By: Bondada Janardhana Rao
Her name was Sundribai Ksheersagar and she was born in 1882. Originally she was staying in Ahmednagar. She was married in 1899 when she was 17 but she lost her husband after being married for only eight days. This calamity affected her mentally and emotionally. She was broken and shaken from the very roots of her existence. As time passed, it did not heal her mental and emotional agony she 
was undergoing. She was sent to the house of her paternal grandfather, Babasaheb Ganesh who was a lawyer so that a change in the outer environment could bring about a healing touch to her condition. Even then her condition remained the same. One morning in 1902 she abandoned her paternal grandfather’s house, never to return. The feeling of Vairagya (dispassion towards worldly life) had enveloped her. For about five years she roamed about several places including pilgrim places all over India, under tough conditions.
Ultimately she stayed in Pandharpur serving Lord Vithal. Nana Saheb Chandorkkar met her there and suggested that she should meet Sai Baba. She came to Shirdi from Pandharpur with his help in 1905.
When she came to Shirdi, she was wearing a white saree. She had a shoulder bag with a musical instrument, wore bangles of Tulasi beads and a Tulasi garland around her neck. She approached the masjid where Baba was sitting, took out an idol of Radhakrishna from her bag and then sang a melodious song, The song entreating God, seeking His mercy repenting for her earlier karmas, and expressed her deep pain and anguish. Baba was moved by her song and pitiable position and asked her to stay in Shala(school) which was vacant, located between the masjid and the Chavadi. Radhakrishnamai lived in a small thatched house. Her belongings consisted of a small and simple bed with a mosquito net, a nine-inch idol of Radhakrishna, a musical instrument, and two Marathi books, one – Saint Tukaram’s Abhangas and another – Jaydev’s Geeta Govinda. She always carried the idol of Radhakrishna with her wherever she went. She used to clean the masjid when Baba was not in the masjid and was also cleaning the streets which Baba treaded.
She prepared the morning breakfast for Baba on a daily basis and in the afternoon Baba used to send her roti-prasad. She was fond of eating the leftovers of Baba’s meal. She was a woman of resolute will and assertive temperament, and short in stature. When she came to Shirdi, she was about 25 years old. Baba used to call Radhakrishna Mai as Radhakrisni or Ayi or Sala. She was always seen with a ghungat, covering her face with a sari. She preferred wearing a white sari.
Whenever Justice M.B.Rege visited Shirdi, on Baba’s orders he stayed in the cottage of Radhakrishna Mai. Justice Rege was 22 years when he first visited Shirdi. Radhakrishna Mai was a noble and affectionate person. Rege treated her as his mother and she also treated him as her son. She used to get some bread/roti from Baba as prasad – on which alone she was living and Baba used to send her an additional roti for Rege whenever he was there.
Rama Navami festival started in 1912 along with the Urus festival and these festivals became very important for devotees of Baba. Most of them visited Shirdi on the occasion and took a leading part in the combined festival. Tatya Kote Patil looked to all outward affairs, while the internal arrangements were handled by Radhakrishna Mai.
Radhakrishna Mai wanted Baba to have all the grandeur of Vittal, the Lord of Pandharpur. She used to organize the Chavadi procession with all the royal dignity. She was an organizer par excellence. By her hard work and determination, she made Shirdi Sansthan into what it is today. But, she exhibited strange behavior. Sometimes she would sing melodiously with deep devotion and at other times she would suddenly break into laughter and then suddenly would start weeping.
In 1913, Shri Avasthi visited Shirdi and the moment he climbed up the steps of the masjid, he saw the form of Lord Shiva in the place of Sai Baba. Overcome with emotion, he immediately prostrated at his feet and after few seconds as he looked up once again he saw Baba, as usual, Baba blessed him and said, “Allah Malik Hai” and told him to stay at Radhakrishna Ayi’s house. Avasthi stayed in the cottage of Radhakrishna Mai. Avasthi also treated Radhakrishna Mai as his Mother and she reciprocated her motherly care and affection towards him. Baba once told Justice Rege that he was treating Radhakrishna Mai as his mother and that after her death in 1916, she got merged in Baba. Her services to Shirdi village and mainly to Baba were highly remarkable
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