Who was Devidas, and what was his role in Shirdi before Sai Baba's prominence?

Based on the narrative in Chapter 5 of the Sai Satcharitra, Devidas was a wise individual who had established himself in Shirdi twelve years before Sai Baba returned with the wedding party. He lived a simple life, wearing only a loincloth and staying at the Maruti temple. Devidas acted as a teacher to the villagers; for instance, he taught Appa Bhill using a slate and made everyone recite the Venkatesh Stotra. Due to his wisdom, prominent villagers like Tatyaba and Kashinath considered him their Guru. This information from Chapter 5 highlights that there were other spiritual figures in Shirdi before Baba's divine play unfolded.