14. CONGRUITY CONSOLIDATED
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has built temples of Shirdi Sai at
Guindy (Madras), Coimbatore, Ayodhya Ashram near Madanapalle and at Rapelle
(Dist. Guntur). Parthi Sai installed the beautiful marble idol of Shirdi Sai in
the temple at Rapelle. The occasion has a dramatic incident associated with it
which may be narrated here.
On the appointed auspicious day the image of the Deity was brought
to Baba. the conferment of 'the Sakthi (Power)', that radiates from the sanctum-sanctorum
of any temple is the sole preserve of Divinity. Over the ages such bestowal has
been repeatedly performed by various embodiments of 'the God-head', on many
centres of pilgrimage in this vast and veritable motherland of ours.
We have it on the authority of the book "Sivarahasya
Mahethihasa" that Lord Siva had blessed Adi Sankaracharya with five
'Lingas'. With these the latter established four Maths(monastic centres) at
Badrinath, Jagannath Puri, Dwarka and Shringeri. According to another version,
Kanchi was also one of the principal 'maths'.
The Divine potency - the idols radiate at these places is owed to
the 'Lingas' placed beneath them bv Sankaracharva.
His mission of 'Dharmasthapana' has taker Sathya Sai to many
ancient shrines, where in the presence of many witnesses, He has recharged the
'Deities’ with 'Ishwari Sakthi (Divine Potency)' which had undergone depletion
down the ages.
At Badrinath, He imparted this 'Sakthi' by drawing out,
rejuvenating and replacing the original 'Nethralinga' from beneath the Narayana
idol. At Srisailam, He repotentiated the Mallikarjuna idol by showering on it
golden thumme (Leucas Linifolia) flowers, which He materialised on the spot. In
furtherance of the same objective, Parthi Sai visited the famous Pandharpur temple
on 18th June 1965. 'The Mangalakari (bestower of Grace)' created a '
Mangalasuthra' and adorned the Goddess Rukmayi with it. Similar surcharging had
has been done by Him – of the Giridhari temple at Brindavan; of Ramachandra
temple at Ayodhya and Bhadrachalam and Mahanandi in Andhra Pradesh.
In the case of Guindy, to sanctify the image, Baba materialised a
miniature statue of Shirdi Sai and had it placed beneath the main idol.