Shirdi Sai baba history and mystery

1. History and Mysteries of Shirdi Sai Baba
The famous Shirdi Sai Baba also presents several mysteries for his biographers. But if we
regard his known history alone, his life comes out as highly fascinating enough. His birth year,
month and date are not known but his death was on 15th Oct 1918. He was born at Pathri
(District Parbhani) under Nizam’s Dominion and moved over to Shirdi as a grown up. Details
of almost all his youthful years till arrival in Shirdi are unknown like the 18 dark and
unknown years of Jesus Christ. It seems that Sai Baba has mentioned that he was a soldier
for Rani of Jhansi (1857) and so his year of birth would have been perhaps between 1835 to
1840.
However, biographer Narasimhaswamiji, Founder-President of All India Sai Samaj, has stated
that his parents were Brahmins who handed him over at a tender age to a fakir. What follows
merely in outline is said to be as per Baba's own accounts. The fakir died after five years
and the child went to the care chennai to shirdi flight package of one Gopal Rao
Deshmukh (called ‘Gurudeva’), a great devotee of Tirupati Balaji. After spending nearly ten
years in pious learning from Gurudeva, Sai went westward from native Pathri and arrived in
Shirdi. But he did not at once settle down at Shirdi. He went on some wanderings and then
returned there.
His initial years in Shirdi were spent as an ascetic living under a neem (margosa) tree. Later
he shifted to a mosque and lived there all his life, for nearly 50 years. He called the mosque
“Dwarkamayi” (The place in Dwarka where Krishna was born). This is just one instance of
his puzzling identity-dichotomy, whether a Muslim or Hindu. He preached ways to attain god.
He spoke of love and brotherhood. Celibacy, truth and austerity marked his life. He wore a
single piece kufni, distributed vibhuti and would tell the devotees “Allah Malik” and “Allah
bala karenge”. He would do ‘japa’ and ‘dhikr’, the utterance of god’s name. He would do
namaz and chant Al-Fatiha . He did not however indulge in or perform any detailed rituals of
worship.
Sai was how he was referred to after his fakir-like life began in Shirdi, and his real name was
not known. He preached from the Hindu texts such as Ramayana, Bhagwat Gita etc and from
Kuran. As per the accounts of his contemporaries, he was very familiar with these scriptures.
He recommended worship, prayers, patience, faith and love. He preached Hindu-Muslim
unity. All his preaching was oral and he did not leave any writings.
It seems that he would tell the Hindus, "Continue your Rama worship, and worship the stones
which your forefathers worshipped". He presented to the Hindu followers, things like lingams,
padukas, pictures and coins with Hindu gods etc. To Muslims, he would only advise the
following of the tenets of the Kuran. To those Hindus who thought he was a Muslim, it
seems he would say, "I am a Muslim, don't come to me". Several Hindu devotees regarded
him as a Satguru Samartha. A Guru is an ordinary teacher, a Satguru tries to show the
pathway to god and a Satguru Samartha is a guru with siddhi attainments leading you to god.
It is said that Baba told the Hindus who came to him as followers, "I am a brahmin. Give me
dakshina. This place where I am sitting is not a mosque; it is a brahmin's mosque. It is
Dwaraka Mayee".
He himself is said to have come out of a three day Samadhi (death) in 1886. He was a
clairvoyant. It seems that the elements like fire, air and water obeyed his orders. He could
order storms to cease and cold breeze to blow, to save people or comfort them. He blessed
childless couples and they had children. He is credited with being physically present at
more than one place. He could chennai to shirdi flight package cure the incurably sick. He
could restore the eyesight to the blind. He could light lamps with just water. Many of those
who witnessed the miracles or benefitted from them, have left accounts of them. His miracles

2. were meant to help the distressed and not to demonstrate his divine nature. All these entailed
his being regarded as a living god by some of his close admirers/disciples.
At the age of nearly 80, Sai Baba passed away at 3 pm on 15th Oct 1918. His body lays
interred in what is called a Samadhi Mandir now. There are huge bundles of writings about
Sai Baba from those who lived during his times or subsequently.
There are nearly 2000 Sai Temples around the world. The Shirdi Sai Sansthan is perhaps the
richest temple-sansthan in India after Tirupati.
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