During the month of shradh, whatever samagri is put in the pind, at the time of puja, reaches the sky, pataal (place underneath the earth) and water. Our shastras say that what we feed the crow, reaches the sky; for pataal we feed the cow and all the leftovers in the pind are submerged in the sea and consumed by different living creatures there! Crow has been known to be an intelligent bird, cow is a sacred mother and the living creatures in the sea, where nothing much is provided for them, these materials when submerged are consumed by them. This way Sai teaches us to follow the path shown by our shastras.
On the day of umas (no-moon day) , during the shradh period, also the last day of shradh, Sai organises meals for bhrahmins, nyanis (unwed girls) and the poor! Sai does this for about 2500 nyanis and also gifts them some amount. It is said that one nyani is equivalent of 100 brahmins!
Sai says that disciples, especially those staying abroad, who are not aware about the tithis ie important dates as per Hindu calender e.g. one on which their elders had passed away or even those who are not very affording and cannot organise such meals, on behalf of all such devotees, Sai organises this large scale bhandara. He says that being a father of all my disciples, it is my duty to do this on their behalf!
During the days of shradh, the devotees send kadhi chawal to Darbar Sahib practically everyday and Sai without fail, eats a little from that saying that one who prepares all this with so much devotion and takes the trouble of bringing it here, how can I not accept the same?