Mahadev N.Chandorkar alias Bapu Chandorkar took birth as the second son of Sai Mahabhakta Nanasaheb Chandorkar and Radhabai Chandorkar at "Chandorkar Wada" at Kalyan in 1896. He was blessed to be in close contact with Sai Baba right from the childhood.

Bapu did his primary education from Pune. He graduated from Krishna Karma Angle Vidhyalaya, a College of Agriculture and Horticulture.

In 1900, when he was just four year old, he appled Chandan (Sandalwood) paste to Baba's forehead, as he did to other Gods he worshipped at home. Till that time, only Mhalsapathy used to apply Chandan on Baba's forehead. Thus, innocently he set the stage for the ritualistic worship of Sai Baba with all the due formalities.

When Nanashaeb Chandorkar's daughter i.e, the elder sister of Mahadev N.Chandorkar was pregnant and was passing through crisis Baba made all the arrangements in his mystic ways to send (udi) (ash) at Chandorkar’s place and the moment udi was swallowed by Mainatai (Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s daughter), because of Baba's grace, the crisis was over and child birth took place without any harm to the life of the mother. This incident happened in 1904 when Nana Chandorkar was Deputy Collector at Jamner. He was at Jamner along with his pregnant daughter Mainatai whose pregnancy was in a very advanced state. The first delivery proved to be troublesome and risky. But Nana knew that Baba was aware of everything and that there was no need to send a telegram or letter to Him. He performed Kashtanivaarana Homa with the help of his Shastri. All the while, Sai Baba was fully aware of what was going on at Jamner. At evening time, he called Ramgir Bua, a Gosavi, whom he used to call "Babugir". Baba asked him to go to Jamner first in order to deliver a packet of Udhi and set of papers containing Bhishma's Aartis to handover to Nanasaheb Chandorkar. One person who was present in the Masjid handed over Rs.2/- to Gosavi to enable him to perform this journey. Then Gosavi complained that from Kopergaon to Jalgaon the journey would cost Rs.1.14 leaving only a balance of 2 annas to cover the ordinary road journey of 30 miles. Baba simply told Babugir to start and that everything will be provided. Accordingly Gosavi started. He got down at Jalgaon and was in a fix about the onward road journey for which he had only 2 annas. Suddenly he found a liveried peon bawling out, "Who is Babugir from Shirdi?". Then this Bua said that he was indeed Babugir from Shirdi. Then that peon said that he had been sent by his master with a tonga and a horse to fetch him to Jamner. He gave him a meal also. After the meal they started the 30 mile journey to Jamner. When the tonga reached Nana's house, the peon told Bua, "There is the master's house. You can go". Babugir got down from the tonga and when he turned back he was astonished to see that there was no horse, tonga or the peon there. Babugir went inside Nana's house and Nana and his wife were waiting anxiously for the Udhi from Shirdi. At once the Udhi was applied to Mainatai, and thereafter it was no longer Mainatai that was crying but the new born child, for she had a very easy delivery. When Bua thanked Nana for his timely sending of the Cart and food, Nana was taken aback. He said he was not aware of anybody coming from Shirdi and so had not sent anything. Then Both Bua and Nana understood that it was Sai Baba's leela.

Udhi Box at Nanasaheb Chandorkar's House

But Mainatai's child died very young. Bapu's sister also was widowed at that very early age and had no other issue. This cast a gloom over the entire Chandorkar's family. Nanasaheb went along with his family members to Shirdi. Nanasaheb went and sat before Sai Baba in utter silence. Usually whenever Nana went, Baba used to question him and he would talk and all would be cheerful. But it was not so this time. This silence continued for few minutes. Then Baba himself broke the ice. Baba asked him "Why are you silent"?. Nana dejectedly told him about the calamities that had befallen his family. Baba replied, "The birth of a child, death of a relative are dependent on poorvarjita karma. Even the great god who has created this world cannot alter these. Do you think he can tell the sun or the moon to rise two yards further from their usual or appointed place? No, he cannot and will not do that, that would produce disorder and chaos". Bapu Chandorkar heard this and learned to acknowledge the wisdom of Baba's words.

In 1908, Mahadev Chandorkar accompanied his father to Shirdi. He heard Baba say, "Tell Nana, he has been with me for so many years. Yet he cannot understand that I am in every fly and ant". This was said by Baba when he told Nana that he had already eaten the prasad in the form of fly and ant. Bapu heard the words and they lodged in his heart. He learnt that Baba was a Parabrahma and was indeed in every creature. He also realized that Baba had spoken the 'highest truth' and he followed this truth till his last breath.

Nanasaheb owned almost 300 acres of land in Sonar Pada Gaon, 6 to 8 kilometers from Kalyan. Bapu Chandorkar looked after this vast land and grew grapes and grains. He also had a dairy farm and milk and dairy products were sold to the neighbouring towns.

Bapu Chandorkar married Girija Bai, the daughter of Trivikrama Kashinath alias Tatya Saheb Pithrae in the year 1922. Bapu states that time and again, Baba told him "Give alms, do good, Listen to your parents. Help your mother with her chores". But more than all these things, Baba emphatically said, "Speak the truth and the truth alone". Bapu followed this guidance of Baba throughout his life. Bapu helped the needy like this father. He donated the three hundred acres of land to make shelter for cows and cattle.

There was a raid by dacoits in the year 1942 and he lost a lot of his belongings. Following this incident, he got sick and depressed. Dr.Sardesai, his close friend treated him. The doctor had an office in Telegaon and fields in Kamset. He advised Bapu to go to Kamset and recuperate there for some days. Kamset was a serene, beautiful hill station near Lonawala. According to his doctor friend's instructions, he moved to Kamset. After staying there for some days and post recovery he attend the fields.

Bapu chandorkar had six children. All his children died except a daughter by name Vatsala. He bore this tragedy in his life stoically and with maturity. Later, Vatsala got married and came to live with her in-laws in Pune. She brought Bapu Chandorkar to live with her to Pune in the year 1963. He took Samadhi in the year 1967 in Pune.

(Source: Devotees' Experiences of Sai Baba by Shri.B.V.Narasimha Swamiji and Baba's Rinanubandh by Vinny Chitluri)