A temple dream

Shri Sai Akshardham is a dream and blessing of Shri Sai Baba that we are trying to fulfill. It was an early winter morning sometime in January 2006 Baba gave a dream to a child and said “Greater Noida mein mera koi ghar nahin hai.. wahan shirdi jaisa ghar bana do”. As confused the child could be she set out to find out how to fulfill this dream.

Struggling between regulatory requirements of forming a society to getting approvals from the authorities she stood by her will to make this happen. Her parents supported her completely; the family together took it up as the main aim of their lives. The family alongwith few bhaktas who came to their help started on this journey.

They were not sure why Baba gave them this task but they surrendered to him and his wish with full devotion.

March 2008, they got the approval for the land, it was an unbelievable day, something they never imagined tears flew with happiness and faith. Baba had blessed them and made the opportunity real.

Now, the challenge started of drawing the plan for construction. Given how difficult it is to get the maps or measurements from Shirdi. But Baba wanted it to be like Shirdi. It took them months of research to draw the layouts. It was really Baba’s wish how one by one every thing started coming to them. The layout was ready and they decided to build, Gurusthan, Dwarkamayee, Samadhi Mandir, Chawadi and other small temples.

The bhoomipoojan was commenced in August 2008 by the Shirdi Chairman – Jayant Sasane Ji and his wife. Post this event a small temple was created by the bhaktas that became the Gurusthan for Baba’s Bhaktas. Another devotee of Baba gave a murti and helped start Baba ka pehla sthan. 1000’s of devotees started coming there on Thursday and langar started.

Such is baba’s leela…

Now was time to start construction and know inch by inch what to do. Dwarkamayee construction was started in January 2009. For the past one year, they kept debating on where to get the grey and black stone that is in Shirdi.

They went for help to other bhakta’s but was of no use. Baba had something planned. Being stuck on this they all went to Shirdi in April 2009 to ask Baba for help. Without this stone they could not get the same feeling in Greater Noida.

To their disbelief, in Shirdi they were told that it is not stone but work of cement and chemical that was done 15 years ago as a restoration measure in Shirdi. All the work had been done with help of a senior research person called Dr Manjrekar. We were also given contact of Dr Manjrekar.

We spoke to him as he was in Mumbai but when baba wishes something he plans it all. Dr Manjrekar came to Delhi within the next 2 days and told us all about how the paint was wearing off and the walls were weak so treated every inch in Shirdi for long term sustainability. Some of the pictures were unbelievable. While in Delhi he called Rangappa who was the artisan who actually did the work on holy Samadhi of Baba and Dwarkamayeee. They could not believe that Baba actually wished that the same artisan who worked in Shirdi 15 years ago will come and complete his Dwarkamayee in Greater Noida.

Rangappa was asked if any one ever approached him to build Dwarkamayee after the Shirdi work, but its amazing as to how till date he was never approached.

June 7, 2009 – Dr Manjrekar with his team Rangappa have started work in Greater Noida to recreate the holy Dwarkamyee of Shri Sai Baba.

May Baba Bless us all with his mercy and love always.