Sai Mahabhakta Kasinath Kanderao Gadre, was a retired Sub-Judge of Nagpur who was residing at Congress Nagar at Nagpur, Maharashtra.

On 26th May 1936, he narrated in his own words the experiences he had with Shri Sai Baba to Late Shri.B.V.Narasimha Swamji as below:

Our family Guru is Ramachandra Tikokar. My own personal guru is Ramadas Bidkar Maharaj. Once he told me that I should go round seeing great souls i.e., saints whom he had already visited. Likewise, I was ordered to visit Sai Baba of Shirdi. My guru Bidkar Maharaj ordered me to visit Sai Baba in the year 1898 saying that he had himself visited Sai Baba 25 years back i.e., around 1873. I went to have darshan of Sai Baba in 1912 or 1913 during May vacation for courts. At that time I was sub-judge at Khamgaon. The moment I entered Dwarakamai Masjid and even before I introduced myself Sai Baba welcomed me heartily saying "Aao Ramadas" (Welcome Ramadas). My name is not Ramadas. But, the hearty welcome Baba gave me was for my Guru Ramadas Bidkar Maharaj and also to the earlier family guru whose name was Ramachandra.

I stayed in Shirdi with my earlier days Deccan College friend Bala Bhate who lived in Shirdi permanently totally dedicating his life to the service of Sai Baba. After I landeded in Shirdi, every next day I wanted to leave Shirdi but Baba did not gave permission to leave and thus the journey was being postponed. This happened for 6 days. Baba used to tell "wait till tomorrow" every day when I asked His permission to leave. In the meantime, I had kept with me Rs.6 or 7 towards expenses for my return journey from Shirdi.

Sai Baba demanded Rs.2 as Dakshina on the first day and thereafter for the next 4 days He demanded Rs.1 from me. Thus on the last day, I was left with only 3 Annas and 6 pies. Baba who knew this by His intuitive powers said "Why keep that 3 Annas and 6 pies with you?. Give that also as Dakshina to me. God will provide with plenty". I at once gave whatever I had and emptied my pocket.

Before visiting Shirdi, I went to Poona and there in the Reay Market I had purchased three excellent "Payari" type mangoes for offering them to Sai Baba. As soon as I reached Shirdi and went for Sai Baba's darshan, I offered them to Sai Baba. Sai Baba took them with joy and said that they were nice looking and ordered them to be cut up and distributed amongst the devotees present in Dwarakamai before partaking a piece Himself. Even before the fruits were cut, the all knowing Sai Baba said to the devotees present in Dwarakamai "Gadre has purchased these fruits from the market and offering the whole lot to me without tasting any part of it. Even Pandit had purchased whole packet of Laddus thinking of offering them to me. But on the way, after bathing in the Godavari River he felt hungry and ate away some of the Laddus and brought me the reminders. But these fruits are not left overs".

Through the above incident Baba showed us 1. He appreciated the pure and strong bhakti that we should have towards the Guru, even avoding the slightest deviation in presenting Him with leftover offering and 2. that Omnisicient Sai Baba will be able to see the events that are taking place away from Shirdi. Sai Baba deepens and strengthens our faith and reliance we have in Him and in our Guru. My faith in my guru's teaching and my adherence to him was deepened by all that Sai Baba said and did.

Exactly on the 8th day I got Sai Baba's permission to leave Shirdi and accordingly I left Shirdi after taking the money from Bala Saheb Bhate.

Once during my stay of 8 days in Shirdi, I saw a very strange sight. Hari Sitaram Dixit alias Kaka Saheb Dixit had returned to Shirdi after winning a very big court case with trunk full of solid silver rupees which he received as fees. The amount was approximately around Rs.1000. He came and placed the trunk before Sai Baba as offering to Him. Baba put both His palms into that Silver rupees heap and gave away palmful of rupees from the trunk to all the fakirs and other devotees who were waiting for such a windfall from Sai Baba. Thus, Sai Baba distributed the entire trunk full of money just in few minutes. To my surprise, Hari Sitaram Dixit was not at all disconcerted at the disappearance of his hard earned amount!

During college days Bala Saheb Bhate was a college freek out who used to think "Eat, drink and make merry today, for tomorrow we die". He was a chain smoker. I jused to remark in a jovial way about his smoking as I was a non-smoker myself. During the later years, he became a Mamaltedar and a very efficient officer who was very much liked by the District Collector. He was Mamaltedar of Kopergaon for 5 years from 1904 to 1909. At that time he used to chide his educated friends to used to visit Sai Baba and called Sai Baba as a "Mad Man". The friends advised him to meet Sai Baba once and then form his opinion about Him. During the year 1909, Bhate camped in Shirdi and used to visit Sai Baba every day. On the fifth day Sai Baba covered him with a Saffron (Geru) Cloth. From that day onwards, Bhate was a completely changed man. He did not care for his earnings or work. From that day onwards till his last breath, he only wished to be at Shirdi and serve Sai Baba. He wanted to live and die in Sai Baba's presence. Sai baba made his friend Dixit draw up an application for leave for one year and with Sai Baba's grace Bhate's signature was got to the application. The collector gave him one year's time to see if he would return to his old self. But, at the end of the year, he still continued to be mad after his Guru Sai Baba and was granted compassionate pension of about Rs.30 describing him as one afflicted with "religious melancholia".

When I asked Bhate to give reason for change in his behaviour, Bhat told me that after Sai Baba put the Saffron Cloth (Geru) on him, all the crisis started. He said that Baba removed his original frame of mind and a new frame of mind was put. After that, attending to worldly duties especially official duties became unthinkable. From that time onwards, Bhate started living in Shirdi attending to his Nitya Karma, Upanishad readings etc., before Sai Baba. Sometimes, Sai Baba used to give His remarks on that reading.Bhate's wife and children came to Shirdi and started living with him.

(Source: Devotees' Experiences of Sri Sai Baba Part I, II and III by Sri.B.V.Narasimha Swamiji)