Can you explain the financial arrangements for Balabuva Satarkar's performances, comparing his usual payment at Kavthe to what he received in Shirdi?

Certainly. According to Chapter 6, Balabuva Satarkar's annual performance at Siddha-Kavthe was part of a festival funded by an imperial decree, which included a 30 rupee fee for him. When he expressed a desire to perform in Shirdi, the devotee Dixit warned him there was no certainty about payment. However, after his successful performance, Sai Baba was very generous. He received an honorarium of 'more than a hundred and fifty' rupees. The text highlights that this single payment brought him immense joy as it was equivalent to five years' worth of the income he would have earned from the Kavthe festival.