Kopargaon is around 9 miles from Shirdi (SSS Chapter 4) and to visit Shirdi one has to cross Kopergaon. As stated in the Sai Satcharitra, the fame of Saibaba spread throughout India and devotees from various places visited Shirdi. We have read about devotees coming from North, South, East, and West of India to Shirdi. Kopargaon is a very important place for the devotees of Saibaba even today. The trains arriving at Shirdi have to cross Kopargaon. In the days when Saibaba was physically present the only link to Shirdi was through Kopargaon. Hundred years ago Kopargaon was a full-fledged railway station and sole mode of transport back then.
To visit Shirdi pure devotion like Kopar (tender coconut inside) and 9 miles which meant 9 types of devotion is needed as enumerated in Sai Satcharitra. Today Kopargaon is a holy place and is a town and municipality located in Ahmednagar District of State of Maharashtra on the banks of river Godavari. The one and only temple of Daityaguru Shukracharya (Demons Guru) is located at Kopargaon. During Baba’s mortal times, a vidya or an art called Sanjivani Vidya was performed here to bring a dead person back alive. The main feature of this temple is any of the pooja, vidhi, marriage, Narayan Nag bali poojan, kal sarpa poojan can be performed here without any muhurat (auspicious time) and with best effects as said in Hindu holy books.
Other Saints who have considered the place holy include Janardhan Maharaj and Jungli Maharaj. Kopargaon was once recognized by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru as the Sugar bowl of the country
Chapter 6
Shri Gopalrao Gund who was a Circle Inspector at Kopargaon a great devotee of Baba had three wives, but had no children. With Sai Baba’s blessings, he was blessed with a son. Overjoyed he planned an event of celebrating a fair or ‘Urs’. He placed the idea for consideration before other Shirdi devotees. They all approved of the idea and got Sai Baba’s permission and blessings in the year 1897. (The concept of Urs exists even to this day and is celebrated with enthusiasm. The devotees refer to their saints as lovers of God, the beloved. The celebration of Urs in many cases includes the singing of religious music such as Qawwali. The celebration also features food samples, bazaar, and various kinds of shops).
Chapter 9
Tatya Kote Patil wanted to go to Kopargaon bazaar (village fair) in a Tonga (a horse-driven carriage). He hastily came into the Masjid, saluted Baba and said that he is going to Kopargaon bazaar. Baba the Omniscient Omnipresent said, “Don’t make haste, stop a little, let go the bazaar, don’t go out of the village”. On seeing his anxiety to go, Baba asked him at least to take Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) along with him. Not giving any heed to Baba’s instructions Tatya Kote left. One of the horses was very active and restless after passing Sawul well, it began to gallop rashly and a sprain in its waist made it fall. The impact made Tatya fall off the carriage but he was not seriously hurt. However, he was reminded of Baba’s words and repented for not heeding to them.
Chapter 29
It was in the year 1916 that a Madrasi Bhajani Mela (Party of the Ramadasi Panth) started on a Pilgrimage to the holy city of Banaras. The Party consisted of a man, his wife, daughter, and sister-in-law. On their way, the party heard that there lived at Shirdi in Kopargaon Taluka, Ahmednagar District, a great sage named Sai Baba, who was calm and composed and was very liberal in distributing money every day to His Bhaktas and to skillful persons, who went and showed their skill there.
Chapter 33
This Leela is very famous and favourite of Sai devotees. Nana Chandorkar was at Jamner in 1904, working as Mamlatdar. His daughter Mainatai, who had come for her childbirth was undergoing deathlike pangs of labour for a number of days in spite of efforts of midwives and other religious remedies like Nava chandi Havana etc. Baba’s grace was being begged by Nana by incessant prayers. Baba was at Shirdi. He heard the call of Nana. Shri Ramgirbuva Gosavi (Bapugir) was leaving Shirdi by this time to reach his home village. Baba gave him Adkar’s Aarti and Udi and asked him to stay at Nana’s house for a couple of days before proceeding to his home village. Bapugir had only two rupees with him which was hardly sufficient to purchase a railway ticket from Kopargaon to Jalgaon. He did not know how to reach Jamner. Baba assured him of Allah’s help. When Bapugir got down at Jalgaon, a tonga driver came seeking him. He carried him to Jamner and disappeared. This was Baba’s Leela. Bapugir gave Udi to Mainatai. Nana sung the Aarti before Baba’s shrine and prayed. Miraculously, Mainatai was saved. She delivered a male child who was hale and hearty.
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