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Divine Blessing
Sai Miracles in South Africa
Divine blessing
March 17, 2004
By Prinella Pillay
In what is being described as a divine blessing, a staunch Sai
Baba-devoted Isipingo family is experiencing what they say are
miracles in their home - with the formation of ashes and kungum
around their prayer place and walls, and the appearance of candy
and honey dripping freely from the eyes of a Sai Baba statue.
Widowed Rani Naicker, 50, a factory worker of Egret Crescent,
Lotus Park, who shares a rented home with her three children,
factory workers Sagren, 21, and Kumaran, 24, unemployed Nicole,
25, and her (Nicole's) three-year-old daughter Shenay, said they
were blessed a day after the kavady festival in February, when
Sagren noticed ashes forming on the top of a poster which featured
Sai Baba's head.
Since then, the family claims, there has been an overflow of ashes,
kungum, turmeric powder, sugar candy and pink sweets, including
the continuous dripping of sweet honey from a statue. These have
mysteriously materialised.
Ashes have also formed on several pictures of Sai Baba, Shridi
Baba, Mother Mary and on the frame of a picture of Naicker's late
husband, Manny Naicker.
Naicker, a Sai Baba devotee for 30 years, and her family have been
living in a single bedroom and kitchen for about 25 years.
They have no running water and rely on neighbours and on an
electricity coupon, for their needs. But their hardships have not
stopped Naicker from holding a daily service in her home and
attending sathsangs at the local Lotus Park Dharma Mandhir.
"I feel Baba's touch and his blessings help me progress in life.
He takes away my problems. I am a plain and simple person but Baba
has blessed me. When I first saw what was happening, I fell on my
knees and prayed, and thanked Baba for entering my home."
Naicker, who was formerly with the Malagazi Sai Centre and is now
with the Mandhir, said she got closer to Baba after her husband (then
38) suffered a stroke and died about 17 years ago.
Feeling deserted and disconnected, Naicker said she received a "message"
from Baba telling her that she would not be alone "when I am here
for you".
"I never expected that Baba would visit me. As a mother I am alone
with my children, but Baba is our guardian and protector and he is
now showing us his presence." With the dream of one day travelling
to Sai Baba's ashram in Prashanti Nalayam, India, an emotional
Naicker said she would continue serving Sai Baba.
South African Sai Organisation president Dr Reggie Reddy said the
"miracles" were for the people of the house and their particular
spiritual relationship with Sai Baba.
"It is a personal and unique occurrence for their particular
spiritual evolution. It is for the family to realise the
omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience of Sai Baba."
Reddy added that these manifestations "were to realise the
comforter more than the comforts - and the comforter is the Purna
Avtaar of the age of Kaliyuga, which is Sai Baba himself".
Published in The Post,
http://www.thepost.co.za/,
March 17, 2004
http://www.thepost.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=154&fArticleId=375687
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