Who was Balabuva Satarkar and what chain of events led him to Shirdi?

Balabuva Satarkar, a Haridas from Satara known as the 'Modern Tukaram' for his Bhajans, was led to Shirdi by a unique series of events. As described in Chapter 6, he held an annual grant to perform the Ram Navami Kirtan in a place called Siddha-Kavthe. However, that particular year, a plague, or 'Margi', struck Kavthe, forcing the cancellation of the festival. This unforeseen circumstance freed him from his usual duties and provided the opportunity to pursue his desire for Sai Baba's Darshan. He then met the devotee Dixit, expressed his wish to perform Kirtan in Shirdi, and the process for his visit began.