How did Balabuva Satarkar end up performing at the Ram Navami festival in Shirdi? It seems like it was a last-minute arrangement.

Balabuva Satarkar's performance in Shirdi was indeed the result of a fortunate turn of events. Chapter 6 explains that he was originally scheduled to perform the Ram Navami Kirtan at Siddha-Kavthe, a service for which he had an annual grant. However, a plague struck Kavthe, leading to the cancellation of the festival there. This unexpected free time provided him the opportunity to fulfill his desire for Sai Baba's darshan. He met with Dixit, a great devotee of Baba, and expressed his wish to perform Kirtan in Shirdi. After Dixit secured Baba's permission, Balabuva traveled to Shirdi and performed the entire Ram Navami festival with great novelty and love, much to his own satisfaction and the pleasure of Sai Baba.