The cooking hearth and the wooden post

To the left of the courtyard area of the mosque is the small hearth where Baba sometimes used to cook. Like most things here, it is now enclosed in a wire cage but in Baba's time and until recently it was, of course, open.

Here Baba would occasionally prepare large quantities of sweet milk-rice, pulao and other food for distribution among visitors. He would supervise the whole process himself, including shopping, grinding spices, and chopping the ingredients. The food was cooked in huge copper pots � enough for 50-200 people � which are now on display in the Samadhi Mandir.

An outstanding aspect of Baba's cooking style was that rather than use a ladle or a spoon, he would stir the scalding food with his bare hand, without causing himself any injury. The Shri Sai Satcharitra describes tenderly and in great detail how and what Baba would cook, "then with his own hands, serve very lovingly to all, with great respect. And those desirous of eating would happily partake of the food till quite full, even as Baba pressed them to have more, saying affectionately, 'Take, take some more!' Oh, how great must have been the merit of those who partook of this most satisfying meal! Blessed, blessed were those to whom Baba served himself." The author adds that once the number of visitors became very large and the quantity of food offerings also increased, Baba cooked less often. Baba never gave up the custom of begging for his food throughout his long life.

Beside the stove is a three-foot tall wooden post, which Baba would lean against while cooking. Though it is unremarkable looking, it is thought to be invested with healing properties since Baba once advised a close devotee (Sai Sharananand, then Vaman Patel) suffering from a severe pain in his knee to touch the post with his knee and then do pradakshina around it. The devotee did this and the pain disappeared. To this day, people with bodily aches and pains also like to lean against the post as a means of receiving Baba's blessing for their healing.