Not many might know that film actor Raj
Kapoor and his family had a close association with Shirdi. The
Kapoor family as well as the Nanda family, into which the late
actor's daughter is married, also hold in high esteem the legend of
the nine coins, which finds pride of place in the Shri Sai
Satcharitra.
Just what is this legend of the nine coins?
There was a woman devotee by the name of Laxmibai Shinde who used to
feed the Sai Baba daily. As his last prasad, the sage of Shirdi gave
nine coins to her in two installments of five and four each in quick
succession on October 15, 1918 -- all belonging to the period of
King George V -- just minutes before he attained Samadhi.
Nearly 83 years have passed but the legend
lives on. The coins are now in the possession of Shailajamma Patil,
grand-daughter of Laxmibai Shinde. ``The nine coins were with my
grand-mother till 1963 and she then passed it on to her
daughter-in-law. And since 1984, I have been doing daily puja for
the nine coins both in the morning and in the evening,'' says
Shailajamma.
Here in the Capital recently en route to
Hardwar, where she took these coins for puja coinciding with the
construction of a temple there, Shailajamma says the coins were
given by Shirdi Sai Baba to her grand-mother immediately after
Navrathri and even the Sri Sai Satcharitra recognises it as
signifying the nine-fold path of Bhakti.
While these coins are under the safe custody
of Shailajamma, those who come to know of the sanctity visit her
residence to have their darshan. Interestingly, devotees had to go
to Kopargaon, a village 9 k.m. from Shirdi to have a darshan of
these coins till 1997.
Besides Rajeev Kapoor and Ritu Nanda, others
who have had a darshan of these coins include Col. Nimbalkar,
prominent writer and translator of Sri Sai Satcharitra; Shankarrao
Kolhe, MLA, Kopergaon; Sir Anthony Bamford, Chairman, JCB Excavators
Limited, England; Mr.B.V. Mohan Reddy, Transport Minister of Andhra
Pradesh; Mr. Justice V. Ramamurthy, Mr. Justice Jagannatha Rao....
``Earlier these coins were preserved in a
metallic frame but Ritu Nanda helped in the making of a silver frame,''
informs Shailajamma. These coins were brought to Delhi last year and
were kept for public view at the Andhra Association premises
adjacent to the Sai Baba Temple.
The presentation of the nine silver coins to
Laxmibhai Shinde is still recounted in Shirdi by ardent devotees.
``The Baba was very happy with the devotion of my grandmother and he
told her that he will make her name known across the seven seas,''
Shailajamma says. There is a firm belief that anything that had
Baba's divine touch is a sacred relic and is at par with Baba's
potential blessings, hence the veneration for the nine coins.
Another legend, equally famous in Shirdi,
goes like this: Once when the Baba was hungry, Laxmibhai prepared
food and gave it to him. Instead of eating, he gave it to the dogs.
She went back, prepared some more food and brought it for Baba who
again gave it away to the dogs. When asked why he was doing so, Baba
replied: ``The appeasement of the dog's hunger is my own hunger's
appeasement''.
``While most of the time, these nine coins
are kept for public display in my home, they are taken to houses of
devotees for conducting a puja whenever required. For example, I
have been bringing these coins regularly to the house of the Nandas
in New Friends Colony where Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated each year
with religious fervour,'' Shailajamma says, adding that anyone who
wants to perform a special puja for the nine coins could contact her
at goodhari@yahoo.com.
Shailajamma now wants to set up an old age
home at Shirdi and consecrate the nine coins in a specially built
temple inside its premises. ``There is persistent request by
devotees who are aware of the legend to have a darshan of the coins.
That is why I propose to construct a temple where it can be
permanently on public view,'' she says.
By K. Kannan
