Vignesh's Corner

Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya - 2020

2020-08-30T00:59:00.002+05:30

Sri Sai Baba Vratham - 9 Thursdays

2020-08-30T00:56:00.014+05:30

https://worldshirdisaibaba.org/services/9-thursdays-vrat/

Shirdi Sai Baba - Shej aarti - 2020

2020-07-12T18:43:00.002+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba - Dhoop aarti - 2020

2020-07-12T18:42:00.001+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba - Maadhyan aarti - 2020

2020-07-12T18:40:00.001+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba - 4.30 am Kakad aarti & Mangal snaan - 2020

2020-06-20T17:50:00.002+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba - 4.15 am Bhupali before Kakad aarti - 2020

2020-06-20T17:49:00.001+05:30

Solo - Cializing in Chakrata, Uttarakhand to Welcome 2020

2020-06-05T17:20:00.002+05:30

Often we imagine that we will work hard, arrive at some distant goal & then we will be happy. This is a DELUSION.

HAPPINESS is the result of a lived with purpose. Happiness is not an objective. It is a movement of Life itself, a process, an activity.

It was a weekend in late November and was browsing Thrillophilia and the hill station “Chakrata” a cantonment town, also known as the “Forgotten Hill station” in Uttarakhand caught my attention on the site after reading about the place.

It is between the Tons and Yamuna Rivers, at an elevation of 2118 m, it was originally a cantonment of the British Indian Army. To the west lies Himachal Pradesh, and to the east are Mussoorie and Tehri Garhwal.

That’s when I decided to go on my first solo trip in 2019 December to welcome 2020 because of the Snow and Mountains for 3 days.

After getting to know more about the place and the travel route, I book my air tickets from Bangalore to Dehradun and also my stay via Airbnb & a cab for myself from Saavari Car Rentals and ordered my winter Hand gloves and mufflers from Amazon for this trip and here I am all set for the first solo trip of my life.

The last 2 weeks of December was only Travelling , Had been to Shirdi, Pune, Mumbai and then Chakrata.

I had my early morning 6:25 am Indigo Flight to Dehradun on 30th Dec’19 so had decided to come over to Bangalore Airport at night on the 29th Dec and spend the night in the airport lounge. Reached Bangalore airport around 11:30 am and after security check went to the lounge. Unfortunately could not go so early to the lounge and I could go only 3 hrs before the boarding time as per the receptionist in Plaza Lounge. So walked thru to one of the Gates at the end near KFC and catch up on sleep on the sofas. There were many of them who had occupied the sofas to rest of. I had never seen people like this in airports unlike railway stations and I also decided to have a nap on the Bangalore airport sofa……

Dozed off for a few hrs and woke up around 4:30 am and went to the lounge courtesy HDFC CC J for coffee and breakfast. The lounge was full and managed to get hold of one place for me and had a good breakfast.

A good 1 hr at the lounge it was time for boarding and proceeded towards the Gate. A chilly morning in Bangalore with some pretty faces in the Doon flight J and the flight took off on time. Caught up with sleep again mid air and woke up just when the flight touched Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun at 9:20 am.

As soon I come out, Gave a call to the cab driver and he was right there near the airport entrance. The weather was chill, refreshing and fresh oxygen and no sight of pollution in Doon. The temperature, I guess was around 8 to 10 degree Celsius.

And the journey begins towards the Sun-kissed Himalayan ranges, dotted by coniferous forests & located at an altitude of about 7000 ft above the sea level. The drive is around 140 kms to the Stunning Hills Guest house which takes around 4 hrs and the route takes you via the NDA Doon Defence Academy & snuggled scenic mountains with spellbinding views around this quaint and charming petite hamlet up in the hills of Uttarakhand.

I checked with the driver if there are any wine shops on the way and he said we can go to Chakrata market. The first stop was in the Chakrata market and I walked thru the narrow market and after enquiring with a Pahadi gentleman for the wine shop which he guided me to. Wanted to buy Glenfiddich, however that was not available and purchased 100 pipers instead & few Lays chips packets.

After clicking a few pics in the market and a walk around, I proceed towards the Stunning Hills Guest house in a village called as Asmarh which is a 1 hr drive situated on Kanasar forest range hilltop in Chakrata and witnessed breathtaking views from the hill tops and snow kissed mountains on route.

Reached the Stunning hills guest house around 2:30 pm and checked in. The guest house is small and run by a family of 4 brothers. I settle down and have a double Bun Omlette for lunch and hot masala chai. Here you can witness nature at its best. Complete silence surrounded by deodar cedar trees all around the vicinity.

I decide to have a small walk down the roadside after lunch and come back to rest for a few hours.

As the sun sets the temperature dips to 2 degree Celsius and mid-night it dips further.

Woke up around 7:30 pm when the owner called me and said he has a bonfire arranged and some hot spicy Maggie ready.

Opposite each and every room he had a few bonfires set up and one on the road. I decided to go on the road and was all alone myself that day sitting in the open air and sipping 100 pipers. It was a bliss supreme feeling of you being all alone away from the maddening city, noting to think off, you being just by yourself in peace.

Half the bottle get done for the day along with one of the brothers and the cab driver and getting to know them and what they do in chakarta. The resort is run by Jagat who used to be an ex banker and very friendly Pahadi person. He had his other 3 younger brothers also managing the guest house with him when the crowd is more. Deewan is one of his brother who became a good friend and he decided to take me and show me places around on 31st Dec and also a small 2 km trek up the hill where we can witness snow kiss mountains and snow accumulated in the mountains.

Food was like home made cooked by the brothers and they have a dining place next to the kitchen and every one comes there to have food. I had some lip-smacking chicken gravy and hot hot chapattis right out of the tawa and some steam rice.

Day 1 comes to an end after a short walk in pitch darkness amidst chill air and stars above you.

The temperature in middle of the night dropped further to minus 1 degree Celsius and I could feel the chillness in the wooden cottage.

Day 2, 31st Dec’19 – Woke up around 10 am and the sun was out basking it glory on the hills of Chakrata. Loved Sipping a hot cup of Nescafe to beat the chill in the hills along with hot hot finger licking aloo parathas with spicy chutney for breakfast.

After breakfast ventured for a walk on the narrow curvy roads of the forgotten hill station admiring the nature’s wonders and the beautiful natural surroundings and making videos and clicking pics of nature and snow kissed mountains and snow on the roads.

It was a sight to behold! This was a quaint offbeat town that was nestled comfortably in the lap of nature. This place is hidden jewel in the lap of Uttarakhand. The tranquility and peacefulness away from the bustling city culture was extremely overwhelming.

I would have walked for almost 1 km on the narrow curvy roads with vehicles coming on both sided and decided to return back. By that time the aloo parathas had also digested ;)

Upon return to the guest house , got refreshed and Deewan, one of the brothers who runs the guest house had planned to take me sightseeing to some nearby places and also for a short trek on the hills which still had snow around as it had snowed a couple of days before I went.

The guest house had a unique water heater and it was an awesome invention.

Around 12:30 pm we got into the cab and went to Koti Kanasar. Kanasar is an attractive place surrounded by dense green deodar forest. Green meadows allures tourists and makes it a best picnic spot near Chakrata.

A 6.35 mtrs circumference Deodar tree is known to be Asia’s oldest and biggest Deodar tree.

A few steps next to there is a small Shiva temple, Kanasar temple which is a center of faith and devotion for locals.

Then we to Tuna Village and saw the captivating views of the mountains and later stopped over for tea in one of his friends shop.

After a refreshing tea we returned back to the guest house and had lunch. After a sumptuous lunch of Dal Chawal, we then went for a short trek up the hill very close to the Stunning Hills Home stay.

