From the earliest days, Baba would give udi - holy
ash from the dhuni - to his visitors. The healing power of Baba's udi is well
documented and there are numerous cases of people being healed of pain or
sickness by taking Baba's udi both before and since his mahasamadhi.
Baba would sometimes apply udi to his devotees when
they arrived, or when they were taking leave of him, and he often gave out
handfuls which he scooped up from the dhuni. The Sri Sai Satcharitra tells us
that "when Baba was in a good mood" he sometimes used to sing about
udi "in a tuneful voice and with great joy": "Sri Ram has come,
Oh he has come during his wanderings and he has brought bags full of udi."
Udi is still collected from the fire for distribution. Since this is a continuation
of Baba's own practice, and the udi comes from the very fire that Baba himself
lit and tended, it is considered extremely sacred. Today a small tray of udi is
kept for visitors near the steps.
For devotees of Sai Baba there is an emotional
attachment to udi as a tangible form of Baba's blessings, a vehicle for Baba's
grace and a link to Baba himself. People usually put it on the forehead and/or
in the mouth. Sri Babuji also gives Baba's udi as a symbol of Baba's blessing.
When a Westerner unfamiliar with the custom once asked him why he did this, Sri
Babuji replied that because the udi is from the fire that was lit and touched
by Baba, the ashes are a connection to Baba and to his touch - and thus no
ordinary ash. Putting the udi on the forehead, says Sri Babuji, "always gives
me the experience of the touch of my Beloved and the udi is a symbol of his
grace."
Udi is available in small packets from a small booth
outside the Samadhi Mandir.
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