Railways during Baba's time
During Baba’s physical sojourn in Shirdi, the railway was the primary mode of transportation for devotees traveling from distant places. The Sai Satcharitra contains numerous references to various railway stations and routes, highlighting the significance of the railways during that period.
Understanding the railway system of those days can be quite fascinating, especially for devotees unfamiliar with the geography of Maharashtra. Also, for readers outside Maharashtra, it can be challenging to connect with the railway descriptions in the Sai Satcharitra.
In this article, we explore a brief history of the railway system during Baba’s time (circa 1838 to 1918) and provide a railway map of Maharashtra to help readers easily reference it while following the stories of Baba’s leelas. We also highlight a couple of Sai leelas to show how they relate to the railway network.
Brief history of Indian railways
Indian Railways made history on April 16, 1853, when it launched its first passenger train, covering a 34-kilometer journey from Mumbai to Thane with 400 passengers on board.
The primary motivation behind the British establishment of railways in India was to facilitate the transport of raw materials such as cotton and mineral ores from the heartland to ports for shipment to the UK, as well as to ensure the easy movement of troops across India. Passenger services were a secondary objective, but over time, a vast railway network was developed across the country.
To manage the growing network, different railway zones were created. Some notable examples include:- Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR): The first railway zone, covering the central provinces, which include present-day Maharashtra.
- East Indian Railway (EIR): Serving the northern regions of India, known as the United Provinces (UP) at the time.
Classes of accommodation in trains in British India
When the train service was initially launched (around 1855), there were four classes of accommodation :
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First class
- Second class
- Third class
- Fourth class
The first and second classes provided the most comfort and privacy, and were generally reserved for Europeans, affluent individuals, or high-ranking government officials. Each cabin was a private room with an attached toilet and shower, as well as a separate berth for the traveler’s domestic servants. These cabins were equipped with conveniences like electric lighting and ceiling fans, ensuring a luxurious travel experience.
The third and fourth classes offered only basic, rudimentary facilities and were typically used by Indian passengers.
Third-class compartments consisted of plain carriages with wooden benches, offering minimal space and no provisions for sleeping. Initially, they lacked essential amenities such as lights, fans, toilets, and even bars on the windows.
Fourth-class accommodation was introduced on several railways in 1874, consisting primarily of empty boxcars with windows, but without any benches. These cars were often overcrowded with both people and goods. Due to their minimal comfort, fourth-class compartments fell out of favor, and by the early 1880s, few lines still offered this option. Over time, however, facilities in the third class were improved.
Railway network in Maharastra
Following map shows railway network in present day Maharastra
Kopergoan railway station
At that time, Kopergaon was the closest railway station to Shirdi.
The distance from Kopergaon to Shirdi is approximately 12 kilometers. Travelers would typically walk or use bullock or horse carts to make the journey to Shirdi.
One can see several carts parked in the famous Baba’s biksha photo:
Traveling from Kopergaon to Shirdi required crossing the Godavari River and a few small streams. During the rainy season, when the river was swollen, this journey became quite difficult. This brings to mind Baba’s leela of stopping the rain when Sri Pradhan was anxious about reaching Kopergaon in time to catch his train.
Few Sai leelas
Now, let us explore a few Sai leelas that mention railway stations and routes. With a better understanding of the railways, we can more easily connect with these stories.
The text for the following Sai leelas is sourced from the “Sai Amritadhara” website.
1. The Jamner leela
In the year 1904-05, Nanasaheb Chandorkar was Mamlatdar at Jamner, in the Khandesh district, which is more that 100 miles from Shirdi. His daughter Mainatai, was pregnant and was due to deliver. Her case was very serious and she was suffering from labour-pains for the last two or three days. Nanasaheb tried all remedies but in vain; he then remembered Baba and invoked His aid. There in Shirdi, one Ramgirbua, whom Baba called Bapugirbua, was leaving for his native place in Khandesh. Baba called him and told him to stop at Jamner on his way home and give the Udi and Arati to Nanasaheb.
