In 1968 when Vinny Chitluri madam was collecting material for 'Ambrosia in Shirdi', she read somewhere that there were PADUKAS of Baba @ some place near NARASINGA Lodge. The fact was confirmed to her by Amritrao Gondkar (Grandson of Vamanrao Gondkar). Baba used to take Bhiksha from this house. Sada & madam searched for the PADUKAS but the area was full of rubble. One as they're returning from Dwarakamayee, Sada pointed to the wall & said, 'This must be the PADUKAS, as the structure above looks like a temple. ' Vinny Chitluri was aghast to hear this, as it was at ground level & embedded in the wall of the lodge. Nonetheless they removed the rubble & there were the PADUKAS. So they did some puja with incense sticks.
The owner of the lodge provided some lighting, & the nearby shopkeepers lit the incense sticks.
On the 6th of May 2004, the Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan set about widening the Palkhi road.The front portion of Narasimha Lodge was slated to be broken. In that portion PADUKAS were embedded in the wall. They were very concerned lest the PADUKAS be damaged or broken. A vidwan (Pundit) was asked what was to be done if such a disaster occurred.
For three days they stood nearby waiting &watching. Finally the bulldozers came & tore down the wall. A ton of bricks fell on PADUKAS. That evening Adam & Madam Vinny were standing close by. What followed next left Vinny speechless. Three young men, who were the descendants of Shakaram Shielke came over & handed over the PADUKAS to Vinny & others.
They got a van & took them to Korhale. They did Abhishek to the PADUKAS & thenceforth daily puja was performed. The PADUKAS are over a hundred years old. Unlike most PADUKAS they are not raised, but etched on the stone. It looks as if Baba stood on the stone and the sculptor etched the cantours of His Feet on that stone. They are original PADUKAS of Baba. In front of the PADUKAS, there is a small hollow structure.
It is said that Baba during Bhiksha rounds stood there & fed the crows and dogs from the food collected. He then poured the liquid collected in that hollow cup. Sometimes He poured water in to it so that birds could drink it.
The PADUKAS are enshrined now at Korhale Sai Mandir which is 10 km away,transportation is not readily available, one need to go on own arrangement.
Fortunate to have the Darshan & sharing the PADUKAS here as received from Sada to Zohra.
(Details from Baba's Vani - His Sayings & Teachings by Vinny Chitluri).
Shared by Sai Bhakt - Deepa H
