This is about the only income of local taxi-drivers. Two times a week pilgrims arrive and two or three hundreds rupees (four – five dollars) is the fair profit for anyone, regarding the nearly total unemployment of the fifty-thousand-people town, – commented Prakash.
About fifteen minutes they drove the modern road by temples, the University of Sai Baba and other religious buildings. Then they achieved the ashram’s gate. From there they were to go on foot. The ashram like a big oasis was situated inside the crowded town full of shops, dirty streets runoff ditches and cheap hotels. Surrounded with stonewall it represented a striking contrast to the noisy and dusty town with its discordant and multicoloured crowd. Holmes and Prakash were accommodated in one of hotel blocks, located along the perimeter of ashram, in the western sector. They had to put on a white cotton shirt and trousers bought at local shop. After it Holmes and his satellite became indistinguishable from other pilgrims who were more than five thousands in the ashram.
One could say that on the small territory of ashram the whole world was represented in miniature. Delegations from different countries numbered from two-three to ten and more men and its members wore differential signs in the form of kerchiefs with national flags features. Holmes noticed that a price of living, food and clothes was purely symbolic; this suggested that the whole enterprise was obviously unprofitable. Evidently something was made there with participation of very rich sponsors.
Prakash got all necessary information about the ritual of meeting with Sai Baba and suggested to go to bed early after the supper. Suddenly somebody cautiously knocked the door of their room. Holmes looked interrogatively on his neighbour, but he shook his shoulders with surprise showing that he had invited nobody.
Come in, – called Holmes.
The door opened and a young man dressed in white pilgrim’s clothes bringing a folder with some papers entered the room. By appearance he was not more then thirty. He had swarthy face with slightly slanting black eyes and disarming amiable smile. Holmes decided that even if he hadn’t been an inhabitant, he most likely belonged to the ashram’s maintenance staff. But what had led him here?
Mr. Holmes, I beg your pardon for coming uninvited. I get know of your arrival from my friend in administration. My name is Grisha. I’m from Russia and have been living here about three years. I work as a translator for the Russian delegacies when Sai Baba invites them. It is a year since three Russians from Petersburg were here. Sai Baba received them on the first day, and you know that it is a quite rare thing. He had the hour conversation with them and suggested to continue it on the next day. Such thing had never occurred before it, al least while I had been here. I missed the first discussion because the tree guests from Petersburg were accompanied by one of the Russians who had been waiting them impatiently for three months. However even at the first meeting Sai Baba showed him his displeasure, and this was a great surprise for everyone, since Sai Baba was always extremely friendly to everybody. Thus the Russians called me to come with them to the second meeting and I was a witness of their discussion with Sai Baba. Many interesting and unusual had happened there, though I understood it only after my compatriots had left for Bombay.
They came to Puttaparthi in a month after the wreck of atomic submarine “Kursk”. They had their own opinion on the causes and consequences of that catastrophe and they probably wanted to check it at Sai Baba. They showed me the “picnics” from Petersburg’s paper “Chas Pick” as the illustrations of possible variants of events in Russia development. They said that you had those “puzzles” and had been occupying with them at least since 1994. I spent only two days among them and got knew so much new that I’m still under the impression of what I’ve heard. They didn’t say that you would come here, but for some reason I was sure that it inevitably would happen. And after “kamikaze”-airplanes had destroyed the WTC in New York I, frankly speaking, had been waiting for your arrival. And today on October 10, I saw your name in another arrivals report. I simply couldn’t but visit you. And so I’m here.
At first it was obvious that the guest was slightly exited, but soon he was carried out by remembrances of the past he became speaking easier. His English was evidence of a good school and large practice.
All what you’ve told, Grisha, is quite interesting. Do I pronounce your name correctly? – Holmes began. The guest nodded assent and Holmes continued. – I’m really acquainted with the Russian “picnics” and even had thought that there would not be a speech of them in India. But you, Grisha, have removed my doubts. But nonetheless, why did you decide that I would come to Sai Baba?
I probably will fail to explain you, Mr. Holmes, what have been my expectations based on. I’m ready to express some thoughts about it. However, it’s late now and you need to have a rest if you are going to go through the whole ritual of Sai Baba’s temple visiting tomorrow. I guess that you as the majority of visitors want have a personal meet with Sai Baba, don’t you?
Yes, of course I do, but Prakash for instance says that there is a low chance because Sai Baba himself chooses whom to invite. First, I want to know why everybody seeks a personal talk with him. And second, what has happened to the Russians whom Sai Baba had favoured with double meeting, I wonder?
Reasoning from my experience most people comes here to solve their own problems: to be saved from illnesses and hard diseases, generally change their lives, which many as it seems to me are tired of. I wouldn’t say for others but my life has really changed after meeting Sai Baba. I had had a lot of problems, but have lived in harmony with myself for three years now. And it’s not too little for our hard times. And what concerning relations of the three Russians and Sai Baba I would like to talk of this particularly. Better tomorrow, after your meeting with Swami.
Who is Swami, Grisha?
This name means “a teacher”. I call Sai Baba in such way, when I get an opportunity to talk to him.
How do you think, will he invite us for conversation?
It will depend on you, Mr. Holmes. When I asked one of the Russians why he hadn’t doubted that the meeting would have token place, I heard nearly this: “It’s necessary to understand how difficult is to be a god, and sympathize with an old man doing his hard mission”. In other words, if you really want to arouse Swami’s wish to talk to you, you should not give in to the public excitement of worship, which grips everybody presenting in the temple. You should look into his eyes as a human to human. Thus he will inevitably hear you, and maybe even invite for talking. Think yourself, what interest is in talking to ecstatic exalted public, which thoughts are known beforehand. But don’t think that it’s easy to get away from what is going in the temple. I have presented at the ceremony of Swami’s appearance about several hundreds times. But even now it’s difficult to me to overcome the feeling that seizes everybody at Sai Baba’s entrance. One needs to see it once and much will become clear. You will go at yourselves or have you already entered a certain group of Englishmen?
We will go at ourselves and thus will have no kerchiefs.
But nevertheless, if you want to go together, you’d better buying the similar kerchiefs at a local shop. Otherwise only one of you will go to conversation: savadals – ashram’s special service – strictly see to observance of the ritual. By the way, all the shops are opened for women only in the morning and for men in the evening. As you’ve already become sure the canteen is also separate for men and women. Have rest, Mr. Holmes; you are to wake up early before the sunrise to get a chance to see the gaze of Swami.
For some time he stood hesitating whether to say something or not. And at last dared and told: