........Today is the 60th year of Baba Moorty installed in Shirdi..It was installed 7 October 1954 by Talim Ji......BALAJI VASANT TALIM Balaji Vasant Talim originally belonged to Hyderabad as his father was working with the Nizam of Hyderabad as building contractor and won several laurels and after the death of his father, the entire family moved to Bombay. After the school education,Talim joined Sir J.J.School of Art in Bombay to learn sculpture and was awarded the prestigious “Dolly Khurshetjee” scholarship and with this scholarship he completed his education in Sculptures.In the Samadhi Mandir in the place of Baba’s photo that was worshipped till 1954, a White Italian Marble Baba Statue, chiseled by Balaji Vasant Talim, a celebrated sculptor from Bombay, blessed by Baba, was ceremoniously installed at the hands of Swami Sai Sharananandji (Wamanrao Patel) in October, 1954 and it is this life-like Idol of Baba that is being worshipped since then. It is interesting to note how the Italian Marble Stone which was used for sculpturing Baba’s Life-Like Idol arrived in India. Once in 1952 the Italian Marble Stone arrived at Bombay Port and remained in the dockyard unclaimed by any body and the Port Authorities then conducted an auction in which some one bought it and delivered it to the Shirdi Sansthan. Thus it reached Shirdi miraculously and impressed by the quality of the Italian Marble, the Shirdi Sansthan decided to use it for an Idol of Sai Baba and entrusted the work of sculpting Baba’s Idol to the celebrated sculptor of Bombay, Balaji Vasant Talim. While doing this, he had great difficulty as he was given only a black and white photograph of Baba. He also saw some other photos of Baba. The physical features in all the photos were not identical and he was not sure of the exact physical features of Baba. Based on such photos, it became difficult for him to make the statue with the exact physical features of Baba as he was not aware of the intricate details of Baba’s face and body. Talim got his tools specially made to order from ironsmiths and carpenters and started by first making a Model of Baba’s Idol using mud clay. Therefore, he prayed to Baba, saying “If Shri Sai Baba gives me darshan while making His Statue, the Statue will be worthy & the devotees also will have the feelings of devotion”. One early morning at about 7-00 AM, he entered into his studio and did not switch on the lights and then he saw a brilliant bright light and Baba appeared in the brilliant bright light and gave darshan to him in his studio itself and showed to him his face and body in different angles and advised him to study and remember well all the physical features of his face and body and thereafter his sculpting work flowed easily. Talim also expressed that while sculpting, he was hearing the divine voice of Baba who actually was directing him in sculpting the Statue into a Most Beautiful Idol of Baba. He later on told about this to Shri Sai Narayan Baba. He sculpted the Mud Statue of Baba based on his vision of Baba. The Shirdi Sansthan approved the Mud Statue of Baba and based on this Statue, he carved the Italian Marble Statue of Sai Baba.During 1954, Talim while working with the workers, came to the finishing stages of marble Statue of Sai Baba and the Marble Idol was almost ready. But Talim found an Air Pocket below the Left Knee of Baba’s Statue and it required to be removed. Removing an Air Pocket from an almost finished Statue was always risky and dangerous as the removal would result in the entire portion coming down suddenly and the Statue would get broken. At this stage, Talim was very unhappy and stopped the work. He also feared that the entire Statue might get broken and his entire labour and time would become waste. Then he prayed to Baba for his mercy and help. Then he heard a voice, saying, “Balaji, Carry on”. He picked up courage and asked his workers to carry on the work by chiseling out the additional portion of Air Pocket. But all the workers refused to carry out his instructions and did not touch the Statue further. Though nervous, Balaji Talim himself took the chisel and hammer and while praying to Baba and uttering, “Baba help me” gave a small stroke on the air pocket below the Left Knee. And to his great surprise, only the air pocket/additional portion came down, leaving the rest of Baba’s Statue intact. Immediately tears rolled down from Talim’s eyes in extreme ecstasy and he started dancing and also distributed sweets to all. Thus he experienced a wonderful miracle of Baba and it was Baba who directed Talim at every stage of chiseling work. Talim was a blessed person as he had the darshan of Baba and also heard the divine voice of Baba.Thus the Sansthan got it sculptured at the hands of Balaji Vasant Talim into the most beautiful Idol of Baba which was installed in 1954 in the sanctum sanctorum in the Samadhi Mandir. It is also interesting to note that B.V.Talim did not do any sculpting work after 1954 till his death in 1970 at the age of 82 years as per Baba’s direction as he was a blessed person with highest spiritual attainment.Baba’s Idol was thus installed on 7th Oct, 1954, the Vijayadasami day, exactly after 36 years after Baba’s Mahasamadhi. It is also interesting to note that 36 hours after Baba left his Mortal Coil, the interment of Baba’s Body was complete on early Thursday morning on 17th October, 1918. Blessed was B.V.Talim who had darshan of Baba and who had thus attained beatitude at the holy Feet of Baba.The finished Marble Idol of Baba was taken in procession throughout the Shirdi village with pomp and gaiety before installation during 1954. Baba’s Idol is so life-like as if Baba is sitting in the Mandir. Devotees like Swami Sri Sai Sarananandaji, Laxmibai, Saguna Meru Naik and others who saw Baba in Mortal Coil and moved with Baba, felt as if Baba had come back alive in the form of His Idol..
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 02:53:59 +0000
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