Satsang LATE TATYASAHEB NOOLKAR -- A GREAT AND BLESSED SAI-DEVOTE E

Funeral rites and Babu's mourning,
Afterwards, persons gathered there one by one paid his or her
homage by touching Tatyasaheb's feel and then as per custom
the body was taken to the cremation-ground via the Masjid. In
the cremation-ground when the body was kept on the pyre,
Baba's great devotee Radhakrishna Aai, who was then sweeping
Baba's route to Lendi Baug, came running swiftly with the broom
in her hand, went round the pyre once shouting "my mother's
darling child has gone away" and after kissing Tatyasaheb's face
and bowing down at his feet, went away.
That day Baba's daily routine such as taking the wash and breakfast,
going out for begging etc. was quite delayed and Baba Himself in a
lamenting mood exclaimed, "My Tatyaba has left "Now what am I
to do? I shall also leave. What for this Masjid and what for Shirdi!
Taiyaba was a good man. He listened to Me and I helped him to
accomplish his life's goal. He will be born no more."
Then, on the third day, Baba disappeared and went lo Nimgaon -
a village near Shirdi. All the villagers and devotees at Shirdi were
worried and alter a search went to Nimgaon and brought.back
Baba ceremoniously in a procession singing Bhajans. Arathi time
Talyasaheb's bones and ashes were being carried in a cart to
Kopergaon for immersing irto Godayari River. When the cart .and
Baba returning from Nimgaon met on the road, Baba stopped for a
while, made some special signs-with hands towards the cart and
then started walking further.
Amazing story of the locket
To show how much Sai Baba loved Tatyasahcb, his grandson Shri
Raghunath Vishvanath Noolkar, narrated to me one more incident
along with a copy of a letter dated 20th December 1912 in Shri
Madhavrao Dcshpande's (Shama's) own handwriting as a proof.
Both being interesting, I am presenting here in the grand-son's
own words :
"Our grandfather died at Shidhi in 1911 at the age of 48 years.
Afterwards my father (Talyasahcb's younger son Vishwanath) to
satisfy the wishes of our grand-mother (Shrimati Janakibai) got
a locket prepared, in which on one side there was Baba's picture
and on the other side that of' my grandfather Tatyasaheb. The
locket was sent to Shirdi hy registered post, the idea probably
being to get it back after Baba touching it and blessing it. When
the parcel reached Shirdi, what actually happened at the Masjid,
was conveyed to my father by Shri Madhavrao Dcshpande
(Shama) by a letter in Marathi language, a photostat copy of
which is given below" :

to be contd...

by Late Lt.Col Nimbalkar
Pune
(Source Shri Sai Leela May June 1991)