How did Anandnath Maharaj of Akkalkot come to visit Shirdi and what was his opinion of Sai Baba?

Anandnath Maharaj's journey to Shirdi was remarkably spontaneous. As chapter 0 explains, a group of Shirdi residents, including Madhavrao Balwant Deshpande, went for his darshan in Savargaon. As they were preparing to leave, Anandnath Maharaj impulsively ran and sat in their cart, declaring, "I am coming with you," and could not be dissuaded. Upon arriving in Shirdi and seeing Maharaj, his assessment was immediate and profound. He told the local people, "This is a diamond. You don't know its true value," confirming that, like other saints, he recognized Maharaj's immense spiritual worth at a glance.