Shiridi Sai Baba Bhaktas - CHANDRABAI BORKER

CHANDRABAI  BORKER

(She visited Shirdi several times from 1892 to the last day of Baba's Mahasamadhi & witnessed many miracles of Baba. Despite contrary medical view, she knew that Baba blessed her and that she was pregnant. Having unswerving faith in Baba, she managed for 10 months and delivered a son when she was 51 years old easily without the assistance of any doctor or nurse in 1921).

Chandrabai Borker first visited Shirdi in 1892 and was an ardent devotee of Baba.  In  one of her visits to Shirdi, Baba gave her his tooth as  a  memento  which  she made into a talisman for veneration. Baba also gave  her a small photo of his, painted by Shamrao which she  preserved in their Bombay house. She  also visited  Shirdi  in  about 1898 when Baba was lighting the lamps with water  only  and  also saw Baba sleeping, in the same year, on small narrow  wooden  plank  (given  by  Nanasaheb Dengle)  with  4  earthen lamps at the four corners on the plank,  suspended  from  the  roof  beam with slender cloth threads. Baba sleeping  on  the  suspended plank  tied  with slender cloth pieces—surprised  as to how  the  plank  withstood  the  weight  of  Baba  and  plank,  without  any  fall  &   equally surprising was how Baba climbed the plank and  came down  from the plank which no body knew. At that time the  masjid  was  not  renovated  and even Sathewada was not existing by then. Whenever she went to Shirdi she put up in the houses of some villagers.

Ramachnadra Borker was her husband. In about 1909 Ramachandra who was an engineer, was supervising the construction of a bridge at Pandharpur and his family was residing in Pandharpur. Once she went from Pandharpur to Shirdi. But Baba advised her to go back immediately to Pandharpur. She was not aware of the developments in Pandharpur but however reached Pandharpur on Baba’s advice and found that her husband was not there and had gone to Bombay after resigning the job and she felt extremely unhappy at the sudden developments. She did not have enough money to buy tickets and on the other hand she had two companions with her. She was perplexed and was in a quandary as to what to do and at that time a fakir appeared before her and told her that her husband was in Dhond and asked her to proceed to Dhond and delivered three railway tickets to her. She received the tickets and then proceeded to Dhond. On reaching Dhond, she observed that her husband was waiting on the platform, to her surprise, to receive her. He also told her that a fakir appeared before him and advised him not to neglect his wife and also informed that she was coming to Dhond and informed her bogie number also. He enquired who was that fakir and then she showed a photo of Baba to him and he recognized saying that the same fakir appeared before him and gave the information. Such was the miracle performed by Baba. This indicated that Baba would watch constantly his devotees and help them in all their endeavours.

In 1918, she visited Shirdi and Baba asked her what was her heartfelt desire. For this, she replied saying that Baba knew every thing and there was nothing for her to tell Baba which he did not know. Her desire was to have a child which she did not express. She was 48 years old in 1918 and her family members, friends and even doctors ruled out conception at that advanced age. However, she knew that nothing was impossible for Baba. Three years later, her menses stopped. But after five months, she observed bodily signs of pregnancy. But doctors ruled otherwise, saying that there was a tumor in the uterus and it required surgical removal which she refused and wanted to wait for some more months. She knew that Baba blessed her and was confident that she was pregnant. Having unswerving faith in Baba, she refused medicines and depended only on udi and water. Like that she managed for 10 months and she delivered a son when she was 51 years old easily without the assistance of any doctor or nurse. This had happened 3 years and 2 days after Baba’s Mahasamadhi,  in 1921.

Once she was in Panchgani and on Dixit’s advice, she rushed to Shirdi on getting information that Baba was critically unwell. She went in time to Shirdi during the last days of Baba and also poured tulasi leaves water in Baba’s mouth during his last moments. She kept on visiting Shirdi even after Baba’s Mahasamadhi and visited Shirdi in 1919 and 1933 also.

Her husband, Ramachandra Borker was an engineer and was working in a small town near Nasik, constructing a bridge. One day Ramachandra came from office with high fever. Being a small place, there were no doctors in that place. Chandrabai being a staunch devotee of Baba kept some Baba’s udi always with her and preserved in a box and knew udi was the panacea for all diseases and gave udi to him. After mid night, she had a dream in which Baba appeared and told her that her husband would be alright, but advised her not to allow him to go out after 11-00 AM. Next day. She told him about the dream but her husband did not have faith in Baba. Next day he went to the Railway station nearby and was knocked down suddenly by a coming train which he could not notice. As the station was very near their house, she was able to see the incident with her eyes and cried loudly Baba’s name instantaneously and then became unconscious. After some time, Ramachandra was brought back to the house and he suffered a bone fracture. Even though the running train knocked him down, it was a miracle that he sustained only a bone fracture for which Chandrabai thanked Baba. In a semi conscious stage, Ramachandra saw a fakir in the house and told her about fakir moving in the house. She told him that he was their Baba who saved him from the clutches of death. She asked him at least then to develop faith in Baba. Doctor later came and examined him and found a fracture in the leg. But Baba appeared again that night in the dream and advised her to apply home made medicine and put a bandage over that area on the leg. She did accordingly and the fracture got cured after a few months. No other treatment was given. Seeing this wonder, their relatives and friends were surprised. This had happened in 1921 during post Baba's Mahasamadhi period.

Baba told her in a dream that her husband would pass away shortly. Though she told her husband about the dream, he did not believe it. As those days were not auspicious, she prayed to Baba requesting to postpone the matter till good days arrived. Even though her husband did not visit Shirdi even once, his end came very peacefully on an auspicious day and this was all due to her visits to Shirdi, her faith in Baba and Baba’s Grace. Her husband passed away in 1934 without suffering any pain while chanting “Shri Rama-Shri Rama” Even after that, Baba was helping her in bringing up her son and in discharging her other responsibilities.

When Narasimha Swamiji met her in 1936, she said that she was worshipping Baba for the last 44 years or so and visited Shirdi number of times.  She also said that she visited Shirdi when Baba took Mahasamadhi on 15th Oct, 1918 and that she placed Tulasi leaf in Baba's mouth before his Mahasamadhi.  She said that Baba's kindness and helping hand to her was continuous and really great. 

Her son grew very well and got married also. She got a temple for Baba constructed within the compound of their house.Her desire was to install the statue of Baba in that temple. Finally in 1958, Baba's statue was installed in that temple. Her desire was fulfilled. She passed away happily in Nov, 1958. Hers was a blessed soul.

 

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Om Sai Ram...