4.6 - Worship

The obstacles arose from all sides – the Hindus and the Muslims. Naturally Muslims objected to the worship by Hindus of a human figure like Sai Baba within the Mosque with the application of sandal paste to his forehead and the dance and music and in other ways. From mere protest the obstacles mounted higher to a threat of force for stopping worship. But Baba’s wonderful power and foresight overcome all these obstacles. Individual worship of Baba attracted larger and larger devotees from the immediate neighborhood and from distant places. This developed into congregational worship to the highly complicated forms, which are seen in famous places of worship like Pandharpur. All the shodasca upacharas and the Raja upacharas were brought in by the increasing volume of devotees and tended to the wider and deeper expansion of Sai worship. Gradually everything that goes on in sacred places of worship like Pandarpur and Tirupati were developed for Baba worship at Shirdi including ritual, hymnology, music, processions, cars, palanquin horse and pujaris.

Obstacles to worship arose from various viewpoints and served several purposes one of which was to gain time to build up sufficient strength to capture all for the mission of Baba. The first obstacle might be from the modesty of Baba himself as a Fakir who welcomed poverty and obscurity in a nook or corner of Kopergaon, which means a corner Taluk of the Ahmednagar District. Baba’s whole heart was engrossed in contemplation of his Guru whom he always called Fakir; and in the bliss attending that contemplation, thoughts of food and rest did seldom trouble him.