The walk was not that difficult bearing some steep walks and Deewan knew the place so it was easier to navigate on the hill surrounded by dense deodar forests and finally we reached the place where snow was accumulated and the location offered a captivating view of snow clad peaks and lofty ranges amidst the forest range.

Captured the moments on the snow kissed hill and returned back to the guest house around 4:30 pm.

Was hungry and grabbed a bite of Bun and Omlette and decided to take a short nap. Jagat had made some ice gola with lemon and mint and green chillies with fresh snow which had been accumulated in the hills.

Jagat had taken a music system on rent and was playing Pahadi songs that day. There were lot of visitors on 31st nite who checked in for a day to welcome 2020.

Later in the evening the bonfire was lit around 7 pm and Deewan and I started our second round of 100 pipers with Lays. We were joined by a family from Doon who had come to celebrate the 31st Dec night in Chakarta and sitting here amidst nature with new friends felt really nice and talking to them made me realize how the meaning of travel is different for everybody!

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and there was even an introductions round that followed and some dance on the road amidst pahadi songs and dinner together and never knew how time passed away. At the stroke of 12 midnight we wished and exchanged New year greetings.

The sky was clear and the stars visible in the chill wintry night amidst the forest range.

Winded up by 1 am after a few phone calls to friends.

Day 3 checked out at 10 am to Doon. Had one last coffee & Maggie for breakfast, and bid aideu to Chakrata and the 4 brothers.

Reached Doon by 2 pm and checked in at Hotel Padmini Palace opposite the Jolly Grant airport on 1st Jan’20.

After taking some rest, later in the evening around 4 pm went to Rishikesh – The Divine Land which was my last leg of my trip to watch the Ganga aarti at sunset.

The drive was around 40 mins from the hotel. Parked the car near to Triveni Ghat and walked in the bylanes of Rishikesh and took a share auto along with the cab driver who accompanied me to Lakshman Jhula.

Had a walk on the Lakshman Jhula and captured the moments on the flowing River Ganges and returned back to Triveni Ghat just before 6 pm for the Ganga aarti.

When I reached the Triveni Ghat, many devotees had gathered, I went ahead and took a place to sit on the front to catch the glimpse of the Ganga Aarti ceremony.

Massive Mountains, Rugged River, Soothing Greenery, Stunning Views, coated with the spiritual atmosphere; this is what you actually find in Rishikesh. The awe-inspiring wonders of the city will definitely attract you to the fullest.

As the sun was setting in the backdrop around 6 pm, the atmosphere turned dynamic due to loud chants of spiritual music, chanting of bhajan, beating drums, bells and diyas offering to Ganga.

The priests stand on stools at the edge of the river embankment and hold large lamps lit with ghee and perform aarti to Maa Ganga amidst ringing of bells and chants of the mantras which adds a lot of exuberance to the whole set up.

The atmosphere was electric with spirituality and the exuberance was rampant amidst the attentive devotees. As the prayers ended by 7 pm, the devotees proceeded towards Ganga river to offer prayers and lit a magnificent lamp which would float in the sacred river.

The golden reflection of floral diyas in the river Ganges is the most enchanting sight in the twilight during the Ganga Aarti ceremony at the ghat.

Witnessing the spectacle of Ganga Aarti is a blissful & surreal experience and leaves you spiritually uplifted & mesmerized.

I offered my prayers and after seeking blessings from Ganga river by sprinkling the sacred water over my head, went to a nearby temple and then headed back to the Hotel.

Reached the Hotel by 8:15 pm, settled the Final bill to the Cab driver and Thanked him for the wonderful trip and took a pic with him to capture memories.

By this time my tummy was carving for food as I had surviving with only Maggie which I had for breakfast and skipped lunch. I head on to the Padmini restaurant and had a scrumptious dinner – Chicken Manchow soup, Hara Bara Kabab, Chicken Biryani & finally end with Gulab Jamoons J . With a Happy tummy Day 3 came to an end.

Early next morning on 2^nd Jan, I had my flight back to Bangalore at 9:50 am and landed in Bangalore by 12:30 pm.

It’s been 5 months since I have returned from the trip and finally write this Blog during COVID lockdown.

When I look back upon the 3 days spent on my first solo trip, the memories are still fresh in my mind.

Chakrata was an awesome experience for me. The whole place was breathtakingly beautiful, serene, and peaceful. Spending time here was the best decision ever and hopefully when I come back next time, the stay is going to be much longer and the memories much sweeter!

& Rishikesh is truly a surreal destination. Its tranquility is etched in my memory forever.

~ Vignesh

Lock-down Blues - COVID19

2020-06-01T01:15:00.001+05:30

A Perspective from Lock down...

The corona virus lock-down has taught us many things ; say for example - To live our lives, not just plan to live them; No more envisioning things and events a week, a month, a year to come; Respect Nature and not to Tinker with it and a lot more..

Apart from that there are many other things the lock-down has made us do; say for example - build new skills, learn a new art, take up new hobbies or explore hobbies, explore cooking , Baking and try new recipes of food, read a long pending book and do things you've always wanted to do and also the unexpected work of Bartan-Jhadu-Pocha (BJP) as most of our maids are on paid holiday which one never would have dreamt in the wildest of their dreams & we would have become a master in it by now.

Well having said that. what I have come across is “Food” , which is been the Most trending platform on social media and the new chefs are finding novel ways to explore their recipes and click photos and post them in various Food groups in Instagram & Facebook.

The social media can make the simplest of things look so interesting that everyone would want to try it, releasing a chain reaction and make it go viral!

With the diverse culture which we have & also the variety of recipes from North to South and East to West, People could not think of a better time to do it and explore their Culinary skills and make the mouth watering recipes which will make us obsessed & drool over it just by even seeing the Food photos. As they say “A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe”.

Dalgona Coffee (some call it quarantine coffee, has been a winning trend not just globally but even in India.

The new breed of Home chefs are engaging all their senses into cooking which can make them forget about the difficult times. While the recipe sounds easy, it is a very labour-intensive task. It takes hours to make a dish and just minutes to eat :) - Isn’t’ it!

The smell/aroma while cooking can also take us back to comforting places of childhood.
Digital smell' technology feature is seriously missing on the web. Hope Facebook team is listening and will do something to evoke virtual smell.

Now just imagine the Double Masala Chicken/Mutton Biryani , Veg Pulav, hot baked Mumbai Pav, Chocolate Brownies , Cheese Garlic bread, Pizzas, Pav bhaji, Masala Bhaath, Paneer Kofta, Jalebis, Dhokla, Garma garam Onion Bhaji, Mirchi Bhaji, Vada pav & Samosa ..(imagine the smell which is also called retronasal olfaction) .This can be an augmented reality , Right !!....

Just imagine what it will be like if “Digital smell technology” is possible…
… Then aroma se hii peth bhar jayega :) & also variety bhi hoga :)

My Rendezvous with the Frozen Himalayas: CHADAR TREK 2020 – Journey of Life

2020-05-30T21:35:00.398+05:30

Often we imagine that we will work hard, arrive at some distant goal & then we will be happy.

This is a DELUSION. HAPPINESS is the result of a lived with purpose.

Happiness is not an objective. It is a movement of Life itself, a process, an activity.

The Chadar Trek or the Frozen Zanskar River trek is known to be one of the most difficult treks of the great Himalayan range of mountains. When I decided to try this out, I wasn’t sure that this journey will turn out to be a life changing experience for him.

So what is this Chadar trek?

