Divine mother Shivamma Thayee
–Santhipriya-
Many in Sri Shirdi Sai Baba family may not be unaware about one of the greatest female disciples of Shirdi Sai Baba ‘Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee’; Her life story and work rendered for the services of Shirdi Sai Baba is now slowly spreading amongst the devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. Most of the devotees know about ‘Divine Mother Radhakrishna Mai’ who was staying with Shri Shirdi Sai Baba in Shirdi itself. Born in the year 1899, she was married at the age of seventeen and within eight days of her marriage her husband died. Broken and shaken at heart and mind, she ran away from home, travelled to many places in India to finally reach Shirdi sometime in the year 1907, where Shri Shirdi Sai Baba gave her asylum and asked her to stay in a house in between Dwaragamai and Chavadi. Thereafter she remained there and merged with her master Shri Shirdi Sai Baba.
Baba reportedly once told Justice Rege, Baba’s ardent devotee, that ‘Divine Mother Radhakrishna Mai’ was like his mother and that after her death, she merged with him. Perhaps because she stayed in Shirdi, the devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba always believed that ‘Divine mother Radhakrishna Mai’ was the only female disciple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba and never had a chance to know of ‘Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee who was settled faraway in south.
When Baba was alive, he was revered and respected very high mostly in the state of Maharashtra. Baba was rarely known in other regions and his fame spread far and wide in other parts of the country, particularly in the southern parts of India only after the tireless campaign undertaken by one Shri Poojyashri Narasimha Swamiji who built a massive temple for Shri Shirdi Sai Baba in the center of the then Chennai called Madras and established several Sai Centers and spread the fame of Shri Sai Baba thorough lectures, discourses and released books on him. It was surprising that even reference on him was not found in the Sai Charithra and other books on Shri Shirdi Sai Baba which describe the early period of Shri Baba. What to say of Shivamma Thayee.
Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee, is reportedly the only known direct female disciple of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba from the southern region. She was born on 29-05-1889 in a remote village called Vellaikinaru in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. She belonged to Gounder, a predominant community engaged in business and agricultural activities in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. Her father Shri Velappa Gounder was a farmer married to Pushpavathi Ammal (Ammal represents married women) gave birth to two sons and two daughters. They lived with the brother’s family as joint family system was in vague in that period of time. Out of the four children born to Srimathi Pushpavathi, the eldest was Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee and was named as Rajamma when she was born. Pushpavathi Ammal gave birth to four children, the eldest amongst them being Shivamma Thayee. Her original name was Rajamma.
Her father’s brother Shri Thangavel Gounder, was strongly spiritual minded and reportedly took sanyas and left home at early days after marriage. He was deeply devoted to Shirdi Sai Baba. The entire family were united and enjoyed their life in a simpler manner. Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee grew in the normal manner in the family and perhaps did not take up much education at any school. Neither the details of her education nor life in her early ages is available as they have not been compiled by any anyone; it was also surprising that Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee herself did not speak about it to anyone. During the rule of British, there were very less schools in the villages and therefore Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee may not have studied beyond few standards; it is stated that she had learnt the art of reading and writing in Tamil only to some extent.
In those times, it was customary across various castes and religions for families to arrange marriages for girls as soon as they reached puberty. The child marriage was very common. It was therefore not surprising that in the year 1904, at the age of thirteen, Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee was married to one Shri Subbaiah Gounder who was working in a mill. The couple bore a male child called Shri Maniraj within a year of their marriage. Shri Subbaiah was working in a factory in Coimbatore. He was by nature very strict and short tempered. He never used to mix with anyone easily and was dominating personality. Her Shivamma Thayee did not lead a happy married life as he was stubborn and not adjusting in nature.
Shri Thangavel Gounder, spiritual in nature was ardent disciple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, who in that period of time was very popular only in western region in India. Many saints used to visit Shri Thangavel Gounder and their presence influenced the heart and mind of Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee to get attracted towards spirituality even after marriage. Shri Thangavel Gounder reportedly brought Shri Shirdi Sai Baba to Pollachi town near Coimbatore in the year 1906. Shri Shirdi Sai Baba reportedly was then in his seventies, but this is also unclear as the birth details of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is also shrouded in mystery. On arrival of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, prayer meetings were arranged in Coimbatore and Shri Shirdi Sai Baba stayed there for two days. Shivamma Thayee was fifteen years of age when Shri Shirdi Sai Baba visited Coimbatore.
