Shama

Shama belonged to ‘Nimon’, a small village near Shirdi. Later they moved to Shirdi, when Shama was a small child. He worked as a school teacher in the school next to the Masjid for few years and as he grew more attached to Sai Baba gradually he left off teaching.

Shama met all the new comers to Shirdi and helped them with their stay etc. He was the person through whom they could approach Baba.

Baba told the story of a former birth in which He, Bapusaheb Jog, Dada Kelkar, Madhavarao Deshpande, myself (Khaparde) & Dixit were associated and lived in a blind alley. There was His Murushad there. He has now brought us together again.

At first, Shama, like most other villagers thought Baba as a mad Fakir. Sometimes, Shama used to sleep over in the school. He could hear English, Hindi and many other languages being spoken from the mosque. Baba was the sole occupant of the mosque. He inferred that Baba had remarkable powers and began to have faith in Him. Shama served Baba for the rest of his life. Shama became an intimate devotee to Baba in a short period and he became a kind of personal assistant to Baba. If some devotee had any question/problem and needed the answer from Baba, they used to convey their messages to Baba through Shama.

Baba also conveyed His message to the devotee through Shama. Shama, a helpless villager was obliged to depend entirely upon Baba. Baba looked after all his interests and provided him and his children with means of subsistence, comforts, safety, and a position in society. Baba used to call Madhavrao as ‘Shama’ or ‘Bhathacha Shama’ and Shama used to call Baba as ‘Deva’. Shama used to serve lunch in the mosque along with Nanasaheb Nimonkar and he always had his lunch in mosque with Baba. Shama also used to prepare Baba’s Chillum in Chavadi festival. Baba used to have a pull on the chillum and hand it over to Shama, which was a great honor. Shama also had the great opportunity of going for ‘alms’ also on behalf of Baba for sometime.

Khaparde noted with amazement that with every out going or incoming breath of Shama one could hear ‘Sainath Maharaj- Sai Nath Baba’. This was happening when Shama was sound asleep. This showed the extent of his devotion for Baba. After Baba’s Mahasamadhi, Shama lived in Shirdi and served Baba till his death.

His son Uddavarao Deshpande worked in Sai Sansthan for many years. During the course of his service to Baba, the work of moral instruction by Baba continued. Baba himself put it to Shama succinctly, ‘Behave properly’. Shama died in the year 1939. We can visit Shama’s house in Shirdi. Shama’s house is a few meters from Dwarakamai – take the lane opposite and bear immediately right following the narrow winding lane. There is a sign on the building and it is still occupied by Shama’s daughter-in-law. His son, Uddhavrao, passed away in 1998.