By Runa Naik, USA
Shirdi Sai Baba’s Leelas: A Priest’s Experiences at the Mohanji Center of Benevolence, Virginia, USA
Recently, during a meeting with Mohanji for all priests serving at the temples at Mohanji Centers of Benevolence (MCBs), he emphasized the importance of sharing our experiences.
As an introvert, I rarely speak publicly about my experiences, but quietly note down moments where Baba has revealed His unmistakable presence here at the MCB, USA. Moved by Mohanji’s words, I felt it was time to share these sacred experiences so that all can partake in Shirdi Sai Baba’s leelas.
One of my roles here at the MCB is to serve as a priest, which keeps me immersed in Mohanji, Baba, Ganesha, Hanumanji and Datta’s presence most of the day through temple duties and other seva activities. For most of my life, I stood on the side of the devotees visiting temples, but this unique role has allowed me to see things from a different perspective—almost as if from Baba’s view.
Below, I share some of my experiences where I encountered Baba’s presence and His leelas—moments when He revealed Himself and strengthened my faith in Him, transforming me.
The Fragrance of Sai Baba
Every Thursday, we lovingly perform Baba’s abhishekam, where He is bathed, after which we adorn Him with fresh clothes and flowers.
On one such Thursday, as we carefully wiped Baba dry after the abhishekam, I suddenly noticed a strong fragrance of roses mixed with a subtle scent of sandalwood filling the space. The fragrance was absent when Baba was clothed, but became distinct as soon as we undressed Him.
At first, I brushed it aside, thinking it must be my imagination. Yet the following Thursday, the same fragrance appeared—stronger than before. Week after week, this divine aroma continued, filling the space around Baba whenever we undressed Him.
Curious, I inspected His clothes and the cloth used to wipe Baba dry, wondering if it had been washed in a fragrant detergent, but there was no scent. I checked the incense we had used, but it did not match this unique aroma. There was no physical explanation for the fragrance.
To ensure I wasn’t imagining it, I asked my husband, Ashish, to check. He too detected the same fragrance. At that moment, I knew this was no coincidence; Baba Himself was revealing His presence.
That unique fragrance of roses became, for me, a tangible sign of His grace—a sensory confirmation that Baba was here, blessing and watching over us.
Visitors Sent – Experience 1
I would like to relate an experience of how Sai Baba showed His presence to me. One morning, after Kakad Aarti and changing Baba’s clothes, I received a subtle inner feeling: “Today someone new will come for MY darshan.”
I paused for a moment because it had been weeks since any new visitor had come, and it wasn’t even a day we typically expected visitors. Still, I dressed neatly and also told Ashish to do the same—without giving any reasons.
Later that afternoon, the weather was beautiful, so we decided to have lunch under the row of trees near Hanumanji, enjoying Baba’s prasad with the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Appalachian mountains.
After lunch, Ashish suggested we quickly run an overdue errand, which would require us to briefly step out of the Center. I felt an inner nudge to stay where we were and soak in the fresh air in our land instead. Moments later, a car drove up the long driveway straight to where we were sitting.
A family of five stepped out. They had never been here before, but said someone had told them about the temple. Out of devotion and love for Shirdi Sai Baba, they had driven two hours just to see Him.
Immediately, I remembered the feeling I had earlier that morning: Baba had told me they were coming. What touched me deeply was how He had arranged everything so perfectly for His devotees—making sure we were there to welcome them.
Had we gone for that errand, we might have momentarily been unavailable. After a long drive, the family might have found no one at the temple. But Baba arranged it all, even down to the decision to remain on the property. Through these seemingly small but precise arrangements, Baba again showed me how He looks after His devotees.
Visitors Sent– Experience 2
This kind of experience has happened many times, where Baba would indicate to me of an event to come, but one evening was especially memorable.
That morning, I once again received a subtle sense that someone would visit the temple. These inner nudges are easy to ignore, but I am learning to pay attention, especially since it was not a typical day for visitors.
Later that day, a father and daughter arrived unexpectedly. They were driving from Virginia to Georgia and suddenly felt the urge to visit a temple. When they searched online on Google Maps, our Shirdi Sai temple listing appeared, and they felt drawn to come.
The father was a longtime devotee of Sathya Sai Baba and had no knowledge that we also worshiped Sathya Sai Baba here, in addition to Shirdi Baba. When he entered and saw Bhagawan, he was overwhelmed to tears. He shared how he had been longing to reconnect with Bhagawan.
In that moment, I realized something profound: we think we make decisions and add ownership, but so often, these moments are already destined. Life is simply happening through us – we are not in control of anything. Baba had indicated their arrival to me in the morning, and here they were, thinking it was their own decision to stop by.
When I shared that Baba had already told me someone would come to see Him, he was deeply moved. He wanted to know which Sai had spoken to me – was it Shirdi or Sathya Sai? At that moment, I realized that it did not matter, I had never checked to ask who it was- I simply assumed it was Baba speaking to me, and in that I realized the consciousness of the Masters is one. He felt reassured that Baba was watching over him and left with a full heart—reconnected and grateful. I, too, learned an enduring lesson through witnessing this entire event.
Sai Baba – Not Just an Idol
When I returned from the Maha Kumbh in March this year, where I spent close to a month bathing in the holy Ganges, I fell very ill upon returning to the USA.
On my first day back in the temple, I was stunned. Instead of seeing the pristine white marble murti of Baba that I so fondly loved, I saw Him alive—sitting there, radiating life and energy. I witnessed Shirdi Sai Baba’s subtle body—almost translucent and made of light, yet fully there, without any gross physical form. I felt both nervous and unworthy: “Is it possible that Baba can reveal Himself to me like this?”. I tried to dismiss it as a trick of the mind, although I could not shake off the strong energy and presence I had seen and felt.
