SAI BABA'S ORIGINAL CHARAN PADUKAS IN HARDA – MADHYA PRADESH
It is said that by the mere darshan of Sai Baba's Charan Paduka all miseries come to an end. Well, do you know where the Sai Baba's original Charan Padukas are?
You will be surprised to hear the answer for this – It is with the Parulkar's, a Marathi family living in Harda in Madhya Pradesh.
Many years back, Sai Baba, as a mark of his remembrance, had given his Charan Paduka's to "Shri. Krishnaji Narayan Parulkar" the then head of the Parulkar family.
The Parulkar family, down the generations has preserved these priceless Padukas of Baba as it is, with great care. At present, the Parulkar family in its third generation is headed by "Shri. Kishore Rangnath Parulkar" who daily worships these Charan Padukas with the same reverence as was being done in his family, for the past 90years. He regards himself blessed & fortunate to get an opportunity to do Baba's Paduka Seva.
It was in the year 1915, when Baba had given these Charan Paduka's to his grand-father "Shri. Krishnarao Narayan Parulkar", who was a great devotee of Sai Baba. Baba used to lovingly call him Chottu Bhaya.
In those days as there were no sufficient means of transportation, Chottu Bhaya used to take a ride on a bullock cart & also walked quite a distance for several days to reach Shirdi and pay obeisance to Babaji by crossing the groves and glades of the dense forests.
Once Sai Baba asked Chottu Bhaya why he underwent so much pain merely to see him, Chottu Bhaya replied, '' Babaji I don't have any memento of yours & after some days when I go back, I start missing you & hence I am compelled to come here to see you.'' Reacting on this Baba immediately said him to take his Padukas which he was wearing then as a memento and asked him not pain himself by coming there again and that it was in the form of these Charan Paduka's itself, that he himself was coming to Harda to stay with him & his family.
These were the same Padukas which a devotee from Pune had offered to Baba and Baba had worn them to Lendi Bagh the same day before giving them to Chottu Bhayya, which he worshipped.
And since 1915, the Parulkar family is taking great care of these Charan Padukas. Every Thursday many devotees of Sai Baba get together in this house and do the Aarti. These Charan Padukas of Sai Baba not only have significance of Faith & Devotion attached to them but are also significant historically as they were worn by Baba himself.
Chottu Bhaya Parulkar of Harda was an ardent devotee of Baba, and Baba loved him intensely. In the year 1914 an artist named M. Ramakrishna Rao of Bombay came to Shirdi and made a sketch portrait of Baba on 7.6.1914. As he was completely enamored by Baba' luminous picture, Roop Dixit, Kaka Mahajani and every devotee who saw the drawing liked it a lot. The devotees knew that Baba would get extremely angry upon seeing it. They decided to keep it in the Dwarakamai and covered it with a white cloth. Fervently they hoped that Baba would be in a good mood, so they could show it to Him. The Noon Arati was peaceful and Baba didn't get angry. After the Arati, Baba was smiling, so Shama said "Deva this Artist has made a sketch drawing of you; we would like you to see it". Even before he could complete the sentence Baba roared "Where is the photo? Bring it before Me. Why are they making My photo? Bring it at once". The devotees meekly brought the portrait and placed it before Baba. Rolling His eyes He picked up His satka and lunged towards the portrait, and was about to strike it. Suddenly He calmed down. Shama asked "Deva what is to be done with the photo?" The devotees were standing transfixed and waiting. Baba looked in all four directions and at every devotee. Chottu Bhaya was standing next to Baba.
Baba beckoned him and said softly "Take this photo home, everything of yours will become gold". The drawing is 2 ½ ft by 3 ½ ft. Chottu Bhaya took the drawing home and venerated it.
Source – Sai Leelas
