Why did Mhalasapati call Gajanan Maharaj 'Sai Baba' when he first saw him?

This question contains a factual inaccuracy based on the provided text. Mhalasapati did not encounter Gajanan Maharaj. According to the account in chapter 0, the person Mhalasapati greeted with the words 'Aavo Sai Baba' was the figure referred to throughout the preceding passages as 'Maharaj.' This Maharaj, who wore a kafni and a cap, entered the Khandoba temple, where Mhalasapati was. It was this specific individual, not Gajanan Maharaj, who was given the name 'Sai Baba' and held it for the rest of his life.