All of us in our family are staunch Sai devotees. I was suffering from mental strain, depression and bodily ailments. Doctors diagnosed me as a patient with diabetes and blood pressure and put me on a strict diet. This resulted in my dreading the disease and control over sugary substances. Inevitably I begged before God.
 

Some friends who were devotees of Sai Baba advised me to go to Shirdi with Shraddha and Saburi.

Some how I procured the Sai Satcharit in the Kannada version and read one chapter daily. I longed to visit Shirdi, but as per the 11 sayings of Sai Baba, was called upon only in April 1994. No sooner did I get down from the bus in Shirdi, my heart started thumping with pleasure and I got the first Mukha darshan.

The next day after attending Kakad Aarti and taking darshan of the Samadhi and Dwarkamai with a humble request to Baba to restore my good health I met an old lady with a plate full of pedhas as Prasad(which was sugary). I was astonished to see my desire to eat sweets (though forbidden by the doctor) thus fulfilled by the gentle lady. I took one pedha and turned to my husband for him to take one himself. But I was surprised when he could not see any old lady nearby. Sai had understood my sorrow and offered me the pedha through the guise of an old lady.

Thereafter we have been visiting Shirdi annually and receive regular Udi and Prasad.

In 2003, there was a dark cloud over my house. My younger son who is an engineer and had his own fabrication unit in Hubli, was facing heavy losses and consequently some court cases regarding loans.

Things were the worst till 2007, despite our regular worship and Thursday visits to the local Sai Baba temple.

I decided to observe Sai Baba Saptaha during October 2007 near kartik amavasya. The day after I finished the first saptaha, a very young, handsome and charming sadhu knocked at my door, saying Sai Ram. He spoke in Kannada and requested me to open the front door, which is usually shut when I am alone. He again appealed to me to come out and offer him a coconut and eleven flowers. I hesitated to open the door and told him to accept the coconut and a rupee. He repeatedly requested me to accept this as God’s blessing and to light a lamp of cow’s ghee at Shirdi , it being a kartika day. He blessed me and my house with a bright future for my family and the end of all troubles past, present and future. He then vanished and was never seen again.

I narrated this entire episode to my husband who immediately arranged to send half a kilo of cow’s ghee to Shirdi, the next day being the last day of kartika and an amavasya too. Two days later we were very happy to receive an Udi Packet from Shirdi stating it was Baba’s Prasad. It meant he had accepted me as a disciple.

Smt. Shakuntala C. Javali (Nalme Building, Shivagiri IInd Main First Cross, Dharwad - 580 007, Karnataka State.)