According to the introductory chapter of the Sai Satcharitra, the young Maharaj arrived in Shirdi as part of a wedding procession for Chandbhai's wife's nephew. The procession stopped near the Khandoba temple, where he met a man named Mhalasapati. Upon seeing Maharaj, who was wearing a kafni, cap, and dhoti, Mhalasapati greeted him with the words "Aavo Sai Baba" (Come, Sai Baba). As Chapter 0 explains, Maharaj held onto this name for the rest of his life, even stating in a legal testimony that "They call me Sai Baba."
How did Sai Baba first arrive in Shirdi and who was the first person to call him by that name?
๐ Chapter 0