During winters the temperature in Ladakh drops as low as minus 35 degree Celsius. A lot of villages get cut off as the roads get blocked due to snow, Zanskar valley being one of them. Zanskar village is connected with Leh by the wild rumbling river Zanskar which freezes during winters with its top layer transforming into a blanket of ice and that’s how it came to be called “Chadar”. The locals have been using this route….that is walking 70+ kms across the risky Chadar to Leh for centuries for trade and transportation during the winters….but in recent years this route has gained popularity among adventure enthusiasts as one of the wildest extreme treks in the world and perhaps the only one where you walk on a frozen river. The entire trek takes you through steep canyons as you walk your way on the frozen river, opening up vistas like never seen before , overwhelming you with the beauty, enormity and power of nature around you.

This trek certainly needs you to be physically fit to withstand the extreme conditions….but more importantly this is a trek which is extremely demanding mentally. Mental strength, tenacity, grit and readiness to face all odds without giving up………you just can’t think of walking the Mighty Chadar with a deficiency in any of these.

Here is the detailed story of my glorious journey..

I just happened to return back to work on 6^th Jan 2020 after my Year end solo trip to Chakrata, Uttarakhand. On 8^th Jan a colleague of mine walks up to me while having my lunch in the Office Pantry and say’s where had you been , I saw your photos in Facebook and they were just amazing & then happened to say that he along with another colleague from office have registered & planned for the Chadar Trek in Leh on 25^th Jan 2020. I had heard a lot about the Chadar trek and have seen documentaries on Nat Geo where studies have shown that due to the increase in global warming and other activities, the river won’t last for more than 4 years and the authorities are planning to stop the trek from 2020.

So at the spur of the moment I asked him to get me the contacts through which they have planned this and I would also join them on this adventure. My friend immediately gave a call to the Adventure Nation guy & told him about my interest in joining and gave me the details of the Flight & date & time to book my tickets from Bangalore to Delhi to Leh & back along with a list of what all to carry/buy for the 9 day trek, & also what all trekking gears can be rented out via Sharepal for the trek.

I get a call at 3 pm from Adventure nation and they tell me they have confirmed my booking and I have to immediately pay online for confirmation on the link which they have mailed me. I make the payments and also book all my air tickets to and fro and place an order for my trekking gears, bag and Voila am ready for the trek of my life. Though everyone plans well in advance, mine was a sudden plan. That’s how things started with me on this trip! Though I have never been in a trek in my life, I badly wanted to do this!

The next most important thing was to apply for a 5 days vacation again at the immediate start of the year from the 2020 leaves quota J, which had to be approved from my sweet cute manager who is more like a friend to me than a manager J…(Now do not think a lot on who this is .……Ha-ha…)

The next 2 weekends were spent on shopping for the essentials from Decathlon, Medical store & Supermarket and was then eagerly waiting for 24^th Jan to board my flight to Delhi from Bangalore.

Finally the Journey of life begins on 24^thJan’20. Boarded the Indigo flight from Bangalore to Delhi on a moon lit midnight & land at 3 am in Delhi. A Stop-over at Delhi for 4 hrs (lucky that the Terminal was the same & no change required) with a connecting flight early morning on 25^th Jan’20 at 7:30 am from Delhi to Leh , the Goair flight was on time amidst the early morning fog in Delhi and got airlifted and taken into the subzero temperatures of Leh whilst experiencing some turbulence's mid air which gave jolts to the stomach .A great feeling to see the whole Ladakh valley up from the flight window seeing the snow capped dreamland with huge mountains and valleys white-washed with snow and frozen rivers cutting through them and finally landed at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochhe Airport at Leh at 9 am at 3,256 m (10,682 ft) above mean sea level to begin the journey in the cold valley. As the flight landed, the flight attendant announced the outside temperature is minus 10 deg Celsius. Had never experienced sub zero temperatures till date and thus was quite excited as well as anxious to know how it would feel as I was only wearing 1 layer jeans and Down Jacket & Hand gloves. It was chilling and I could feel the fresh chill oxygen.

I inaugurated my first slip just outside the airport on the ice which was just like a marble sheet and someone from the group out there was like “ We all will have some slips on the Chadar” when we start our trek.

After waiting there for 30 minutes the trek representative appear and take us to the taxis in the Leh Airport parking space. The first word uttered to us in Leh was “Juleh”. Juleh is a magic word”, “You can say Juleh when you want to say hello, goodbye, thank you, how are you, nice to meet you and you’re welcome”.

We get our baggages on the taxi overhead and proceed towards the Hotel – Shakspo House. In the first two days, we had to get relaxed and get our body acclimatized to our surroundings as we had Medical check on Day 3 which had to be cleared to start the trek on Day 4.

Day 1 was spent relaxing in the hotel after have breakfast, lunch, dinner and a short trip to Leh Market and a walk down the lane where we were put up. In sub zero temperatures in Leh you definitely cannot have shower all you can do is brush up & you know what else J. So the next 9 days we have to live without shower. The Hotel provided 2 buckets of hot water per person everyday so we had to manage with it. As we were 3 of us together in the room we were comfortable from the water aspect. No room heaters as we had to get our body acclimatized to the temperatures of Leh.

The group had a de-briefing in the hotel by the trek organizers in the evening on the do’s and don’ts, the essential trek gears, Update on medicals, the itenary for the next 8 days and also an update that this group also could not probably go to the most anticipated campsite of the trek which is Naerak as mid January 100 odd trekkers were rescued by IAF & Army after water flooded over the ice that the trekkers have to traverse through which led to temporary shutdown of the trek to Naerak. So we were all aghast and dejected what if we do not make it to the 3^rd and final campsite as this is the place where we will see Naerak's gorgeous frozen waterfall. The beautiful route on the Chadar with deep gorges and cliffs & Naerak Pull or Bridge between 2 gorges! But the unpredictability of the terrain is what makes Chadar exciting, so we couldn’t complain & decided whatever will happen.

Day 2 was a acclimatization walk of 2.5km from Shakspo House to Shanti Stupa & then another 3.3 km to Leh Market. The group of 40 was split into 3 different groups on Day 2 and we had a choice to make our group and this remains the way it is till the last day of the trek.

The Shanti Stupa in Leh was constructed in 1991 by Japanese Buddhist, Bhikshu Gyomyo Nakamura. It is a magnificent white-domed Buddhist monument located atop a steep hilltop at a dizzying height of 11,841 feet. It is a religious place for the Buddhists as it holds the relics of Buddha, consecrated by the 14th Dalai Lama. It offers a sweeping view of Leh and the nearby Changspa village. You need to climb 500 steps to reach the Shanti Stupa, and this is the recommended route where you can explore and soak in the beautiful surroundings of this monument.

After spending a good 1 hour at the Shanti Stupa and taking some pics we disembark down the steps and walk another 3.3 kms to Leh Market for Lunch and shopping.

In the Market the groups got split and by that time we had made friends and we were in our own small groups. We decided to go and have a local cuisine and try Thukpa and Momos. After having a sumptuous lunch we decided to do some shopping & I decided to walk through the market and picked up a Pashmina Shawl for Mom & also few grams of Kashmiri Saffron. By the time we finished out shopping it was 3:30 pm and we decide to walk back another 2.5 km to Shakspo House instead of taking a taxi. The walk back was on a steep road and we were walking at our own pace by taking pics and talking. We encountered a few dogs who were a little furious and we were told that the Stray Dogs in Leh are notorious and they have a reputation of attacking anyone, even locals. So never to harm or pet them or run away and always be in groups and walk slow. So we encountered few moments of anxiety on the way till we reached Shakspo House by 4.30 pm and relaxed for the day.

