Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

Overview

The temple is dedicated to Shri Sai. The temple is located in the South Chennai that is in the Medavakkam to Tambaram Main Road. This temple was constructed by Thiru Kulasekara Perumal. The devotees visiting this temple are given Annadhanam every day. As the devotee entering the temple which is a small hall and on the right hand side of the hall there is the main statue of Sai. A small idle of Vinayaka is there opposite to the main entrance to the temple and the statue of Sai is placed on the right hand side and just besides the statue there is a room known as dwarkamai where Sai is in a sitting posture also, just behind the statue there is a way towards the exit to the hall. Nearby the temple one can find Gurusthan and Neem trees.

About The Deity

The eternal father is established in the form of a Goddess. Sai is dressed up just like a Goddess with all the ornaments like the stud, Maattal which is a small chain around the ears which fixes with the stud, necklace, there are even Long chain with pendant, Kumkum, aaram, anklet and a silk saree too. It is believed that our Sai is a Maharani that is a Queen. It is be believed that the tree in Gurusthan started getting into oval shape and then a right leg is folded just like the way Sai sits on the throne can be seen and then after few days they could see the another leg that is the left leg. Where the left leg is balancing the right leg and then few can see the face of their Saimaharaj.

Legend and Stories

Legend goes back to narrate the story of Mrs Kulasekara Perumal. She was a very loyal and strong devotee of Sai where her husband Mr. Perumal was not a devotee of Sai. Mr. Perumal ji was working as an Assistant Account officer in Electricity Board and he retired in the year of 1986. When Mr Perumal was of age 30, he was offered a trip to Mumbai for some official work and his wife asked him to visit Shridi. Mr Perumal completed his work in Mumbai and he is all set to go to Shridi, one early morning at about 4 AM he went to Mumbai station to enquire regarding the tickets to Shridi. The person sitting in the counter told him that he must board a train from Victoria terminus towards Manmad and then get down there and board another train which goes towards Shridi. Mr Perumal had to board a local train to reach Victoria terminus but unfortunately he heard an announcement that the local train is late by 30 minutes and he was in hurry because he had only 20 minutes to board the train from Victoria terminus towards Manmad that is Manmad express. Mr Perumal was feeling helpless he prayed to Baba and asked for help. But then suddenly a stranger asked Mr Perumal that where do you want to go and Mr Perumal explained his situation to the stranger and the stranger asked him to follow where ever he is taking him.

The stranger took Mr Perumal out of the platform where he got him a taxi and he instructed the driver to drive as fast as he can so that he can reach Victoria terminus on time. In about 15 minutes they were in Victoria terminus and after that a stranger told Mr Perumal that only five minutes are left for your train run towards your platform, just after the stranger said this he moved from that place went walking and he disappeared somewhere. Mr Perumal realized the presence of Baba with him all along it was no one other than Baba. somehow Mr Perumal boarded the platform but the train was full he couldn't find a place to step in the train. Then again suddenly a guard came in and asked him where is he going after the guard heard that he is going to shridi the guard hugged Mr Perumal and he got him a seat in the train. The journey was over for the Manmad express; once he got down at Manmad none other than the guard who gave him the seat guided him the way to board Kopergaon train. But Mr Perumal had a thought in his mind that he faced little problems while traveling if there was someone to accompany him and guide him all over to Shridi then he will be more happy and have a very happy darshan. The train left and in few minutes a 15 years old boy came and he sat just next to Mr Perumal.

