How did the villagers initially perceive Baba, and what was his appearance and behavior like during that time?

In his early days, the villagers of Shirdi did not grasp Maharaj's true value, often considering him an ordinary or even a mad Fakir. As described in Chapter 0, his behavior and appearance were unconventional. He wore torn clothes, would sit wherever he felt like—sometimes by a stream or under a Neem tree—and could assume a fierce form. The text notes that because of this behavior, "he seemed mad to the general public." This perception stood in stark contrast to the views of other saints who recognized him as a spiritual diamond, a truth the villagers would only later come to understand.