Which unfortunate event in Kavthe led to Balabuva Satarkar's visit to Shirdi?

The event that inadvertently paved the way for Balabuva Satarkar's visit to Shirdi was a plague, referred to as 'Margi,' that struck the village of Kavthe. Chapter 6 explains that Balabuva had an annual grant to perform the Ram Navami Kirtan at Siddha-Kavthe. Due to the plague, the village became empty and the festival was cancelled for the year. This cancellation meant his service to Rama was missed and his fee was lost, which in turn provided him the opportunity to fulfill his desire for Sai Baba's Darshan and travel to Shirdi.