One hundred and eleven Hindu priests congregated to perform the great yagna. The meals were specially prepared by Brahmins, but Merwan and Sadashiv were instructed by Upasni to oversee the food arrangements. Both would shop daily in the market and purchase all that was required for the enormous meals. In the center of the large pandal (tent) where the fire ceremony was to take place, a large painting of Sai Baba was hung and garlanded. When Sadashiv saw this spectacle with Sai Baba's picture in the central place, he realized why Maharaj had told him that Sai Baba would preside.
The great ceremonial fire burned continuously for eleven days, and, on the twelfth day, a feast for Brahmins was held. By that time as many as 12,000 Brahmins had gathered. The food for all was ready before noon, but when the Brahmins sat down under the large pandal for their meal and saw the painting of Sai Baba, some raised an uproar, exclaiming, "We cannot join in the feast of a Muslim! Sai Baba was a Muslim!"
Upasni Maharaj, who himself was of Brahmin descent, prevailed upon them, saying, "Forget your religious prejudices and opinions and partake of the food ... Sai Baba was above religious distinction. He was for you Brahmins as well as for the Muslims." But the Brahmins would not listen and even the Brahmin priests who performed the maha yagna joined their protests. Then Maharaj told the priests, "I promise to give every one of you dakshina of fifteen rupees instead of five. Now eat and enjoy the feast."
Still they refused, continuing to object vehemently to the picture of a Mohammedan Master and shouted, "Take that painting down. Why is this yagna dedicated to him? Why is Sai Baba being honored in our temple? If that painting is removed, we will share in the feast; otherwise, we will not eat."
The pandemonium lasted for two hours. Upasni could not persuade the Brahmins to share in the feast and he refused to have the painting of Sai Baba taken down. In the end, Upasni instructed his devotees to go to the banks of the Ganges River and to strike empty cooking oil tins to call for the poor to gather there. Merwan Seth and Sadashiv, joined by Upasni's several hundred devotees, served the food to the tremendous crowd that came. Amazingly, although nearly 15,000 poor people were fed, a considerable amount of food was left over.