Seeing his innocence Mr Perumal asked his name in English that, Where are you going. The 15 year old boy replied as Shridi in Marati language but Mr Perumal thought that he was speaking Tamil. He had someone with him now, when they reached Kopergaon the small boy guided him the way towards the bus stand which was 3 miles away from there and they had to go by a Tonga till there. The boy made Mr Perumal sit in the tonga and he also sat beside him, once they reached the bus stand the boy told Mr Perumal that you are hungry. The boy even said that have some cup of tea as you do not like whatever you get here to eat. And surprisingly that was purely true after leaving Chennai Mr Perumal did not eat anything that is he did not had any proper food just because he did not like the taste of the food served here. Further, the small boy helped Mr Perumal in getting a single room accommodation in a hotel and he arranged a very suitable darshan and he left Mr Perumal inside the Samadhi Mandir to enjoy a peaceful darshan. While Mr Perumal were in the mandir the boy arranged a South indian breakfast and he also arranged his Lunch and dinner too. During all the aarthis the boy helped Mr Perumal to attend them and enjoy the darshan. The very next day the boy took Mr Perumal early morning to perform the Milk Abhishekam to Sai baba, once the abhishekam was done the boy guided Mr Perumal that he can find a bus to Manmad at 8 AM and he even requested him to leave this place soon just because his office friends are waiting for him.But Mr Perumal did not share anything about his friends to him, then how did he even knew about it.

Finally the boy took Mr Perumal to the bus stand and then at Manmad and the boy showed him the ticket counter to buy the tickets to Mumbai soon. Mr Perumal went to buy the tickets and when he returned he couldn't find that boy anywhere around. He then realized that it was again Sai baba and he started crying after saying this. While he was crying the people gathered around and were thinking that he has lost his luggage or something but those people didn't know what happened with him. Mr Perumal was completely lost he took 20 minutes to resolve and understand what happened with him and from then he developed a lot of trust and devotion towards Sai. Before going to this trip to bombay and finally ending in shridi, Mr Perumal use to pray to many gods at different temples but from now onwards he is only a Sai devotee and a loyal one. After the trip Mr Perumal visits Baba temple at Mysore daily and when he retired that is in the year of 1986 he spend most of his time in the temple, due to his loyalty and his true devotions the temple officials asked him to dress Sai baba and do abhiskes.

Later he got a chance to take care of the Navaithiya, annadhan and many other pujas to. And by this way Mr Perumal could serve Sai baba for 13 years and due to some reasons he had to leave the temple. But Mr Perumal was a loyal devotee he couldn't resist offering his services to the temple for 2 days but on the 3rd day of his absence, this priest got a blissful dream. He saw Sai baba appearing and he placed his divine hand on the head of Perumalji. Sai said that Leave your ego and just submit yourself to me, i will help you to build up a mandir and you will be an instrument for the same. He said Build my temple for yourself. Mr Perumalji felt a thunder which has just landed on his head and he sweating very badly. He got up after this he had a smile on his face and in a total bliss Mr Perumal started crying, he had a great opportunity to touch the Theertha Kulam feet of Saima but he did not.Mr Perumal said that he doesn't has money to build a temple. Sai replied saying that No ego, be a tool and take efforts.It is said that from that day every night Sai baba instructed Mr Perumal what he had to do the next day and Mr Perumal followed all his instructions and he was able to build up a temple.

The Kumbabeshekam is performed on the 27th of August 2000.The priest says that the color that is the paint on the walls, the kind of bricks which had to been used to build the temple were of Sai baba's choice. The priest also says that this temple was not at all build on vastu and is believed to be a home of divine mother.He also added up by saying that Mr Perumal never had any financial issues while building the temple, where the funds was also taken care by Sai baba. Mr Perumal tells that his wife was his guru because she was the one who insisted him to go to Shridi. Mr Perumal's wife is also a very loyal devotee of Sai and she has small pratima of Sai, she got the pratima from her father and it is very unique that she use to do the puja to her God. The pratima is of black color and is not seen by one of kind, the priest use to make fun of his wife's devotion until she was being blessed by Sai himself. Mr Perumal never realized the power of Sai but now he take care of the temple and gets all the blessings from Sai baba. There are many leelas done in the temple just like other mandir's of Sai.

Accessibility

Chennai has both domestic and international airports. Chennai Central, Egmore and Tambaram are the three railway stations in Chennai. Chennai is also well connected by 5 highways to all the major cities as well as states.

Temple Address

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple,
No.9, Saibaba temple street,
Medavakkam-Tambaram Main Road
Gowrivakkam, Chennai 600 073,
Tamil Nadu, India.