Day 3 was an early morning walk of 2.5 km to the Medical center by 9 am in Leh Market. There was a huge rush here as there were many groups who were going for the Chadar trek. Our batch of 13 of us was called in around 12 noon and we had our medical checkups done. Basically your oxygen levels and Blood Pressure levels and they give the go ahead then and there. My Oxygen initially showed up 94 and the doctor was surprised and said there is something wrong with the instrument and laughed out. The second time it showed 90 and the green signal was given that I have cleared my medicals. By 1 pm we all had completed our medicals and we proceed towards the Chadar registration office to get our Insurance cards after submitting our Medical Fitness certificate.

Then the day is ours and we decided to go to a Halwai who made some lip-smacking Chole Bathura and Samosas and yummy sweets. This was the only Halwai shop in the whole of Ladakh market. I had 2 hot Samosas and a plate of Gulab Jamoon and Coconut Ladoo and Milk Peda. This was our Lunch for the day.

We then proceed to buy Gumboots, Woolen Socks and Balaclava from the Army Shop in Leh market. After shopping some of us decided to visit Two Monasteries & Ice Stupa. We hired a Omni taxi and 5 of us embarked on a sightseeing.

First we went to Thiksay monastery which is a gompa of Tibetan Buddhism religion. It is located on the top of the hill. This monastery is famous for pilgrim activities, architectural elements, sightseeing and exploration.

Second we proceed towards Matho Monastery which is one of the attractive monasteries in the lap of Himalaya. This monastery shares a distance of 26 km from Leh and is located in the south-east direction. This monastery was constructed by Lama Tugpa Dorjay in the 16th century. This Gompa is the one and only reprehensive of the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the district of Ladakh.

Finally the famous Ice Stupa an artificial glacier made by piping mountain architected by Sonam Wangchuk and returned back to Shakspo House by 6:30pm.

Day 4 is when we begin our trek from Leh. We wake up early morning and get ready by 7 am.

This is the day where our trekking gears are out on our body. 5 upper layers to keep yourself warm – Thermal t-shirt, Cotton collar T-Shirt, Merino wool long sleeves fleece & Down jacket & Snow jacket (one which could withstand minus 10 deg & another minus 20) & 3 down layers – Thermal trouser, Trekking trouser & warm and water resistant pant , 1 synthetic & 1 woolen socks, , trekking shoes, Hand gloves, Woolen cap & Neck Gaiter , a versatile cloth to cover the face , Sun glasses & the trekking pole.

After breakfast, by 7:30 am the 3 groups boarded their respective Tempo travelers early morning from the Shakspo House to proceed to Shingra Koma, the starting point of the trek along with the porters, Trek guides, kitchen staff. There was an equal no of porters, kitchen staff as per the group size. The porters loaded our Backpacks along with all the ration and equipment needed for the trek. It’s a 4 hour drive and we had our first stop at the check point and each group along with the Trek Guide had to complete our formalities and give our personal details to the Army check point and then continued our journey to Shingra Koma. The drive was the most scenic drives which lets you witness some of the top spots in Ladakh like Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill and the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers.

We had a pit stop for clicking pictures at the confluence of the rivers and continued further.

The drive till Chilling was fast, smooth and beautiful.

After that, the drive became challenging, treacherous and scarier yet amazing and the breath taking drive on the Hills with bumpy roads and hairpin bends. The road was wide enough for a tempo traveler to pass through with its tires just inside the road and part of the body overlooking the deep gorges. The adrenaline rush was building in by just seeing the road and the frozen white Zanskar River beneath.

By noon, we reached the starting point of the trek which is Shingra Koma. This is where the road ends.

We deboarded from the vehicle and walked down a steep slope down the hill to the river bed where the winter expedition starts. There were many groups out there who had come to being their expedition and also there were some IAF and Army base camps set up.

We had some interactions with them and had some group pics and solo pics clicked. Later we had a quick tasty hot soupy Maggie Noodles made by our kitchen staff along with hot Kahwa tea and biscuits. Next to where we were having lunch was the IAF camp and the civilians were making some nice hot Egg Burji and just imagine you standing next to their tent and having Maggie. The aroma of the Burji was just mesmerizing and the me in me was restless, all I had to say was “ Yaar kaash we also had Burji along with Maggie” and our Papaaji friend from IAF base camp heard this and guess what he invited us and offered us Egg Burji along with bread J. This was aatmatrupt and lipsmacking J

Well after a stupendous lunch it was time to pack and push towards the first campsite to Tsomo Paldar. It was a walk of around 3 hours and by 4:30 pm we reached the campsite.

For me, it was love at first sight, the picturesque snow-clad mountains and the vivid turquoise color waters of the Indus & Zanskar Rivers were straight out of a travel catalogue! I walked at my own pace enjoying the mesmerizing landscape, stopping and clicking pics.

The sky was clear and the sun was shining bright on us adding some shine to the magnificent, white Chadar.

There was this perpetual silence which made the entire location feel isolated and lifeless and yet there was life.

There was life in the formation of Chadar, in the sound of feet and in the icy breeze.

Some parts of the river were like Marble ice and had to walk like a penguin..I call it penguin stepsJ .

As the saying goes “Nazar Hati Toh Durghatna Ghati “, I just had pulled out my Phone to click the Marble like ice pic and walk and make a video that was when a smooth slip & fall on the ice with a sound BAM ! On the head! The cap and the woolen Fur cap was a cushion for the bare head, but the feeling was amazing…Nirvana J J...I could hear the sound of the BAM !! My first fall on the Chadar & second in the trip (the earlier was just outside Leh airport on the ice).

The temperature in the Zanskar valley during day hovered between minus 10 to 20 deg Celsius and you could feel the chill breeze while walking . I had used the services of a porter to carry my Backpack so it was not much of a issue for me to walk through the frozen river. By the time we reached our campsite the tents were ready for us to check in and rest. The porters are the lifeline of Chadar; they walk fast and carry 20 to 30 kgs of baggage while walking on the mountain gorges or use the sledge while walking on the ice.

We got settled in our sharing tent accommodation and around 5:30 pm we were served hot Kahwa tea and bread pakoda as soon as we reached the campsite. At 8 pm we were served hot soup and at 8:30 pm dinner which consisted of Rice, Dal & Sabji. We also had Thepla as we had a Rajasthani in our group who had got it for all of us. The hospitality and the food taste were just awesome. We used to get hot water to drink and we used to fill our thermos flask with hot water from the Zanskar River.

The temperature here drops dramatically after the sunset and the temperature further dips to minus 25 to minus 30 deg Celsius. We all went to sleep by around 9:30 pm. It was pretty cozy inside the tent compared to the harsh bone-chilling cold outside. Inside the tents, the sleeping bags helped us survive. The sleeping bags were double layered and somewhat comfortable.

They were similar to the ones used by Indian army at the Siachen glacier. It was a task to get inside the sleeping bag so that you cover yourself from head to toe, but apna height ka punga and I could not completely fit inside the sleeping bag and was covered till the neck.

The space was less for 2 of us to get accommodated as we had our backpacks kept next to us inside the tent but nevertheless an experience and managed to snore and sleep well.

Middle of the night it snowed and there was some amount of snow which creeps inside the tent and the chillness was felt on my face & that’s when I realized it was snowing. Well I had carried a thick “Solapur Chaddar” and that was helpful which helped me cover my face and it also acted as a pillow for me J.

Early morning of the trek, we used to wake up with some snow accumulated on the backpacks & sleeping bags.

