7. MYSTERIOUS MATERIALISATION OF
SHIRDI SAI PORTRAIT
Bhagavan Baba's sister Venkama, had been pestering .Him to
materialise a picture of Shirdi Sai. She had heard many bhajans composed by her
brother which gave a beautiful description of the majesty and splendour of
Shirdi Sai, Dwarkamayi, Samadhi-Mandir,
Udhi, the Margosa tree there and a number of strange phenomenon associated with
Shirdi. Assessing her devotion and keen desire, Baba promised to give her such
a portrait on a particular Thursday. A day prior to the promised Thursday Baba
left for Uravakonda. On the night of the promised Thursday, when all were fast
asleep at Puttaparthi, some one called out "Ammayi "' at her door.
She got up, lit a lamp and began a search. Behind one of the jowar hags she
found a rolled up white paper. On picking up and unrolling it, what should she
see, but the promised portrait of Shirdi Sai!
Another such incident occurred with one Kunjappa Sadhu, the head of
the Thanjavur Vijayapuram Durga Ashram. This venerable sage happened to be
physically handicapped and a patient of diabetes, hence he could not undertake
a long journey to Puttaparthi for Baba's darshans. Very early on the morning of
17th June 1965, someone knocked at his door. Kunjappa opened it. There stood an
unknown visitor holding a picture in his outstretched hand. He handed over this
and instantaneously disappeared. The picture left behind was that of Shirdi
Sai. The sceptic friends of the Sadhu did not believe that Parthi Baba could
have come all the way to Vijayapuram and yet was unable to enter Kunjappa's
room. Next day, however, Kunjappa felt something on his bed – Lo! one more copy
of the previous one'