Chavadi-Maharashtra

Sai Baba spent countless precious moments of the last decade of his life at the Chavadi. Chavadi is traditionally a village meeting place, office, or court and was the place where taxes were collected, village records kept, disputes settled by the village heads, and visiting officials stayed. It so happened that once in Shirdi, during the monsoons, the Dwarkamai mosque where Baba used to stay, became unfit for providing shelter to him due to its leaky walls. As a result, out of sheer love and concern for Baba, his devotees affectionately forced him to evacuate the mosque and instead moved him to the Chavadi. Soon after, Baba started spending alternate nights at the Chavadi and the place became sanctified by his presence and regular offerings of the aarti to honour him. After Baba's mahasamadhi, the Sansthan acquired the Chavadi, and until the late 1930s, used it for storing books and accommodating pilgrims. The village offices have long been relocated and the Chavadi is kept as a shrine to Baba and is open to all.