Sai Baba gets address in London

Dwaravati, 85, Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, London, HA98AU. This will be the address of the first international office of the Shri Sai Sansthan, Shirdi.

The shrine’s trust has put to good use a devotee’s gift to spread the popularity of the saint. Dhiren Bhaityani, a UK-based NRI, had gifted a two-storey building located on a 2,500-sqft plot, in Wembley, London, to the trust. Wembley already has a Sai Baba temple, which is run by the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Association of London.

The building, called Dwarvati, another name for Dwarkamai, the mosque where Sai Baba lived, is a 10-minute walk from the Sai mandir. The premises will be rent-free for three years.

Commenting on the land donation, Raju Vyasbhattu, trustee of the London temple trust, said, “One of our devotees gave us the bungalow to promote our activities. The place, which is normally rented out for £4,000 (around Rs3,00,000), will be rent-free for three years.”

Jayant Sasane, president of the Shri Sai Sansthan, Shirdi, said, “We know Baba has followers abroad, but we did not have a place to set up a centre where we could reach them. After a London-based devotee donated the building for an office, we are really happy. Now we can spread Baba’s message to people living there.”

Sasane added that the London office will distribute the udi (ash from Baba’s kitchen) and laddoo sent from Shirdi.