Visit to Shirdi - at Sai Baba's Samadhi

I remember that my own spiritual search started at the age of 13 years when I saw a movie based on the life of Sai Baba. I read books on him then. However it never went beyond that and I ultimately chose a different spiritual path. Still the feeling of gratitude remained within my heart - all these years. A few weeks back I casually mentioned to Rinky (my wife), that we should visit Shirdi - the samadhi and the place of one of India's most well renowned saint - Sri Sai Baba. I forgot about it. A few days later I was meditating in the evening. As I ended, my eyes were still closed. Suddenly I saw him sitting in front of me wearing white robes. I opened and shut my eyes again. He was still there. As I got up, I had a strange feeling within me. Within two weeks or so, without doing much effort and planning, I and Rinky landed in Shirdi. Neither of us had been here before. So both of us were looking forward to it.
As we reached Shirdi and straightaway booked into a hotel nearby to the temple, we went after eating something. The queues were quite long and I was slightly exasperated. Still we edged along slowly. Finally as we reached the samadhi hall, we saw his statue on top of the samadhi from a distance. There was a rush of devotees in the queues from both the sides of the hall. As we went nearer, I found a change in the atmosphere - it was bright, cheerful and charged with positivity. The samadhi has a removable glass window on the sides and you couldn't quite touch anything. We couldnt stay for more than a couple of seconds. As we went near, a security guard motioned to me to stay on the side and then we saw him having the glass window removed. He asked me to come forward and take darshan. There was a sudden rush of people again, but both I and Rinky managed to touch the samadhi devotedly. We were both thrilled at our good fortune. I handed over some money to the guard happily for this favour.
We came out and moved towards the "Dwarkamai" - the name given to then very old and dilapidated mosque where Baba used to stay. It has been repaired now and has Baba's Dhuni (sacred fire) which has been kept burning non stop till date since his passing away. It was his dwelling place for very long and at times when he referred to it, people felt as the mosque was an actual living entity. He often said that it had its own presiding deity that blessed those who entered it and removed troubles from their lives. We went inside and bowed to his photographs, saw the place where he cooked and often rested. I felt a very strong holy vibration from the spot where he cooked meals for self and other disciples and guest. Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder and as I turned around, I saw a lady smiling at me. She handed a coconut in my hand. Before I could understand, she said - "this is for you. It is from Dwarkamai. Keep it with you at your home, it is auspicious." Rinky joined in and asked her again. She explained how to keep it. We both came out smiling from Dwarkamai, thrilled again at our good fortune. There were lot of people inside, but I did not see anyone else getting anything. So I guessed it was a blessing from Baba again. The third place was Abdul Baba's cottage room. Abdul baba was Sai Baba's contemporary and disciple and a great saint. His cottage was nearby. He used to read out Quran daily to Sai Baba. As we entered the room in a queue and bowed down, the moulavi blessed us when our turn came. Suddenly he motioned us to stand aside from the queue. His aide asked me to sit down. I was surprised. He brought some of Abdul Baba's holy articles one by one from a chest and asked me to touch them to my forehead and worship them. The articles included his stick sudded with silver with some Quran verses on it. I and then Rinky followed his instructions. He then gave me two coins out of a mug used by Abdul Baba and motioned me to keep them. Before we went out, he gave some Udi (the ash given by Sai Baba) to us. We noted that some other people in the crowd tried to see the same articles he had given us but he refused to let anyone touch them. By this time, both of us were sure that something strange was happening and we both were being accorded a special welcome from Baba wherever we were going. The next day it was a trip to the Shinganapur Shani temple. The trip was pleasant though we got stuck in a traffic jam for some time while coming back. Rinky left for Mumbai that evening. I had one more day left so decided to go the next day to visit the Upasani Baba's ashram a few kilometers away. Upasani Baba was Sai Baba's disciple and was said to be highly advanced spiritually. I took an auto from the bus stand and reached the place in twenty minutes. The ashram had a serene look. I walked in with a basket of flowers, coconut and incense. An arti was going on with some women singing bhajans beautifully before Upasani Baba's statue. I stood in the line. Again the same thing - there must be around 50 people in the queue and around me but suddenly the temple priest came forward to me, took me out of the queue and helped me to put flowers and incense as if I was some important VIP dignitary. He took me aside and explained where all to go in the ashram. I followed his instructions and did puja wherever he had asked me to. When I came back to the hall, I was surprised to find him waiting for me. He asked me to sit in the verandah for a while and then took me to another building where a Dattatreya statue had been installed and consecrated by Upasani Baba. The place was full of strong spiritual vibrations. I paid obeisances there and later the priest gave a brief history of the place to me. All this while, there were so many visitors to the ashram temple, but he was oblivious of everyone, and only with me. By the time I returned to the auto waiting for me, I figured that Baba was giving me so much importance out of his love and probably to convey that he had invited me to his place - Shirdi. I felt happy but at the same time felt a chill go down my spine. I thought to myself "Are these things really happening to me ? Am I really experiencing all this or is it just a dream ?" I like to think it isn't, and that the Baba has actually blessed this "nobody" with his love.