Guru Pournima 2014 Celebrations at Sai Sansthan, Shirdi

Aum Sai Ram

To see the Complete set of 113 Snaps of this temple Visit:
Guru Pournima 2014 at Sai Sansthan, Shirdi.

Atleast 3-lakh devotees from different parts of the country visited Shirdi to have darshan of Sai Baba temple during the 3-day long "Guru Purnima" festival from 11th July 2014 to 13th July 2014. Scores of devotees reached Shirdi walking along with palanquins from Pune, Mumbai, Jalgaon and Nashik. The highlight of the occasion was a Rs.20 lakh chariot of Baba, decorated by colorful flowers worth Rs.2 lakh.

According to Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, more devotees attended the festival this year due to remarks against Sai Baba by the Shankaracharya of Dwarka. Using the Rs.20 lakh donated by 10 devotees for free meals at the Shri Sai Prasadalaya, the SST made arrangements for free meals as "prasad" for 2-lakh devotees, besides also distributing 2.5 lakh packets of ladoos to devotees standing in the darshan queue. Many devotees also donated blood before taking blessings of Saibaba during the festival. The Saibaba temple was also decorated with flowers offered by devotees from Bangalore.

The Shirdi Sansthan had very tight security arrangements made in place with 125 CCTV Cameras, 700 Security Guards of the Sansthan, 150 Policemen, 16 Rapid Action Force Armed personnel, 1 Secret Agencies personnel, 1 Bomb Squad and 1 Dog Squad.

Record Collection

The Sai Baba Temple received donations worth Rs 4.56 crore in just 3-days during the Guru Purnima festival @ Shirdi. This amount is Rs.38 lakh more than that received during the same time last year during the Guru Purnima festival.

The Shirdi Sansthan received cash, gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 3.10 crore in its donation box, while donations worth Rs 1.46 crore (of cash and ornaments) was made online and at the Sansthan's cash counters.

Foreign devotees from 25 countries also donated foreign currencies, estimated to be worth about Rs.10 to 12 lakh during the festival.

The Sansthan has deposits of Rs.1,190 crore in different nationalized banks, while its treasure has 305 kg gold and 3,647 kg silver, which as per today's market rate are worth Rs 108 crore.

Continuing his tirade against Shirdi Sai Baba the Shankaracharya of Dwarka has said that one should give a serious thought to the source of such money that is being offered as donation to the Sai Temple. Swaroopanand Saraswati says that the poor and underprivileged need this money more than the temple Trust.

Sources say that it is a counter reaction of Shankaracharya non-stop tirade against Shirdi Sai Baba that his followers have made such a huge donation this year and have even broken all previous records.

To see the Complete set of 113 Snaps of this temple Visit:
Guru Pournima 2014 at Sai Sansthan, Shirdi.

To see the Complete set of 113 Snaps of this temple Visit:
Guru Pournima 2014 at Sai Sansthan, Shirdi.

To see the Complete set of 113 Snaps of this temple Visit:
Guru Pournima 2014 at Sai Sansthan, Shirdi.

Slide Show of Photo Album

Guru Pournima & its Origin & Way to celebrate effectively at our Place of Worship & get the Complete Grace of our Guru Sri Shirdi Sai Baba.

Aum Sai Ram.

Guru Pournima is fast approaching & it will be celebrated on satuday 12th July 2014. It is a very Important day for Sai Devotees like us to Celebrate Guru Pournima is a Simple but yet a very Spiritual Way. Let us here know something about the importance of the Guru Pournima Celebrations, Its Origin & Way to celebrate effectively at our Place of Worship & get the Complete Grace of our Guru Sri Shirdi Sai Baba.

Q: What is Guru Pournima?
A: It is the Occasion to show respect to ones Guru in the form of Shradha & Saburi. Guru Pournima is to respect one & all guru. Not just sai baba. it is actually called Vyasa Pournima.

