Sai Baba (Shirdi Sai with OM)

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It is stated that Sai Baba was born in a Brahmin family. In infancy Baba was supposed to have been deserted by his parents. Baba says that a fakir found the child and took him to home. After the fakir’s death, the child was taken over by a zamindar of selu who brought up this child in the historical evidence supporting this theory, and Shri Sai Baba himself is not known to have confirmed it. On the contrary, the saint’s own utterances about his origin were pregnant with innuendoes hinting at his supernatural emergence into the world. All that is historically known is that Sai Baba first came to Shirdi when he was an age of 16, and lived there for about 4 years. Then suddenly he disappeared for some time, and after a lapse of 4 years returned to Shirdi round about the year 1859. According to this, Sai born in 1835. After that he resided in the place of his choice for an unbroken period of sixty years until he attained mahasamadhi in 1918.

The Hindus thought him to be an Avatar God "Ram'; the Muslims said he was a Pir sent by Allah to liberate men. He always walked, talked, and laughed with his many devotees. He loved fun, and loved to poke fun at the discrepancies of human nature, but his sallies were always tempered with tenderness.He called himself a fakir and on his lips reverberated constantly the incantation ‘Allah Maalik’, 'Sabaka Maalik ek Hai' . But, Then he called himself a pure Brahmin too, and showed a remarkable proficiency in all yogic practices.

The 15th of October of the year 1918 was a sorrowful and fateful day for the little village of Shirdi. On Tuesday the 15th of October at about 2.30 PM the beloved Master suddenly breathed his last. Sai Baba released his breath and let his head fall gently on the shoulders of a near disciple. The last words that he uttered were that he should be taken to an adjoining wada as he did not feel well in the masjid. But hardly were these words out of his mouth when the Saint of Shirdi passed away. Sai Baba is more alive today to his bhaktas than he was years ago when he lived in Shirdi. If you want to know more about Sai Baba, please go through http://www.saibaba.org/. To know my experience while sketching Sai Baba, please continue reading...

It was really a great and an unforgettable experience sketching Sai baba. I felt myself very lucky since I got a chance to portray a divine soul. People believe that Baba had performed lots of miracles. Even I had to believe when I also realized one. Sai with OM, this idea actually was an instinct from Sai baba only. I would like to share my experience to all my loved ones. I completed his sketch in afternoon. In night, once I closed my eyes, I saw Baba's face, obviously the same what I sketched but it was surrounded with OM. The whole night I could not sleep and was desperately waiting for the dawning. So many thoughts were coming into my mind and I was floating among them. Sometimes I see Shirdi temple, the next moment I see the Neem tree where Baba used to sit for meditation and the other moment I see Dhuni kund. The whole night had gone with open eyes just dreaming all these. The next day had started, I left couch, took the sketch and started implementing the idea given by Baba himself. By God grace and Baba's blessings, it came out really well. This Divine soul's sketch first touched my soul and heart. The next minute I saw, my eyes became wet with full of tears. In fact, I did not realize that when they started coming out? Those tears were not sign of any kind of sadness but actually they were sign of a strange happiness which I never felt before. I would heartily want this sketch did go to each and every devotee's heart where all Baba lives.

Your comments are most welcome on Baba's sketch!

Love to all,

~Atul Ojhal