Birth and earlier days of Shama

12 years after the appearance of Sai Baba in Shirdi, Shama was born in Nimon village of Sangamner district, in the Hindu calendar year 1917 Magshar sud pancham, in Balwantrai Despande's house. Madhavrao's (Shama's) maternal uncle Laxmanrao Kulkarni used to live in Shirdi.

Madhavrao family where used to get annual income from Sangamner, Kopergaun and Sinner district according to British rulers, hence the surname Deshpande. Madhavrao since he turned 3 years old spent his life at his maternal uncle's house. Madhavrao played, danced, studied and grew on the land of Shirdi village. Madhavrao's childhood, youth and older age everything passed on the land of Shirdi. Hence the language he used, his style of living, his nature everything was simple, simple by mind and heart.

After six grade education in Marathi school, he joined the job. One circle inspector had donated a house in Shirdi, so that it can be used for education for the kids of Shirdi. Madhavrao got the job of a teacher in the same school. In those days the teachers of primary school were treated with much respect, hence Madhavrao enjoyed much honor from the people of Shirdi as the Master.

Sai Baba used to live in a worn out, broken and feeble Masjid, which was just opposite to this school. The school had a gallery from where one could distinctly see what Sai Baba was doing in Masjid, who visited the Masjid and Sai Baba. Just opposite to the gallery was a room where Madhavrao used to teach the children. Sitting in the room Madhavrao would notice the daily chores of Saibaba.

Sai Baba would be seen sitting in the Majid, sometimes sitting in the Maruti Temple, at times Sai Baba would be seen with His Zoli on the shoulders begging from four houses, He would bee seen dancing with the gungroo tied on His feet, sometimes Sai Baba was seen treating metal tumbler as drum and would be seen playing on it with his fingers with rhythm and singing along. Sometimes Sai Baba would be seen carrying two unbacked earthen pitchers on His shoulders and watering the plants with it. All this activities of Sai Baba, would give an appearance of a crazy Fakir, yet Madhavrao would keep visiting Sai Baba for the greed of getting a free Bidi.

Read more  -   Stories of Shama – Madhavrao Deshpande