At the end of the meeting on the first day, Shri Thangavel Gounder requested Shri Shirdi Sai Baba that several of his community members were present in the gathering, which included boys and girls in the age of fifteen. They were seated in the front row to listen to Baba’s sermons. At the end of the meeting Shri Thangavel Gounder requested Sai Baba to give initiation to one of the boys and girls belonging to his community. Six young ladies and gents from the gathered family members including Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee were called near Shri Shirdi Sai Baba to enable him pick up one for initiation and Shri Shirdi Sai Baba unhesitatingly chose Shivamma Thayee as his disciple and initiated her into spiritual world by chanting Gayathri Mantra into her ears. According to the self-confession of Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee to one of the journalists who spoke to her, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba wrote the Gayathri mantra on a piece of paper and gave it to her after initiating it verbally. It was indeed historical event that at the request of a disciple, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba initiated Gayathri Mantra to a female where in in that period of time only male members were permitted to chant Gayathri Mantra!! Perhaps in the life of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba the only female who had taken initiation of Gayathri Mantra from Shri Baba was Rajamma (Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee) but there is not a single reference in the life story and history of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba that a female has taken initiation of a mantra from Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. However, Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee then known as Rajamma became the direct disciple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba by default.
It will be interesting to hear that beginning from 1858 to 1918, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba had never crossed the boundary of Shirdi town in Maharashtra, but since Shri Shirdi Sai Baba was reportedly an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya, he used to appear in person simultaneously at several places at the request of his devotees at any given point of time. Few of the spiritual masters with their Yogic siddhi powers appeared in their original form simultaneously in different places; it can be read in their biographies. If you read the life story of divine incarnate Shri Manik Prabhu of Humnabad near then Hyderabad, said to be fourth incarnate of Lord Dattatreya, you can read that he used to appear in many places simultaneously at one point of time. Hence, it is not surprising to read that Shri Shirdi Sai Baba too may have visited Coimbatore, may be using his yogic power, and stayed in Pollachi at the request of Shri Thangavel Gounder. If you read the life story of Lord Dattatreya, you will find that he used to appear in his original form simultaneously in many places. Therefore, it is not surprising to read Shri Shirdi Sai Baba believed to be the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya, though believed to have not crossed the boundary of Shirdi, may have certainly visited Coimbatore staying in Shirdi.
As days passed Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee became deeply devoted to Shri Shirdi Sai Baba and desired to meet him quite often, but unfortunately her husband was non-cooperative and disbelieved the spiritual nature and power of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba and objected to her first meeting with him. However, after persuasion he agreed to meet Shri Shirdi Sai Baba in Shirdi along with Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee. When she was around seventeen years of age, she went to Shirdi and met Shri Shirdi Sai Baba along with her family. She reportedly experienced the first miracle of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba on her first journey itself to Shirdi by train.
In those times, women would consume betel leaves along with areca nuts and calcium powder to aid digestion after meals. One of the maids of Shivamma Thayee accompanied her as an escort, and at Raichur station, Shivamma Thayee purchased a ready-made pack of the same mixture (betel nut wrapped with areca nut and calcium powder), known as ‘Beeda’ in Tamil and Hindi. However, the maid spat it out after chewing for a bit because the flavor was unpleasant. Moments later, an unfamiliar elderly gentleman who had been sleeping on the upper berth not only descended but also, without being asked, offered a handful of delicious ready-to-eat Beedas before returning to his place. After enjoying the treat, they looked for him in the upper berth to express their gratitude, but he was nowhere to be found. Upon arriving in Shirdi and sharing this peculiar incident with a devoted follower of Shri Sai Baba, they learned that such extraordinary occurrences were typical of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba’s divine plays to reveal his presence to his devoted followers. Shivamma Thayee felt overjoyed to hear this. Later that evening, when she met Shirdi Sai Baba, he greeted her in Tamil, asking, ‘Are you well?’. Following her initial visit to Shirdi, her devotion to Shri Shirdi Sai Baba grew stronger with each passing day, and she constantly yearned to see him in person.
