Fragrance of Sai Bhakti - Dedicated to Late Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta

Functioning of Delhi Sri Sai Samaj

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:31:00 +0000

In one of our last posts, we had seen how Delhi Sri Sai Samaj was formed. Now we shall see how it started functioning.

The activities of Shri Sai Samaj Delhi kept on increasing. After 1962, weekly pujas of Baba started being held at the houses of different devotees, who would also offer food to all the participants. Monthly pujas were held at the house of Shri A.K. Gawaskar in Bharti Nagar, New Delhi, who had a big hall in his house to accommodate more people. The three special pujas on Ram Navmi, Gurupoornima and Vijay Dashmi were held in Shamianas on the lawns of Gavaskar's house. All our pujas were held in an extremely peaceful atmosphere and singing and chanting were done in low voices. These became popular with all people participating in them as they experienced peace and comfort in these pujas. Parties of Qwaliwalas and good singers were invited to perform in the special pujas.

In all our pujas, high Government officials and known dignitaries of Delhi started participating. The participants in monthly and special pujas were required to leave their names and addresses on sheets of paper provided for the purpose. Going through these sheets now, it is seen that well-known persons of the country have participated in these pujas. To name a few, Justic J.R. Madholkar of the Supreme Court; Shri Nath Pai, MP., Shri O. Pulla Reddy, Defence Secretary, Shri B. Gopala Reddy, Information Minister, are some such persons whose signatures are available in the sheets in my possession.

Nobody was, however, given a seat on a higher pedestal in our pujas. Everybody took his seat as he came.

Meeting of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta with Other Saintly Personalities

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:25:00 +0000

With last post sharing Shri. Suresh Chandra Gupta's meeting with Shri Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy, here in today's post we shall read up how he met few other saintly personalities and how much grace and blessings of Lord Sai Baba were gathered by him through them.

Other Sages and Saints - Contact with Sri Sivanesan Swamy of Shirdi

While recalling Baba's kripa on me, through Shri Parmahamsa Omkara Swamy, I would also like to mention a few more names of sages and saints. I was told by a young saint Krishnaji, who had stayed in Meher Baba's Ashram for seven years and to whom Mehr Baba had given his Kafni, that I must visit Swami Sivananda at Rishikesh and Swami Ram Das at Kanhangad in Kerala before it was too late to do so.

Meeting of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta with Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:20:00 +0000

Last post of Fragrance of Bhakti in sense of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta was rather interesting to read. Personally i love such debates. Deducting controversies in the matter, if one goes on talking about Lord Sai Baba and His devotion, outcome is very much different from the reality of our thinking. Let's now see what Shri Gupta ji writes further about his meeting with Paramhamsa Omkara Swamy

During the description of my first visit to Shirdi, I have already stated that when I visited the Samadhi Mandir at 5.30 pm on 2nd December I960, a saint was seen standing near Baba's Samadhi in contemplation. He was a slightly built person with a small beard. Suddenly the vibrant sound of 'Om’ oozed out of his being and engulfed the whole atmosphere. I felt drawn to this simple looking Fakir with only one cloth wrapped around his body. To me he appeared different from the large number of Fakirs asking for alms on the streets of Shirdi. The Pujaris asked him to climb up on the Samadhi to pay his respects to Baba. In the evening, I expressed a desire to my newly acquired friend - Shri Rao, that I would love to meet this Saint.

Fragrance of Bhakti in sense of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:59:00 +0000

Last post we had seen Meeting of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta with Sri Satya Sai Baba, we shall be seeing fragrance of bhakti as per Shri. Gupta ji.

I had by now fully dedicated myself to Baba and it seemed that I had surrendered to Him heart and soul. At all hours of the day and night, I had a strange feeling of ecstasy engulfing my soul. Incessant tears of love and joy flowed from my eyes. Even the mention of the word 'Sai' was enough to fill my eyes with tears. I started thinking that Baba's bhakti was extremely easy and blissful. I lived every moment of my life with Baba. As mentioned earlier, my body emitted electricity currents, whenever anybody touched it. Every night, in my dream, I would be taken to one temple or the other, be in the presence of some God or the other of our pantheon, and made to visit hills, forests and rivers. On seeing these sites, I would often cry in ecstasy. Where these sites exist, I do not know even today. Even now when I recall these dreams, I feel thrilled. In my dreams, I have been to two Mother temples. In the first case, Mother emerged out of the idol wearing a white Saree and lifting a handful of rose flowers lying in front of the statue, handed over, the flowers to me. In the second case, Mother threw the 'Palloo' of her Saree to cover my head while I was standing with other devotees on; the lower platform of a peculiar shaped temple. Surely, these; were Baba's blessings, in the form of Mother, on a child.

