Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VII | Mr. K. Raman

Mr. K. Raman,
General Manager, ONGC,
D 12, ONGC Colony,
Magdalla, Surat,
Gujarath.

Tel: 0261-2875432 / 2721808
E-mail: ramankrishnan21@yahoo.co.in

      Mr. K. Raman (56), General Manager, ONGC, Surat relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'In 1996, I was waiting at the International Airport, (Mumbai) to go to Chennai with my wife by Air India (midnight) flight. An overseas lady passenger came to us and enquired about the flight.

'Where are you coming from?' I asked her.

'I had been to Brindavan, Whitefield, Bangalore' she replied, 'and had Darshan of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I am returning from there.'

She showed us some photographs taken with Swami. I was thrilled. I developed an urge to have Bhagavan's Darshan, but it did not materialise till 2002.

We had booked our tickets to go to Prasanthi Nilayam, but those were confirmed only on the date of journey. I tried to get in touch with the accommodation office at Prasanthi Nilayam, but could not get the line. On the last day I could get contact with the office. 'Come down here' they replied, 'we will give accommodation.'

On arrival at Puttaparthi, a gentleman met us. 'Are you going to Prasanthi Nilayam?' he asked, 'if so I will help you.' We did not know him. He came along with us, got us accommodation and even stayed with us. That was our first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam. We stayed for three days and had excellent darshan throughout.

Though my wife came with me to Prasanthi Nilayam, she did not evince much interest in Swami as she was an ardent devotee of Guruvayurappan. One day she had a dream. Bhagavan appeared in the dream. 'Lord Krishna and I are one and the same' Swami told her in the dream. From that day onwards she developed devotion to Swami.

Initially we were in Bombay. During February 2003, one day, we woke up in the morning and went to make namaskar in the pooja room. There we noticed a small patch of vibhuti on the face of Shirdi Sai in His portrait. Similar patch of vibhuti was also seen on the face of Sri Sathya Sai in His portrait. There was fine fragrance in the pooja room. Slowly the fragrance spread to the kitchen, hall and balcony, gradually enveloping the whole flat. We could feel the sweet fragrance even at the gate which was nearly 100 metres away from our flat.

Many people came to know of this and began to visit our house to watch the miracle. Vibhuti on the faces of Shirdi Sai and Parthi Sai in the photographs began to increase and started to fall down in a heap below in the pooja room. The vibhuti was giving out tremendous fragrance. We conducted bhajans, and gave the vibhuti as prasadam to all.

Later, I was transferred to Surat. In June, 2004 we left Bombay for Surat.

'Now that you are changing the place' some of my friends observed, 'the vibhuti will stop.'

'I have no guess to offer' I used to reply, 'we only pray to Swami and do not expect anything.'

We put the portraits of Shirdi Sai and Parthi Sai in a suitcase to take them with us carefully to Surat. We reached Surat on June 30. Immediately we set up the pooja room and installed the portraits. From the next day onwards, we observed vibhuti emanating from Swami's portrait. We felt very excited and thrilled. Gradually vibhuti started increasing in quantity. We used to collect it and distribute to devotees as prasadam. We assumed that, by the emanating vibhuti, the Lord was indicating His presence and grace. We used to wipe out the vibhuti, but next day, it used to appear again.

In 2004, my mother-in-law forgot to close the drinking water tap. The supply of drinking water would start at 5 a.m. and close at 7 a.m. When the supply began, the water started gushing out. The whole kitchen was full of water up to about an inch height. The pooja room and kitchen are on the same level. There is no door in between. Yet there was not even a drop of water in the pooja room. The water from the kitchen stopped before the pooja room as if there was some unseen obstruction. It was, indeed, a great miracle defying the principle of gravity.

We organized 'Vrath Kalpa' at the ONGC Colony. We used to attend such rituals in Mumbai. We were stunned to see idols of Lord Satyanarayana emanate from Kalasam in Mumbai. So we tried to organize it in the ONGC Colony in Surat. It was a grand event attended by many devotees.

Sri Sai Prasad and Smt. Usharao who used to perform pooja in Mumbai came to Surat and did it here also. At the end of the pooja, Sri Prasad came to our house and gave us 'Tamboolam' (betel leaves filled with haldi). Even after six months the betel leaves remained green! Haldi is yellow. No change. Different figurers used to appear on betel leaves such as Ganesha, Siva-linga, Sanku, Chakra, etc.

Once we had kept the photograph of Swami ( Sai Charan) in our house. Sai Charan was full of vibhuti. In the vibhuti, many idols such as Anjaneya, Venkateswara, Lakshmi, etc used to appear. For the last 15 days we have been seeing Swami in sitting posture (squatting). Even His black hair appears. How can black colour appear on white vibhuti? Swami's Leela!

My daughter's marriage took place in March, 2006. I printed invitations with Sri Satya Sai on the invitation card. The press was owned by a Sai devotee. One of our acquaintances asked me 'you are Iyengars. How did you put Swami on the card instead of Venkateswara?' To our surprise, all cards had the picture of Swami sporting 'Namam'! The printer had not incorporated 'Namam'. How did it appear on all cards?

My daughter's marriage was held against all odds but, in the end, was successful owing to Swami's grace. She could get a job and work visa within a span of just one month only.

My wife and I went to Chennai to the residence of a devotee of Swami (Sai Maa), to invite sai Maa for the wedding of my daughter. We placed the wedding invitation at the feet of Swami's photograph at her residence. She prayed to Swami and said 'either I come, or Swami will come'. There was beautiful aroma, vibhuti perfume all over the marriage hall felt by my Mother in Law on the wedding day.at the time of tying of Mangalsutra.'

-- Mr. K. Raman

    (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 22.06.2006)