Day 5 - We get our Bed tea in the tent at 7:30 am and breakfast was served in the Dining tent at 8 am and by 9 am we start the trek towards Tibb Cave. It was bread butter & Cornflakes with Milk on Day 5 for breakfast. Well as you know sub zero temperatures, you cannot brush so all you can do is wash your face with warm water and gargle. And the most important thing, where do you go to relieve yourself. A vertical tent toilet where they dig up a hole and put flat rocks on the side for keeping your feet or you can go amidst Nature in the mountains behind huge rocks with Toilet paper. That’s the day when I remembered Mumbai Railway line tracks J J J…You cannot go in the same Vertical tent when multiple trekkers go as it gets unhygienic and stinks, so no other option rather than Open air….Haha.. An experience of a different kind though!!

So after all the morning chores we started our journey towards Tibb Cave which is 15 km walk for 8 hrs. It was a long icy walk & at times on the cliffs with the mighty river flowing just next to you .The walk takes you through narrow, steep, ravines. During the walk there are huge sections where the entire river was frozen.

On the trail we witnessed high mountains and pug-marks on the snow clad Zanskar river which could be of snow leopards or ibex. This trek route has some of the most attention-grabbing frozen waterfalls that one can encounter. Midway we stopped for lunch break with some yummy Kichidi & hot Kahwa tea.

The landscape was so mesmerizing that sometimes we forgot that we were ice walking over a frozen raging river and water is still flowing beneath at Godspeed. A small mistake can be fatal here. Some paths were quite slippery and the occasional falls on the slippery ice is fun. I witnessed a few of them slipping and I had 2 slips on the ice.

Finally we reached our campsite at Tibb around 4:30 pm.

There was an Army base also set up on the opposite side of the Gorge and we got to know that we could not proceed further to Naerak which is the final campsite due the Chadar being broken and water on top of the ice. So Tibb was the final campsite and the trek gets shortened by a day and an extra day in Leh. Disheartened, but the unpredictability of the terrain is what makes Chadar exciting, so I couldn’t complain.

We settled in our tents after having hot Kahwa tea and biscuits and later at night around 7 pm we had small campfire & as I was carrying Brandy we had good local songs singing moments by the porters with brandy & hot water. This place was much colder than the previous one around minus 30 to 35 degree Celsius at night.

After a hot and delicious dinner which consisted of Chapati, Rice, Dal & Rasogulla at night we settled down for day in our tents.

Middle of the night it snowed and there was some amount of snow which creeped inside the tent and the chillness was felt on my face that’s when I realized it was snowing.

We had one of our team mates who was unwell and which made it tough for all of us to sleep as he was coughing badly and became unwell.

On Day 6, I woke up at 7:30 am in FREEZING cold of minus 30 degrees Celsius for a bed tea & little brittle snow was accumulated on the backpacks & sleeping bags.

I ventured out without my hand gloves and washed my face with warm water and to fill some hot drinking water in flask walked towards the Vertical tent kitchen and for a minute I was drowsy and dizzy and almost went blank due to the chillness and hands became damn cold which made me rush towards my tent and lay down leaving the flask out there. The porter got the water flask and to my tent and made me drink water and after about 10 mins I woke up & was much better.

After all the morning chores at Tibb we embarked on the journey back to Tsomo Paldar. The step outside the campsite just takes you aback as you witness the overnight transformation of the Chadar….the cold ensured all our movements were slow.

When we were into the next 30 minutes of trek, we found the river is partly broken and water on top of the frozen ice. We had knee deep water and broken pieces of ice all over! It was scary as hell to walk over it and Our Gumboots were out and as we had carried cellophane tapes we put those around from the middle of the gumboots till the knees so that water does not enter the gumboots and we walked knee deep on the chilled water. The first step in the water, felt as if water just entered one of the gumboots, every step created cracks and noise on the ice and felt as if the ice will break.

Usually, we have the top layer with ice and middle with water and at last a thin layer of ice and then completely water underneath. We were walking on the thin layer of ice holding our nerves. The route was again in a bad shape and we had to sneak through shrunken ice paths.

As you walk on the ice sheets you experience a variety of sounds…………The cracking sound of ice under your feet………….the rumbling sound of the river………..the sound of ice sheets cracking …………..the sound of small broken ice sheets rubbing and scratching under the ice sheet you are walking on….. and exchange of “Julleys” the universal greeting in Ladakh, as you cross other trekkers and porters .

These are the only sounds you listen to over the days spent on Chadar as you would not see any other form of life here. We would have walked a good 2 km wading through knee deep water & broken ice and also super adventurous cliff climbs on the gorges between 90 to 140 degree angles and the river just on your extreme right.

The cliff was steep on some spots and getting down the cliff was even more challenging………….in fact it was impossible to do this task without the support of the rocks and our guides & porters who would put their lives at risk to safeguard us.

The climb and descend was scary but once we descended the whole experience seemed very exciting as well. The guide kept helping us in finding a better Chadar to walk as the Chadar was not uniform on our walk back to Tsomo Paldar.

After walking for quite a few hours now around noon we had a stopover for lunch and hot Kahwa tea.

As the Chadar was fine now I decided to remove my gumboots and get back to my trekking shoes. Was lucky that not much water had entered the gumboots and it was just a little on the right gumboot which I felt initially when I put my foot in the water after wearing my gumboots. So after changing the woolen socks and wearing the trekking shoes we start the journey towards the campsite.

By 5 pm we reached Tsomo Paldar and checked in our tents after a Hot cup of Kahwa tea and Bread Pakodas.

The evening followed up with Samba Rum which we got in one of the army camps which was near our campsite along with Papad and lipsmacking dinner with a political debate competition between 3 individuals and the rest of us having hearty laughs along with a recording session by one trekker to capture the moments.

The Guide was pissed off with us as we consumed Rum which ideally is not allowed during treks and I had to tell our Papaji Lawyer friend who we had in our group to sort the issue out and clam our guide.

The night was chill, a bon fire lit on the opposite hill side of our campsite and the locals singing .As the air was calm we could hear the songs clearly.

The sky was bright with stars shining. It was like Jannat that day & around 10 pm we all headed back to our tents, which was our last day in the campsite.

Finally Day 7, its business as usual like the previous days, wake up for Bed tea and then breakfast and we head towards Shingra Koma by 9 am. By 11:30 am, we reached the starting point of the trek which is Shingra Koma.

A feeling of contentment and accomplishment and relief is what you get after completing the first Winter Himalayan trek across the Frozen Zanskar river after all the challenges and hurdles faced in the 36 km trek in 4 days from Shingra Koma to Tsomo Paldar to Tibb and back to base camp as Narek was not feasible to trek due to water being on top of the ice. With the temperature hovering around minus 10 to minus 35 degree Celsius and snow at night which makes it more chilly. Slippery ice and having the occasional falls, walking on the edge of the Gorges at times as walking on Chadar was next to impossible and a fall could land you on the broken ice and river. Chadar kept changing its course within hours from thick ice and blanket of snow on top to breaking down to knee deep water overnight...but at the end it's a moment to cherish with Sai Baba's blessings as he was the guiding power all these days.

My walk on Chadar has truly been a cathartic life time experience. At a personal level one realization which really made its way to my heart…Don’t keep waiting for the right time…..life is too unpredictable to plan such things! This is a trek for those who along with being physically fit are mentally ready to face challenges coz no trekker who walks on Chadar returns without facing tough challenges….. Although each person would face his/her own unique set of challenges.

One by one all the trekkers reached and we took group photos together with the complete group of trekkers and porters, Kitchen staff , guides and gave the head guide a token of Thanks in the form of cash which we all trekkers had pooled in for them for making our trip and stay a memorable one for years to come.