Meeting of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta with Sri Satya Sai Baba

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:31:00 +0000

Continuing with life story of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta, we shall now move ahead and read his Meeting of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta with Sri Satya Sai Baba.

It was in June 1961, that I got a ring from one Shri N.G.K.Murthy, an Executive Engineer in CPWD and a devotee of Baba, asking me if I knew that Shri Satya Sai Baba was in the town. I told him that I had no knowledge of it, but if he was in Delhi, I shall soon find out. After making a number of phone calls to various persons, I came to know that Shri Satya Sai Baba had come to Delhi along with Shri B.Ramakrishna Rao, the then Governor of U.P, on his way back from Badrinath and was staying with Shri Venugopal, then Chairman, Railway Board in Canning Lane, New Delhi rang up my friends Shri C.S. Rao, Shri A.K. Gavaskar and Shri J.M. Gupta and all of us reached Canning Lane in at about 11.30 a.m. We found Shri Satya Sai Baba sitting on a chair in the main hall of the house singing bhajans before a gathering of some 30 / 35 persons, squatting on the floor In our presence, he sang two bhajans in a melodious voice one of which was as under:

The Rashtrapati Attends "Ramnavmi Celebrations 1961"

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:34:00 +0000

We had read interesting post of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta's first visit to Shirdi. Now we shall see how President attended Ramnavami celebration pooja on receiving invitation from Delhi Sri Sai Samaj.

After the formation of the Delhi Sri Sai Samaj, we were assiduously endeavouring to increase its membership either by enrolling the old devotees of Baba as members or initiating new devotees. Most devotees were South Indians. At this stage in Jan/Feb, 1961, we decided to celebrate the ensuing Ramnavmi Utsav of Baba on 25th March with a lot of gusto on the lawns opposite 210, North Avenue. In association with Dr. Ganga Dhar Siva, a M.P. from Andhra, we invited the Rashtrapati, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, along with other leaders to attend this function. We also decided to collect, for the first time, some money for the function. With all our efforts, we were then able to raise Rs.110/- only.

Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta's First Visit to Shirdi

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Till now we have read how Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta was faired by Lord Sai Baba and His grace. While editing and reading earlier posts i had goose bumps all over my body. Now comes to the most interesting part, Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta's First Visit to Shirdi! Let's see how it was and how he was blessed again.

Baba was calling me to Shirdi and my keenness to do so was increasing day after day. At last I reached Shirdi on 2nd Dec 1960, which happened to be Dattatreya Jayanti, as I came to know on reaching Shirdi. Till then I did not know anything about Lord Dattatreya, whose incarnation Baba is said to be. On my way from Manmad to Shirdi, I came to know in the bus that Shirdi Sansthan had been taken over by the Government only a couple of days before. As the bus from Manmad crossed Godavari River, the sight of the river and little ahead of the peak of Baba's Samadhi Mandir filled me with abounding pleasure. The dream of my life was about to be realised.

Receipt of Ishta Mantra from Baba by Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Formation of Delhi Sri Sai Samaj was taken up in last post. Now we shall see how Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta was given Ishta Mantra by Lord Sai Baba.

Baba's Grace descended on me torrentially. My life, my bearing and even my facial expressions completely changed. I was completely submerged in Baba's Bhakti. My eyes were filled with tears on the mere mention of the word 'Sai'. There was nothing but ecstasy all around me. A strange change was experienced in the body. As someone touched me, he got electric current and so did I. My body often emitted electric shocks. There was nobody to explain to me what this phenomenon was. All spiritual books in my cupboard which had been eating dust for years, started being dug out. Swami Vivekanand's book on 'Raj Yoga' which I had acquired as a student gave me lot of insight into what I was experiencing, A friend of mine, Col. B.S. lyagi, gave me a book entitled 'Dhyan Yoga' by Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, bearing Swamiji's signatures on it. As per this book, the sadhak must have an 'Ishta mantra'. I told Baba that he wasn't physically present to give me an 'Ishta mantra'. Where and to who should I go to? And believe me, a wonder of wonders took place. Three days later, I received a packet of Udi from Shirdi wrapped in a paper containing the mantra, "Om Shri Sai Sharnam Mam".

