Sai Baba Temple Bhivpuri: First Sai Baba Temple

Sai Baba Temple Bhivpuri

Sai Baba temple, Bhivpuri, also known as the Sainath temple is set amongst unremarkable surroundings and doesn’t really look like a temple of much great significance from the outside.

It is a short walk from Bhivpuri Road railway station, near Karjat in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

But for its modest appearance and surroundings, it is of HUGE importance. It is the first temple ever to be built that is dedicated to Shirdi Ke Sai Baba. It was built while he was still alive and even before a temple was built in Shirdi itself!

The story is actually a pretty remarkable tale of devotion and dedication.

It was founded by Sri Keshav Ramachandra Pradhan who used to be an atheist. Pradhan worked as a debt collector for a Parsi man in Mumbai, but himself lived in Bhivpuri.

He accompanied a close friend on a pilgrimage to Shirdi, but at first wasn’t willing to go into the main mosque there for Aarti (yes aarti in a mosque, Sai Baba was a believer in equality of all faiths). However he could hear the deep chanting and the bells ringing and was pulled in without even realising.

Upon entering he sat in the back corner and went into a trance-like state of bliss. He had no realisation of anything around him apart from Baba sitting at the front of the room, and he was completely mesmerised.

After the aarti, everyone left and Baba called upon Pradhan. In his continued mesmerised state, Pradhan placed Rs. 2500 in Baba’s hand as a donation and left.

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