The First Shirdi Sai Baba Idol Installed in the World by Sri Sathya Sai – February 1949

Thursday, February 3, 1949

During the inauguration of the Guindy temple, Baba materialised a silver idol of Lord Ganesha and nine gems and scattered them in the pit meant for the foundation stone. He materialised golden flowers and asked the Mudaliar’s family to do the Archana (worship). He then created a Sri Chakram, placed the Shirdi Baba idol and did the ‘Ashtabandhanam’ (a ritual for the establishment of the idol) Himself. When Baba thus energised the idol, it levitated in air for a few seconds and then descended back to its original position.

Sri Sathya Sai in the Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir at Guindy, MadrasOn the day of the installation, the Mudaliars did ‘Pada Puja’ to Baba. They prayed to Baba to give an impression of His feet on a piece of silk cloth. Baba acceded and they applied sandal paste mixed with turmeric powder on the soles and Baba stood on the cloth. When He stepped aside, the impression left was not that of the slender, tender feet of the young Baba; but the long, heavy, ponderous Feet that trod the lanes of Shirdi 32 years ago!

The registration of the Trust Deed of the Sri Sathya Sai Mandali, Guindy, was completed on this day, the 3rd of February 1949, which happened to be a Thursday. Sri B. V. Raman and Sri B. V. Lakshmanan, the singers from Madras were one of the earliest ‘birds’ drawn towards Baba. They were invited to give a concert for the grand inaugural function of the Shirdi Sai Mandir at Guindy. Swami seemed to enjoy their music thoroughly and began inviting them to Puttaparthi thenceforth. Thus, the Shirdi Sai Baba idol at Guindy became the very first idol of Shirdi Baba to be installed in a temple anywhere in the world. The idol at the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi was installed 5 years later on October 7, 1954. Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam – Part 1 (1926-1985)