Shivamma Thayee shared to a journalist few of her personal experiences with Shirdi Sai Baba. Shri Shirdi Sai Baba began communicating with Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee regularly, albeit in an invisible manner, speaking in Tamil since she was not familiar with any other language. Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee expressed that she was among the fortunate individuals who received cooked food directly from Shirdi Sai Baba’s hands when he mixed and took out gruel from the boiling pot to serve his devotees. This event is one of the most captivating tales found in the life story of Shirdi Sai Baba. After spending a few days in Shirdi, she returned home. Shivamma Thayee recounted witnessing Shri Shirdi Sai Baba performing Kanda Yoga, where the intestines are removed, cleaned, and then reinserted into the body, as well as another yoga practice where all body parts are extracted, allowing Shri Shirdi Sai Baba’s soul to float in the air for a while before being restored to his again body. Soon Shivamma became so attached to her Guru, that she started chanting his name in her household and thus grew disinterested in regular out-worldly life. She says ‘Baba treated me as a daughter and showered his grace on me. On many occasions, I was the sole witness to his miracles. Another yoga which she witnessed Baba swallowing a long cloth, about 20 feet, and then pull it out of his mouth. This Shirdi Sai Baba told her was meant clean the intestines.
She As time went on, her family relocated to Bangalore due to her husband’s job change, settling in a neighborhood called Chamrajpet. Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee became increasingly spiritual, making three to four trips to Shirdi each year, which led her to distance herself from worldly pleasures. Her husband was against her frequent visit to Shirdi to meet Shirdi Sai Baba and there were frequent altercations between them on this issue; She firmly told her husband that Shirdi Sai Baba was her Guru and mentor and therefore she would not listen to him. At home se used to keep chanting the name of Shirdi Sai Baba in the name of parayan and frequently went to Shirdi. Her husband desired normal family life with sensual pleasures. However, as the Shivamma Thayee spent most of her time chanting the name of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba and detached herself from leading normal family life. Dissatisfied and disgusted with her, Shri Subbaiah Gounder abandoned her and went away and married another lady.
Some say that it was Shivamma Thayee herself who arranged for the second marriage for her own husband with another lady as she could not meet his sensual desires. After Shri Subbaiah Gounder parted the company of Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee she was left alone. She had no option but to go back to her home town along with her son to live with her parents. Destiny did not allow her to remain in peace and in a matter of few years her married son met with an accident and died along with his wife. Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee again had to face loneliness in life. However, her father consoled her and took her to Shirdi many times which comforted her. Slowly her mind calmed down from the wrath of all calamities and she realized that those calamities were signal from Shri Shirdi Sai Baba to get herself fully engaged into spiritual activities with Shri Shirdi Sai Baba.
In one of her trips to Shirdi sometime in the year 1917 or so, Shirdi Sai Baba renamed her as Shivamma Thayee instead of Rajamma. Shirdi Sai Baba told her that the name Shivamma was the name of mother of Lord Shiva! That was the turning point in her life. He further told her to go and settle down in Bangalore, establish an ashram for him and remain there serving people. Without a second thought, Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee in the next few days travelled to Bangalore to carry on the mission as directed to her, but unfortunately she could not find anyone who would either support or shelter her. Unmindful of the misery she begged on the streets and slept under shades of trees and other places in different parts of Bangalore before finally reaching an isolated place called Madiwala in Bangalore, which then was a deserted place, away from the main city. She decided to stay there permanently. Some say that the place where Shivamma Thayee stayed in Madiwala was a cemetery where the bodies of those dead were buried or burnt.
Surprisingly one day a gentleman called Shri Narayana Reddy, who was ‘village head’ came there and spoke to her, and on hearing her story, he took pity on her and gifted away the very same small bushy area where she was resting under a tree without asking any further question. The said land belonged to him in Roopen Agrahara near Madiwala. According to Shivamma Thayee the act of the unknown gentleman who gifted the land was also miracle of Shirdi Sai Baba.
Shivamma Thayee cleared part of the bush to create a clear land inside the bushy place and sat on meditation under a tree. Next twelve years passed and Shivamma Thayee reportedly did not move an inch either for taking food or water and remained on meditation. Curious onlookers used to wonder who the lady was and why she was sitting alone without taking anything? The ants formed an anthill over her. Some of the passers have also reportedly seen a golden shaded Cobra dancing over the meditating head of Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee. Since the lips of the Shivamma Thayee was uttering the name of Shirdi Sai Baba, they realized that she must have been a blessed personality of Shirdi Sai Baba and therefore they too chanted the name of Holy Baba whenever they stood there watching her. One day some of the villagers dared to wake her up after driving away the Cobra and clearing the anthill. They offered her fruit juice and requested her to end the meditation and eat something. Thus, came to the end of her twelve-year arduous meditation.
