H. V. Sathe
The devotee who built a refuge for pilgrims and helped establish congregational worship at Shirdi.
Sai BabaDevotee experienceVolume 3
The chapter
Rao Bahadur Hari Vinayak Sathe was a Deputy Collector and Settlement Officer when he first went to Shirdi in 1904. He had lost his wife and had only daughters. When Baba heard that Sathe had no son, he said, “Shadi Karega to Allah Bachcha Dega”—if he married, God would give him a child. An astrologer independently said that male progeny would come after Sathe’s fiftieth year.
Sathe married Dada Kelkar’s daughter in 1906. The first children were girls, but Baba assured Dada Kelkar that Allah would grant a grandson. In 1912 a healthy grandson was born. Sathe then acted on his wish to provide accommodation for pilgrims and built the Sathe Wada at Shirdi, incorporating the remains of the village wall, the neem tree and the place Baba identified with his Guru’s tomb.
Sathe’s second major service was connected with Megha. Sathe found the orthodox Brahmin repeating “Namas-Sivaya,” taught him Sandhya and Gayatri and sent him to worship Shiva. He then sent Megha to Shirdi, explaining that Shiva was present there in the living form of Sai Baba. At the railway station Megha learned that Baba was regarded as a Muslim and refused to go. When he finally reached the Masjid, Baba drove him away in anger.
Megha spent a year and a half at Trimbak worshipping Gangadhareswarar and suffering abdominal pain. He returned to Shirdi with faith, and Dada Kelkar interceded for him. Baba then allowed him to stay and worship. Megha began bringing Godavari water to pour over Baba’s head, and his intense devotion helped establish the congregational worship and arati traditions remembered at Shirdi.
What this account invites us to reflect on
Sathe’s account joins a fulfilled family blessing with two lasting acts of service: a wada for pilgrims and the sending of Megha to Baba. Baba’s work is shown through both outward institutions and an inward change that turns resistance into worship.
Editorial note: This page is a concise paraphrase for web presentation and does not reproduce the complete chapter. Please consult the original PDF for the full account and wording.