He Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the 19th century, during his life, while he was staying in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapati Nagre - is believed to have been his first devotee. However, in this 19th century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. It started developing in the 20th century and even faster in 1910 with the Sankirtans of Dasganu who spread Sai Baba's fame to the whole of India. Since 1910 numerous Hindus and Muslims from all parts of India started coming to Shirdi. During his life Hindus worshiped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims revered him greatly, considering him to be a saint. Later Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai movement.
The Sai Baba Mandir in Shirdi is active and every day worship of Sai is conducted in it. Pilgrims visit Shirdi every day. Shirdi Baba is especially revered and worshiped in the state of Maharashtra and in Gujarat. A religious organization of Sai Baba's devotees called the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust is based there. The first ever Sai Baba temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat.
The devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba have spread all over India. According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Religion there is at least one Sai Baba mandir in nearly every Indian city. His image is quite popular in India. Some ordinary non-religious publishing houses (such as Sterling Publishers) publish books about Shirdi Sai written by his devotees. Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is partially organized. Only a part of his followers and devotees belong to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan or to other religious organizations that worship him.
Beyond India the Shirdi Sai movement has spread to other countries such as the U.S. or the Caribbean. Sai Baba mandirs and organizations of his devotees have been built in countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the USA. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English-speaking countries.
According to estimates the Sai mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number amounts to a hundred thousand.
1. Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy Collector – legend has it that Baba saved his daughter Mayna from labor complications.
2. Ganapath Rao: Popularly known as Das Ganu, police Constable later resigned to become an ascetic.
3. Tatya Patil: Kote Patil and Bhaija bai's son had immense faith in Sai Baba and served him until Sai Baba took samadhi. He's also known to be Sai Baba's younger brother.
4. Bhaija Bhai kote patil: Sai Baba treated her as his mother.
5. Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later known as Shama, one of the staunch devotees of Sai Baba who had relations of 72 births with Sai Baba.
6. Hemadpant: Baba allowed him to keep memos and write Sai Sat Charitra.
7. Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A priest of Khandoba Temple, Vanjari by Cast, who had relations of 72 births with Sai Baba.
8. Dasganu: Dasganu was like a messenger of Sai, he moved from place to place spreading Sai Baba's fame.
9. Shravani and her family: Great devotees of Sai Baba. They have immense faith in him