Om Sai Ram!!!
Saints are fully aware of their time of death. Till they are in body, they weary their bodies for their devotees with great love and at the end the place where the body is abandoned is utilized for the benefit of their devotees.
Some have their Samadhi built before leaving the body, so that their body may certainly find quietude at that place.
That is how BABA acted, But no one realized it earlier. He got the Samadhi Mandir built in an unique way.
There was a very rich man of Nagpur, called Bapusaheb Butti. BABA got the edifice raised by him.
Bapusaheb was a great devotee of and attached to the feet of BABA. He came often with with his family and stayed at Shirdi to serve Him.
He felt like buying a small plot of land and constructing a small building to stay there independently.
This was how the original seed was sown from which the tree in the form of the temple stands today. This is the visible monument of SAI MAHARAJ'S love for the benefit of His devotees.
When Bapusaheb was sleeping once, on the first floor of Dixit Wada, he got this idea while seeing a wonderful vision.
There itself, where Madhavrao was sleeping on one of the beds, he also had the same vision. Both were very surprised.
In Bapusaheb's vision BABA was commanding him:"You should build your own Wada certainly, with a Mandir within it."
No sooner than the vision ended, Bapusaheb awakened. Sitting on the bed, he began to recall the whole dream.
While he was thus occupied, he heard Madhavrao weeping. Butti loudly called out to him:"Wake up" and this made him fully awake.Butti had asked Madhavrao the reason for weeping and Madhavrao replied. BABA came near me and gave me an explicit order," Let there be a Wada with a temple. It will fulfill desires of all".
Bapusaheb was left wondering why both had the same vision. He no longer had any doubts. He decided to act upon it.
They discussed it with Kaka( Dixit) and the three jointly prepared a plan and put up to BABA for approval.BABA immediately gave His permission to build the house with the temple.
Madhavrao got ready to supervise the work. The basement and the ground floor got ready. Even the well was ready under his direction.
On His way to and from the Lendi, while the doors and windows were being fixed, BABA watched with interest and eagerness. He would say, " A door should be here; a window there. Here, to the east , have a gallery. It will look nice."
As the work was progressing, Butti got an inspiration that in the innermost space of the building he could instal the image of Muralidhar(Lord Krishna). He told Madhavrao to seek permission from BABA for the same.
BABA happily gave His consent and told" After the temple is completed, we will come and live there."
Gazing at the Wada, BABA spoke very sweetly:" After the Wada is completed , we shall use it for ourselves. We shall be together there; there itself, we shall all play and embrace each other lovingly and enjoy a time of plenty happily."
The central hall was completed and also the square platform for Muralidhar. The statue was also entrusted to be made by a sculptor.
Later, there came a time when BABA became seriously ill and death became imminent. The devotees were greatly anxious.
Bapusaheb was miserable about the future of the Wada. He did not know what would happen and was, disturbed. Henceforth would BABA's feet touch this temple? When BABA is no more, why should there be Muralidhar or a temple?
Later, because of good fortune, when the end came, due to BABA's orders, the Wada had a great destiny and all were pleased.
" Place me in Wada." These words of BABA at the time of passing away,when they were uttered by BABA brought great relief to all.
Then the Holy remains of BABA's body rested finally in the central hall. The Wada became the Samadhi Mandir. Unfathomable is BABA's life.
Jai Sai Ram!!!