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. Shri.Sagun Meru Naik belonged to the village Bori Marmagoa, Poona Taluk. He was grazing cattle there. He went thence on his travels for years visiting and residing at Belgaum. He stayed at Narsobawadi with Tembe Maharaj for 2 years; next with Ajunkar Maharaj. Next He visited Gangapur. He was ill and he stayed with Siddharood Maharaj of Hubli. Next after going to Rameshwar, Pandharpur, etc., He came to Shirdi during the years1911-12. Baba remarked “you have come from a Mota Darbar” in allusion to his stay with Siddharood Maharaj. Baba gave him advice for 5 months after his arrival. When he asked Baba’s permission for leaving Shirdi, he said “Stay here doing something. God will give you (Barakatha) blessing". He obeyed and made Shirdi his home and last abode. From that time, he started running a teashop and refreshment stall and sale of sundries (i.e.) Baba's pictures, arati books and devotional goods. He started prospering ever since he began that life in Shirdi. He begged Baba that he should protect him and he said he would. He was doing petty services, ( i.e.) replenishing the Masjid lamps with oil. He had ample evidence of Baba's powers when he came to Shirdi in 1911-12. He came from Hyderabad accompanying a Rich Vysya of that State, who as a Sai-Bhakta was paying his devout visit to Baba. That man brought with him his palsied daughter. She could not stand on her legs or walk. She had to skip on the ground using her hands in place of the powerless legs. She had to be carried into Baba's presence at first. But, on the third day of her arrival, she began to use her legs a little. On the eighth day, she was able to walk. The cure was most marvelous and due entirely to Baba's grace. Another case of paralysis cured by Baba's grace was that of Mr. Ghaisas. Mr. Ghaisas was formerly in G.I.P. Railway service. His wife came here and was cured of her paralysis in a few days. In 1914, Sagun Meru Naik had a dream wherein Baba appeared and said, 'Bring me soft boiled rice'. Then for two years, he took boiled rice to Baba without any ghee in it. Then Baba told him to put some ghee into the food before taking it to him. Since that time, he started carrying boiled rice with a little of ghee and first offering it to the God of Fire at Baba's Dhuni (at the Mosque). He placed part of it in a pot (Kolamba) for the use of Baba and threw the remainder to the dogs. For 5 or 6 years when huge crowds were daily flocking to Baba, Sagun Meru Naik ran a busy hotel in Shirdi, and engaged some Brahmin cooks to cook and serve food. In October 1919 when the crowd had fallen off, he closed down the hotel. He knew Upasani Maharaj very well. Upasani Maharaj had arrived at Shirdi shortly before Sagun Meru Naik. After Sagun Meru Naik came Upasani Maharaj was living at Mr. H.S. Dixit's Wada and being fed for 5 or 6 months at Mr. Dixit's expense. This was when Mr.G.S. Khaparde was here. Madhav Rao Deshpande (H.S. Dixit's agent) and Upasani Maharaj then had a quarrel and the latter moved to Khandoba temple to live there. In the middle of 1912, the marble stone padukas of Sri Sai Baba was installed at the foot of Baba's favourite Margosa tree in the Sathe Wada. Bhai Allibagkar, a Mahratti vendor of Agarbhatti started the idea. Practically the whole of the expenses were borne by Ram Rao Khotare of Bombay. Bhai Allibagkar was too poor to pay for this. Baba himself gave Rs.25 as his contribution. Four Brahmins, representing the four Vedas, were brought from Kopergaon for performing the ceremony. Amongst the local people Balasaheb Bhate, Bapu Sahib Jog, Dada Kelkar and Upasani Maharaj took a leading part, and helped in the installation. Some time later, one Martand, a mad Brahmin was living here, depending upon the bounteous supplies of food that Baba was throwing to all comers. There were hundreds of men living at Shirdi depending on Baba's doles of food for their sustenance. This man, one day, went to the Neem tree and with a huge stone broke the padukas into two. He went into the temple of Mahadeo and Parvati (where the images had been installed at Tatya Patel's instance) and broke those two images also. Baba was asked if a new paduka was to be ordered and to be installed in place of the broken one. Baba did not approve of that idea but said that mere anna shanti would suffice. The close devotees of Saibaba fed 200 or 300 people soon after that. Two hundred or more were everyday waiting to be fed at Shirdi in those days.
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