The first Picture is of the Audumbar Tree near the Sai temple and Oil painting of Shirdi Sai Babas.When I was in class 5th staying in Pune ,my parents used to occasionaly visit Sai temple on Thursdays and once every month without fail for Ann Daan.I have very fond memories of my visit to this Sai temple .It was two year back when we went for a days visit to Pune along with my two son I was determined to go to this temple and Bow to Our holy Guru ,have HIS darshan and blessings with my family .And with HIS Grace we were able to have his blessing and spend some divine time in temple .The story of this temple is very interesting and is worth mentioning for all the Sai devotee .
This Unique temple is on the bank of Mutha river -Shiwaji Nagar in Poona near by Rasanae Chawl.Shri Damodarpant Rasane was a Sai devotee, who had the good fortune to have lived with Shri Sai Baba during the latter's life time. The Rasane chawl belongs to Shri Damodarpant. Round about 1945 Shri Nanasaheb Rasane, the son of Damodarpant converted two of the rooms in the Rasane chawl into a temple and started there the worship of Shri Sai Baba.
Shri Mahadeo Nikam, from Khed was a Jamadar in the Police Deptt. He was known to be a sincere Sai devotee and hence he was called by Shri Nanasaheb Rasane to join the activities of the temple. Shri Nikim went to Shri Nanasaheb Rasane and resigned his job in the Police Deptt, he than dedicated his entire life to this temple. Shri Nikam is closely connected with this temple. He became the main pujari , and he was staying in one of the above rooms in the Chawl. He was a blessed brahmachari and he was wearing on his body a Tait (Capsule Talisman) containing the holy tooth of Sri Sai Baba. .He has presented Talisman to this temple . The story of how Shri Nikam came to get this Talisman is written below.One girl named Kashibai, was married and staying in Niphad. Due to her ill luck Kashibai’s husband died within a few years from her marriage. She was pregnant at the time of her husband’s death. She confined at the proper time and gave birth to a son, who was named as Madhav. When her son completed one year, Kashibai returned to Shirdi from Niphad and stayed with her father. As Kashibai had no means of livelihood, she used to work on some body’s field for the whole day and used to earn some money .Kashibai’s son was more or less a problem for her. There was nobody at her house, who could look after him. Hence she found out a solution for that.
She used to leave her son, in the morning in the Masjid and go away to the field for work. In the evening when she would return from the work, she used to pick up her son from the Masjid and then she used to go home. In the evening, she used to bow down to Shri Sai Baba before going home. As Kashibai used to leave Madhav in the Masjid for the whole day, she never had any worry about him. She used to work in the field whole day and return in the evening. This became a sort of a routine for Kashibai for four or five years.After Madhav attained the age of five, Shri Baba started giving him a rupee every day. In his turn, Madhav also used to attend to Shri Baba's petty jobs. Smt. Kashibai knew that Baba used to give some money to many people. Once she came to the Masjid and said to Shri Baba, "Baba, you are dialy giving Rupees fifty to some people, to some others you are daily giving Rs. 30. Some people are in daily receipt of Rs. 25 and Rupees fifteen respectively. My son Madhav is doing so many of your sundry jobs; but you are giving only one rupee to him everyday. Why is it so?".
Baba replied "Kashibai,I know I am giving more money to some people than what I am giving to
your son, but remember that I am going to stop giving this prasad to others;
but
your son's donation will not be stopped. It will continue for ever, I
am the master of widows like you, who have no protector".Kashibai did not understand the words of Shri Baba properly and said, "My Master died some five years before and l am a widow since that time ."
On listening to these words, Shri Baba got enraged and started speaking to her in loud tone. Looking at the wrath of Shri Sai Baba, Kashibai quietly slipped out of the Masjid and went home. She then stopped going to the Masjid for some time. After two or three days, however, Shri Baba remembered about her and He sent for her.
Kashibai came to the Masjid along with Madhav. She was quite afraid to speak to Shri Baba; but Baba spoke to her in mild tone, one tooth of Shri Baba had become loose, hence he pulled it out and after tying it in a small rag long with some Udi, he gave it to Kashibai informing her to keep hat Talisman with her. Baba told Kashibai further that it would do her good.