Heeding to the request of locals Shivamma Thayee ended her meditation. In the next few days, she got the area cleared and built a small mud house consisting of a small pooja room and another small room with a shaded veranda at the entrance where she used to sit throughout the day and continued her activities as directed by Shirdi Sai Baba. She received lot of donations from passer by and others who visited her. She got a Naga Sai idol carved out of silver and performed daily Pooja to it. Shivamma Thayee did not use the donations received for her own survival, but spent for social cause. As days passed strangely unknown people began to contribute more and more money to her mission, one of which led to the construction of a primary school for the children living in that area. Sometime in the year 1945 or so, when the funds swelled, she extended the primary school into elementary school. Even then she was living alone but always chanted the name of Shirdi Sai Baba. Ever since she received the free land, she pronounced the place as Shirdi Sai Baba ashram.
Over the next few years as her advice to those who visited her were relieved of many of their problems and gave them solace, more and more people started visiting there seeking her blessings. With her divinely blessing coupled with unknown mystic power she had unknowingly possessed, she relieved of the sufferings and agony of those who came to her. Slowly and steadily her name and fame spread to people in other areas and devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba began to flock her ashram seeking her blessings. Those who visited her regularly offered donations in terms of kind and cash while some even requested her to shift to a descent house in other localities and continue her mission from there. Even her relatives who were searching to know her whereabouts, when heard of her place of stay, visited her requesting her to return back with them. Shivamma Thayee politely declined the offers of everyone and made it clear that she would only stay there till her end as it was the mandate of Shirdi Sai Baba. Whenever the devotees who were troubled due to one reason or the other approached her seeking relief from the agony, she used to take deep breath to reach out to the spirits of Shirdi Sai Baba and immediately he will appear before her in invisible form to offer solution to their problem, which she conveyed to those who surrendered to her. To those who thanked her for the solution, Shivamma Thayee used to mention that she was only a mere medium who carried the message of Shirdi Sai Baba to them and therefore she did not deserve their gratitude and only the divine Sai Baba owed it.
One issue need to be clarified here. In the life story or history of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba, no reference is found that he had initiated Gayathri Mantra to any one- male or female. As Rajamma (Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee) had been visiting twice or thrice to Shirdi and since she could not speak to anyone in any other language other than Tamil, her interaction to exchange her experiences with those close to Shirdi Baba were almost nil. Hence the details of Rajamma, known as Shivamma Thayee, is not found in any of the books written or in the main reference book on Shirdi Sai Baba.
As days passed and as directed by Shirdi Sai Baba, Shivamma Thayee built two small shrines for Shirdi Sai Baba inside the six-acre land gifted to her. In one of the temples, she installed one statue of Shirdi Sai Baba carved out of a black marble stone and the other one in begging posture are not seen any where to my knowledge. In the other, she installed statue of Shirdi Sai Baba in the standing, begging posture as asked by Shirdi Sai Baba in her dream, made out of marble by a sculptor brought for this purpose from Rajasthan.
In the first Shrine one can see Shri Shirdi Sai Baba carved out of a black marble stone seated in an elevated platform. Shirdi appeared before Her holiness Shivamma Thayee and directed that he be carved out in black marble stone instead of on a white marble stone as seen in all other temples around the world and so she complied to his directive to install Shirdi Sai Baba carved out on a black coloured marble stone. The first shrine which was constructed by her on 20-05-1970 in which Shri Shirdi Sai Baba appears in Black marble stone become unique Shirdi Sai Baba temple in the world. Keeping her future samadhi in mind, a small room was also constructed below the sanctum in the same hall which can be reached only by a narrow small step.
Prior to taking Samadhi, Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee arranged to dig out a pit in the said small room and sat there on meditation till she breathed last. Her mortal body was buried inside the pit and the room converted into Samadhi temple. Thus, the Samadhi temple of Shivamma Thayee came up below the sanctum in the same temple.
