Sunday 20 May 2018

A Shirdi Experience

I have been following Sai Baba since a long time now and had many personal experiences at different points in time. I have spoken about these in select groups from time to time but this is the first time I am writing one down.

The most vivid experience I had was back in 2007 I believe when we were returning to Delhi after our Shirdi visit. The trip was eventful and all of us were in a state of bliss and relaxation. Our group was singing Bhajans while waiting to reach the destination back home.

Just then a group of Hijras got in, it was some place before Ghaziabad, and they started demanding money. The group gave them may be a notes of 10 or 20 Rs but it was obvious that they were not satisfied and they started using abusive language. Till this day I don't know what they had said but our group was visibly upset and it seemed like all the good feelings after the blissful trip were erased with a single stroke of careless words.

Within the span of less than a minute, a beggar appeared out of nowhere and he sat in the passage between compartments waiting for alms. He was facing the passage and his side face was visible to us. It was obvious that he could not walk. I will not be exaggerating if I say that his posture, his face and the orange patka he wore on his head resembled Sai baba to the core. And this is the posture I am talking about, only that the side face was visible.




I think I instantly said 'inko do' (give to him) to lift ourselves up from that wretched mood where we fell into within seconds.  All of us dug into our pockets and purses and gave him what we could. And then he left in a few seconds and while we tried to understand what had happened he was just gone, gone from the nearby compartments as well. The train  was moving, he did not have legs to walk, then where did he vanish in such quick time...we looked at each other for answers, with tears in our eyes.

Till this day it gives me goosebumps to narrate this story but I know whoever he was, he lifted us and made us forget those cruel words. He also gave us a reason to believe in the existence of the unknown.

Faith!

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