Kaka Dixit’s Diary

My son Gopal’s ‘Brahmopadesham’ was performed at Nagpur in 1910. I requested Sai Baba to visit us and bless the boy. Baba winked his eyes and said, Shama, Bapu (he meant Booty), and Appa (he meant Appa Kothe) will come and I will join them later. Since Nana Saheb’s son’s wedding was going to be celebrated at Gwalior around that time, I was confident that Baba
will definitely bless us on that auspicious occasion and decided to closely look for Sai Baba among the guests.

Justice Tayasaheb Noolkar stayed at Sathewada in Shirdi from 1908 till his demise in 1911. He was suffering from diabetic carbuncle and along with his children Wamanrao who was a doctor, and Viswanath. He was taking treatment at the feet of Sai Baba.

In those days, there was no regular worship of Baba except accepting garlands brought by the devotees. But later on, Baba started allowing devotees to apply sandal paste to his forehead and offer him flowers. It was Tatyasaheb who initially introduced puja to Baba by offering arati by waving the lighted lamps around Baba in an arch and this practice started on Guru Poornima Day and later this became the practice.

It was Noolkar who was permitted by Baba to perform the first Guru Poornima celebrations in Shirdi with all the sixteen puja items on Saturday, 3rd July 1909 where Dada Kelkar, Jog, Shama were also present along with others.

While in Shirdi, Noolkar had no other thought in his mind except that of Baba and he was thinking of having Baba’s darshan continuously and Baba granted this unique ability.

During childhood, Tatyasaheb Noolkar and Nilkanth Ramachandra Sahasrabuddhe were close friends and Noolkar desired his presence at Shirdi during his last days. After leaving the Poona High School, they did not meet but Nilkanth suddenly landed at Shirdi as if to fulfill Noolkar’s desire in January 1911. By March 1911, Tatyasaheb Noolkar’s sickness started getting worse. Nilkanth, his school friend served him with dedication. The elder son ‘Wamanrao’ was a doctor. In Shirdi in those days, there was no hospital or any medical shop. Wamanrao then sent a telegram to Bombay and got medicines and needed equipment to Shirdi and operated on the carbuncles on the body of his father and bandaged them. Nilkanth also assisted as a nurse all the while. It looked as though Tatyasaheb Noolkar did not wish to be cured and he did not appear to be praying to Baba for any cure.

He asked his both sons to sing Bhajans. Everybody knew that the end was approaching. Noolkar desired to have ‘Pada thirtha’ of Baba and Shama arranged it at the midnight just before Noolkar’s demise. At that time Baba said in the masjid that behind the masjid a big star had collapsed. Then Baba came out from the masjid and shouted loudly, beating his mouth with hands. Whenever a dear devotee passed away, Baba used to behave like this. Baba also said that Tatyasaheb was a good man and that he would have no further birth.

Baba always said – ‘I and you are not different. Remove the veil between us and then you will see me.’

Noolkar died at Shirdi in March 1911 at the age of 48 years. Afterward, Tatyasaheb’s younger son Vishwanath to satisfy the wishes of his mother Shrimati Janakibai got a locket prepared, in which on one side there was Baba’s photo and on the other side that of Tatyasaheb. The locket was sent to Shirdi by registered post, with the idea probably being to get it back after Baba touching it and blessing it. When the parcel reached Shirdi, what factually happened at the Masjid, was conveyed by Shama by a letter in the Marathi language, and its English version is given below.

Shirdi
Date 20-12-1912

Humble Salutations to Shri Viswanath Noolkar,

Yesterday on Thursday the 19th instant, at the time of Arati, the postman delivered to Sai Maharaj the locket parcel sent by you. Sai Maharaj took it and moving the box around His face, kissed it. He then said to me, “There are two persons in this” and handed over the parcel to me. On opening the box, I found in it the locket with photos and the letter from your mother. I read out the letter to Sai Maharaj and handed over the locket to Him. He held the photo in His hand for about 15 to 20 minutes and showed it to almost every person who came for Arati, saying, “This person took me away with him.” These exact words said by Sai Maharaj have been written down and sent to you by me. The locket has been handed over to me for safe custody.

My respects to your mother.
Sai Das
Madhavrao Deshpande (Shama)

From the above letter, we can imagine how much Baba loved Tatyasaheb Noolkar. By saying “There are two persons in the locket”, Baba had, as if, equated Tatyasaheb with Himself and certified the advanced spiritual status of Tatyasaheb and looking at Tatyasaheb’s photo in the locket, Baba said, ‘This person took Me away with him”, it seems as if Baba had confirmed that, after death, Tatyasaheb’s soul has merged with that of Baba.