Why was it so unusual for Sai Baba to be grinding wheat, and what was the true purpose of this action?

The act of Sai Baba grinding wheat was highly unusual because he was a detached saint with no possessions, wife, or family, who lived on alms and did not cook for himself. People watched with wonder, as described in Chapter 1, unable to understand the joy or purpose he found in this task. However, the true purpose was revealed later. The wheat was not merely grain; it symbolized the cholera epidemic that had struck the village. As recounted in Chapter 1, Baba was metaphorically grinding the disease into dust. He then had the women throw this 'flour' on the village boundary, which caused the epidemic to recede and end the people's suffering.