANK YOU..

Well you come after long and the article is great .. Awwww your mum did got to know your intentions.. Ab mujhe yeh nahin pata lag raha ki is it you who got saved or the guy ha ha haha ..
ah well not to worry Plenty more fish.. next time on another TRIP :) hain...

People are mad You know i have noticed this sort of thing on flights too.. If you are flying from INDIA to UK.. the pilot would say dont get up till seat belt sign is off. NO ONE gets up.. but on the other side .. The plane lands.. its taxing and WE INDIANS will get up open the overhead lockers and STAND.. I Mean whats the RUSH.. I have never been able to understand this ...

The rush to get there First ..
anyway I am glad you had a good trip and you are all Revved up for anything and I hope what ever decisions you had to make have got a bit easier after the visit to the holy place ...

vinny said...

hey G3?
yeppidi irrikke?

HaRy!! said...

my dad is a big devote of Saibaba.... sure I need to take him once there at least! worth the tiresome journey

Shruti said...

I wish you always get cute and hot fellow travellers. :D

Sid said...

Devotee of Sai Baba 2 :)

Good luck with ur BIG decision

Neha said...

all the good looking guys are either engaged, married or gay! poor you..

we try and go to shirdi once a year..sometimes more than that..the place indeed has some magical and sacred powers..

but Chandni chawk to china? baap re..waat lag gayi hogi na..

एक बेहद साधारण पाठक said...

Great post :)

Bikram said...

@Neha:- so i guess i am good looking reading ur comment "all the good looking guys are either engaged, married or gay! poor you.."

I am not GAY either he hehehe

Khyati said...

Funny... :)

Unknown!!! said...

even my parents r plannin to go to Shirdi this month. Its sad to know that the whole place is commercialized

wondering how u managed to talk with a person sittin behind u for a long time..no wonder ur neck dint pain :P

Ditto @Surreal..

we ppl used to wish like this before any trip..and sadly to me..it was always a guy or oldies

moonlite:D said...

girl is back after a long time! :)

yes, even I'd been to Shirdi once, & really agree with you. It was so peaceful to live 4 days there...

thanks for this cute post :)

Neha said...

@ Bikram, errrrrr, have you heard - there are exceptions in all the cases? :P

Jaunty anima said...

Ohhh...poor u n d stupid guy!!
I'd love to visit this place whenever I do visit Mumbai!!
N u've got a very easy-going blog..n yea u struck a chord wid me..I'm gonna come back 4 more..
So keep writing !!

SG said...

Thanks for a nice narration. On our previous visits to India, we have gone to Shirdi 3 times. Enjoyed every time. Our only concern was there are no decent taxis to take from train station (Kopergoan) or to train station (even if we are willing to pay whatever amount they ask).

Baba never said attracting to a good looking person of the opposite sex is a sin (assuming you are single and unattached).

gayathri vishwanathan said...

eye in sty, yes despite the unruly crowd, I did manage to get a good darshan. I did not have enough time to stay back for arti, had to rush to hotel carry the bags and board the bus.

shanu hope to see you in bus next time.

BE, mummy knows me inside out

thanks insignia, yes tht guy was stupid, he cud have cut d call naa :)

Bikramjiiiii, hope i get a fish very soon. And regarding the unruly people, well one must stop being selfish atleast in a place like shirdi to start with. But I guess I am expecting a bit too much from them.

Hi Vinnieeeeeeeeee, how r u? long time no c. Missing u

Hary do take dad to Shirdi...its a beautiful place. Worth visiting!

thanks sid :)

neha pooch mat chandi chowk to china? I mean maine kya paap kiya to watch chandni chowk to china. And u were right all the good looking guys are either engaged, married or gay :(

Thanks gourav

Bikramjiiiiiii just as neha said exceptions r always there :)

Thanks khyati and welcome to my blog

gayathri vishwanathan said...

Shruts please keep praying that mere fellow travelers hamesha good looking bande ho ;)

hi moonlite...nice 2 c u back after a long time. I have not visited your blog...going to visit it after a long time. Aati hoon :)

Thanks Jaunty and Welcome to my blog :)

SG, that's why its always better to take a bus to shirdi...it directly halts near the mandir and yes baba never said that it is a sin to get attracted to opp sex especially wen u r single, but then ek baar popat ho gaya so ho gaya i dint have the heart to make a fool of myself again

Unknown said...

Havent been to Shirdi.
Would love to go now..
Interesting work..
First time here via Insignia's blog.

Cool space..

Cheers

Nuts

Unknown said...

I m following u...:)

Sangeeta R said...

ha ha ha. gud one. gud to hear dat da guy did not get raped in dreams :) btw any more details of him? thnx fr da prasad. and dare u call akshay a fool. grrrr. m an ardent devotee of akshay kumar :)

DPhatsez said...

i feel 'enlightened'

:D :D :D

gayathri vishwanathan said...

Nipun, thanks for visiting my blog and for following me...do visit Shirdi atleast one time...its worth an experience :)


arre sangi kaike details...bloody idiot does not have brains...khoobsurat ladki ke saamne apne jaanu se baat karna zaroori tha kya? And I am sori to have called Akshay a fool...sachai kadvi lagi naa :) jai akshya kumar kii!

D...I can see that halo around your head :)

Vrinda said...

Hii

I have been to shirdi when I was 7 years old. I hardly remember anything about that trip. I hope baba will soon bless me with his darshan.

I too like that song. Very nice one :)

Vrinda said...

Hi gayatri....

I'm shirdi baba devotee...Nice post.
It has been years I've been to shirdi. Hope I have baba darshan soon

gayathri vishwanathan said...

hi vrinda...thanks...do visit shirdi once again...i bet u will be happy

Hari said...

G3...lol looks like u had a good trip if not gr8...reminded me of my trip in feb...(i think i shud write abt it..)...btw next time u travel to shirdi....tell me...i'll be in the same bus :P...and i promise i wont talk abt my gf...(its a different thing altogether that i don't have one. ;) )

subu.ps said...

Enjoyed reading your travelogue. You know how to keep people hoooked in to read it fully.

A passionate traveller

COMMUNI said...

I've never been to shirdi or seen it on tv, so this post was more informative.

And that stupid guy! But can't blame him more 'coz we know how girls behave wen their boyfrnd goes to a place and never calls her on the way, reaching each and every location!

gayathri vishwanathan said...

sure hari will tell u when i go to shirdi...welcome to my blaaaag

thanks subu.ps :)and welcome to my blog


thanks communi...hehehe yes girls are possessive ab kya karein? I belong to that category too :)

Omar said...

Hey....just encountered ur blog few days back....btw nice change in layout of blog & i needed to bookmark your blog as the name was toooo lengthy (gayathri-vishwanathan.blogspot....i cant remember spelling):P....now anonymously following :)

Hari said...

hehe...G3...as far as i remember..this is not my 1st comment on ur posts...lol....and btw...wats the point in inviting me...wen u've decided not to get attracted to good lukin guys in ur trip...lol ;)

kavitabist said...

om sai ram

kavitabist said...

"Om Sai Ram"

Unknown said...

Shirdi Sai Baba stressed on equality of all religions with his famous epigram, ‘Sabka Malik Ek’, which means, ‘One God governs all’

rohan said...

Om sairam, Baba knows our innermost wishes n surely wil fulfill ur's too all v need to do is keep shraddha n saburi. Tc

rohan said...

Om SaiRam, if u need to post more of Baba images or some posts related Baba then do lemme know.

rohan said...

OM SAI RAM, , Rangpanchami in shirdi today was really blissful. Hope baba calls us for rangpanchmi next year.