Natesh Murthy
Vice President. MY SALUTATIONS AT THE LOTUS FEET OF THE GREATEST GURU AND WONDROUS SAINT OF SHIRDI, SRI SAI BABA IN THE LAST CENTURY AND A HALF. Whatever, I was in the past,
whatever, I am at present and whatever, I will be in future, it is all the way the mercy of Baba shown to me, all throughout my life.
My dedicated service to Baba starts 40 years back when my family physician, Dr. Balasundaram, who was an RMO at the Bowring & Lady Curzon Hospital, Bangalore, had taken me to the then Railway Minister, Shri CK Jaffer Sherief. It was for a favour of stopping the Karnataka Express at Manmad, a then underdeveloped railway station after Kopergaon (non-existent at that time) in Maharashtra, enroute to New Delhi
The KK Express was one of the fastest train from Bangalore to New Delhi and also a very long train having approximately 30 coaches at that time (4 decades back). Although Manmad is 60 kms away from Shirdi since Kopergaon was non-existent, one of the nearest railway station in this fast train was Manmad.
Our untiring efforts in submitting representations, bore fruit and we could get a stop at Manmad and catch a bus to Shirdi. Later on, further efforts of other ardent Baba devotees, Kopergaon stop became a reality, Baba has also blessed his devotees with a railway station at Shirdi and also an international airport at Shirdi.
After being satisfied with the greatest achievement of paving the way for Baba's devotees to reach Shirdi, my quest to serve Baba in day to day life became stronger. Later on, I was blessed by Baba to get into the management committee of the Mandir, 2 decades back and started my service as a humble committee member and uninterruptedly continuing to serve Baba as a Past Secretary for 2 terms and 3 terms as a committee member.
My only ambition is to surrender at the lotus feet of Sai Baba and serve him as a devotee throughout my life and until my last breath, whether in the management committee of Sri Shirdi Sai Samaj or otherwise. There is no barrier to follow Baba's path and take the entire country to his fold for the elder generation, the middle generation and the younger generation.
There cannot be a greater satisfaction in life than serving Sai Baba and my living legend is, Shri KV Ramani, who has a face of himself and a heart where Baba is seated and carrying out the worldly duties of his avatar in this century.
Providing 14,000 accommodation for Sai Baba devotees at Shirdi and providing 10,000 meal a day, 365 days in a year and donated nearly Rs. 200 crores for the cause of Baba and also donating Baba's Murthy to over 450 Sai Mandirs, is no ordinary feat. This is what has inspired me to serve Baba more vigorously and more effectively to reach every nook and corner of this country.
I have the proud privilege of encouraging all Baba temples located internationally and keeping in touch with them to update the latest development in the peoples' movement of embracing Baba's fold. I have great confidence that one day there will be an exchange programme where Baba's devotees will come down to our Mandir and we also shall visit their temples abroad and strengthen the ties for the divine cause, internationally.
I am not in a position to list out the miracles which has taken place at our Mandir and therefore leave it to all those devotees who have had their experience of miracles which cannot be expressed in all the forums. Hence, my humble request to all the devotees of Baba to guide the underprivileged and those devotees who are yet to join Baba's path.
Baba's 11 sayings will come true sooner or later to all those who have faith in him and he shall never let down his devotees but shall save them from all miseries and agony.
Once again my sashtanga namaskara at the lotus feet of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and let his blessings be showered abundantly on all his devotees.
Thank you all,Regards
Natesh Murthy