Legend of Shirdi coins

Not many might know that film actor Raj Kapoor and his family had a close association with Shirdi. The Kapoor family as well as the Nanda family, into which the late actor's daughter is married, also hold in high esteem the legend of the nine coins, which finds pride of place in the Shri Sai Satcharitra.

Just what is this legend of the nine coins? There was a woman devotee by the name of Laxmibai Shinde who used to feed the Sai Baba daily. As his last prasad, the sage of Shirdi gave nine coins to her in two installments of five and four each in quick succession on October 15, 1918 -- all belonging to the period of King George V -- just minutes before he attained Samadhi.

Nearly 83 years have passed but the legend lives on. The coins are now in the possession of Shailajamma Patil, grand-daughter of Laxmibai Shinde. ``The nine coins were with my grand-mother till 1963 and she then passed it on to her daughter-in-law. And since 1984, I have been doing daily puja for the nine coins both in the morning and in the evening,'' says Shailajamma.

Here in the Capital recently en route to Hardwar, where she took these coins for puja coinciding with the construction of a temple there, Shailajamma says the coins were given by Shirdi Sai Baba to her grand-mother immediately after Navrathri and even the Sri Sai Satcharitra recognises it as signifying the nine-fold path of Bhakti.

While these coins are under the safe custody of Shailajamma, those who come to know of the sanctity visit her residence to have their darshan. Interestingly, devotees had to go to Kopargaon, a village 9 k.m. from Shirdi to have a darshan of these coins till 1997.

Besides Rajeev Kapoor and Ritu Nanda, others who have had a darshan of these coins include Col. Nimbalkar, prominent writer and translator of Sri Sai Satcharitra; Shankarrao Kolhe, MLA, Kopergaon; Sir Anthony Bamford, Chairman, JCB Excavators Limited, England; Mr.B.V. Mohan Reddy, Transport Minister of Andhra Pradesh; Mr. Justice V. Ramamurthy, Mr. Justice Jagannatha Rao....

``Earlier these coins were preserved in a metallic frame but Ritu Nanda helped in the making of a silver frame,'' informs Shailajamma. These coins were brought to Delhi last year and were kept for public view at the Andhra Association premises adjacent to the Sai Baba Temple.

The presentation of the nine silver coins to Laxmibhai Shinde is still recounted in Shirdi by ardent devotees. ``The Baba was very happy with the devotion of my grandmother and he told her that he will make her name known across the seven seas,'' Shailajamma says. There is a firm belief that anything that had Baba's divine touch is a sacred relic and is at par with Baba's potential blessings, hence the veneration for the nine coins.

Another legend, equally famous in Shirdi, goes like this: Once when the Baba was hungry, Laxmibhai prepared food and gave it to him. Instead of eating, he gave it to the dogs. She went back, prepared some more food and brought it for Baba who again gave it away to the dogs. When asked why he was doing so, Baba replied: ``The appeasement of the dog's hunger is my own hunger's appeasement''.

``While most of the time, these nine coins are kept for public display in my home, they are taken to houses of devotees for conducting a puja whenever required. For example, I have been bringing these coins regularly to the house of the Nandas in New Friends Colony where Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated each year with religious fervour,'' Shailajamma says, adding that anyone who wants to perform a special puja for the nine coins could contact her at goodhari@yahoo.com.

Shailajamma now wants to set up an old age home at Shirdi and consecrate the nine coins in a specially built temple inside its premises. ``There is persistent request by devotees who are aware of the legend to have a darshan of the coins. That is why I propose to construct a temple where it can be permanently on public view,'' she says.

By K. Kannan

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