We all had the last Hot Khawa tea with biscuits followed by lunch which was soup and Kichidi together and finally bid aideu to the Chadar to get back to civilization .

The tempo travelers were ready waiting for us. We walk back on a steep mountain to reach the road from where the vehicles start. The drive back to the hotel was 4 hrs on the picturesque road with snow capped mountains on both sides.

We had a pit stop at Gurudwara Pathar Sahib and few of us went to the Gurudwara for offering our Thanks .My first visit to the Gurudwara in my life and it was bliss supreme . The Gurudwara is maintained and run by the Indian Army .We had tea and sweet boondi and Khara sev in the langar hall and were there for like 20 minutes.

We reached the hotel by 5 pm, unload our bags and check in to the hotel. This was another hotel which they had arranged for us now and as we had come a day earlier we had to pay for the stay for Day 7.

After tea and snacks we check in to our rooms and a few decide to head out to Leh market for dinner and drinks. Around 7:00 pm we hired a taxi and headed to the Leh market. By this time all the shops were closed .Leh market shuts down by 6 pm and its almost deserted by 7ish…We could not find restaurants open and we decide to buy some rum bottles in the wine shop and some non veg and veg starters and head back to the hotel. Luckily we find a restaurant on the same building on the 2^nd floor which was owned by Lateef Bhai .The restaurant was to be opened the next day and he was kind enough to invite us and we were his first customers .He allowed us to get our drinks and food and we had also told him to make dinner for us some butter nans, chicken starters, chicken gravy, rice and dal and a sweet kheer made of rice. We spent a good 2 hrs in his restaurant and then called our taxi guy to pick us up from the restaurant to the hotel at 10:00 pm.

Day 8 the buffer day at Leh. Few of the trekkers decide to hire a cab and go to Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road in India however I decide to sleep J.I wake up around 11ish and have some tea and venture out to the lawn to take some bright sunlight and warmth.

Three of us in our trek group decided to stay back so we decided to have a late lunch in Leh market and took a taxi around 2 pm and headed up to a Pizza joint and then to our sweet shop and decided to spend some time in the market.

Around 5 pm we took our taxi back to the hotel and in the evening the trek organizer had some briefing and certificate distribution around 7:30 pm and dinner at 8:30 pm & we slept off for the day by 10 pm as we had to wake up early and leave by 5 am on Day 9 to catch our early morning flight back to Delhi.

Finally, an amazing memorable nine days came to an end of 2^nd Feb, 2020.

All the trekkers had their return planned on Day 9. Three of us were in the first spice jet flight to Delhi at 8:15 am.

I had my connecting flight from Delhi to Bangalore at 12 noon and had to go from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 and very less time.

Landed in Delhi at 9:45 am and it took some time for the baggage to come and luckily that the connecting flight was delayed by 30 minutes. As soon as I got my baggage, rushed towards the information desk to get to know the route to T3 and it took a good 30 minutes for the Inter connectivity airport bus to come.

The first bus, I could not get in as it was jam packed also another 10 mins for the next bus which was almost empty and reached around 11:45 at T3.

Took the help of the Spice jet porter there and told him about my flight time and he escorted me thru a special security check and led me till the Gate with a short 10 mins stop in one of the washrooms for me to change back to T-shirt and Jeans . T3 is a long walk…Had I been standing in the security check the normal way, I would have missed my connecting flight. On dot 15 mins before boarding I was there and ready to board the flight to Bangalore….and land around 3:30 pm in Bangalore.

After that it’s been only memories with pics posting in on social media in a snail pace J and planning for the next Himalayan trek…….

It’s been 4 months since I have returned from the trek and finally complete this Blog in phases.

When I look back upon the 9 days spent on this trek, the memories are still fresh in my mind and I realize I have lived a lifetime in a capsule.

Like the Dynamic Chadar….life is also a journey of discovery – there are moments on Mountain tops and moments in deep valleys of despair. But it is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light…..

Himalayas are calling and I think I must go again………..

~ Vignesh

Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya - 2019

2019-09-02T18:47:00.005+05:30

Shirdi Saibaba Arathi's

2019-01-20T18:41:00.002+05:30

Shirdi saibaba Morning Arathi - Kaakad Arathi

http://www.starsai.com/saibaba-arathi-song1.html

Shirdi saibaba Noon Arathi - Madhyana Arathi

http://www.starsai.com/saibaba-arathi-song2.html

Shirdi saibaba Evening Arathi - Dhoop Arathi

http://www.starsai.com/saibaba-arathi-song3.html

Shirdi saibaba Night Arathi - Shej Arathi

http://www.starsai.com/saibaba-arathi-song4.html

Sai baba 11 vachane

2018-11-06T17:10:00.000+05:30

Shirdi sai baba is Indian spiritual master who was regarded by his devotee as sant in Maharashtra. He was revered both his Hindu and Muslim devotees. Saibaba worshiped by around the world. He taught a moral code of love, happiness, forgiveness, helping others, charities, inner pice and devotion of God or Guru. Sai baba’s dressed very simply. His real name, birth place, birth date always unknown.

शिर्डीस ज्याचे लागतील पाय । टळती आपाय सर्व त्याचे । ।।१।।

माझ्या समाधीची पायरी जो चडेल । दुःखं हे हरेल सर्व त्याचे । ।।२।।

जरी हे शरीर गेलो मी टाकून । तरी मी धावेन भक्तासाठी । ।।३।।

नवसास माझी पावेल समाधी । धरा दृढ बुध्दी माझ्या ठायी । ।।४।।

नित्य मी जिवंत जाणा हेची सत्य । नित्य घ्या प्रचिती आनुभवे । ।।५।।

शरण मज आला आणि वाया गेला । दाखवा दाखवा ऐसा कोणी । ।।६।।

जो जो मज भजेल जैसा जैसा भावे । तैसा तैसा पावे मीही त्यासी । ।।७।।

तुमचा मी भार वाहिन सर्वथा । नव्हे हे आन्यथा वचन माझे । ।।८।।

जाणा येथे आहे सहाय्य सर्वांस । मागे जे जे त्यास ते ते लाभे । ।।९।।

माजा जो जाहला काया वाचा मनी । त्याचा मी ञृणी सर्व काळी । ।।१०।।

साई म्हणे तोचि, तोचि झाला धन्य । झाला जो आनन्य माझ्या पायी । ।।११।।

Sai baba 11 vachane

Shirdis jyache lagtil pai | talatil apai sarv tyache ||1||

Mazya samadhichi pairi jo chadel | dhukha he harel sarv tyache ||2||

Jari he sharir gelo mi takun | tari mi dhaven bhaktan saathi ||3||

Navsas mazi pavel samadhi | dhara drudh buddhi mazya thai ||4||

Nitya mi jivant jana hechi satya | nitya ghya prachiti anubhave ||5||

Sharan maj ala ani vaya gela | dakhava dakhava aisa koni ||6||

Jo jo maj bhajel jaisa jaisa bhave | taisa taisa pave mihi tyasi ||7||

Tumcha mi bhar vahen sarvatha | nhave he anyatha vachan maze ||8||

Jana yethe ahe sahayya sarvas | mage je je tyas te te labhe ||9||

Maza jo jahala kaya vacha mani | tyacha mi runi sarv kaali ||10||

Sai mhane tochi, tochi zala dhanya | zala jo ananya mazya pai ||11||

Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya - 2018

2018-09-13T18:44:00.004+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Aarti & Darshan bookings

2018-02-18T21:22:00.000+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Trust site and Live Darshan link

https://www.sai.org.in/ and then Click on LIVE Darshan

Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Trust site for Darshan , Aarti and Accomodation bookings

https://online.sai.org.in/#/login

Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Website

2018-02-18T21:18:00.001+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan Website

Shirdi Sai Baba - Sai Satcharitra

2018-02-18T21:14:00.000+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba - Sai Satcharitra

Shirdi Sai Baba Aarti - Lyrics

2018-02-18T21:12:00.000+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba Aarti's

Shirdi Sai Baba Idol and Samadhi Dress Measurements

2018-02-18T21:06:00.001+05:30

DRESS MEASUREMENT FOR SHIRDI SAI BABA IDOL & SAMADHI

SAI BABA IDOL

3 metres cloth in length and 46 "in breadth.

