In the sixties and the seventies, this Shivarathri would draw unbelievably huge crowds because of the incredible vibhuti abhishekam [ceremonial vibhuti bath] that Baba performed, and the Lingodbhavam [bringing out the Lingam] that followed. Here are two accounts of the abhishekam, one by Kasturi who was privileged to participate in it, and another by Howard Murphet the Australian devotee who was simply stunned by the whole event.
Baba sometimes performs Abhishekam or ceremonial bath for the silver figure of His 'previous body' [i.e., the idol of Shirdi Baba], that is kept in the Mandir. A small wooden pot, artistically carved and painted, is filled with vibhuti for this purpose. Baba holds this pot upside down over the idol, puts His hand inside the pot and twirls it, so as to make the vibhuti flow evenly. Miraculously, the pot does not get emptied!
The flow continues as long as His hand is inside, long after the original quantity has been exhausted. The twirling process brings down fresh showers of vibhuti, from the pot. When Baba withdraws His hand to switch over to the other one, the flow momentarily stops; but once the other hand is inserted, the flow resumes! This goes on till huge quantities of vibhuti have been poured on the idol, and the pile of vibhuti has mounted to unexpected heights.
Year by year, the size of the Sivarathri crowd began to increase until it became almost impossible to manage. And then in 1977, Baba suspended the Lingodbhavam. Twenty two years later, out of compassion for the devotees, He revived the Lingodbhavam; on 15th February, 1999, He brought out the golden Lingam, Hiranyagarbha. He did likewise in the years 2000 and 2001 also.
The vibhuthhi abhishekam and the lingodbhavam were two miracles which were witnessed by a large number of fortunate people. There others which baba perfomed in privte gatherings…one such unique visiting card was given in Dwaraka, the holy city built by lord Krishna….
In May 1968, Baba went to the princely state of Jamnagar, in response to the prayers of the Prince, the Jamsaheb and his consort, popularly known as the Rajmata. Jamnagar forms a part of the present Gujarat State, and is famed for its many holy places such as Dwaraka, the city built by Krishna, and Somnath where the famous Siva Temple was repeatedly raided for its wealth by invading hoards and tribals from Afghanistan.
Swami arrived in Jamnagar from Bombay on 14th May by a chartered plane, and on the following day left for Dwaraka [the city built by Krishna], accompanied by the members of His party, other devotees and the Rajmata [Queen Mother] of the erstwhile Princely State of Nawanagar. ….. The residents of Dwaraka and Sai devotees from other towns packed every inch of available space in the Krishna Temple, long before Baba arrived. While Baba could easily enter the Temple, the others were pushed, crushed, jostled, and squeezed. Seeing the plight of those who came with Him, Baba came out and drove away.
While returning to Jamnagar in the evening, Baba suddenly said, "Look! The sea is here!" The cars stopped. The party went to the beach where after strolling for some time, everyone sat down on the sand. Baba then heaped the soft sand to a height of about half a metre in front of Him, putting all into a state of extreme expectancy. He then flattened the heap, and drew a pattern on it. "It is ready', He said, wiping the sand from His hands. He then dug His hands deep into the pile and drew forth a bright golden image of Krishna approximately 25 cm high. It was the image of Krishna playing the flute, the very acme of goldsmith's art and craftsmanship. "You did not get the Darshan of Krishna in the Temple; have it now!" He said. For devotees, it was a moment of supreme ecstasy.
Sai Students: All of a sudden, waving His hand, Swami materialised a huge golden Lingam. The lingam was awesome by its sheer size alone! He handed it over to Dr. Goldstein with some instructions. He asked for a cover and wrapped the lingam in the cover. He told him to perform the Abhishekam or the holy bath for the diety. Promising further instructions later, Swami displayed the lingam for all the eager devotees to have a look at. There were gasps and shrieks. It is true that in highest happiness, man does not know how to react. The mixture of spontaneous reactions was something that must have been seen and heard to be truly experienced! Blessing all the devotees, Swami accepted Aarati and returned to His residence at 7.30 pm while prasadam was distributed.
Sai Students: At the end of His Discourse, He went to the interview room briefly, and returned with Dr. Goldstein in tow. Swami took the lingam that He had given to Dr. Goldstein last evening and displayed it to everyone. He then created vibhuti and sprinkled it on the lingam, and it was the perfect Abhishekam. He again created some more of the holy Vibhuti and asked Dr. Goldstein to immediately put all of it into his mouth. He announced that He’s giving the lingam to Dr. Goldstein for him to distribute the water from washing the lingam to those who are unwell. There was thunderous claps and joyous shouts of Jaijaikars as Swami said that. He then asked for the evening’s cultural programme to begin.
