Experiences of the Tarkhad Family with Shirdi SaiBaba 15 of 21 – Miracle shown by Nanavali
Author: Virendra Jyotindra Tarkhad
Other experiences with Lord
"Om Shri Sainathaya Namaha."
Dear readers, as informed earlier that my father had visited Shirdi around 17 times and the span of each visit use to be anywhere from 7 days to one month. During the stay they used to come across such interesting Leela's of Baba that they never felt like leaving Shirdi. Of course, no sooner Baba would order them to leave; they would depart from Shirdi. My father had good collection of these experiences which I might not remember all. In this chapter I will try to narrate to you some of these experiences which are other than those depicted in Sai Satcharitra. I am sure Sai devotees of those times must have come across many such interesting experiences and they must have passed them on to their dear ones. I am narrating them to you to purely express my love and devotion to Lord Sai.
Gimmicks of Nanavali
There was an eccentric devotee of Sai Baba by name Nanavali. I am taking this liberty to term him as cranky because he use to perform very funny acts (monkey tricks), which use to annoy people and they use to complain to Baba about his misbehavior. Baba would then scold Nana stating that devotees would go away from Shirdi if he continues to misbehave. My father had different kind of admiration for Nanavali. He was suffering from hernia so much so that the grown up portion use to touch the ground and he use to walk in that fashion only.
Sometimes he used to tie the pieces of cloth to his trousers at the back forming a long tail and then he use to jump like a monkey. All the children of the village use to get amused with his monkey tricks and then in that state he used to come running to Baba to save him from the onslaught of the children. My father used to wonder as to how can this man with hernia run so fast. He never thought of him to be a mad person. Nanavali used to call my father by name Gawalya and use to beg him for food. Then my father used to go to the eating house run by Sagun and request him to feed him with sufficient food. According to my father and Nanavali was like a pair of Lord Ram and his ardent devotee Lord Hanuman. Nanavali once commanded Baba to allow him to sit on his seat. Baba responded positively to his call and got up from his seat and allowed Nanavali to occupy the same. Nanavali sat for a while on the seat and then got up saying, "Oh Lord, only you can occupy this seat because it suits you, and my right place is near your feet only". You can all imagine what great guts Nanavali had to ask Baba to allow him to occupy his seat and also the enormous quantum of love that Baba extended to him and vacated his 'Asan' (seat) for beloved Nanavali. Of course the reason why my father use to reckon them as an equivalent pair of Lord Ram & Hanuman is different. Once Nanavali told my father "Hey Gawalya come with me and I will show you some fun". He then took my father to 'Chavadi' which is a little distance from Dwarkamai. Baba was sitting there in Chavadi. In no time Nanavali reduced his stature and made himself so small that he could fit in a 'Handi' (glass bowls which are tied with small ropes and hung onto the ceiling of the Chavadi) and then literally jumped up and went and sat up in one of the 'Handis'. Like a monkey he was sitting in the Handi and teasing my father. My father was astonished to see that act. It was unbelievable. It was nothing short of a miracle. How can Nanavali with that state of his body jump so high and make himself small enough to sit in that Handi. It was simply amazing and unbelievable. He then realized that and Nanavali are Avatar of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman in Shirdi. He instantly prostrated in front of Baba there and then venerated Him.
Dear Sai Devotee readers Nanavali was deep in sorrow after Baba had taken the Samadhi and on the thirteenth day he himself renounced this world. Nanavali's Samadhi is situated near the eastern entrance door of Lendi Baug. I always bow before it whenever I visit Shirdi. Millions of bows to Lord Sai and his amazing Leelas.
