Shirdi Sai Baba and Khichdi/Khichadi

A little while back today, I got home delivery of Khichdi provided by a Sai devotee in Puttaparthi. He had provided me a sample of it a couple of days ago. Later I referred to his dish, jokingly, as Shirdi Sai Baba Khichdi, as I had read about Shirdi Sai Baba eating (and perhaps also making, at times) Khichdi.

I googled for Shirdi Sai Baba Khichdi and found that many youtube video recipes of Sai Baba Khichdi are provided as the top results!

[On PC desktop, to open pic in larger resolution, right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]

Eventually I got to a Sathchirata reference link to Khichdi, whose extract is given below.

From http://www.saibabaofshirdi.net/satcharita/sai28.html :

Now let us turn to another sparrow (Baba's word meaning devotee). One lady in Burhanpore saw in her dream Sai Baba coming to her door and begging khichadi (rice cooked with dal and salt) for His meals. On awakening she saw no body at her door. However, she was pleased with the vision and told it to all including her husband. He was employed in the Postal Department and when he was transferred to Akola, both husband and wife, who were devout, decided to go to Shirdi. Then on a suitable day they left for Shirdi and after visiting Gomati Tirth on the way, reached Shirdi and stayed there for two months. Every day they went to the Masjid, performed Baba's worship and passed their time happily. The couple came to Shirdi to offer Khichadi as naivedya but for the first 14 days, somehow or other, it could not be offered. The lady did not like this delay. Then on the 15th day she came at noon to the Masjid with her khichadi. There she found that Baba and others were already sitting for meals, and that the curtain was down. Nobody dared enter in when the curtain was let down, but the lady could not wait. She threw up the curtain with her hand and entered. Strange to say that Baba seemed that day, hungry for khichadi and wanted that thing first and when the lady came in with the dish, Baba was delighted, and began to eat morsel after morsel of khichadi. On seeing the earnestness of Baba in this respect, everybody was wonderstruck and those, who heard the story of khichadi, were convinced about His extraordinary love for His devotees.

--- end extract from saibabaofshirdi.net ---

When I discussed some of the above with the person who delivered me Khichdi just a little while back today, he told me of an elderly devotee in Puttaparthi ashram who had sought advice from Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba about food. Bhagavan told him to make Khichdi (rice + dal + vegetables) in his flat in the ashram and eat that.