Ramgirbua said that he had only two rupees with him and this amount was barely sufficient for the railway fare upto Jalgaon, and it was not possible for him to go from Jalgaon to Jamner, a distance of about 30 miles. Baba assured him that he need not care, as everything would be provided for. Then Baba asked Shama to write a well-known Arati composed by Madhav Adkar (Arati and translation of this is given at the end of this work) and gave a copy of it with Udi to Ramgirbua, to be delivered to Nanasaheb. Then relying on Baba’s words, Ramgirbua left Shirdi and reached Jalgaon at about 2:45 a.m. He had only two annas left with him and was in a plight. To his great relief he heard somebody calling out, “Who is Bapugirbua of Shirdi?” He went to him and told him that he was Bapugirbua. Then the person, professing to be sent by Nanasaheb, took him out to an excellent tonga with a good pair of horses. They both drove in it. The tonga ran fast and early in the morning they came to a brooklet. The man took the horses for watering them and he asked Ramgirbua to partake of some eatables.
On seeing the beard, moustache and the livery of that person, Ramgirbua suspected him to be a Muslim, and was unwilling to take any refreshments from him, but he satisfied Ramgirbua by saying that he was a Hindu, a Kshatriya of Garhwal and that Nanasaheb had sent these refreshments and that there should be no difficulty in its acceptance. Then both of them took the refreshments and started again. They reached Jamner at dawn. Ramgirbua alighted to attend a call of nature and returned within a few minutes, but found that there was no tonga, no driver. He was dumbfounded. Then he went to the neighbouring Kachehri and making enquiries, learnt that the Mamlatdar was at home. He went to Nanasaheb’s house, and gave to Nanasaheb, Baba’s Udi and Arati. At this time, Mainatai’s case was in the most serious condition and all were in deep anxiety about her. Nanasaheb called out his wife and asked her to give the Udi, mixed with water, to their daughter to drink. He thought that Baba’s help was most opportune. In a few minutes came the news that the delivery was safe and that the crisis had passed away. When Ramgirbua thanked Nanasaheb for the peon, tonga and the refreshments etc. the latter was greatly surprised as he had sent none to the station, and was not aware of any person coming from Shirdi.
2. Smt. Chandrabai Borkar leela
Smt.Chandra Bai Borkar was an ardent devotee of Baba.
Baba’s kindness to her was very great. Her husband Mr. Borkar never went and saw Baba; but even to him, Baba showed great kindness. In or about 1909 her husband, who was an engineer, was engaged for the construction or repair of a bridge at Pandharpur. His residence was, therefore, at Pandharpur. When he was there, she had gone to Baba at Shirdi and was serving him. One day Baba told her, ‘you had better go to Pandharpur and I will go with you’ and added that there was no difficulty for him to travel and that she should start expeditiously. So she started. She did not know what had happened there. When she reached that place, she found that her husband was not there, that he had resigned his work there and gone away to Mumbai. That information she got there for the first time and she was in great straits and sorrow. She had just a few rupees with her and had taken two companions with her. She had just money enough to take them back upto Kurdwadi. They went there. She had got thoroughly moody and was brooding over the situation. Suddenly a Fakir appeared before her, and asked her what she was brooding over. She evaded replying to him. He told her that her husband was at Daund and that she should go at once with her two companions to Daund. But, where was the railway fare to come from, she enquired. Then, he immediately delivered 3 tickets for Daund and went away. She took the tickets and with her companions boarded the train for Daund. Meanwhile, her husband was at Daund drinking tea and sinking into half dozed condition or a reverie. A Fakir appeared before him and said, “How is it you are neglecting my mother? She is coming down by the train in carriage No. such and such” and gave him the number of her carriage.
He was startled and got up saying, ‘Who is this that is taking me to task?’ and looked up. But the Fakir disappeared. When the train arrived, she stepped down and her husband was there to receive her and take her to his quarters. Her husband told her of the Fakir’s appearance before him and wanted to see a photo of Sai Baba whom she was worshipping. She showed him the photo and he recognized therein the Fakir who came to him.