Shirdi Sai Baba

Sai Baba deliberately never revealed his religion, caste, or origin — this ambiguity was intentional, not accidental. He lived in a mosque but maintained a Hindu sacred fire, quoted from both the Quran and Hindu scriptures, and addressed God as both Allah and Ram. He taught that all religions are valid paths to the same God. His life itself was the answer to this question — God cannot be confined to any single religion.

Sai Baba is entirely historical — not mythological. He lived in Shirdi from approximately 1858 to October 15, 1918. Photographs of him from his lifetime exist. The Sai Satcharita was written by his contemporary devotee Hemadpant with Sai Baba s own blessing. British colonial records mention Shirdi. His mahasamadhi is a documented historical event. He is one of the very few Indian saints whose historical existence is beyond dispute.

Udhi is the ash from the dhuni — the sacred fire Sai Baba kept burning in Dwarkamai throughout his 60+ years in Shirdi. He gave pinches of this ash to all who came — using it to heal illness, protect devotees, and as a symbol of his grace. The dhuni at Dwarkamai has never been extinguished and burns to this day. Udhi is still distributed freely to all visitors to Shirdi and is the primary prasad of the Sai tradition.

The Sai Satcharita is the authentic biography and teachings of Sai Baba written in Marathi by Govind Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant) — a devotee who personally knew and interacted with Sai Baba. It was written with Sai Baba s knowledge and blessing during his own lifetime. It contains his life story, miracles, parables, and teachings. Reading it regularly — especially on Thursdays — is the single most recommended Sai practice.

No. Sai Baba consistently referred to himself as a servant of God — he would say Allah Malik (God is the master) and I am here only by God s will. He deflected claims of divinity while simultaneously performing acts that convinced his devotees he was divine. This was characteristic of his teaching style — he wanted faith based on experience and love, not theological argument. The question of his divine status he deliberately left for each devotee to discover personally.

Thursday is Guruvar — the day of the Guru in Hindu tradition. Sai Baba is regarded above all as the supreme Guru, the divine teacher. The tradition of Thursday fasting and Sai Satcharita reading was established by his early devotees and strongly encouraged by Baba himself. He promised that sincere Thursday observance — particularly distributing food to the poor — would resolve even long-standing difficulties.

Shraddha and Saburi — Faith and Patience. These are the two words Sai Baba himself called the sum of his entire teaching. Shraddha means unwavering faith in God and in one s Guru. Saburi means patient endurance — the ability to wait without anxiety, trusting completely in God s timing. He said: Bring me only these two things and I will do everything else. These two words are the practical heart and soul of the Sai path.