Sai Baba Udiसाईं बाबा की उदी

Udi is the sacred ash from the dhuni, the fire that Sai Baba kept burning in the old mosque at Shirdi that he called Dwarkamai. Baba gave this ash freely to everyone who came to him, often applying it to their forehead with his own thumb as a blessing, and devotees treasure it to this day as his prasad. The word "udi" is Marathi for this kind of sacred ash; in other traditions a similar ash is called vibhuti or bhasma.

The dhuni at Dwarkamai

According to the Shri Sai Satcharitra, Baba tended the dhuni with great care, feeding it with wood and sitting beside it for long hours. He would take ash from it and give it to visitors as they left, and he used the money offered to him as dakshina to buy wood for the fire and food for others. Devotees say the dhuni has been kept alight at Dwarkamai since his time, and udi from it is still given to pilgrims at Shirdi. For details of visiting Dwarkamai and the temple complex, see the Shirdi guide or the official site of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, sai.org.in.

What udi means

The Satcharitra explains that Baba gave udi to teach a lesson as well as to bless. Ash is what remains when everything else has burnt away, and every body made of the five elements will one day become ash in the same way. Udi is therefore a reminder that the visible world does not last and that only the divine is real. Chapter 33 of the Satcharitra links udi with viveka (discrimination between the lasting and the passing) and dakshina with vairagya (letting go of attachment), and says both are needed to cross the ocean of worldly life.

For devotees, udi also carries Baba's blessing and protection. It is kept in the puja room, carried when travelling and shared with family and friends who cannot visit Shirdi.

How devotees use udi

• On the forehead: the most common use is to apply a little udi as a tilak on the forehead after prayer, remembering Baba.
• A pinch in water: some devotees, following an old custom, put a pinch of udi in a glass of water and drink it as prasad after saying a prayer.
• In the puja room: a small box of udi is kept beside Baba's picture and offered during the Thursday vrat puja.
• While travelling: many carry a packet of udi in a purse or wallet as a sign of Baba's protection.
• Sharing: pilgrims bring udi packets home from Shirdi and give them to relatives, neighbours and anyone who asks.

Apply or take udi with respect: with clean hands, after a short prayer, and by chanting "Om Sai Ram" or a Sai mantra. Udi from Shirdi is preferred by many, but devotees also use ash from incense or a sacred fire burnt before Baba's picture at home.

Health note: udi is a sacred offering and a matter of faith, not a medicine. It is not a substitute for medical advice; if you are unwell, please consult a doctor. Do not stop or delay any treatment because of udi, and do not give udi in water to infants or to anyone who cannot swallow safely.

Udi accounts in the Shri Sai Satcharitra

Chapters 33 and 34 of the Satcharitra, written by Hemadpant, are devoted to the greatness of udi. They are told as devotees' experiences, and devotees read them as signs of Baba's care. A few of the best known:

The Jamner account

Chapter 33 tells how Nanasaheb Chandorkar's daughter Mainatai, at Jamner, was in a long and dangerous labour. At Shirdi, Baba gave a devotee named Ramgir Bua a packet of udi and a copy of the aarti and told him to take them to Jamner on his way home. Ramgir Bua had very little money for the journey, but Baba told him not to worry. When he reached Jalgaon at night, a man with a tonga was waiting, said he had been sent for him and drove him to Jamner. Once the udi had been given, the account says, Mainatai gave birth safely. Nanasaheb later said he had sent no one to meet Ramgir Bua.

The scorpion sting

The same chapter tells of a devotee whose friend was stung by a scorpion. With no udi at hand, he prayed before Baba's picture and applied ash from the incense stick burning before it, and the account says the pain soon eased. The Satcharitra uses the story to show that what matters is faith in Baba, not the ash alone.

Shama's sister-in-law

Chapter 34 tells how Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) learnt that his brother's wife, in a nearby village, had fallen ill with plague. Baba told him not to go at night but sent udi to be applied and given in water. The account says her fever broke and she was well by morning.

The doctor's nephew

Chapter 34 also tells of a boy from Malegaon with a long-standing bone disease that his family's doctors could not heal. His parents took him to Shirdi, where Baba told them to apply udi and trust him; the account says the boy recovered. His uncle, a doctor who had been doubtful of Baba, later came to Shirdi himself and became a devotee.

These stories belong to their time and to the faith of those who told them. They are accounts, not medical claims, and the Satcharitra itself presents them to strengthen devotion. Many more appear in the full text; see the Sai Satcharitra page.

Frequently asked questions