Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint (or even an avatar ) with the power of performing miracles. 18 and they built his first ever temple at Bhivpuri, Karjat as desired by Sai Baba. 19 He died on October 15, 1918 on the lap of one of his devotees with hardly any belongings, and was buried in the Buty Wada according to his wish.

October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian guru, yogi and Sufi who is regarded simultaneously by many Hindus and Muslims as a saint.

However, his parentage, birth details, and life before the age of 16 are obscure, which has led to a variety of speculations and theories attempting to explain Sai Babas origins.

His philosophy was Advaita Vedanta and his teachings consisted of elements both of this school as well as of bhakti and Islam.

In his life and teachings, he tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam: Sai Baba lived in a mosque, practised Hindu and Muslim rituals, and taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions.

One of his well known epigrams says of God: Allah Malik (God is Master).

He is also revered by several notable Hindu and Sufi religious leaders.

Some of his Hindu devotees believe that he was an incarnation of Shiva or Dattatreya, and he was regarded as a satguru and an incarnation of Kabir.

The appellative thus refers to Sai Baba as being a holy father or saintly father.

Historical researches into genealogies in Shirdi give support to the theory that Baba could have been born with the name Haribhau Bhusari.

Baba was notorious for giving vague, misleading and contradictory replies to questions concerning his parentage and origins, brusquely stating the information was unimportant.

He had reportedly stated to a close follower, Mhalsapati, that he has been born of Brahmin parents in the village of Pathri and had been entrusted into the care of a fakir in his infancy.

On another occasion, Baba reportedly said that the fakirs wife had left him in the care of a Hindu guru, Venkusa of Selu, and that he had stayed with Venkusa for 12 years as his disciple.

This dichotomy has given rise to two major theories regarding Babas background, with the majority of writers supporting the Hindu background over the Islamic, while others combine both the theories (that Sai Baba was first brought up by a fakir and then by a guru).

Although there is no agreement among biographers about the date of this event, it is generally accepted that Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year and returned permanently around 1858, which posits a possible birthyear of 1838.

He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana.

The Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers: The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold.

By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody.

His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers and the religiously-inclined such as Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha regularly visited him, while others such as the village children considered him mad and threw stones at him.

After some time he left the village, and it is unknown where he stayed at that time or what happened to him.

However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver; he claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The name Sai stuck to him and some time later he started being known as Sai Baba.

It was around this time that Baba adopted his famous style of dress, consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe ( kafni ) and a cloth cap.

Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported long hair flowing down to his buttocks when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved.

It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typically Sufi clothing.

According to B. V.

Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Babas apostle, this attitude was prevalent even among some of his devotees in Shirdi, even up to 1954.

His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.

He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated mosque and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors.

In the mosque, he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he had the custom of giving sacred ash (Udhi) to his guests before they left and which was believed to have healing powers and protection from dangerous situations.

At first, he performed the function of a local hakim and treated the sick by application of Udhi.

Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Quran, especially insisting on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of Gods name (dhikr, japa).

He often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.

He participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad.

Sai Babas entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs (he enjoyed the songs of Kabir most).

Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint (or even an avatar ) with the power of performing miracles.

Bhivpuri, Karjat as desired by Sai Baba.

He died on October 15, 1918 on the lap of one of his devotees with hardly any belongings, and was buried in the Buty Wada according to his wish.

Ramanand Sagar Sai Baba Cast