A True Devotee of Baba
They see only God in all. They relate to the ultimate and they belong to a vision from God i.e. Godliness. All through their life they in all their actions build a divine path called ‘devotion’. The spirituality achieved by them through their divine functions illuminate happiness in and around the life and surroundings of those near them.
God Himself came on earth to show us how to live right. The concept of simple life, compassion for living beings, sharing food and various principles which Baba followed did not make much of an impact on most of us. Hence when I come across one devotee of Baba who follows even one of the above principles it gives me the thrill of seeing a living Baba amongst us.
The only prayer that came to my lips in this temple was “Baba! Give Narayana uncle a long life”. This Thursday thinking it would be rude to refuse an invitation by a Padmashri awardee, B C ROY awardee and a doctor an elderly Baba devotee I accompanied him and few other devotees in their regular Thursday ritual journey.
Amongst them is a 95 year old staunch devotee who has not depended on any medicine in his life except for depending on our beloved Baba’s udi. He came to motivate the villagers who have come to seek medical help and free annadan Prasad.
Mr Krishnaiaji retired person who is around 65, with an enthusiasm to serve Baba. A retired Doctor who had a fracture on his right arm, his wife who not only helped him write the prescriptions but also efficiently administered injections to patience. Few more doctors and an elderly villager on way to the temple who came with flowers for Baba and sang praise of Baba along with the other villagers present there. This was my journey to “Pudur” (Rangareddy District) in Andhra Pradesh where Dr Narayana has built a temple of compassion, love and care. It is a 2 hour journey from Hyderabad.
Wanted to share with everyone the joy of meeting a true devotee of Baba..
They see only God in all. They relate to the ultimate and they belong to a vision from God i.e. Godliness. All through their life they in all their actions build a divine path called ‘devotion’. The spirituality achieved by them through their divine functions illuminate happiness in and around the life and surroundings of those near them.
God Himself came on earth to show us how to live right. The concept of simple life, compassion for living beings, sharing food and various principles which Baba followed did not make much of an impact on most of us. Hence when I come across one devotee of Baba who follows even one of the above principles it gives me the thrill of seeing a living Baba amongst us.
The only prayer that came to my lips in this temple was “Baba! Give Narayana uncle a long life”. This Thursday thinking it would be rude to refuse an invitation by a Padmashri awardee, B C ROY awardee and a doctor an elderly Baba devotee I accompanied him and few other devotees in their regular Thursday ritual journey.
Amongst them is a 95 year old staunch devotee who has not depended on any medicine in his life except for depending on our beloved Baba’s udi. He came to motivate the villagers who have come to seek medical help and free annadan Prasad.
Mr Krishnaiaji retired person who is around 65, with an enthusiasm to serve Baba. A retired Doctor who had a fracture on his right arm, his wife who not only helped him write the prescriptions but also efficiently administered injections to patience. Few more doctors and an elderly villager on way to the temple who came with flowers for Baba and sang praise of Baba along with the other villagers present there. This was my journey to “Pudur” (Rangareddy District) in Andhra Pradesh where Dr Narayana has built a temple of compassion, love and care. It is a 2 hour journey from Hyderabad.
Wanted to share with everyone the joy of meeting a true devotee of Baba..
A small write up by Trisha grand daughter of Dr.
Narayana who is all of eleven years old and stays in USA.
There
is nothing better in the world than to see the breath-taking sights of India. Maybe one would go to the Taj Mahal
claimed as one of the Seven
Wonders of the World,
or even Jaipur
Palace. The place I went to does not have
stunning paintings or carvings that fill tourist’s minds with awe and
amazement. In fact the place I went to have no paintings or carvings except for
the picture of the Hindu God Saibaba at the small temple where many people are
gathered to sing of their praise for this divine God. Once you have eaten your
prasadam, you have two stray dogs willing to get even a single morsel of the
delicious blessed food. You have probably guessed by now that this place named
Sri Sai Seva Mandir Pudur, is not for the rich and the powerful, but for the
poor and the menial. As you walk down the stairs leading to the temple, you see
poverty all around you. Once you have reached the bottom of the steps, and you
enter the neighbouring building you see many people sitting on the floor. You
walk deeper into the building, feeling spoiled about the good clothes you have
on compared to the rags that lay on the surrounding peoples bodies. You see an
eye testing board, with one huge letter at the top and miniature letters at the
bottom. In the next room there is a line of people with slips of paper in their
hands or black sunglasses. The people who were wearing black sunglasses on just
underwent a cataract surgery. The rest had to be given eye-drops in their eyes.
Sri Sai Seva Mandir has an eye care building, a dental-care building, and a
general health care building so free healthcare can be provided at all times.
If someone needs to go through surgery my grandpa can take them on buses to any
hospital depending on their problem. He will also pay for all the surgery fees.
Before going to surgery, they have been tested for diabetes. People have come
from miles away, some walking, some on buses, and some on rickshaws to come to
Sri Sai Seva Mandir, who have confidence in Saibaba, and in the doctors.
Lunch time is next. Rows and rows of people are sitting, waiting to be served lunch on their leaf plates, with food made with care and compassion. The person who should get all the credit for this wonderful place is my grandpa, Dr. A.S. Narayana. His work was recognized by the TANA foundation a few weeks ago, and was given the excellence award on medical services by the governor of Illinois. Something my grandfather tells me is that Sai Baba’s teachings are equality, humanity and friendship, which is expressed everywhere in Sri Sai Seva Mandir Pudur.
“Giving food to animals or people who are hungry is like giving food to me.”
- Shiridi Saibaba
Lunch time is next. Rows and rows of people are sitting, waiting to be served lunch on their leaf plates, with food made with care and compassion. The person who should get all the credit for this wonderful place is my grandpa, Dr. A.S. Narayana. His work was recognized by the TANA foundation a few weeks ago, and was given the excellence award on medical services by the governor of Illinois. Something my grandfather tells me is that Sai Baba’s teachings are equality, humanity and friendship, which is expressed everywhere in Sri Sai Seva Mandir Pudur.
“Giving food to animals or people who are hungry is like giving food to me.”
- Shiridi Saibaba
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