My Aniruddha

Information

P.C- Reshmaveera Narkhede

Shri. Aniruddha Dhairyadhar Joshi, alias 'Bapu',
a Mumbai based doctor, was born on 18th November 1956 (Tripurari Pournima) at 4:35 am. He studied in a school (Dr. Shirodkar High School) at Parel, Mumbai, India. He was always a brilliant student throughout his entire school and college life, he gained his M.D. Degree, specializing in Rheumatology. He was a lecturer in Nair Hospital till 1985 and later started his own practice in Dadar and Parel, Mumbai, which he continued till 1998.

Bapu was brought up by his grandmother Mrs. Shakuntala Narendra Pandit whose maiden name was Malti Gopinathshastri Padhye. He stayed there during his childhood. At the age of 8, he was fondly given a new name as "BAPU" by his Grandmother at the Wadala’s Vitthal Mandir. Since then everyone started calling him as "BAPU".

His emergence as a "Sadguru" , is an interesting story. Shri Saibaba of Shirdi had handed over three of his personal belongings to Shri. Govind Raghunath Dabholkar, who was also known as Hemadpant and was a close devotee of Saibaba. Baba assured him that one day he would come back to take the possession of his belongings. As the time elapsed, the Baba's belongings were then passed on over to Hemadpant's grand-son, Govind Gajanan Dabholkar, also known as Appa Dabholkar. This secret was known only to the family members of Shri. Govind Dabholkar.

The belongings contained-a shaligram (holy stone used in pooja), a small trishul(trident) and a Jaap Mala(rosary). These belongings were mantained by Shri Dabholkar at his ancestral home at Bandra, named Sai Niwas. On May 27, 1996, Dr Joshi went to Sai Niwas, and asked for the articles belonging to Sai Baba.The full family was dazed to see the manifestation of Sai Baba. But as per Bapu's request, this was not disclosed till 1998.

Bapu's divine mission of re-establishing the three fundamental principles of the Almighty - Satya (Truth), Prem (Love) and Anand (Joy) was unveiled before the world in the year 1996.

Bapu's devotees are spread, in India and abroad. However, Bapu himself has never claimed to be an avatar of anybody. Bapu connects with every shraddhavan (A person who firmly believes in God) in the role of a 'Friend'. He never calls himself an Avatar of anybody. In the Shreemad Purushartha Grantharaj that he has written, he states with his signature and very clearly that -

'I am your friend'

'I am not an Avatar, not of anybody'