Q: How to Arrange or prepare our self to welcome our Guru?
A: Clean the Home you are staying. Make sure No Durt or Dust is there in the house. Place a Chair or Sofa in the Living Area & cover the furniture with Silk or Cotton Cloth. Even if it is used/old cloth, there is no problem. But wash the Cloth & Cover the Furniture. Place a glass of water with 1 pepper, 1 elaichi preferably in copper vessel. Light some incense sticks or loban to keep the environment fresh.

Q: How to Perform Guru Pournima?
A:  On Guru Pournima day if the Devotee has a statue of Baba or any Guru at Home, perform Sheerabishekam/ Milk Abhishekam & Rose Water Abhishekam. After abhishek put a New or washed Dress & perform Alankar to Guru.

Light 5 Headed Diya with 2 strands of Cotton in each head & use gingelly oil along with one spoon of ghee to light the Diya. Apply Chandan, Kumkum, Akshatha to Guru’s Fore head & to Diya. Perform Sankalpam of Family members & Friend & then perform  Ashtotharam. During Ashtotharam, put 1 flower for every name chanted or alteast put some Akshatha [Rice mixed with Turmeric powder] for every chanting. Preserve this akshata separately & put it on forehead daily till it gets completed as blessings from the guru after the daily puja ritual.

If this is Not Possible, visit a temple & perform Abhishek, Archana etc.

Q: what to Keep for Naivaithyam?
A:  Cook some Rice, Dhall, Prepare some sweet with Jaggery.  keep a fruit or some Dry fruits like Banana, Orange, Apple, cashewnut, Dry Dates, Raisin etc.

Keep full meals in a silver plate or new steel plate which is never used for eating purposes. If this is not readily available keep Naivaithyam Prasad in Plaintain Leaf or Paper plate. Also keep a Glass ful of water along with the Naivaithyam.

After Naivaithyam is performed Keep 1 Full serving of Prasad in terrace or balcony for the Guru to eat it in the form of crow or sparrow etc.  Pour some water & clean the place before keeping the serving. Remaining food should be split among Family Members & Guest & consumed.

Q: what Spiritual Activities can be performed apart from the Puja Ritual?
A:  Read at least 1 chapter from sai satcharita or some other spiritual book. Listen or perform bhajan or do a satsang. Perform Group chanting of Vishnu Sahasranam, Lalitha Sahasranam & other spiritual verses. Speak Less & perform meditation or Nama Japa on your Guru to get his Grace.

Invite atleast 1, 5, 9, 11 or 21 Sumangali at home. Give Turmeric Sticks & Tambulam with dakshina of 2Rs,  5Rs or 10Rs.

Q: What Charitable Activities can be performed in a simple Manner?
A:  Donate some food to a needy. Either cooked Food or Raw Rice of at least 1.16 cups, Dhall, & Jaggery. Anna danam to needy is the only Charitable activity which has no comparision to any other form of charity.

If you can spend more, buy a cloth or a saree or give some money to the really needy in the society.

Q: What is that 1.16 cup rice?
Q: We usually give 1.16 Anna’s those days. so that is the symbolic way of giving a Donation. Previously, the money was divided into 64 parts & not 100 paise as of today.

So 1.25 times is 1.16 anna. So Baba always asked that only as Dakshina from the very poorest of the devotee to take his bad omens etc.

So 1.16 is the standard. Even while keeping kalas, we keep this 1.16 calculations.

Q: Now how will you calculate this 1.16 in nahe paise?
A: 1.16 in new count is 1 Rupee 25 paise. But, as 25 paise is not in existence any more. To solve this calculation problem we multiply it into 4 times & it becomes 5 rupees or multiply it into 8 times it becomes 10 rupees.

So you can Donate 5 or 10 Rupees to the really needy perform in life.

Hope I’ve clarified the Doubts of Majority of the Sai Devotees who are preparing them self for the Guru Pournima Celebrations. Have the best time with your Guru & get his grace in the form of Gud Health, Sufficient wealth & Enormous Success in your Future Endeavour.

With Sai’s Luv & Best Wishes.
Om Sai Ram.

Article Courtesy:
Raghav N for Sri Naga Sayee Foundations.
Email: saiinc@ymail.com