Devotees flock to shop where Sai Baba's garland grows on

Varanasi, June 25 (UNI) A small shop of tobacco products owned by Shrawan Kumar Srivastava 'Mahadev Supariwala' at 'Naya Pandariba' here has been witnessing an unending influx of devotees to view a garland around the photograph of Sai Baba, which according to traders has been growing in length.

The shop is presently being invaded by a deluge of Sai Baba devotees who have turned the shop into a virtual temple. People holding incense sticks in their hand are offering near the growing garland whatever they can manage. The traders of the locality are busy regulating the crowd to the virtual temple of Sai Baba.

Interestingly, similar happening around the photograph of Sai Baba had taken place at two places in Noida recently.

When shop owner Mr Srivastava opened his shop this morning he found that the 1.5 ft garland made from 'Deona' leaves put around the photograph of Sai Baba last evening had lengthened to around six ft.

''I immediately informed the fellow traders about the miracle which we all were dreaming about last night.'' said Mr Srivastava, who also claims to have caught the real 'darshan' of Sai Baba seven years ago at the Basauli temple.

While, traders of the area, including Mr Srivastava are solely terming the growing length of the garland as 'Sai Baba's miracle,' the gardener community which cultivates the 'Deona' plant in Kachwa (Mirzapur) thinks differently.

''It is not a case of miracle at all. A four ft garland was purchased by Mr Srivastava from us last evening. The fresh garland is fashioned on a double knotted thread. As the Deona leaves start drying, the thread's double knot losens into a single knot consequently making the garland grow in length.'' ''Besides, the drying of leaves further increases the length of the garland. It is no miracle but possible with any double knotted garland,'' claimed Mithialal and Durjan who daily sell garlands and flower bouqets at Phool Mandi in Baansphatak area of the city.

UNI