SAI BABA SCARF(HEAD GEAR)

1.5 metres (Saffron or Orange preferably)

KHES OR STOLL (AROUND NECK)

2 metres.

SAI BABA SAMADHI

3 metres cloth in length and 46 " in breadth.

[These are the Dress Measurement which was offered & accepted by Baba and it fitted well.]

Shirdi - Important Places in Shirdi

2018-02-18T21:00:00.000+05:30

Places to Visit in Shirdi

Samadhi Mandir

Samadhi Mandir of Shri Sai Baba was actually owned by a millionaire from Nagpur, a famous Sai devotee Shreemant Gopalrao. Gopalrao wanted to keep an idol of Murlidhar here. However, Baba himself became Murlidhar and the Mandir became the Samadhi Mandir of Baba. The Mandir is built with stones and Baba's Samadhi is built with white marble stones. A railing is built in marble around the Samadhi and is full of ornamental decorations. In front of the Samadhi are two silver pillars full of decorative designs. Just behind the Samadhi is Sai Baba's marvelous statue made of Italian marble which shows him seated on a throne. This idol was made by late Balaji Vasant. This statue was installed on 7th October 1954. Above the statue is an open, silver umbrella. The front of the Mandir has an assembly hall where about 600 devotees can be accommodated. The routine of the temple starts at 5 o'clock in the morning with Bhoopali, a morning song, and closes at 10 o'clock in the night after Shejarati is sung. Only on three occasions the temple is kept open overnight .ie. on Gurupoornima, Dassera, and Ramnavami. Every Thursday and on each fesitival, a Palakhi with Baba's photo is taken out from the temple.

Dwarkamai

Dwarkamai is the mosque where Baba lived during his sixty years of stay at Shirdi. This is the place where He lived His divine advent and performed Leelas (Divine play). The feeling of His physical presence persists even today most overwhelmingly. In Dwarkamai only Shri Sai assembled His 'darbar' the royal court where He fulfilled their material needs, extended solace to His devotees and conferred spiritual benefit on them. The sacred fire 'dhuni' lighted by Shri Sai, is burning perpetually for more than a hundred years now. It is maintained by the Trust by regularly putting wooden logs as fuel into it with full sanctity. The sacred ash 'Udi' is collected twice a day from this perpetual fire, to be distributed to the devotees as a token of his blessings. There is a life size of portrait placed at the very spot where Baba used to sit untiringly surrounded by his devotees. Shri Jayakar of Mumbai did this portrait in oil when Baba was living in physical body. The picture assumes almost a three dimensional reality with his dynamic presence in it. The eyes have a lustrous brightness penetrating deep into the soul of the devotee and the smile is so gentle and vivid, that it is not a painted smile. This portrait is placed on wooden throne like seat. On the west wall there is a niche 'nimbar' towards which muslims turn for prayers. On one corner of the masjid the grinding stone used by him is kept covered with an iron grill. The other items are an earthen pot, kolamba(an earthenware in which Baba used to put all the food he would receive in alms), bath-stone, a bold square black stone which was presented to Baba by a devotee to sit on it while taking bath (which he never used), a few brass lamps and bells. In the foreyard of the masjid is the same blessed stone on which Baba used to often sit. There is another portrait hanging over it featuring the same pose in which Baba used to sit on it. This stone is flanked by the statues of a tiger and a horse, as living momento of the compassion of the Master. The palanquin and chariot used in his royal procession are housed in an adjoining enclosure of the masjid, which are used on Thursday and all important occasions.

Gurusthan

Sai Baba first came to Shirdi in the form of Bal Yogi - a child ascetic. He was first spotted seated under a Neem tree. This place came to be known as Gurusthan. The renovation of Gurusthan was made on 30th September, 1941. The present temple was built after this period. There is a small shrine in Gurusthan. On a elevated platform of this shrine a big portrait of Baba is placed. The branches of the Neem tree have come out through the roof of the temple.

Chavadi

At a short distance lies Baba's CHAVADI. Baba used to sleep here every alternate day. The Chavadi is divided into two parts. One part of the Chavadi has a large portrait of Baba along with a wooden bed and a white chair belonging to him.
Any devotee going to Shirdi will first have darshan in Samadhi Mandir and then after devotees' step automatically proceeds to Dwarkamai and Chavadi. These two places give us feeling of Sai Baba's presence even today. Actually, Chavadi means a place for discussion to give justice, but this Chavadi of Shirdi became a place of residence of God Incarnation - Sai Baba. Late Shri Nimbalkar has thrown some light on the reason why Baba started to sleep in Dwarkamai and Chavadi on every alternate day in his explainatory book of Shri Saitcharitra originally written by Hemadpant (Govindrao Dabholkar) in Marathi Language. "Once due to heavy rain Dwarkamai was flooded with water and there was no dry space for Baba to sleep. So devotees took Baba to Chavadi which is situated nearby and Baba was taken back to Dwarkamai. Since then Baba started sleeping in Dwarkamai and Chavadi every alternate day." Seeing this daily routine of Baba, from December 10, 1909, devotees started a tradition of taking a procession admist band and music from Dwarkamai to Chavadi. People used to clean lanes of Shirdi on the day on which Baba had to sleep in Chavadi. A mixture of cow dung, mud and water was sprinkled to prepare a uniform platform to draw rangoli. Torches were ignited on polls in lanes to enlighten Shirdi. Before chariot procession, devotees sang bhajans in Dwarkamai. Then Tatya Kote Patil would come to Dwarkamai and requested Baba to proceed to Chavadi. Without Tatya Baba would not stand up to go. Baba wore His regular Kafni on His body, had Sakta under His arm and carring some tobacco and His pipe and placing a small piece of cloth on His shoulder, Baba started for Chavadi. Tatya Kote Patil placed a embroidered Shela on Baba's shoulder. After that Baba Himself put some sticks in Dhuni to keep it burning the whole night and then Baba extinguished the lamp near Dhuni. With various sorts of music Baba started for Chavadi with His devotees. Devotees sang bhajans with melodious voice. The procession started with loud cries of "Sai Nath Maharaj Ki Jai" - "Victory Be Unto Sai" Tatya Patil was on Baba's one side and Mhalasapati on the other. Villagers of Shirdi and guests of Shirdi participated in this procession. Procession was led by devotees who played sorts of music instruments followed by Bhajan Mandali. Fully adorned Baba's horse Shyamkarna was placed in third position and beautifully decorated Palanquin (Palkhi) followed it. When procession reached near Maruti Mandir, Baba used to halt there for some time. Baba used to look at Hanuman ji's idol and gestured something with His hands by moving them in various directions. Baba only knows the meaning of these strange gestures! After the procession reach Chavadi, Shej Arti was sung. At the time of Artis of Sant Jnaneshwar and Sant Tukaram, Sai Maa, Godly incarnation who came to this earth for welfare of this mankind, bowed Her head in praise. After arti was over, devotees returned to their homes. Baba slept in a room in Chavadi. A bhajan mandali used to accompany Baba in Chavadi. In the morning devotees would come and take Baba again to Dwarkamai. This was followed till Baba's Samadhi. In the year 1937, Baba's devotee Shri Anna Saheb Chinchanikar gave donation for repairs of this Chavadi. Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan has maintained this course of Chavadi Procession till today. Every thursday Palkhi Procession starts from Samadhi Mandir to Dwarkamai and from Dwarkamai it proceeds to Chavadi. Apart from thursdays, Sansthan organises Palkhi. Procession on the first day of celebration of Ramnavami, Gurupoornima, Dashera (Punyatithi) and also on Mahashivratri and eleventh day of full moon phase of Ashadh month as per Hindu calender (July-August month as per English calendar). Thousands of devotees - local and from all over the world participate in this incredible procession and make their souls satisfied with cries of Baba's name with deep devotion. The path on which procession passes is dawned with mixture of cow dung, mud and water with beautiful rangolis drawn. Few fortunate married women perform arti of Palkhi. Many famous music bands participate in this procession to make the atmosphere submerged in music, which is another form of devotion. This year i.e. on December 10, 2009, the tradition of Chavadi procession will be completing 100 years. In this context golden moments of this procession will be celebrated by Shirdi Sansthan. These golden moments were started by taking Baba's potrait and padukas on December 10, 2008. On this day, in the morning Baba's portait and padukas were taken to Chavadi in a procession to Chavadi. Chairman of Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Shri Jayant Sasane, Dr. Eknath Gondkar and Shri Suresh Vabable carried Baba's protrait and Shri Ashok Khambekar and Shri Krishnachandra Pandey carried padukas in the procession to Chavadi. Shri Jayant Sasane and Shri. Rajshri Sasani participated in portrait and paduka pooja which was followed by Abhishek pooja. Chavadi was decorated by colourful flowers which were provided by Shri Vijay Kote and colourful lights were provided by Dwarkamai Mandal of Bombay. Mass reading of Shri Sai Nath Stavan Manjari and Chapter 37 of Shri Sai Satcharitra was done. To give more importance to this tradition and to honour the devotees (volunteers) who play musical instruments on every Thursday in Chavadi procession, Shri Jayant Sasane and Shri Rajshri Sasane honoured them with Shawl, Coconut and a pair of clothes.

