Who was Anandnath Maharaj and what were the strange circumstances of his trip to Shirdi?

Anandnath Maharaj was a disciple of the famous Swami of Akkalkot. His arrival in Shirdi was highly unusual, as Chapter 0 narrates. A group of Shirdi residents, including Madhavrao Balwant Deshpande, had gone to Savargaon for his darshan. As they were about to return, Anandnath Maharaj suddenly ran, sat in their cart, and announced, 'I am coming with you.' Despite protests from the people of Navargaon and Yeola who tried to stop him, his decision was final, leading to his spontaneous journey to Shirdi, where he would meet and recognize the greatness of Maharaj.