THE STORY OF NATHIA BAI-------A GREAT SAINT OF VRINDAVAN

Nathia bai is known for her services rendered towards many saints of vrindavan through out her life. Her life was not very happy but she was so much devoted to krishna’s prem bhakti and accepted the way krishna wanted without any complain. She was the only daughter of her parents who died soon after she had got married at the age of 14 and soon after that she lost her husband as well. She had one brother who offered her to come and stay with him and since she had no choice she came there. Nathia was very fond of cooking food for the saints who came to their village and since her brother was quite well off he allowed her to pursue her passion for cooking food for the saints and the needy. As luck would have it,her brother also did not live for long so she took refuge at her cousin’s place who was not so liberal to let her spend his money on food for strangers and told her clearly that he will not allow any such thing. Nathia bai was very sad but she could understand her cousins reluctance also and prayed to Bihari ji to find a solution to her problem. Suddenly a realisation struck her and she thought why should she worry when Bihari ji was with her and at once she took leave from her brother’s house and came on the out skirts of the village and with her meagre means she started preparing humble meals for the saints and needy who came to her.

One day a group of people were gong to Vrindavan and she also accepted to go with them. There she had darshan of Banke Bihariji . Her first experience with Banke Bihariji was so enthrillng that she gave her heart and soul to him. While she was looking she,could see his smile and his compassion and love towards her. That time onwards she never felt that she was all alone in this world. With Bihariji’s blessings she got diksha from a spiritual master who was a goswami of sri Radha vallabha temple. Soon she was blessed by Bihariji and got the opportunity to stay in vrindavan. Soon people came to know of her passion for cookng food for the saints and she came in contact with Hargulalji who was a very rich merchant and was providing 56 bhog to Bihariji. He asked her to grind the flour for bihariji’s prasad bhog and she was only too happy to do this seva. Hargulal ji wanted to pay her for this work but she did not accept a penny for that work. She would always sit next to the chulha and serve the saints with utter devotion. Actally Bihariji was seated in her heart was playing this game. The first time she had come to Vrindavan was during the month of sawan. She had tied him a raakhi and related him as her brother. She remembered how she bought a beautiful raakhi for him and waited the whole day for the goswami on duty to tie it on her behalf. At last when the temple was about to be closed he took it from her and while he was tieing the rakhi she saw a divine light and in this light she clearly saw Bihariji’s wrist offering her to tie the raakhi. He was smiling at her and said come my dear sistr tie the raakhi on my wrist. You have waited so long today. That was the auspious moment when Nathia bai became Biharii’s sister.
The next day a seth came to her and asked her to grind one ser wheat for him. He was wearing a yellow paagri. He merely touched the grinding stone and she found that it became very light and without much effort she could grind the wheat very fast She guessed it, that this miracle has been done by none other than Bihariji. Now she started grinding wheat and whatever money she got from her work she used to buy wheat and make food for the saints. Bihariji would come to her in some form or the other and sought out her problems. Her grinding stone is still kept in the Hith das ji’s sampradya. Even today ten kg wheat is grinded and food is served to the saints. Bhaktimati Nathia bai will be always be remembered for her dedicated services in her humble way BOLO BHAKTI MATI NATHIA BAI KI JAI.