A New Year Eve With Shirdi Sai Baba in Toronto (Canada)

My Hearty New Year Wishes to All Devotee Readers of This Blog

An invitation of Sai Baba Bhajan Sandhya on December 31, 2009 in Toronto (Canada) was posted on this blog recently. Here in this post, i am going to share how the event had been with photos and few of blissful moments spent on New Year’s Eve and thenafter.

I had been approached by Sai sister Shammi Chopra ji and her husband Ravi Chopra ji who are active members of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada (Toronto), to present a performance on December 31, 2009. It was a dream come true for me and i was very excited for this performance taking it to be rarest opportunity. The whole event was organized in BAPS Shri Swami Narayan Mandir, one of the biggest temples of Canada.

I, with my three other companions cum musicians – Sarbjit Malpuri ji, Durgadas ji and Rajesh Kapoor ji reached Toronto on December 30, 2009. As stated earlier in invitation post, Palki Yatra was to precede Bhajan Sandhya and i was fortunate to be a part of it. Below are some pictures of Sai Baba on His fully decorated throne in the temple, Palki Yatra and Bhajan Sandhya on December 31, 2009. Please wait till all the pictures get loaded which depends on speed of your internet.

How I reached Shirdi while being in Toronto

We were in Toronto for about five days and all those days were very blissful and residents there showered so much love on me that i felt that i was familiar with them since many years. I presume this is what Sai Baba ji called ‘Rinanubandh’ (relations of previous births). Four such families (families of Gaurav ji, Sudhir ji, Rajan ji and Vishal ji) were with us for all five days not considering their losses from being absent from their work too! They were taking us to many temples and devotees’ places where we got full chance to show our love for Sai Baba ji and it was experience of all four of us that our hidden talent was coming to surface. From morning till evening, we were just singing and singing bhajans! Moreover, we sang bhajans in Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Okvielle city on third day of our stay which happened to be first day of the New Year i.e. January 1, 2010.

I had heard much about Shirdi Sai Baba temple in a place called Markham situated in Toronto city. It was my desire to go to that temple and this desire was disclosed openly to all my four Sai brothers who had recently entered my life. As per my earnest wish, we went to Shirdi Sai Baba temple in Markham after retiring from our programme from Mata Vaishno Devi temple. It was an experience of all sorts. The weather was too bad with snow fall and temperature reaching in minus. But i felt very cozy as soon as i entered the temple. More than that, a particular aura was experienced and even more i felt the same smell which touches us when we enter Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi. It was evening time and arti was going on. The idol of Sai Baba ji resembled exactly with that of Shirdi. It has been more than four years that i have been to Shirdi inspite of desire of my heart of hearts, but i felt that i reached Shirdi in fraction of seconds when i entered this divine temple. Not minding the rush gathered for arti, i stepped forward towards Sai Baba ji with an unknown power pulling me. I felt as Sai Baba ji is saying, “Aja, aja Main tera hi intezar kar raha hoon – I was waiting for you since long. Do you not want Me to listen you here?” I answered, “I wish the same, but i don’t know anybody here, how can i sing without knowing anyone here?” Such feeling, rather conversation between Sai Baba ji and myself was going on, as if interfered by Sai brother Sudhir ji, i was asked by him whether he can inquire with management of the temple for a chance to perform there. These were my thoughts 5 seconds ago and now they was taking shape. We, with full consent of Sai Baba ji, got appointment for next day evening at about 6:30 PM after evening arti. My happiness was indescribable in words and excitement was on peak level.

Next day with all devotion and love, i sang bhajans and felt strong presence of Sai Baba ji and being blessed. I felt as if He was busy listening me with silence surrounded around Him. I felt as if this was my best performance ever, since devotee audience enjoyed in all means and also i enjoyed with Sai Baba ji. Everyone present also felt presence of Sai Baba ji and were fully submerged in devotion. These blissful moments of ecstasy were also captured and i am glad to share them with you all. Special thanks from my and my companions’s behalf to Gaurav ji, Sudhir ji, Rajan ji and Vishal ji, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada (Toronto) for giving us this great chance, to all the devotees who welcomed and listened us at their places, to the readers of this post and lastly to Sai Baba ji who considered and accepted me for this great cause knowing fully my drawbacks and limitations. Please have a look at below pictures and feel blessed. Jai Sai Ramji… Sai Lover — Rana Gill

© SAI TERE HAZAARON NAAM