How did the annual fair in Shirdi get started, and what was Sai Baba's role in it?

The idea for an annual fair, or Jatra, in honor of Maharaj was first proposed by his devotee, Gopalrao Gund. As described in Chapter 0, he shared this idea with other prominent devotees like Tatya Patil and Madhavrao Deshpande, who enthusiastically agreed to organize it. However, the plan faced opposition from the local Kulkarni, who managed to get a collector's order to stop the fair. Despite this obstacle, a counter-order was eventually obtained, allowing the fair to proceed. Sai Baba's definitive role was to command that the fair should be held specifically on Ram Navami day, a tradition that has continued ever since.