Trader goes back on promise and holds on to idol of Shirdi Sai Baba which, he claimed, miraculously opened its left eye last year
Trader goes back on promise and holds on to idol of Shirdi Sai Baba which, he claimed, miraculously opened its left eye last year
The man who promised to give away the image of Shirdi Sai Baba that is said to have miraculously opened its left eye last year is doing no such thing.u00a0
Apart from promising to give the marble idol to Shirdi, A Babu, a phenyl trader, had also promised to give away the money that poured in after he made the "miracle" public.
According to him, his wife and son were washing the image when the miracle took place.
An observer had put the collection at about Rs 5 lakh though Babu said he collected only Rs 90,000.
Money distributed
Babu says he's distributed the money to various matts and charities Rs 25,000 to Shirdi Sai Baba temple, Rs 15,000 to Ramanasri Blind School, Rs 20,000 to Siddaganga Matt and Rs 10,000 to Karnataka Blind Welfare Association.
He doesn't remember where the rest of the money went. "I sent 13 people, who worked for me when the miracle happened, on a free trip to Shirdi. Maybe the money wentu00a0 there," he said.
On why he was keeping the idol with him, he said, "Baba blessed me at my house, and should be there with me."
When MiD DAY reminded him of his promise that he would send it to Shirdi, he said, "It is Baba's order that he must be with me."
He said he was not allowing devotees to come and worship the idol.
Controversy
Meanwhile, Sureswarananda Bharathi, pontiff of Gosai Mutt, is accusing Babu of having cooked up a miracle so that he could continue living on disputed land.
"The house in Babu's possession has been built on land that belongs to us. The court has clearly said this. When we filed an execution suit, Babu instigated the others to file objections. He created the miracle drama and is keeping the idol with him," he said.
The background
Gosai Mutt, a 500-year-old religious institution, had staked claim on 17 acres in Gavipuram which the court had decreed in its favour. Babu's house stood on that land.
The muzrai department issued notices to some 80 litigants, including Babu, asking them to follow the court order and leave.
Babu had taken the lead in filing objections against the order. The case is pending.
'Can't stop me'
Babu was livid when MiD DAY asked him if the swamiji's allegations were true. He said there was no litigation over the land.
"The swamiji is a cheat. Ask him to show you the documents and then come to me. We are paying tax and nobody can evict us," he said.
Babu said he had no intention of building a temple at his house, but hinted he could change his mind.
"I wanted to give the idol to Shirdi temple. But Baba's wish is something else.u00a0 If he orders me to build a house for him here, nobody can stop me," he declared.
Mutt history
>>Go and Sai are Marathi words. Go means sense organs, and Sai means one who has mastered them. Gosai means a saint.
ADVERTISEMENT
>>Shahji Rao Bhonsle, father of emperor Shivaji and chieftain of Bangalore in the 16th century, donated 51 acres to a seer to set up the Gosai Mutt at Gavipuram.u00a0
>>The Karnataka government acquired the matt's land in 1974. The matt moved the courts, which decreed in its favour in 1989. But the court said 34 acres should remain with the BDA.u00a0 Several unauthorised buildings had come up on the matt's land by then.
>>The matt moved an execution petition in 1996, and the court ordered a fresh survey.
>>In 1998, the survey report was submitted. It identified illegal constructions, and Babu's house was among them. In 1999, Babu led a group that filed a petition against the order.
Babu who?
Babu has lived in the south Bangalore neighbourhood of Gavipuram for over 30 years.
People in the area say he was booked for extortion and other crimes.
He recently set up a small home unit to produce phenyl and other chemicals.
Kempe Gowda Nagar police said there is no case pending against him.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