Formation of Delhi Sri Sai Samaj

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:12:00 +0000

As i hinted in my last post of Urge of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta to Know Baba, let us now read on the post how Delhi Sri Sai Samaj was formed.

Next morning i.e. on 22nd Aug. 1960, Shri Yagnik held a meeting of Baba's devotees, I had been able to contact till then, and prevailed upon them to try and find more devotees of Baba and form an organisation to spread His message. It was in November 1960 that we held the first meeting of this group of devotees, under the name and banner of the 'Delhi Sri Sai Samaj', in the house of Shri C.S. Rao at 8, Lady Harding Road, New Delhi. This meeting was attended by nineteen persons (A photocopy of the minutes of this meeting is at exhibit-ID. By now, I had started Thursday pujas of Baba at my residence and also kept fast on this day. Often other devotees also joined my puja.

Soon after, the Vijay Dashmi Puja in 1960 was also held on a small scale at 210, North Avenue, New Delhi, at the residence of Shri J.M. Gupta.

Urge of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta to Know Baba

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:37:00 +0000

In last post we had read about Divine Experiences of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta with Lord Sai Baba. I had goose bumps on my body when i first read these experiences. I hope this would be your situation too. Such experiences induced him to know more about the Saint of Shirdi and thus it resulted into an increase of closeness with Lord Sai. Let's now see how it happened.

Urge to Know Baba

The three incidents narrated above which were experience, within a brief span of about 15 days or so, completely changed the course of my life. A feeling and a faith grew within me that Sai Baba was a living entity capable of responding to the call of His devotees, whenever required, as claimed by Shri Yagnik at Jaipur. Suddenly I found a spiritual upsurge within me. My vibrations changed so also my body language. All day and night, I thought of Baba and Baba alone. Incessant tears flowed from my eyes and a peculiar bliss seemed to have enveloped my whole being. Some time later, I wrote to Shri Yagnik to apprise me more about the life and teachings of Baba and requested him to come down to Delhi to make me know who Baba is. The correspondence that followed is my prized possession. Shri Yagnik sent to me a small black and white passport size picture of Baba which I have with me even today, though completely worn out.

In his letters, Shri Yagnik exhorted me to come out of my house and contact Sai devotees wherever they were in Delhi and bring them together and create a nucleus of Sai devotees for spreading awareness of Baba's teachings, so that more and more people could be the beneficiaries of His Grace. A peculiar sort of restlessness overpowered me and beyond my office hours and on holidays, I would go in quest of Sai devotees all over Delhi without wasting any time on any other activity of life. Through this process, I came to know of 4/5 persons, who had known Baba earlier and were His devotees. I now again wrote to Shri Yagnik to come over to Delhi and guide me in person. He agreed to do so provided I fixed up a puja of Baba which should be attended by good singers, radio artists, Qawali walas, Doctors, Engineers, M.Ps and persons of all levels of society. 21st August 1960, was fixed as the date for this puja on the lawns outside my house at C-112, Laxmibai Nagar, New Delhi.

Earlier in my quest for Sai devotees, I had come into contact with one Shri C.S. Rao, an employee of the American Embassy. This gentleman was an old and ardent devotee of Baba. I attended two pujas of Baba in his house, which I found, as a complete novice on to the path, extremely thrilling. He would first recite Baba's 108 names, sing a few bhajans and at the end perform a small arti of Baba.

These two pujas gave me a little inkling of how Baba was to be worshipped. I was making all preparations for the ensuing puja on 21st August, 1960 (A copy of the invitation for this puja is at exhibit-I). Shri Yagnik would give out directions through his letters and I would run around to find radio artists, qawali walas and what not. Shri Yagnik sent to me one Baba's bhajan which was to be sung in the beginning of the puja. In my quest for a person who could render this bhajan, I went to Birla Mandir and arranged with Shri Man Mohan Pahari, a regular singer in Birla Mandir, to sing this bhajan, the first stanza of which was as under

Shirdi Kanchan Khan hai, Nijpat Sant Mahan,
Santan me aek Sant hai, Sai jako Nam.
Shirdi mein Sai Nath Maha Sant ho gaey,
Shirdi mein aek niraley hi mastana ho gaey.

