Sai Chitra Mala
A Garland of Photos to Shirdi Sai Baba
Preserving, collecting and sharing photographs, paintings and visual memories of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, His devotees and the sacred places connected with His divine leelas. Photos are arranged as naratted in celebrated Telugu classic Sri Sai Leelamritamu by Poojya Ekkirala Bharadwaja Master.
About Sai Chitra Mala
Bringing Pictures to the Sacred Stories
Many devotees who read Sri Sai Leelamritamu share a common longing: “If only we had lived during the time when Sri Sai Baba walked the streets of Shirdi.” What a blessing it would have been to board a train, arrive at the Shirdi of Baba’s day, sit in Dwarakamai, and immerse oneself in His divine presence.
While we cannot journey back in time, we can journey through the sacred pages of Sri Sai Leelamritamu. As the divine leelas unfold during parayana, photographs and paintings of the devotees, personalities, and places connected with those events help bring the narrative vividly to life. They enable us to visualize the scenes, deepen our contemplation, and experience Baba’s presence in a more intimate way.
For example, in Chapter 22 of Sri Sai Leelamritamu, we read about Sriman Bhuti inviting the renowned Hindustani vocalist Sri Khan Saheb to perform in Dwarakamai. When we can see photographs of Sriman Bhuti and Sri Khan Saheb, and even listen to the devotional song “Hechi Dan Dega Deva” associated with that occasion, the barriers of time seem to fade away. For a few precious moments, we find ourselves transported to Dwarakamai, seated among the devotees, witnessing that blessed gathering and soaking in Baba’s grace.
Our Humble Aspiration
To attach a picture to every story, a face to every name, and a place to every leela — Through this visual companion to Sri Sai Leelamritamu, we hope to make parayana a richer, more immersive, and spiritually uplifting experience.
Important Notes
A Seva Offered at the Holy Feet of Sai Baba
This website is a humble offering of Sai Seva, created solely for devotional and educational purposes, with no commercial intent whatsoever.
The photographs, paintings, and other visual materials presented here have been collected from publicly available sources. Every effort has been made to identify and acknowledge the original sources wherever known. If any image or artwork has been used inadvertently without proper permission or attribution, kindly bring it to the attention of the site administrator.
In view of the spiritual nature of this endeavor, I humbly request the generosity of photographers, artists, publishers, and copyright holders in permitting the use of such materials with appropriate credit. However, if any contributor wishes a photograph or painting to be removed from the website, the request will be honored promptly and respectfully.
Wherever possible, references to the sources of photographs and paintings have been provided. The intention is not only to preserve these visual treasures but also to document their provenance for the benefit of devotees and researchers.
Photographs that could not yet be located are marked with a “Missing” tag within the respective chapters. A consolidated list of such photographs is provided in the Appendix. Contributions of missing photographs, historical information, or related material are most welcome and will be gratefully acknowledged.
Despite sincere efforts to ensure accuracy, errors or omissions may occasionally occur in a work of this nature. Corrections, clarifications, and constructive suggestions from devotees and researchers are warmly welcomed and will be duly acknowledged.
The contents of this website may be freely used for devotional, educational, and spiritual activities related to Sri Sai Baba. If you make use of any material from this collection, a brief note to the site administrator and acknowledgement of the source would be deeply appreciated.
In addition to photographs and paintings, the website presents insightful articles on Sri Sai Baba’s teachings, philosophy, and significant historical aspects of His life and times.
Sources That Illuminated This Journey
• Poojya Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja Master’s Online Books
• Sai Amrita Dhara web site
• Sri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi
• Sai Keshar Prakashan, Pune
• Aao Sai Bijlee YouTube Channel
• Contributions from Sri Sainaresh Kancharla