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| Shiridi Sai Baba Bhaktas - Kakasaheb Dixit |
Hari Sitaram Dixit, better known as Kakasaheb Dixit, was a close and
exemplary devotee of Sai. Kakasaheb Dixit was a well-known solicitor
with a highly lucrative practice of Bombay and was active in the Indian
National Congress.
He went to England about 1906. There he had an
accident in which his leg was injured and he became lame. In spite of
repeated efforts, the injury could not be cured. About 1909, Nanasaheb
Chandorkar suggested him to go and see Sai Baba, the wonderful
personality at Shirdi, who might cure his lameness. Kakasaheb Dixit
felt, 'Lameness of the body does not matter much, and wanted Sai to cure
the lameness of his soul.'
Kakasaheb Dixit came to Shirdi with Shama from Ahmednagar. Baba told him
he sent Shama to Ahmednagar to bring him to Shirdi.
Baba used to call him 'Kaka' or 'Langada Ka Mama'.
Dixit was
blindly obeying Baba and had firm faith in him. About Sai Baba's nature,
Dixit entertained no doubt. He was 'simply God, whether in the flesh or
out of it, i.e. in Samadhi' .Baba told the story of a former birth in
which He, Bapusaheb Jog, Dada Kelkar, Madhavarao Deshpande, myself
(Khaparde) & Dixit were associated and lived in a blind alley. There
was His Murushad there. He has now brought us together again.
Kaka (H.S.Dixit), Shama, and Dada Kelkar, were all living together with
our guru in a blind alley. I have therefore now brought all these
together. (Khaparde Diary)' This shows that Kakasaheb Dixit had a
connection with him over many life times.
From 1910 Kakasaheb began to stay continually in Shirdi at the feet of
his master Sai Baba. So he wanted to build a Wada for his own use as
well as the use of other devotees. Foundation stone was laid for a Wada
there in December 1910. The work was pushed through and completed in
five months (i.e.) in April 1911. This house was popularly known
afterwards as Dixit Wada. Dixit lived in a modest room on the first
floor and generously kept the rest of the building, including a small
dining hall, for the use of visiting pilgrims. Many people benefited
from the facility - Hemad¬pant, author of Shri Sai Satcharitra, always
stayed here when he was in Shirdi and the Wada is mentioned several
times in the literature. Dixit bequeathed part of the Wada to the
Sansthan and later he gave the whole building to them. Until the
mid-1990s the building was used as a canteen. A small part of it is now
open as a reading room. In a recent extension to the Wada a few of
Baba's things have recently been put on display in a small museum with a
sign above the door: 'Museum Hall'. The Sansthan is planning to expand
the display.
Baba made Kakasaheb to read Eknath Bhagavat & Bhavarth Ramayan in
the Wada and used to send devotees to Kaka's pothi to get the answers
for their questions.
Kakasaheb Dixit, Bapusaheb Booty and others were anxiously
waiting upon Baba but Baba asked them to go to the Wada and return after
meals. They were not allowed to be near him in His last moment.
Kakasaheb took an active part in the dispute as to where Baba's body was
to be put in Samadhi. He mediated between both the parties and
finalized the terms for burying Baba's body at Buti Wada. Baba first
gave only Prasad to Kakasaheb, but soon Kaka began to dine at Baba's
Masjid, and finally Baba allowed him to sit along with Him for meals.
Baba
also gave him a Kafni to wear. Kakasaheb used to wear Kafni at
Shirdi.Kakasaheb Dixit replaced the original mud floor with tiles in the
Mosque.Baba told him, 'Why have you any anxiety? All care is mine'.
Accordingly Dixit trusted entirely in Baba and left everything in His
hands, not only during Baba's lifetime but also even after Baba passed
away. He found that he did not place his trust in a broken reed. Baba
looked after him on every occasion and in every matter.
Once Baba
told Kakasaheb, 'If you talk ill or find fault with any one, that moment
(immediately), I feel that pain'. Thereafter Dixit, who used to be
short tempered, conquered his temper, and became completely suave,
humble, self-controlled, and agreeable. Dixit used to extend his
sympathy for those in need, any creature or person. He was known from
very early days as a very liberal host inviting all people to his table
and even at Shirdi at his Wada, a mess was run and many people were fed
free at Kaka's expense. Kakasaheb at Ville Parle had a number of cats
and dogs feeding with him. Even at Shirdi when he sat for his meal, cats
would come, and he would offer them food with the fullest feeling that
God was inside them.
Kakasaheb wrote a diary in Marathi, which is
known as Dixit diary in which he noted all that Baba did and said, and
experiences of the devotees. Kakasaheb was very largely responsible for
the establishment and progress of Shirdi Sai Sansthan. He worked for
Shri Saibaba Sansthan after Baba's Mahasamadhi as Honorary Secretary. He
started the 'Sai Lila Masik', the Marathi monthly magazine of the Sai
Sansthan in April 1923, which drew many devotees to Baba. This was
mainly his work. Kakasaheb died on July 5th 1926, in the remembrance of
his guru talking to Hemadpant about Saibaba.
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