But five days later, still unwell and restless from not seeing Him, I visited the temple again during non-aarti hours. And again, there He was—alive, vibrant, radiating unmistakable energy! This vision left me frozen in place, as if time had stopped. My connection with Baba deepened instantly, beyond anything I had experienced before.
Some may know that I have been connected to Sathya Sai Baba since childhood and have seen Him in His physical form many times. Seeing Shirdi Baba in this way—His light body replacing the murti—was a turning point in my connection to Him. It brought me closer to Him in a way that could only be a doing of grace. I still have that vision in my eyes, and it gives me goose flesh when I remember it.
Baba as Aai – Food Miracle
Recently, my health and low weight became a concern. My weight had dropped significantly, and while I had ignored it for a while due to the busy life at the Center, I could no longer push it aside. My illness after Maha Kumbh had made it worse. During Mohanji’s recent visit to the USA, some of the Mohanji family urged me to take care of my health. I knew I needed to find a way to regain my health.
Cooking two meals a day wasn’t possible with the temple and other MCB duties I was handling. Every day I cooked naivedyam for lunch to offer to Baba, and that prasad became our main meal. But dinner was another matter altogether—I never had the time or energy to cook again in the evening. Living out in the countryside meant there were no nearby restaurants or vegan meal options either.
I thought about how wonderful it would be to go back to India, have my mother to care for me and feed me like she always had, and help me put some weight back on. But I knew it wasn’t practical—I couldn’t leave for months, and my mother herself was unwell. I remember feeling a quiet sadness, thinking there was no solution.
For two days, this matter weighed heavily on me. Ashish and I discussed all possible solutions, but couldn’t find any. On the third day, Megha, a sweet devotee who had recently started to come regularly, visited with her mother for noon aarti. After the aarti, as we chatted casually, her mother unexpectedly asked, “Do you need food, I can provide that?”
At first, I thought she was offering help for future catering events, since during Mohanji’s visit, we had handled crowds of nearly 100 people and were looking for more catering help for the future. But she clarified, saying she was offering food for me.
I mentioned how Ashish loved parathas, which I didn’t know how to make, so I requested her to make some for him. She still asked if I needed other food, as that is something she could easily provide. This entire conversation was taking place in the temple in front of Baba.
I didn’t realize at that moment that it was Baba Himself speaking through her. Later, when I shared the conversation with Ashish, he reminded me: “We were just discussing how you needed nutritious meals, and now this has come out of nowhere. Can’t you see? Baba is arranging it.”
That same evening, they returned—despite living an hour away—with freshly prepared food. They had made an additional two-hour round trip just to bring me food that would last me several days. I stood there, overwhelmed and in tears. In that moment, I realized this was not just an act of kindness; this was Baba Himself feeding me like a mother, caring for me when I most needed it.
From that day onward, they continued bringing food, checking on me, and making sure I always had enough. Baba had arranged exactly what I needed without me even asking, without delay, and with so much love. That is the nature of a mother—and in that moment, I experienced Baba as Sai, the mother (Aai meaning mother in Marathi).
Shiva Linga Abhishekam Blessing
Every Monday, we perform a special abhishekam to the Shiva Linga, enshrined outdoors in the MCB land, facing the beautiful Appalachian mountains. It’s a stunning location—open skies, chirping birds, our family of cows grazing nearby and pure nature with a view of the blue mountains! Performing abhishekam here often feels like being transported back to an ancient Yuga.
Inside the temple, we also have a smaller Shiva Linga placed right next to Baba, at Mohanji’s instruction. Every Monday, we perform abhishekam for this Lingam as well. For me, this is one of my fondest activities, here at the temple, as I get to sit by Baba’s feet while performing this sacred act.
This particular Monday, as I performed the abhishekam on the Lingam inside the temple, I found myself, as usual, saying my gratitude to Baba for this opportunity. I silently prayed, “Thank you, Baba, for allowing me to serve at your feet like this.” My mind was still in that prayerful mood as I completed the abhishekam and reached for the vibhuti to apply on the Lingam.
Just then, something unexpected happened. A flower we had placed on Baba’s heart earlier during His alankar fell—but it didn’t simply fall straight down, which is what gravity would naturally cause, but diagonally—landing right in front of me, next to the Lingam. For it to land there, it defied the natural laws of physics.
The distance and angle made it impossible for the flower to have simply dropped there by chance—it felt intentionally placed, as though Baba Himself had propelled it to land in front of me. Taken aback, I paused, absorbing the meaning. I felt Baba’s personal blessing, affirming His presence in the most tender ways. It was a playful gesture from Baba, yet deeply touching for me, as it left me feeling seen and loved by the Divine.
Baba Responds to Love
Our dear brother Sanjay, a priest from Canada, once told me, “Sing to Baba—He loves it.” So, despite not being a singer, I began singing bhajans daily after temple duties. One day, I noticed Baba’s feet gently swaying, as though enjoying the music.
Many devotees here have experienced Baba smiling or His eyes moving, breathing or seen different expressions from Him. One such moment was even captured in the photo seen below—tangible proof of His living presence- where one can see light emitting from His eyes.
Conclusion
Here at the Mohanji Center of Benevolence in Virginia, Baba is far more than a murti—He is a living presence, listening, talking, guiding, transforming, and blessing every soul who comes to Him. One thing is certain: Baba is very much alive here, sitting in His sagun form purely for the sake of His devotees.
These experiences have deepened my faith and revealed how divine grace unfolds when we open our hearts in surrender and devotion. My deepest gratitude is to Guru Mohanji, for without His boundless grace, none of these moments of transformation and connection would have been possible.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 7th August 2025
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