In recent times, a painful and misleading narrative has gained traction online—reducing Sai Baba of Shirdi to the label “Chand Miya” and attempting to separate him from the Hindu spiritual landscape altogether. This reduction is not just historically weak; it is spiritually shallow. More than anything, it exposes a fundamental misunderstanding of who Sai Baba truly was.
Sai Baba was not a political symbol, nor a convenient figure for modern ideological battles. He was a Sadhguru—a fully realized master—and a true Avdhoot, one who transcends all social and religious identities while still operating within a living spiritual tradition.
Trying to trap such a being in binaries like “Hindu vs Muslim” misses the point entirely.
Avdhoot: Beyond Identity, Not Without Roots
An Avdhoot rises beyond external markers—name, dress, caste, or creed—but that does not mean his sadhana or spiritual orientation emerges from nowhere. Sai Baba’s outer appearance may have reflected Islamic aesthetics at times—his robe, certain phrases, his dwelling in a mosque—but his inner discipline, practices, and spiritual transmission were unmistakably rooted in Hindu asceticism.
This is not conjecture. It is recorded consistently in the Shri Sai Satcharitra.
The Sacred Dhuni and Udi
Sai Baba maintained a Dhuni (sacred fire) throughout his life. The Dhuni is not a cultural symbol; it is a core element of Hindu tapasya, especially within Nath, Aghori, and Avdhoot traditions. From this Dhuni, Baba distributed Udi (sacred ash)—a practice that continues to heal devotees even today.
There is no parallel to this in Islamic spirituality. This single fact firmly places Sai Baba within a Hindu ascetic framework.
Vedic Depth, Not Borrowed Wisdom
The Sai Satcharitra records numerous instances where Baba astonished learned Brahmins with his understanding of Vedantic and scriptural truths. He corrected Sanskrit recitations, explained subtle karmic laws, and conveyed Upanishadic wisdom—not as scholarship, but as lived realization.
Such depth does not arise casually. It reflects deep samskaras and immersion in Sanatana spiritual streams across lifetimes.
Historical and Physical Facts That Cannot Be Ignored
Some truths feel uncomfortable only because they dismantle manufactured narratives.
The Circumcision Claim
The Sai Satcharitra clearly records that close devotees who attended to Baba’s physical body observed that he was not circumcised. This single fact decisively contradicts the claim that Sai Baba followed Islamic religious law.
Food and Conduct
Yes, Baba cooked meat for some devotees—an act of compassion, not indulgence. However, the text is equally clear that he never cooked or consumed beef. His actions consistently respected Hindu sensibilities, even while challenging rigid ritualism.
An Avdhoot shatters ego—not dharma.
Recognition by True Saints, Not Social Media Narratives
The strongest validation of a spiritual master does not come from debate—it comes from other realized beings.
Various saints, including Beedkar Maharaj, Anandamayi Maa and Gangagir Maharaj bestowed titles such as Jagadguru (Universal Guru), Full Incarnation, Jewel respectively upon him. Vasudevananda Saraswati (Tembe Swami), one of the greatest Dattatreya saints and a strict Vedic ascetic, referred to Sai Baba as his elder brother. Saints do not bestow such recognition casually. This acknowledgment alone places Sai Baba firmly within the highest order of realized Hindu masters.
No genuine saint ever dismissed Sai Baba as an outsider or a fraud. When saints recognize saints, history bows.
Samadhi Is Not a Mazar
One of the most misleading claims today is that Sai Baba’s samadhi is a “Muslim mazar.” This reflects a basic ignorance of Hindu spiritual history.
Samadhi in the Hindu Tradition
Samadhi is not a grave. It is a conscious yogic exit, where the body is entombed—not cremated—because prana is believed to remain active. From Adi Shankaracharya to countless Nath and Datta saints, samadhis have always been integral to Hindu tradition.
Sai Baba’s samadhi follows this exact lineage.
Calling it a mazar is not inclusivity—it is erasure.
Living Beyond the Body
Sai Baba did not end in 1918. He explicitly assured his devotees:
“Why fear when I am here?”
Devotees across generations continue to experience his living presence, guidance, and protection. Miracles associated with Baba did not diminish after his samadhi—they intensified.
Why These Miracles Matter
Miracles alone do not prove spiritual authenticity. But consistent miracles aligned with compassion, dharma, and inner transformation distinguish a Sadhguru from a fake baba.
Sai Baba never charged money, never built institutions for personal gain, and never sought followers. His miracles were never theatrical—they were corrective, protective, and deeply personal.
He healed not only bodies, but karmic patterns.
Not a Fake Baba—A Guru Who Dissolved Ego
A fake baba creates dependency. A Sadhguru dissolves it.
Sai Baba repeatedly redirected devotees away from blind belief and toward surrender, patience, and inner refinement. He humbled pride, exposed hypocrisy, and shattered spiritual arrogance—sometimes gently, sometimes uncompromisingly.
That is the unmistakable mark of a true Guru.
You Cannot Remove a Sadhguru
Removing an idol changes nothing. Rewriting labels changes nothing.
A Sadhguru does not reside in stone. He lives in teachings, grace, and lived experience.
Those attempting to erase Sai Baba are not diminishing him—they are revealing their own lack of spiritual grounding.
If one genuinely wishes to understand Sai Baba—not through agendas or assumptions, but through truth—there is only one place to begin:
Read the Shri Sai Satcharitra by Hemadpant Dabholkar.
Every doubt dissolves there.
Sai Baba was not a political construct. He was not a label.
He was—and remains—a Sadhguru, an Avdhoot, and a living force of grace beyond time, religion, and narrative.
Sai Raam!