Sai Baba of Shirdi

Sai Baba of Shirdi, also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian spiritual master who is regarded by his devotees as a saint, a fakir, a satguru and an incarnation (avatar) of God. He is revered by both his Hindu and Muslim devotees during, as well as after his life.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba- is considered the Incarnation of God Dattatreya, and Thursdays are his holy days.

Because of Sai Baba, Shirdi has become a place of importance and is counted among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.

Died:    15 October 1918 Shirdi,
Resting place:      Samadhi in Shirdi

The Khandoba Temple in Shirdi is among the thirteen main temples of Khandoba. It is said that the temple priest Mhalsapati spotted Sai Baba in front of the temple and said Yaa Sai which means Welcome Sai. People started referring to him as Sai Baba after the incident.

The Khandoba Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Khandoba (Shri Martand Bhairav). The temple has idols of Lord Khandoba, Banai Devi and Maasai Devi inside it. Black and white photographs of Mhalsapati, his wife and sons are also showcased inside the temple. The shrines of Sai Baba and Padukas and an idol of Lord Khandoba’s horse can also be seen outside the Khandoba Temple.

Upasni Maharaj (1870-1941) lived four years in nearby Shirdi as a disciple of Sai Baba before starting his ashram in Sakori, Kanya Kumari Sthan in July 1917. He continued to live in Sakori until his death in 1941.

The master Meher Baba was initiated in Sakori after a seven-year discipleship with Upasni Maharaj that began in 1915 when Upasni was living at Shirdi and continued at Sakori from 1917-1922.[2]

Sati Godavari Mataji met Shri Upasani Baba Maharaj when she was ten years old. This is meeting is termed by followers of the Sakori Ashram as a divine event. It is said that Shri Upasani Baba realized that Mataji was a manifestation of the Supreme Shakthi.

In 1941 Sati Godavari Mataji assumed the mantle of her Guru Shri Upasani Baba Maharaj and became the spiritual head to the Kanya Kumari Ashram after her Guru Shri Upasani Baba Maharaj left the physical world. With the strength, simplicity, and dignity of a realized being. When she ascended the ‘Gadi’ of spiritual eminence, Mataji was only 26 years old. In the freshness of youth, Mataji had a rare and ethereal beauty of face and form. Sati Godavari Mataji attained moksha (Passed away) on August 12th, 1989.

The present head of the Kanya Kumari Ashram and successor to Sai Godavari Mataji is Radha Mataji.

Sakori or Sakuri is a small village in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra State, India, about 5 kilometers (3 mi) south of Shirdi.[1]