Reference
Devotees of Sai Baba of Shirdi
Eight named devotees whose lives form the Satcharitra's first ring of witnesses — the people who slept beside Baba, brought him news, were sent on his errands, and survived to tell the stories.
Bhagat Mhalsapati
The first to recognise the young Sai. Greeted him "Ya Sai" at the banyan tree. Slept beside Baba and Tatya in the masjid for 14 years. The single guardian of Baba's body during the 1886 three-day samadhi.
Tatya Kote Patil
Bayajabai's son. Called Baba "Mama." Slept beside Baba and Mhalsapati for 14 years. The Vijayadashami 1918 prediction concerned him — Baba's life given in his stead.
Madhavrao Deshpande ("Shama")
Hemadpant calls him "Baba's Boy." Wrote letters Baba dictated. Carried out Baba's interventions across distance (the Jamner Miracle, Bapaji's wife's plague cure). Survived a poisonous snake-bite through Baba's spoken Mantra. Said to have been with Baba for 72 generations.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar
The Mamlatdar at Kalyan, Pandharpur, Jamner, and elsewhere. Baba's go-to for confidential interventions in the official world. His daughter Mainatai's Jamner labour is the most documented Satcharitra miracle. He brought Kakasaheb Dixit and Tatyasaheb Noolkar to Baba.
Kakasaheb Dixit
Hari Sitaram Dixit — Bombay solicitor at Messrs Little and Co., founder of his own firm, member of the Bombay Legislative Council. Built the Dixit Wada at Shirdi. Died on a train mid-sentence about Sai Baba — the literal fulfilment of Baba's promise to take him "in air coach."
Das Ganu Maharaj
Police-constable-turned-kirtankar whose Bombay-Presidency kirtan tours from 1910 onward spread Baba's name to thousands. From 1915, Baba permanently entrusted him with the Rama-Navami kirtan at Shirdi. He received the Mahasamadhi news in a dream at Pandharpur the same morning.
Hemadpant (G. R. Dabholkar)
Govind Raghunath Dabholkar — given the title "Hemadpant" by Baba. Resident Magistrate of Bandra. Wrote the 51-chapter Shri Sai Satcharita in Marathi, completed shortly before his death.
Megha
Simple illiterate Brahmin cook of Rao Bahadur H. V. Sathe. Refused at first to bow to a "Muslim Baba"; eventually came to see Baba as Shiva incarnate. Walked koss for bela leaves; bathed Baba with Gomati water on Sankranti (Baba's head drenched, body dry). At his death in 1912 Baba walked with the funeral procession, showered flowers, wept.
More devotee biographies to come, including: Bhagoji Shinde (the leper devotee who dressed Baba's burnt arm daily), Bayajabai (Tatya's mother), Bapusaheb Booty (the Nagpur millionaire whose Wada became the Samadhi Mandir), the Tarkhad family of Bandra, the Khaparde family of Amraoti, Damu Anna Kasar of Ahmednagar, Mrs. Aurangabadkar of Sholapur, Dr. Pillay ("Bhau"), Laxmibai Shinde, Bapusaheb Jog, Bade Baba (Pir Mohamad), Abdul Baba, and Radha-Krishna Mai.