Sai Baba was born on the 27/28th of September, 1835 to a poor Hindu couple: Gangabhavadya and Devagiriamma. In his infancy, he was left abandoned in the woods only to be immediately discovered, then adopted, by a childless Muslim fakir and his wife.

Throughout the next four years, Baba became a source of controversy in his community - worshiping both Allah in Hindu temples, and Hindu gods in mosques. After the fakir passed away, his wife was forced to hand Baba to a local medicant and story-teller named Venuska.