Similarly, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba appeared in her dream and directed that in the second temple to be built by her, he should be carved out in the form of a Fakir and installed. Nowhere in any temple of Shirdi Sai Baba, he has been shown in the form of a Fakir in the sanctorum. As directed by her master, Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee brought a sculptor from the state of Rajasthan and got the statue of Shirdi Sai Baba carved out in the form of a Fakir, in standing posture and enshrined it*. Though the exact period of the construction of the second shrine is not known, some claim that it has been constructed in the year 1989. Unfortunately, it is sad to see that no body visits there regularly because of lack of publicity and the temple is in congested place; It is now learnt that the mini shrine housing the Fakir Baba has since been demolished for construction of a house. The idol has also been taken away by the owner. Therefore, only the main shrine of Black colour Sai Baba, the samadhi of Shivamma Thayee and the small house where she lived remains intact
Continuing her divinely services, she attained Samadhi at the age of 105. Few days before she attained Samadhi, she realized that her end was nearing and therefore pre-arranged to get a small pit dug in the small room below the Sanctum and got her buried there. She was 105 years old when attained Samadhi on 11-07-1994.
By reading the personal experiences of the devotees, one can understand the greatness Shivamma Thayee and this temple.
Two Pundits namely Sri.Sampangi (Ramu) and Sri.Venkataraju are regularly performing pooja in this temple. Their family was residing elsewhere with their parents. The two priests and their sister were afflicted by a rare skin disease which the doctors said can not be cured since the intensity of the disease did not respond to any medication given till then. On the advice of some one, helpless parents of the children brought them to Divine Mother Shivamma Thayee. The divine mother blessed them and gave them some ash and told them to stay with her. Surprisingly their rare skin disease, which the doctors said was incurable, disappeared in the next few days. Since then, the seven-year-old brothers stayed in the temple serving the Shivamma Thayee, their Mother. Though they are engaged in some other business, without abandoning their business, even today, they are continuing to devotedly perform the duty of a priest in this temple.
Read the experience of another devotee. One Mrs Radha Sreedar who was unwell had to under go a scan test followed by another test for an acute disease with which she was suffering. She underwent scan test in a clinic in Jayanagar (Bangalore) and got ready for the other medical check up. The reports were received and knowing the intensity of her illness, she was scared to open the report. It was Thursday. Therefore, she decided to open the report only in front of Shirdi Sai Baba in his temple and asked her car driver to go to any one of the Shri Shirdi Sai Baba temples. In spite of searching at different places, they could not locate any temple of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba. Frustrated Mrs Radha Sreedar was also new to Bangalore. As she was wondering the next move, the driver suddenly told her that he knew Baba’s temple in Roopan Agrahara and without second thought she asked him to go there. It was past one hour after 12 noon and took twenty more minutes to reach the temple in Roopan Agrahara. Perhaps the noon Arathi had ended and the Pundit was closing the doors of the temple. Mrs Radha Sreedar got down from the car, ran to the Pundit and requested him to keep the report in the feet of Shri Baba and give it to her. Without hesitation the priest brought the report back to her after placing it at the feet of Shri Baba and told her ‘Whatever you have prayed will happen, see…Shri Baba has dropped a white flower on this report. She immediately went into the Samadhi sthal of Shivamma Thayee, prayed her and opened the report there in Samadhi itself. Much to her relief, and against her fear on the intensity of her illness, the report contained no adverse result and she was relieved of her tension. She claimed that her disappearance of acute disease as mentioned in the report was miracle because of Roopan Agrahara Baba.
The temple called Shivamma Thayee temple is located in a narrow road namely Roopan Agrahara, adjoining to Chennai- Bangalore main road on the backside of Silk Board and Bommanahalli ward Office.
Address
Sri Sadguru Shirdi Saibaba Mutt, N.G.R.Layout, Roopan Agrahara
Off to Hosur Main Road, Madiwala Post, Bangalore-560 068
Contact Persons
Shri.Sampangi (Ramu) / Shri.Venkataraju
Contact Numbers
98801 33408 (Ramu)/ 99455 31187 and 96206 04359 (Venkataraju)
Email
Temple Photos
Aum Sairam Uncleji,
Humble thanks to your goodself for penning down this article about the Divine mother -Shivamma Tayee. Leaving me in horripilation as I reminisce visiting this holy shrine with you. Can never forget that blessed evening. Thank you so much.
Very interesting.
Thank you for the derailed information.
I am devote of divine mother Sri sivamma thai since the year 1980,when I was Bangalore.But now I am at chennai
After visiting the above website I felt very happy & seeing develepments.Iused to send some megre amount as doation directly to divine mother& recaived acknowledgement (MO)..