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Shri Sai Baba is revered as one of the greatest saints ever seen in India, endowed with unprecedented powers, and is worshipped as a God incarnate.

Sai Baba of Shirdi was born in a remote village called Pathri in Maharashtra on September 28, 1835 to the couple, Gangabhavadiya and Devagiriamma. Gangabhavadiya, overcome with a feeling of intense renunciation immediately after the child’s birth, decided to retire into a forest. 

With Devagiriamma religiously following her husband, the newborn was left in nature’s care. A pious Muslim and his wife took care of the abandoned child till He was four years of age. Then they handed Him over to a spiritual master by name Gopalrao Deshmukh (also known as Venkusa). 

For 12 years, till 1851, Baba stayed in Sri Venkusa's ashram. One night in 1851, for the first time, Baba came to Shirdi. However, He left after a two month stay. He returned to Shirdi again in 1858 and stayed there for 60 long years.

 This mysterious Fakir first made His appearance in Shirdi as a youth and remained there throughout his long life. HE transformed the lives of those who met Him and continuously is doing so even after His Samadhi in 1918 for those whose hearts are touched by His love and who pray and call Him at any emergency in life for His blessings.

He first manifested Himself as a young lad of sixteen under a Neem tree in Shirdi for the sake of Bhaktas. Even then He seemed to be full with the knowledge of a Brahman (the only one Universal force or energy governing all matters). 

He had no desire for worldly objects and pleasures even in dream. He renounced Maya (delusion) and Mukti (deliverance) was at His feet. With His blessings many souls attained liberation. For all the seekers, He uttered only three words- 'ALLAH ACHCHA KAREGA' by way of His blessings. Everything will be fine by the GRACE OF GOD. 

This young lad, fair, smart and very handsome was first seen under the Neem tree seated in an ‘asana’ (a Yoga posture). The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat and cold. By day He associated with none, by night He was afraid of nobody. 

People were wondering and asking, when this young chap had turned up. His form and features were so beautiful that a mere look endeared Him to all. He went to nobody’s door, always sat near the neem tree. 

Outwardly He looked very young; but by His action He appeared to be really a Great Soul. He was the embodiment of dispassion and was an enigma to all. Nobody knew His where about and His mysterious behavior (Leelas).

It is said that one day, God Khandoba at Shirdi possessed the body of some devotee and people began to ask Him, "Deva (God), you please enquire what blessed father’s son is this lad and when did He come".

God Khandoba asked them to bring a pickaxe and dig at a particular place. When it was dug, bricks were found underneath a flat stone. When the stone was removed, a corridor led to a cellar where cow-mouth-shaped structures, wooden boards, necklaces were seen.

Khandoba said, "This lad practiced penance here for 12 years." When the people began to question the lad about this, He put them off by telling them that it was His Guru’s place, His holy ‘Watan’ (inheritance) and requested them to guard it well.

The young Baba thus stayed on in Shirdi for a period of three years. Then, all of a sudden, He disappeared. After some time, He reappeared in the Nizam State near Aurangabad and eventually again returned to Shirdi with the marriage party of one Chand Patil, when He was twenty years old.

When the marriage - party came to Shirdi, it alighted at the foot of a Banyan tree in Bhagata Mhalsapati’s field near Khandoba’s temple. The carts were loosened in the open courtyard of Khandoba’s temple and the members of the party descended one by one, and the Fakir also got down. 

Bhagat Mhalsapati saw the young Fakir getting down and spontaneously accosted Him "YA SAI" (Welcome Sai). Others also addressed Him as Sai and thenceforth He became known as Sai Baba.

Upon His return to Shirdi, Baba stayed there for an unbroken period of sixty years, after which He took His Maha-Samadhi in the year 1918.

Initially, Sai Baba stayed on the outskirts of the village of Shirdi, then under a neem tree for four to five years at the spot now called Gurusthan, before shifting to an abandoned mosque which later became known as Dwarkamai.

Slowly His greatness was revealed and His fame spread far and wide, until by the end of His life He was attracting thousands of people to Shirdi. In the last decade of His life, Baba was worshipped with all pomp and ceremony and the mosque was likened to a maharajah’s ‘darbar’, yet Baba never changed His simple and austere lifestyle of the Puritans.

