- The Baba’s murti at the Baldwin mandir is the exact replica of the one in Shirdi and carved by the same family of shilpis. The mandir was completely redecorated for this celebration.
- It is the only Sai mandir where you can go up to the podium to touch Baba’s feet.
- Being the first Sai temple in USA, devotees have visited it from as far as Philadelphia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware and Canada.
- The Baldwin mandir has conducted Bal Vikas classes for 19 years. Some of its graduates are in professions like engineering and computers. Our team has provided community service with free food at nearby nursing and old age homes.
- Swamijis from various states in India who have given discourses at the mandir include Dayananda Saraswati, Viswayogi Viswam Ji Maharaj, and Siddheswarananda Bharati Swami. They have all felt that the divine vibrations at the Baldwin mandir are same as at the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi, India.
- Top maestros who have sung bhajans here include Pt. Jasraj, M. Balamuralikrishna, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, and Smt. P. Susheela.
- Many devotees have witnessed miracles with Baba’s grace over the past years. Some of them will share their experiences at the July 4 program.
- As Covid restrictions have been eased for all religious shrines, more and more devotees have again started visiting to pray at the three Baba mandirs. However, mask mandates continue for some more time.
Extension of Baldwin mandir in Hicksville
Even Covid could not stop the Shirdi Sai mandir from coming up in Hicksville, NY. To fulfil entreaties from devotees, Dr Nori, established it in August last year in a standalone building on the main West Old Country Road. It has Dwarakamai sannidhi, Gurusthan sannidhi, Nava Graha sannidhi, and idols of Radha Krishna, Ram Parivar, Hanuman, Ganesh, Shiva, Durga Ma and Dattatreya. The Sai Baba murti and all the deities were consecrated as per the Vedic traditions. All the mandir priests are highly learned, conversant in Veda chanting and devoted to Baba.
The Darbar Hall and its extension into the backyard under the awning can accommodate 200 people. With social distancing restrictions lifted (but masks mandatory for some more time), more and more devotees have started visiting the mandir, particularly on every Thursday, Baba’s day.
Dr Nori insists that he takes no pride in the three temples raised by the Nori Foundation Inc, started by him and his wife Dr Subhadra Nori –“because without Baba’s instruction and blessing I could not have done it.”
