The Sai Baba or the Shirdi wale Sai Baba was a great Indian saint who was worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims. He was born in a Brahmin family but later given to a Fakir. Hence Sai Baba, Sai Baba Prashnavali grew up as a Fakir, and later with his miracles and preaching, he became an inspiration to the world.

People also consider him the incarnation of Krishna, the Hindu God. People believed in his miracles, and his teachings were always about bringing people of different religions together.

Origins of Shirdi Sai Baba

Sai Baba is one of the most worshipped saints in India. His name’s origin is unknown, but he was given the name “Sai” after he arrived in Shirdi, a town in Maharashtra. The priest of the temple first considered him a Muslim saint and greeted him as “Ya Sai!” which means Welcome Sai in Marathi.

Though Sai’s origin family is unknown, people recognized him in Shirdi when he was 16 years old and used to meditate under a Neem tree. He has no love for materialism, and he always used to utter “Sabka Malik Ek.”

He was known for his efforts that were about bringing Hindus and Muslims together. He also used to follow the rituals of both religions. He named the mosque Shirdi as Dwarakamayi, which is a Hindu name. he used to look like a Muslim saint by the way he dressed up.

Baba also celebrated the major festivals of both Hindus and Muslims together. As a result, both religions have their faith in Baba, and people from other religions visit Shirdi every year on major events of Baba.

Sai baba became Guru of many who later became his great disciples and broadcasted his teachings. One such devotee was Mhalsapati, the priest of the Khandoba temple, and Upasni Maharaj too.

There are no records about where Sai Bab came from or exactly which caste he belonged to. Many people claim that he belongs to their caste, but there is no written proof about it. People say about him that Baba used to spend most of his time with Muslim Fakirs, and he used to dress like them.

However, without caring about anything, his devotees and disciples worship him and have faith in him. They believe in Sai’s miracles and how he greatly assisted humanity at that time. Even now, people visit Shirdi to witness the place where he used to meditate and to participate in several events dedicated to Sai Baba.

Sai Baba in Shirdi

Sai Baba, in later years, shifted to a mosque where he used to maintain the fire known as Dhuni. This ash of this fire was considered sacred and helped in eliminating the ailments of the people. Sai also performed as a local Hakim, where he treated the town’s people by using the same Dhuni.

He delivered spiritual teachings and recommended people to believe in their God and recite their sacred books. Sai also used to beg grains and vegetables from the homes in Shirdi. Later he used that foodstuff to prepare the Prasad and distributed it among the people. On the occasions, after distributing the Prasad, he used to sing and dance with devotees.

In the beginning, the saint was well-recognized in Shirdi, especially after some miraculous events. The Sai movement started in the early 19th century when Sai Baba was still residing in Shirdi. MhalsapatiNagre that the local priest in Shirdi’s temple was the first devotee of Sai Baba. At that time, there was a small group of Sai followers.

The movement started blossoming in the 20th century, and people got to know about Sai’s message, his preaching, and miracles through his devotees and disciples. Muslims considered him as a great Sufi saint; he was worshipped as a part of Hindu rituals. Later, other religions like Christians and Zoroastrians started worshiping Sai Baba, and hence the Sai movement flourished.

At present, Shirdi is a major holy pilgrimage site that attracts lacs of devotees every year at different major events. The whole city is devoted to Sia Baba, there is Samadhi mandir, and various other temples in Shirdi.