In course of time, Madhav grew up to be a man. He was now known as Madhavrao. After the death of his mother , he left Shirdi and settled at Niphad. Once he fell seriously ill. During that sickness, he saw a dream, in which Shri Sai Baba ordered him,"Very soon a person will come to you and you should give him the Talisman tied round your arm".Shri Nikam came on the same day to Shri Madhavrao's house at Niphad. Shri Madhavrao and Shri Nikam had met each other many times at Shirdi,but just as Madhavrao got a dream, similar dream was seen by Shri Nikam and hence for fulfilment of the dream he met Madhavrao. As both the devotees confirmed their dreams, the Talisman was handed over by Shri Madhavrao to Shri Nikam.
This Talisman was with Shri Nikam for many years and now he has handed it over to this Mandir, for safe custody. It is now kept below the Padukas of Shri Sai Baba in this mandir. In 1950, Saidas Mandal was established to take care of this mandir .
"Here in this picture- Below this Paduka Babas teeth is Kept."
On 12 July 1961, the Panshet dam gave way and the whole of Pune city was under flood water. A large part of the city was devastated and many houses crumbled down like bunglows of playing cards This Sai Mandir at Shiwaji Nagar was at that time actually on the bank of the river. It was therefore no wonder if this temple was caught in the flood-water. Because of the breaking of the Panshet dam, the level of water rose to about twenty to twenty five feet above the dome of this temple.The members of the mandal ran to the site for salvage of the temple. It was really a job to clear the thick deposit of mud on the temple and its vicinity.The work went on continuously for two or three days and then to the wonder of everybody, the old temple was found to be quite intact.The Audumbar tree by the side of the temple stood as before and was not even bent down a little,wonder of wonders was that the temple and both the oil-painted frame and the picture that you see in the temple was discovered, completely unblemished! The tree and the padukas in the temple were unaffected although all structures round about the place were destroyed in the fury of the flood waters!
Here is the online video of sai temple as mentioned and another very interesting incident related to this temple .
This was a miracle and this renewed the Mandal’s faith to continue prayers at this very spot in the renovated temple.The Saidas Mandal, Pune resolved that it would rebuild this temple in small way, with the grant given by Pune Municipal Corporation and carry out some repairs after clearing the space around the affected area. A small tin shade was erected in front of the temple so that daily aarati could be done, even on rainy days.
After negotiating with the owners, a simultaneous exercise was commenced to reconstruct the Sai Mandir and add few structures like Sabha Mandap and Compound Wall. For this purpose, construction was started in 1973 and completed within a year. The lovely life like “murti” (idol) of Sri Sai Baba which adorns the Sai Mandir to this day, was donated by the Rasane Family.The Kalash Sthapana and Paduka Sthapana (with the sacred tooth well preserved in a silver casket and further encased in a copper capsule) ceremonies were conducted at the revered hands of H.H. Radha Krishna Swamiji.
In this connection, it would be relevant to mention that, while digging for the tooth under the padukas, the earth of that area was sieved and after a lot of effort and tense moments, the silver tait was recovered. The same was opened and Sri Sai Baba’s tooth was exposed to public viewing for 15 days. It was once again packed into silver capsule and then encased in a copper casket and placed under the padukas by H.H. Radha Krishna Swamiji in the presence of a large gathering.(This was published in Saileela magazine in 76 written by Shri S.M Garje.)
Daily Programs :
6.00 A.M. Kakad Aarti
8.00 A.M. Abhishek And Archana
12 Noon On Festival Days Madhyaan Aarti
12 Noon Naivedyam
6.30 P.M. Dhoop Aarti
7.00 P.M. Sanjh Aarti
10.00 P.M. Shej Aarti
Official Website of the Temple:
Address to Sai Temple:
SHRI SAIDAS MANDAL
83/84, Shivajinagar, Rasane Chawl, Juna Tophkhana,
Pune - 411004. Maharashtra, India
PHONE: - (020) 25510790
EMAIL: - WebMaster Sai Das Mandal Pune
Map of Sai temple :
