Shirdi Diary Of GS Kharpade: Baba Gave Me A Fruit And Chillum To Smoke From!

23-12-1911

I got up early in the morning but fell asleep again and then got up very late. On coming down, I found that Shingne, his wife and Darvesh Saheb had obtained their permission to return to their homes.

So they left, the former to Bombay and the latter to Kalyan. Durvesh Saheb is obviously very much advanced spiritually as Sai Maharaj came as far as the breach in the wall to see him off. I miss him very much as we used to have long talks.

Mr. Mantri, solicitor of Bombay, came yesterday with his family, four brothers and a number of children. He is a very nice man and we sat talking. Mr. Mahajani, whom I met last year, came today and brought very good fruit and globes of glass for Sai Baba's lamps.

Mr. Govardhan Das of Bhayandar is also here. He brought very good fruit, silk curtains for Sai Maharaj's improved room in the Chavadi and new dresses for volunteers who carry the umbrella, chanwars and fans.

He is said to be a very rich man. There was a little meaningless disagreement between Madhao Rao Deshpande and my wife and my son about living in Dixit's Wada Sai Baba said that the Wada belonged to himself, and neither to Dixit nor to Madhao Rao. So the matter settled itself. I could not see Sai Maharaj go out but paid my respects on his return to Musjid.

He gave me fruit and smoke out of his chillum. In the afternoon I had a little sleep after meals and then sat reading the daily papers received today. Waman Rao Patel has passed his L.L.B. I wish Dr. Hate had passed also: Sai Maharaj says he will get very good news. Tipnis has changed his lodgings and his wife is better. She is not so restless as she used to be.

Ram Maruti Boa is still here. We went to Shej Aarti. The procession was very impressive and the new curtains and dresses looked very nice. I enjoyed it very much. What a pity I have it not in my power to make rich presents of the kind. God is great. At night Bhishma had his Bhajan and Dixit read Ramayana.

(Text Submitted By Sudiksha Dubey)