Prati-Shirdi is a ditto copy of the Shirdi temple. Mr Deole has taken personal care and pains to ensure it resembles the original structure in every aspect. Be it the Gurusthan, Samadhi Mandir, Chavadi, Dwarkamai or the Dixit Wada, the accuracy with which every minute detail has been replicated leaves many a pundit in awe!
The kitchen on the right-hand side is a spacious and clean place that can serve 1500 devotees at a time. The expansion work is in progress as the cooking room will be shifted to an adjacent building. Taking note of the fact that sitting on the floor may cause discomfort to some Sai devotees, the temple trust has thoughtfully provided comfortable dining tables.
At the Samadhi, devotees offer obeisance and seek forgiveness for any wrongdoings. For them, the idol does not merely represent God: it is God. And the opportunity to prostrate before it and make religious offerings may define for many the fulfillment of a lifetime’s ambition. The inner sanctum is polished up with gold and the raised platform on which Sai Baba’s idol rests is made of pure silver.
The name “Dwarkamai” became popular only after Baba had taken Samadhi. It was first coined when a devotee once expressed a wish to make a pilgrimage to Dwarka, a town in Gujarat sacred to Lord Krishna. Sai Baba replied that there was no need to do that, as that very mosque was Dwarka. “Dwarka” also means “many-gated”, and “mai” means mother. Hence, it signifies, “the many-gated mother.”
“It is a great honour for me to be a medium for devotees reaching out to their beloved Sai Baba. “Your appreciation, love and dedication are all but blessings bestowed on me by the Almighty. “When people ask me the reason for building the temple, I tell them it is ‘devotion’ that spurred my inner soul to build this edifice, which today attracts over 2 lakh devotees every year. It was Shri Sai who appeared in my dreams; it was he who incarnated as an old man and sold me this piece of land in Shirgaon. The result is a splendid abode of Shri Sai Baba, which people call the Prati-Shirdi. “The Shri Sai Baba Temple at Shirgaon is a tribute to the indelible mark the ‘faqir from Shirdi’ has left on my mind and soul. I simply followed his command and built a second home for him, and dedicate it to his unending devotees. “I sincerely hope that a visit to this shrine will help you destress yourself and start life afresh with the hope that the “God is with me.” Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all.” Shri Prakash Keshavrao Deole Ex-MLC and founder trustee of Shri Sai Baba Temple Trust, Shirgaon, Maval taluka, Pune
Before the Prati-Shirdi temple at Shirgaon, Mr Prakash Deole’s dream project was an Ashram Shala. Started with 25 students in 1996, the school has blossomed today as ‘a temple of education’ that serves the society’s most deprived sections: the tribals and the downtrodden.
The Sai Baba Trust, Shirgaon, does not just meet the educational expenses of these children. It also provides hostel facility along with nutritious food. Says Mr Deole, “Here, we lay the foundation for these tribal children, so that they grow up to be good, honest and capable youngsters.”