Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VII | Mr. Kirti B. Desai

Mr. Kirti B. Desai,
Sri Sathya Sai Kripa,
B-40, Ganga Jamuna Society,
Subhanpura, Vadodara - 390 023,
Gujarath.

Tel: 0265-2395022     Mobile: 98253-13065

      Mr. Kirti B. Desai (64), a businessman, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'We originally belong to Panar in Navsari District. I had a diploma in agriculture, and was working as a teacher in Vaghaldhara, Valsad District. In 1967, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba visited Nani. That was on March 30. I wanted to go to have His darshan, but could not do so. The next day, I was in the school. Though it was a holiday, some of my colleagues and I were making arrangements for annual exams. I went out into the balcony where drinking water jug was kept. I poured a glass of water and was drinking when I saw two cars halt at the gate of our school. One aged person got down and waved to me to go down to him. I went to the gate which was about five hundred feet from the building. 'I am Kasturi' he told me, 'Bhagavan Baba is in the car. He would take rest for a while here. Promise that you would not tell anyone that He is here.'

I was flabbergasted. I ran in and opened a room. That was the only room vacant. It had no proper flooring. The school itself was a small one with its building in poor shape. I found a piece of gunny bag and spread it on the unpaved floor. Swami and a few others came in and sat on the gunny spread. They brought some snacks, coffee, etc and had them.

I went on my bicycle to my house and brought a camera. It was of old box type. After sometime, I approached Mr. Kasturi. 'There are 60 boys in our hostel' I told him, 'if Swami can spare a few minutes to bless them, we will be grateful'.

Swami came to the hostel. We placed an old rickety chair - the best piece available, for Swami. He came and sat on it. A plastic bag with packets of vibhuti was placed by His disciples near Him as well as a basket of apples. 'May be a dozen or so may be there in that basket' I thought, 'perhaps they kept them for Swami in the car.'

Swami then called the students and teachers to Him. He gave them each a packet of vibhuti and an apple. He might have distributed more than 100 or 120 apples that day. How were so many there in that small basket? I was taking photographs. The leader of the boys made a small garland with flowers available in the school garden hurriedly and brought it. Swami allowed him to garland Him. I took a photograph. The boy's name is Devchand Tandey. He is now a teacher somewhere.

Then Swami addressed the boys in Telugu. He started on the theme "Thamasoma Jyothirgamaya'. Mr. Kasturi translated it into English and Mr. Suresh Desai translated in Gujarathi. Mr. Indulal Shah was also present.

Swami then called me and gave me Rs.1, 116. 'Get one set of uniform stitched for all these boys with this' He told me. In those days the amount was enough to buy 60 pairs.

He then started to walk back to His car parked outside the gate. I ran in advance, jumped over the fence and stood in front of the gate facing Swami who was advancing towards me. He paused as if to allow me to take a snap which I did. When I got the role developed only two photographs came well, one Mr. Tandy garlanding Swami and the other Swami's photograph near the gate while leaving. I have been distributing copies of those photographs since then.

In November 1967, we had benefit performances of a drama to raise funds for the school. In all we could collect Rs. 30,000 and construct four rooms for the hostel owing to His grace. I kept one photograph of Swami of big size in the hostel.

In May, 1968, I came to the school one day. The school and hostel were closed for summer vacation. Suddenly, I saw a car halt at the gate and I went there. Bhagavan alighted accompanied by Mr. Kasturi, Mr. Indulal Shah and others. He came into the new hostel building. There was a gunny bag spread under the photograph of Swami. He sat there. Within a few minutes many people came running. Mr. Daulat Bhai Desai, now MLA was also there. Surprisingly the crowd swelled to about 500. I had no camera or chance to run and get one. Swami was with us for an hour chatting this and that before He left.

After this, there was no looking back for me. I got a job in Alembic Chemicals. Later I was posted to supervise the garden and dairy in the house of the Chairman of the Alembic Group, Raman Bhai Amin. By that time I was married. They gave me good salary and quarters also.

In 1975, my elder brother Mr. Dinkar Bhai Desai who was a scientist in the USA returned to India. By the grace of Bhagavan, I was appointed as Marketing Executive in a leading Company dealing in seeds. Later, in 2000, I started my own Company. All my three daughters were married. What was I in 1967 when Swami's kind looks fell on me - a low paid school teacher! Now He shaped me into a successful businessman with comfortable income. So I made it a point to go on distributing Swami's photographs of the one I had taken in the school in 1967. I send the photographs free of charge to anyone who writes to me for them.

I got life-size oil paintings made of those photographs by a leading artiste Mr. Jasubhai Naik and presented one at Prasanthi Nilayam in June, 2006. Owing to Bhagavan's grace, it was accepted and is placed at present in the old shopping complex.

When I enlarged the photograph I had taken of Swami in the school in 1967, I found that He had jatajutam like Lord Siva. There was Ganapathi in His stomach. The face of Ranga Avadhuta, renowned in our parts was seen on the top and that of another saint, Sri Mota at the bottom. It was all His grace only.'

-- Mr. Kirti B. Desai

    (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 21.06.2006)