Chavadi

Chavadi is a historic shrine in Shirdi, Maharashtra, originally serving as a village office where taxes were collected and records kept. It gained religious significance as Sai Baba slept here on alternate nights during the last decade of his life, starting around 1909. The site marks the inception of formal worship rituals like Sej Arati. Today, it houses Baba’s wooden bed, portrait, and chair, and hosts a traditional Thursday procession from Dwarkamai.

Visitors can view preserved personal artifacts of Sai Baba, including his wooden bed, white chair, and a large portrait within the shrine. The structure is divided into two sections displaying these items. On Thursdays, a ceremonial palki procession carrying Baba’s padukas and photograph moves from Dwarkamai to Chavadi. The atmosphere is devotional with regular arati ceremonies reflecting historical traditions established during Baba's lifetime.

Originally a village administrative office for tax collection and dispute settlement, Chavadi became spiritually significant around 1909 when devotees moved Sai Baba there from the leaky Dwarkamai mosque during monsoons. He subsequently spent alternate nights here until his mahasamadhi. This practice initiated formal worship customs including nightly Sej Arati. After Baba's passing, the Sansthan acquired the building, using it for book storage and pilgrim accommodation until the late 1930s before converting it into a permanent shrine.

Chavadi represents the genesis of organized Sai Baba worship rituals still practiced today. The weekly Thursday procession reenacts Baba's historic journey from Dwarkamai, maintaining an unbroken tradition that connects modern devotees with his living presence. It serves as a tangible link to Sai Baba's daily life and the community's devotion, symbolizing the transition from a secular village institution to a sacred center of spiritual heritage.