There is a cottage of Abdul Baba, an ardent devotee of Shri Sai Baba, in front of the Chavadi. The Lendi Bagh was looked after by Abdul Baba. There are photos and various things which were handled by Sai Baba and Abdul Baba in the cottage.

There is a Maruti Mandir located at some distance from the cottage of Abdul Baba. This mandir was visited by Baba for the sat-sang with Devidas, a Balyogi, who lived at the Mandir ten to twelve years before Baba arrived.

There are also temples of village deities named Ganesh, Shani and Shiva to be visited.

Lendi Bagh

At some distance from Gurusthan there is the Lendi Baug. This Bagh was made and watered daily by Baba himself. It got its name from a Nalla (a drain) which used to previously flow there. Baba used to come here every morning and afternoon and take rest under a Neem tree. Baba dug a pit, 2 feet deep, under the Neem tree and kept a Deep lit in that pit. One octangular Deepgriha called Nanda Deep has been built in marble stone in memory of this place. It constantly burns in a glass box. On one side of the Deepgriha is a Peepal tree and on the other side is a Neem tree. Some distance away is a Datta Mandir below an Audumbar tree. In the Mandir there is a statue of Datta built in marble stone. The statue of Datta was installed on 6th December, 1976. Just behind the Datta Mandir is a Samadhi of the horse, Shyamsundar which belonged to Baba and which used to bow to him. Lendi Baug also has a well dug by Baba with the cooperation of his devotees.

At the entrance of the Baug are the Samadhi's of ardent Sai devotees Tatya Kote Patil, Bhau Maharaj Kumbhar, Nanavalli and Abdul Baba.

Shirdi Sai Temple - Daily Schedule

2018-02-18T20:22:00.001+05:30

4:00 AM : Temple Opens
4:15 AM : Bhupali
4:30 AM : Kakad Aarti (Morning)
5:00 AM : Bhajan In Saibaba Mandir
5:05 AM : Mangal Snaan In Samadhi Mandir
5:35 AM : Aarti "Shirdi Majhe Pandharpur"
5:40 AM : Darshan Begins In Samadhi Mandir
11:30 AM :Dhuni Pooja With Rice and Ghee In Dwarkamai
12:00 PM : Madhayaan (Noon) Aarti
At Sunset : Dhoop Aarti
10:30 PM : Shej Aarti

Shirdi Sai Baba's Aarti's - Video

2018-02-18T18:01:00.001+05:30

Shirdi Sai Baba Kakad Aarti Part 1

Shirdi Sai Baba Kakad Aarti Part 2

Shirdi Sai Baba Kakad Aarti Part 3

Shirdi Sai Baba Kakad Aarti Part 4

Shirdi Sai Baba Kakad Aarti Part 5

Shirdi Sai Baba Madhyana Aarti

Shirdi Sai Baba Dhoop Aarti

Shirdi Sai Baba Shej Aarti

The Spiritual traveler's Blog - Sai Baba of Shirdi

2018-02-18T17:17:00.000+05:30

“Baba has the perfect timing – never early, never late. It takes a little patience and faith, but it is worth the wait.”

My first trip to Shirdi happened somewhere during my college days in 1997 or 98 when I was in Mumbai with colony friends on an overnight bus trip.

After the trip there was a gap of 18 or 19 yrs till my second trip happened all of a sudden from Bangalore (where i currently reside and work) in Feb 2016 when i decided to book my flight tickets to Pune and an onward car booking and a hotel on a walkable distance to the samadhi mandir on one fine midnight and plan the trip for 3 days (Wed to Fri).

Second visit after 18/19 yrs, I noticed the changes which had happened and could recollect how it was 19 yrs ago and how it is now..Drastic changes i should say....The cab driver was a known person to my cousin who had made the onward journey bookings in Pune and a great guide. We reached somewhere at night 8 pm on a Wednesday and went for a darshan around 8:30 pm .My first step into the Samadhi Mandir after so many yrs is still like a dream...So blissful and divine.

After the darshan, we planned the Kakad aarti darshan on Guruvaar early morning.

The darshan and aarti on Baba's day was truly blissful and divine. You can feel the energy in the aartis by singing of the chants by the sants...It was truely blissful...

2 days spent in Baba's Shiridi was just awesome and breathtaking..From there on it was just "Sai and I".

There is nothing apart from Sai Baba. I cannot be separate from Sai Baba. You cannot be separate from Sai Baba either. Sai Baba is pure consciousness. Sai Baba cannot be contained in a form, any form.

I must write this from the angle of an ordinary humble devotee of Bhagawan Shree Shirdi Sai Baba. Sai Baba is an avatar. Were mere mortals cannot even understand the consciousness of such a powerful entity. He is beyond time and space. He gives experience to every true devotee of his, day and night, if the devotee is open to receive it.

....And from there on He is ever been calling me again and again to Shirdi.

A state of pure contentment and equanimity is what you experience in Shirdi when you follow Sai Baba's path.

The peculiarity of Sai Baba's darshan,as I found it,is that by His darshan our thoughts are changed , the force of the previous actions is abated and gradually non attachment or dispassion towards worldly object's grows up . it's only by the merit of actions that such a darshan is sought and if you only see Sai Baba,all the world assumes the form of Sai Baba.

~Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya - 2017

2017-08-25T18:35:00.005+05:30

Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya - 2016

2016-09-05T18:29:00.003+05:30