Mrs. Indira Vij, a housewife, relates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'I woke up as usual in my London flat that fateful morning in 1994. I had no reason to suspect that it was going to be different in any way, particularly in any terrible way. But it was. I could not get up from my bed. My limbs were not under my control. I had severe bodily pains. What happened to me? I was taken to the Hospital and they made a number of tests. Harley Street in London is famous for the best medicare. I spent about 10000 pounds on medical check-up, but all in vain. Even after three months of specialist treatment, I could not walk.

Some time back in 1980, one of my friends gave me a small photograph of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I had no belief in Him at that time. However I did not throw it away. I kept it in my pooja along with the pictures of other deities. I was a devotee of Lord Krishna at that time.

One day I crawled out of my bed with much difficulty and dragged myself into the pooja room. Looking at the photograph of Baba, I cried in anguish, 'if you are God, make me walk again. I will come to look for you.' I vowed like that. That very night I had a dream. Bhagavan appeared in the dream and showed me a big building. 'Go there' He told me in the dream, 'you will walk'. He did not tell me the address or name of the building. My son brought me a number of folders from almost all countries. 'These folders have the photographs of all important buildings in these countries' he said, 'see if you can recognize the building shown to you by Baba in your dream.'

I looked at the bundles of folders. How could I go through so many? Where could I find the building? 'Bhagavan' I prayed to Him, 'I cannot do this. I will pick one folder from the lot. You must send me the right one'. I pulled one folder from the lot. I anxiously looked into it. God! It was there, the same building that I had seen in my dream. It is in France. It is an ancient palace converted now into a health resort. I took a nurse and a wheel chair, and went there. I could not withstand even a slight jerk and had to go very slowly. I was even taking morphine as a pain killer because I could not bear the severe bodily pains I was suffering from, from the day one after I had fallen ill. I was taken into a large reception room. It was completely fitted with double glasses and bolted from inside. My nurse went to the reception to complete the formalities for admission. I was alone on my wheel chair.

Suddenly, I noticed that I had company. A lady was standing by my side and said softly 'you will walk. Young lady, I came to make you walk.'

I could not understand how she could have come in. I lifted my head and she was not there. How did she go out of the room when it was securely bolted? Where did she come from, and where did she go to?

The nurse came back, and I was taken to the room allotted to me. Next morning I was having breakfast. The same lady came in with a black attaché case. The room was bolted from inside. How could she come in?

'You will walk' she told me, 'you will walk in three months'.

I was a little irritated. 'Will you give that in writing?' I retorted in disbelief.

'Oh yes, I will' she replied smiling, 'tomorrow morning I will come and take you'. And she disappeared.

Next morning she came. It was her third appearance. 'You will have to take MRI' she said, 'will you pay?'

'I will pay' I replied.

She and my nurse took me out on my wheel chair. We went into the front yard and then to a tin shed in a corner. Tin sheds are a rarity in France. I looked at it in surprise. Inside there was a doctor and some toys for kids. He did not come to me. Nor did he examine me. But he talked to me from where he sat, from behind a table.

The lady said to me again, 'I will make you walk'. She and my nurse put me in a car and we drove off slowly. I was taken to the place where MRI was taken. I underwent that test. I paid the money and we returned to my room. The MRI showed no abnormality.

Next day I was again put in the car and taken out. We went along a beach and came to a well. It was not a dream. It was not a vision. It was happening to me in real life when I was fully awake. I was tied with a rope at my waist and was lowered into that well. It was very large and deep. I was frightened and was screaming with terror. Then suddenly I was hit on my hands with a powerful water jet. I felt as if some one was sawing off my hands. There was excruciating pain. I was screaming all the time. I was there for about a few minutes but that seemed like ages. I was again lifted up by the rope and put back in the car. We drove back and I was brought back to my room. I was totally exhausted. There was no strength even to cry in pain. This treatment went on for three days. I submitted to it because there was no alternative to it. Besides, Bhagavan suggested it. Strangely, the lady who was telling me that she had come to make me walk was not seen again after those first three days. The doctor whom I had seen in the tin shed also was not seen again.

