Devotee biography
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.
Profession
Originally a Subordinate Police-Constable. He retired to become a full-time kirtankar (devotional singer-discourser) in the Naradiya tradition — chiplis in hand, a garland round his neck, bare above the waist, after Baba's gentle teasing in Chapter 15 stripped him of the full Haridas costume.
The Vithal Promise (Ch. 4)
Baba once asked Das Ganu to perform a Namasaptaha (seven-day continuous Name chanting). Das Ganu said he would do it only if assured Vithal would appear on the 7th day. Baba placed his hand on Das Ganu's breast: Vithal would come, provided the devotee was earnest and devout. "The Dankapuri of Takurnath, the Pandhari of Vithal, the Dwarka of Ranchhod is here in Shirdi. One need not go far out to see Dwarka. Will Vithal come from outside? He is here."
Das Ganu's Bath at Prayag (Ch. 4)
Das Ganu wished to bathe at Prayag (confluence of Ganga and Yamuna). Baba's reply: "It is not necessary to go so long. Our Prayag is here, believe me." When Das Ganu placed his head on Baba's feet, the Satcharitra records that streams of Ganga-Yamuna water flowed from both of Baba's toes.
Bombay-Presidency Kirtans (from 1910)
Das Ganu's kirtans, with Baba's portrait placed before the audience, were the primary mechanism by which Baba's name reached Bombay before the Satcharitra's publication. Many of the Bombay-Presidency conversions in the Satcharitra (Cholkar, Lakhamichand, Master Tendulkar, Pitale, Mr. Sapatnekar's earlier Akkalkot-friend Shevade) trace to Das Ganu's discourses.
Permanent Rama-Navami Kirtan-Duty (1915)
From 1915 onward Baba permanently entrusted Das Ganu with the kirtan duty at the Shirdi Rama-Navami festival. The shloka "Sada Nimbarvrikshasya mooladhiwasat / Sudhasravinam tiktamapi-apriyam tam / Tarum Kalpavrikshadhikam sadhayantam / Namameeshwaram Sadgurum Sai Natham" composed by Upasani Maharaj for the Padukas (1912) was popularised through Das Ganu's discourses. (Ch. 6, Ch. 5)
Pandharpur Dream the Day After Mahasamadhi
On 16 October 1918, Das Ganu was at Pandharpur. Baba appeared in dream: "The Masjid collapsed, all the oilmen and grocers of Shirdi teased me a lot, so I leave the place. I therefore came to inform you here, please go there quickly and cover me with 'Bhakkal' flowers." He came to Shirdi with disciples, performed bhajan and kirtan before Baba's samadhi, wove a flower-garland studded with Hari's name, arranged a mass-feeding in Baba's name. (Ch. 42)