As it happened on 28th Dec 2010
After a long wait we finally managed to go to Shirdi. This was pending since a long time. Mom wanted to go for a long time it was just not happening. I remember the last time we tried to go and had to return half way due to very heavy traffic. This time it was good. Although, Sandy was not there as it should have been (entire family together), but still i feel its ok. We will go once again when he comes back. This time it was Shaurya, myself, Manasi, Shaurya's Dadaji, Dadiji, Shaurya's Bui (intentional) and my nanaji (NC Doherey) and naniji by some old relation but which is today a close one.
This was Shaurya's first big trip outside home and outside Mumbai. Till now he had travelled only as far as Khar which happens to be his Naniji's place. But Shirdi was a 5 hour journey. I was little apprehensive about it initially, specially regarding his feeding and comfort in the cab for such a long time. But it turned out good. He slept for most of the journey as we had started at night (2:15AM).
We reached Shirdi at around 7:30 in the morning and spent some time relaxing before getting into the long queues to see our worshipped Sai. We entered the temple at around 9:30AM and were done by 11:15AM. So it was relatively quicker. Queue was relatively smaller but still standing for almost 2 hours was not easy. Here as well Shaurya was conveniently sleeping. There was noise all around. There were hundreds of people all around chatting and chanting which didn't seem to affect Shaurya.
There was one more thing that happened. When we entered the temple I took Shaurya from Manasi as we repeatedly do to relax ourselves from time to time. It would have been only a few minutes when a thought crossed my mind that I should carry Shaurya thoughout the queue. Another simultaneous thought was that if I could do so, Sai would not let any harm come to him throughout his life. I decided to do it as if entering into an unspoken covanent with Sai. Another thought going on was that its going to be difficult specially when I didn't know how long the queue was and when I had been awake througout the previous night, sitting at one place. So I started and eventually could carry him all through. He was also peacefully sleeping on my shoulder thoughout. I felt good that I could do it. No matter if it was just my own thought, at the end I know there was nothing to lose. And if by any chance Sai had any involvement then I feel good that I could do it for Shaurya.
Shirdi trip ended by 1:30 PM when we checked out of the lodge and started on our way back. But we had another thing on the Agenda and that was Shaurya's mundan. For that we had to go to Panchvati, Nasik which is en route from Shirdi to Mumbai. After lunch we travelled another 2 hours to reach Panchvati and it was already evening by then. As it is winter season, day was already old and was about to die down into dusk. Next big task was to find out a priest for the rituals and a barber to shave Shaurya's head. By the time all this was arranged, the sun was already setting. We didn't know how Shaurya was going to react to this act of interference into his personal property. Half the crowd was in for that he would cry while some like me and Manasi knew that he would take it as another adventure. To some extent both the groups were right. He started off excitedly and just kept on looking at the barber but soon got bored of it and wanted to do something better. As his head was only half done Manasi had to keep him steady at one place which he obviously didn't like and so he started doing what he knows gets things done - crying. Finally the competence of barber and Manasi's patience paid off and we had new bald Shaurya in front of us. We quickly completed rest of the rituals and started back for Mumbai.
A good trip came to an end. All of us were tired to the core except Shaurya :) This was Shaurya's first trip outside Mumbai. First big outing. It was good.
After a long wait we finally managed to go to Shirdi. This was pending since a long time. Mom wanted to go for a long time it was just not happening. I remember the last time we tried to go and had to return half way due to very heavy traffic. This time it was good. Although, Sandy was not there as it should have been (entire family together), but still i feel its ok. We will go once again when he comes back. This time it was Shaurya, myself, Manasi, Shaurya's Dadaji, Dadiji, Shaurya's Bui (intentional) and my nanaji (NC Doherey) and naniji by some old relation but which is today a close one.
This was Shaurya's first big trip outside home and outside Mumbai. Till now he had travelled only as far as Khar which happens to be his Naniji's place. But Shirdi was a 5 hour journey. I was little apprehensive about it initially, specially regarding his feeding and comfort in the cab for such a long time. But it turned out good. He slept for most of the journey as we had started at night (2:15AM).
We reached Shirdi at around 7:30 in the morning and spent some time relaxing before getting into the long queues to see our worshipped Sai. We entered the temple at around 9:30AM and were done by 11:15AM. So it was relatively quicker. Queue was relatively smaller but still standing for almost 2 hours was not easy. Here as well Shaurya was conveniently sleeping. There was noise all around. There were hundreds of people all around chatting and chanting which didn't seem to affect Shaurya.
There was one more thing that happened. When we entered the temple I took Shaurya from Manasi as we repeatedly do to relax ourselves from time to time. It would have been only a few minutes when a thought crossed my mind that I should carry Shaurya thoughout the queue. Another simultaneous thought was that if I could do so, Sai would not let any harm come to him throughout his life. I decided to do it as if entering into an unspoken covanent with Sai. Another thought going on was that its going to be difficult specially when I didn't know how long the queue was and when I had been awake througout the previous night, sitting at one place. So I started and eventually could carry him all through. He was also peacefully sleeping on my shoulder thoughout. I felt good that I could do it. No matter if it was just my own thought, at the end I know there was nothing to lose. And if by any chance Sai had any involvement then I feel good that I could do it for Shaurya.
Shirdi trip ended by 1:30 PM when we checked out of the lodge and started on our way back. But we had another thing on the Agenda and that was Shaurya's mundan. For that we had to go to Panchvati, Nasik which is en route from Shirdi to Mumbai. After lunch we travelled another 2 hours to reach Panchvati and it was already evening by then. As it is winter season, day was already old and was about to die down into dusk. Next big task was to find out a priest for the rituals and a barber to shave Shaurya's head. By the time all this was arranged, the sun was already setting. We didn't know how Shaurya was going to react to this act of interference into his personal property. Half the crowd was in for that he would cry while some like me and Manasi knew that he would take it as another adventure. To some extent both the groups were right. He started off excitedly and just kept on looking at the barber but soon got bored of it and wanted to do something better. As his head was only half done Manasi had to keep him steady at one place which he obviously didn't like and so he started doing what he knows gets things done - crying. Finally the competence of barber and Manasi's patience paid off and we had new bald Shaurya in front of us. We quickly completed rest of the rituals and started back for Mumbai.
A good trip came to an end. All of us were tired to the core except Shaurya :) This was Shaurya's first trip outside Mumbai. First big outing. It was good.
Before
What are you looking at?
The surprised look
After
Very useful info ...thanks for this blog..i am also planning same in Nasik
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