Shirdi Sai as Sri Naga Sai in Coimbatore:

In the year 1939, Sri. H.H.B.V. Narasimha Swamji along with Sri A.V. K. Chari and Sri.H.Varadaraja Ayyah and his brother Sri. C.V. Rajan started the Sai movement in Coimbatore and the first institution of Sri Sai Baba in Tamilnadu (erstwhile madras province) was established in Coimbatore.  The Institution was named as Sri Sai Baba Mission was put up for darshan of the Devotees.  Swamiji entrusted the centre to the care of Sri. A.V.K.Chari  in the year 1942. The late Sri.C.Varadaraja Ayyah donated about one acre of land at Mettupalayam Road and a Thatched Shed was erected at the donated land to house the Sri Sai Baba Mission which was later named as Sri Sai Baba Madam in those days and the place was opened for worship to one and all at all times irrespective of class, creed, caste or religion. The Sai Baba Madam was the meeting ground of Sai Devotees in and around the Coimbatore City.  Sai Bajans are held regularly on Thursdays.

Advent of ‘Naga Sai’

In 1943 on the evening of the 7th of January, Guru-vara (Thursday) sacred for worship of Baba, a miracle happened! A shining and lustrous Cobra small in size but possessing an unusually big hood with divine marks of Tripundra, Shanka and Chakra appeared before Baba’s picture when the Bhajan was going on in full swing to the accompaniment of drum, cymbals etc., with all the lights on.  The Naga stood there in a pose of worship fullness entranced in Baba Music! Waving of lights, aratis etc had no effect on the nerves of the Cobra.  People around who had swelled into a crowd of a few hundred stood there in awe and wonder at the wondrous sight of the Naga with spread head.  There was no fear for the snake; the proverb that even a battalion of soldiers of valour shiver at the sight of a cobra was falsified. Young and old, women and children in thousands began to pour into the spacious land of the Bhajan Madam to witness the Naga that lingered in the same spot for full 48 hours Baba bhaktas began to shower baskets of flowers in worshipful reference for the Naga.  The Cobra was virtually submerged in a mould of flowers but even then, he was immobile. Aartis were performed for the Naga.
On the second day of Naga’s advent, photographer came to take a picture of the Naga in its majesty but the latter was immersed under heaps of flowers.  No one had the courage to go near the spot where the cobra was lodged and clear the flowers.  The only course open to them was to pray. Ho! the Naga jumped out of the flowers heaps and posed for the photograph as if in answer to the prayers of the multitude.  One and all were sure for the first time that it was all the work of Sai Baba.  The devotees then prayed with fervour and faith to the Naga to clear out and enable them to resort to their routine worship of Baba in the Madam. Then the immobile Naga showed signs of movements went around Sri Sai Baba’s picture and slowly marched out into the open, disappeared into the bush where later an   ant-hill (snake’s natural habitat) appeared.  The place where the Naga disappeared in held as a ‘Holy Ground’ by devotees and from that day onwards Shirdi Sai Baba in Coimbatore is worshipped as “Sri Naga Sai”.