 According to the book Sai Satcharita , Sai Baba arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra , British India , when he was about 16 years old . He led an ascetic life , sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana . The Shri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers : 