On the morning of 21st August, 60, when I was leaving for the station to receive Shri Yagnik, I found the lawns outside my house where a tent was to be pitched for the puja, full of water due to incessant rains during the preceding three days. I felt helpless and worried. Shri Yagnik got down from the train, with a bunch of pictures of Baba he had brought from Jaipur for the puja, looked at me and told me, "Kunwar Sahibji you are worried about the havoc done by the rains? Don't worry; all will be well even though a drizzle will disturb puja today also." In the evening, it all happened as told by Shri Yagnik. The puja was wonderful, the like of which I have not ever seen thereafter. The quality of bhajans, qawalis, and all other renderings was superb.

Shri Man Mohan Pahari began the puja with the singing of the aforesaid bhajan. As the strains of this bhajan fell into my ears while I was bringing a table for distributing 'Prasad' from somewhere, I was filled with bliss. If I have learnt of any thing of Baba till today, I can say with confidence that in this puja there was the divine presence of my Baba which was felt and experienced in great measure by every one present. Persons of all description, as desired by Shri Yagnik, including one M.P. from Andhra attended this puja. Shri Yagnik addressed this gathering of some 150 persons and apprised them of the life and leelas of Baba.

Thrilling Experiences of Shri. Suresh Chandra Gupta with Shirdi Sai Baba

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:08:00 +0000

In our last post, we had seen First Encounter and Experience of Shri. Suresh Chandra Gupta with Shirdi Sai Baba, now we shall go through few more equally interesting experiences.

My Second Experience of Baba's Grace

My first experience of the presence of Baba completely shook me and subtly worked on my whole being in a manner that the 'Bhav' (expressions) on my face started changing. Three to four days after this incident, I again found an occasion to call Baba. My younger daughter – 1 1/2 years of age at that time in I960, who was 12 1/2 years younger to her elder sister, got fever at night. She was sleeping with me. Some time in the night, when my sleep broke, I found she was running high temperature. Immediately, I thought of Baba and entreated Him to give the child relief. As I fell asleep again, I saw in my dream a tall bearded white complexioned old man, flying into my room from the sky, and telling me, "Why have you called me? Only because the child has fever. Lo! the child is all right", And as I opened my eyes in a huff, I found the child had no fever at all. I did not at that time have any knowledge about the personality of Baba except that he had a beard.

First Encounter and Experience of Shri. Suresh Chandra Gupta with Shirdi Sai Baba

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:46:00 +0000

In first introduction post, we stated that this blog will contain writings of Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta. We will now see his first encounter and very first experience with Shirdi Sai Baba.

During my last forty two years' contact with Baba's name, I too have had a vivid feeling at times that this self also had some contact or the other with its Master in earlier births - may be merely as a creature in the dust beneath His feet. It is my firm belief that on the spiritual path, what we are today is the result of sadhna in lives past. This is how I establish my relationship with my Baba.

I got the chance of seeing the picture of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi for the first time in Nov. 1959, in the bed-room of my mother-in-law at Jaipur (Rajasthan), where I had gone to, a few weeks after the death of my mother on Vijai Dashmi, the 4th Oct. 1959.

An Introduction of Blog Dedicated to Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Hetal Patil Rawat) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:11:00 +0000

The sweetest songs are those
That sing the Glory of Sai...
The purest hearts are those
That breathe the Fragrance of Sai...

Quoting these words of Late Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta, i remember him with reverence as he was the person who was responsible for kindling the flame of "Saism" in northern part of India. A person treading on path of devotion, often tends, to get misguided by prevailing environment around him. He follows and adheres to many such customs which he gets to observe, without giving a second thought. I do not personally feel that he is doing wrong, because as per an old saying, "Love makes a person blind" then it is not necessary that the love should be for another person only. I believe, in devotion, a person tends to love God, feel Him, talk to Him, enjoy His presence in moments of calmness, experiences His grace on the go. No matter the devotee does anything, he is constantly connected. The same was for Late Shri Suresh Chandra Gupta. Writing "Late" as prefix to Gupta ji's name hurts me, as i do not think that he is not among us. I feel that he is still with us and will give me a call and repeat "May Baba Bless you" many times over the phone. Thus i will not use "Late" before naming him henceforth. Sorry for getting off the topic of this article.