Yet, if you think that He was a Hindu, He looked like a Yavan. If you think Him to be a Yavan, He looked like a pious Hindu. No one definitely knew whether He was a Hindu or a Mohammedan. Inferences could be drawn from His dress or body features but all such superficial inferences were meaningless. They did not serve any purpose.

He celebrated the Hindu festival of Rama-Navami with all due formalities and at the same time permitted the ‘Sandal’ procession of the Mohammedans. When the Gokul Ashtami came, He got the ‘Gopal-Kala’ ceremony duly performed and on Id festivals, He allowed Mohammedans to say their prayers (Namaj) in His masjid.

 His greatness is indescribable. If anybody went to take His darshana, He, without being asked, would give every detail of his past, present and future life. He saw Divinity in all beings. Friends and foes, the virtuous and the vicious were alike to Him. 

Sai Baba knew all yogic practices. He was well -versed in the six processes including Dhauti, Khandayoga and Samadhi, etc. He demonstrated His mastery over yogic exercises many a time.

Disinterested and equal-balanced, He obliged also the evildoers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity. Though He possessed the human body, He was not in the least attached to His body or house. Though He looked embodied, He was really disembodied, i.e., free in this every life (MUKTATMA).

If we say that He was a Mohammedan, His ears were pierced (i.e. had holes according to Hindu fashion). If you think that He was a Hindu, He advocated the practice of circumcision (though according to Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who observed Him closely), He was not Himself circumcised.

If you call Him Hindu, He always lived in the Masjid; if Mohammedan, He had always the Dhuni - sacred fire there, and the following things which are contrary to Mohammedan religion, i.e., grinding on the hand mill, blowing of the conch and bells, oblation in the fire, Bhajan, distributing food, and worship of Baba’s Feet by means of ARDHYA (water) were always allowed there. 

If you think that He was a Mohammedan, the best of Brahmins and Agnihotris, leaving aside their orthodox ways, fell prostrate at His feet. Those who went to make enquiries about His nationality were dumb-founded and were captured by His Darshan. 

He gave visions of all the respective Gurus and deities according to devotees choice whether expressed or hidden. Baba, when asked about His creed, to that He belonged to Saint Kabir's creed.

None He disregarded or disrespected; for He saw Narayan (Lord) in all beings, He never said, "I am God," but that He was a humble servant and He always remembered Him and always uttered - "Allah Malik" (God is the sole proprietor or Owner). 

By His thoughts and worldly behavior, He established ideal values and virtues of faith, patience, and humanity. One should concentrate on and do faithfully one's duties assigned to him/her by GOD and wait patiently for the results (fruits) of his action (Karma) because the effect of any cause is always determined by GOD.

Many Sanyasis, Sadhakas, and all sorts of men aspiring for salvation came to Sai Baba. He always walked, talked, and laughed with them and always uttered with His tongue ‘Allah Malik’ (God is the sole owner). 

He never liked or encouraged discussion or arguments. He was always calm and controlled, though irritable at times, always preached full Vedanta and nobody knew till the last the real Baba.

Sai Baba is widely regarded as an incarnation of God, but He always said that He was an obedient servant of God. Though an incarnation He showed the people the way how to behave satisfactorily and carry out the duties of their respective roles (Varnas) in this life. 

He never emulated others in any way, nor asked others to have something done for Him. For Him, Who saw the Lord in all movable and immovable things of this world, humility was the most proper thing. 

His demeanor was quiet and sober. However on occasions He used to get ruffled because of some suggestion of calamity or evil in His devotees life. He did not talk frequently and was in trance. His eyes penetrating skies. 

Since His young days, Sai Baba grew hair on His head, never had His head shaved. He used to wear a piece of white cloth round His head along with a long flowing Kafni. The piece of white cloth on the head was twisted like matted hair and flowed down from the left ear on the back. This was not washed for weeks. 

Baba’s way is to cater directly to the needs of each individual and He did not require His devotees to take up any rituals or conventionally prescribed practice, nor did He favor any particular path over another. 

Baba generally discouraged people from changing their chosen form of worship in GOD and never advised total detachment from worldly life and changeover of preference for a particular deity as GOD. 

He advised perfect loyalty and faith in the power and blessings of the Almighty (ALLAH MALIK) and patience for the results of action (KARMA). As a result of Baba's grace, devotees experience self-generated conviction and faith that whatever their desires and aspirations are, they will never go unnoticed by Baba and they would not return empty-handed.