After the water-jet treatment, they took me to an indoor pool. There I was left in a baby pool with some toys to play. It appeared as if I became a child again. After the treatment ended, my bodily pains left me. But my shoes became loose as well as my gowns and dresses. It seemed as if my body had shrunk. I had to get new clothes stitched and buy new shoes that fit my new shrunken body. My voice also changed. It became tender as that of a small child. There was a scar on my forearm caused by a boil long back. After the treatment, the scar disappeared and new and tender skin developed there. After a few days, I could move my hands and legs and get up and sit on my bed without assistance. I then began to crawl on my stomach like a child; then on my knees. Gradually I could stand with the help of furniture and then walk by holding on to the cots or walls. Finally I could walk though, with a slight limp. After a few days, I could walk normally. As promised by that mysterious lady, I could walk again normally in three months. I am sure that that mysterious lady was none other than Bhagavan.

On return from France, I went to my doctor, Dr. Anwar Khan in London. He was amazed as I had walked to him normally. 'Who treated you?' he asked in wonder. 'Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba' I replied. I invited him for bhajans in my home, which he used to attend with his wife, though they did not participate in singing. His wife used to give me some money as donation to Sri Satya Sai Medical Trust in the name of her children. My aunt, Mrs. Champa Tukaram who is a Sai devotee was immensely happy at my miraculous recovery. I began to attend bhajans as well as organize them in my house as before.

While I was indisposed, my office people retired me on medical grounds. My son said 'it is a blessing in disguise. God has given you your limbs back. He has now given money also by way of terminal benefits after retirement. Go and see places'. That took me on a globetrotting spree. In the course of my tours, I went to Perth in Australia and witnessed Sai miracles in the house of Ramu and Jaya. Mrs. Jaya broached the topic of my marriage and took my particulars. By Bhagavan's grace, she could bring Dr. Sitaram and me together in wedlock.

As vowed to Bhagavan, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1996. I had darshan of Baba. In 1997, I came again. On February 2, I was in the darshan line. It was my birthday. Bhagavan came to me in the line and blessed me by placing His hand on my head.

In 1998, I came again. Bhagavan called me for interview. He made me sit next to Him. He took my hand and placed it on His lap. He put His hand on mine and was softly tapping it. While the interview was going on He asked me to get up and switch off the fan. I did. There was a picture of Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialties Hospital, White Fields there. It was not constructed yet. The picture was covered by a towel. He asked me to remove the towel and show it to all. He then took His shirt sleeves up to His elbow. He began to draw His left hand on His right from above to down below slowly and said, 'this hand gives always but never takes .You too have the same quality.' Then He lifted His robe slightly up and said to me, 'have padanamaskar.' I bent and took padanamaskar. 'May I kiss your feet, Swami?' I asked. He shrugged and said, 'if you so feel'. I kissed His toes gently and reverentially. His toes were so soft like curtain wool. Then Swami materialized a ring and gave me. It seemed a little bigger for my fingers. I wondered why Swami gave me a ring that was loose for all my fingers. But I did not say anything. 'What you are thinking is not correct' Swami said to me, 'it is for your son, monkey mind. It is not for you. Some one else will give you the ring'. True to His word Dr. Sitaram gave me his ring as a token of our engagement months later at Prasanthi Nilayam only. The day Swami gave me the ring for my son at Prasanthi Nilayam, my son got promotion in England.

At Ramu's house in Perth, we prayed, placing our wedding card at the altar. Swami gave us a small golden Ganesh and also a stone for me there. The stone was garnet, my best stone according to astrologers. On the day of our marriage, a locket appeared at the altar in Ramu's house where we were married. In December 2004, a ring was materialized for me. The stone on the ring matched with the locket given me earlier.

In 2002, we went to Haridwar and Rishikesh. We took a holy dip in the Ganges. During that trip we visited some caves in Patel Bhuvaneswar in the Himalayas. The caves are further up from Almora. We saw a Pundit sitting at the entrance to the cave. When he saw us, he beckoned 'Sitaram and Indira'. We were surprised. Later when we narrated this to Devi Amma, a devotee of Bhagavan in White Fields, she said He is Shirdi Sai Baba.'

-- Mrs. Indira Vij

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 21.07.2005)