Speaking on 28th September, 1990; Sri Sathya Sai of Parthi(Prasanthi Nilayam - Puttaparthi) revealed the 28th September 1835; was the birthday of SRI SHIRIDI SAI BABA; He added; "In the former Nizam's dominions there was a remote village called PATHRI. In that village there were a couple named GANGABHARADYA and DEAGIRI Amma. They were giieving over their lack of children. In answer to their prayers, a son was born to them on September 28th, 1835. That child was SAI BABA, who completed His Avaatar on VIJAYADASMI day in 1918. The life span of Shiridi SAI avaatar was therefor about 83 years.
The SUFI FAKIR, who picked up the infant SAI BABA ,looked after him for four years ie; upto 1839. The fakir's wfe then handed over the boy to Venkusa, a Hindu Scholar and GURU near her house. Sri Shiridi Sai Baba stayed in VENKUSA'S ASHRAM for 12 years from 1839 to 1851 and left for SHIRIDI in 1851. He wondered from place to place and then joined CHANDU PATEL'S brothers son's marriage party and reached SHIRIDI AGAIN IN THE YEAR 1858.
Sri Shiridi Sai Baba stayed there till the end of the AVAATARIC MISSION in 1918:
MAHALASAPATHY WAS THE GOLDSMITH TEMPLE PRIEST OF THE KANDDOBA TEMPLE IN SHIRIDI who first invited SRI SAI BABA into the temple saying 'AYIYE SAI!' -Come in SAI - and that was how the 'SAI' word came into being. Originally it meant "SWAMI" oe an equivalent term of espect but in this second avaatar, of our beloved lord . the meaning has expanded to include the meaning of mother and BABA the common term used for fakirs and muslim Gurus has come to mean 'father'. SRI SHIRIDI SAI BABA lived all his life at SHIRIDI in the dilapidated masjid. DWARKAMAYEE at SHIRIDI was a place where a 'fire' dhuni burned day and night; there was a NEEM PLANT opposite this DWARKAMAYYEE where BABA used to sit.
Aunique miraculous event in SHIRIDI SAI BABA'S life was HIS 'leaving his PHYSICAL BODY IN 1886 AND RETURNING TO IT THREE DAYS LATER.MAHALSAPATHY PROTECTED THE BODY DURING THIS PERIOD. Both SAI's perform unimaginable miracles; - curing the sick, travelling through space and going to the aid of their devotees in response to the call; materializations of objects from no-where with a mere wave of the DIVINE HAND.
" SHIRIDI SAI BABA told; Smt. SHARADA DEVI alias Pedda Bottu (Gouri) bRN ON 8. 8. 1888; AT 10AM to SMT. Mantthrapragada Ramalaksmi Devi and Sri Venkata Narasimha Rao residents of HYDERABAD WHO AFTER MARRIAGE MOVED WITH HER HUSBAND AND SETTLED DOWN IN SHIRIDI; told her " I will tell you something, but BEFORE that you should hold my feet and promise me not to tell this to anyone." She did as she was told by SHIRIDI SAI . Baba then said, " GOURI, I WILL APPEAR IN ANDHRA WITH THE SAME NAME OF SAI BABA but in another Avaatar (divine manifestation).
Then again you will come to me. I will keep you with me and will give you joy." HER JOY WAS UNLIMITED, SHE ASKED ," ' SHOULD I NOT REVEAL THIS FACT TO ANY-BODY?" BABA confirmed, "NO, you alone will see my second Avaatar, none else will.
After you have seen me in my second form, you may tell this to others when occassion arises." This conversation took place in 1917 between the two of them. She added, that her ailing aunt wanted to see her in RAJAHMUNDRY . It was there when she was in RAJAHMUNDRY in 1918 that she learnt that SRI SHIRIDI SAI BABA hd left His physical body. She said, " Iwas filled with a kind of inexplicable anguish." Her aunt too passed away on the Ekadashi day with the LORD'S NAME ON HER LIPS, SHE HAD HAD A DREAM IN WITH baba HIMSELF APPEARED AND CALLED HER TO him. She later spent some years in the HOLY HILLS in the santitiy of SRI CHANDRA YOGI JI MAHARAJ; WHO TOLD HER, "yOU have learnt everything that is to know. Now listen to me carefully. You have to do many more good deeds. The GOD you think you have lost is about to COME into this world soon, for upliftment of the entire HUMANITY. You will not see him in the old form with which you are familiar. He will appear in a NEW CAPTIVATING FORM. He will be the most powerful AVATAR and will do many extraordinary things. Hence return to your place, learn about this lovable GOD and receive your SALVATION."
SO WITH A HEAVY HEART SHE RETURNED TO HYDERABAD; and started a HOME for the poor and destitute children. and also wrote a lot of "HARI KATHAS" AND suplimented her income by this and singing them.
One day she was invited to sing a HARI KATHA in a village called URAVAKONDA. In the house where this event was arranged, she happened to see on the wall a photograph of a beautiful lad. He had a crown of hair. The face and eyes were most charming and magnetic; so she asked the housewife whose photo it was. the lady of the house told her, " DON'T YOU KNOW?" HE IS PUTTAPARTHI SAI BABA" If you want to see HIM, I can take you to HIM to-morrow." The next day they went to the house of one Mr. SHESHAMA RAJU ; the elder brother of now SRI SATHYA SAI BABA. She looked at the young 14 year old BABA. iT WAS IN 1940; SHE WAS THEN 52 YEARS OLD.
THE FIRST WORDS THAT BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA uttered were, "GOURI, YOU owe ME sixteen rupees in MY SHIRIDI INCARNATION." She replied that she had already paid up all her debts to SRI SHIRIDI SAI BABA. And SRI SATHYA SAI BABA said, " I KNOW. I SAID IT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO RECOGNISE ME. OTHERWISE YOU WOULD HAVE FALLEN ON MY FEET. ALL RIGHT. AFTER COMPLETING ALL YOUR TASKS AT THE POOR HOME you are running,..GO OVER TO PUTTAPARTHI, I SHALL RETAIN YOU WITH ME AND SHALL BESTOW ALL THE JOY YOU WANT." iN 1958, WHEN SHE WAS 70 YEARS OLD, SHE CLOSED DOWN THE pOOR hOME AND WENT OVER TO SPEND THE REST OF HER LIFE IN puttaparthi AT THE DIVINE LOTUS FEET, WHERE baba GAVE HER A HOUSE (S.A-23) to stay in the ASHRAM AND BHAGAWAN NAMED HER PEDDA BOTTU, after materialising Vibhuti with the familiar rotation of the HAND and asking her to smear it on her forehead in the form of a big Bottu.......67th Birthday Celebration of BABA.
