Satsang Savatri Bai Raghunath Tendulkar.

Savatri Bai Raghunath Tendulkar.

Savatri Bai lived with her family in Bandra Mumbai, she and her family were devoted to Baba, Every Thursday she made a pilgrimage to Shirdi carrying prasad and a garland made of “Bakul” flowers. In the compound of her Bandra home was the Bakul tree. The tree gave an abundance of flowers for 3 months then flowers started waning. Early in the morning the tree would shed myriads of flowers. Savatri Bai would gather these flowers and offer them to Baba. It was a ritual that she liked to do daily. She had a small photograph of Baba and she performed puja to it. First she made a bed of flowers them placed the photograph upon it. Meticulously she made garlands of various sizes and placed them on the photograph. The rest of the flowers she offered doing “Naam Jap”. Thus mounds of flowers were in front of the photograph. On one of her visits to Shirdi Baba was sitting with a large group of people, when He pointed to her and said “I was not in Shirdi for the last 3 months. I was in Mayie’s home. She smothered Me with “Bakul” flowers. I am intoxicated by their smell “”. Mention is made of her in Sai Satcharita #2 and 29.

Her son Bapu was very hyperactive when he was young. So Savatri Bai brought him to and left him with Baba. On one of her visits she was that the boy was running a high temperature, and was lying to one side groaning and moaning. At once she asked Baba why this was so. Baba calmly replied “ Don’t worry Mayie he will be alright, just give him a little Udi mixed in water.” She did as she was told and to her surprise the boy recovered after some time.

Savitri Bai and her family belonged to the Warkari Sampradaya. Though her family was of a religious bent, Savatri Bai was very progressive for her times. She wrote the Bhajan Mala. In the form of “Padas and Abhangs.” These were about her experiences of Baba’s Leelas and Divinity. She was a prolific writer and wrote articles for the Sai Leela Magazine.

Her son grew up to be a fine young doctor. He had a clinic called Sainath Clinic in Mumbai. The small Photograph that Baba gave Savitri Bai is with her descendants. It has a lot of sentimental value, so much so that the family will not wipe it, as they do not want to wipe off Baba’s touch.

(Source Shri Sai Leela Magazine)