Sathya Sai Baba, the Hindu guru revered by millions around the world, passed away on April 24, 2011 near his ashram in Puttaparthi. He passed away at the age of 84. After nearly a month of hospital treatment, Prasanthi Nilayam, an ashram in southern India, announced his death.
Puttaparthi Sai Baba reportedly has ashrams in more than 126 countries to his name, and his followers in India include senior politicians, film stars, world-class athletes, and businessmen. It contains.
He is said to have performed miracles, conjuring up ‘vibhuti’ (sacred ash that his devotees applied to their foreheads) from his Rolex watch and the halo of his curly hair.
early life
Sathya Sai Baba’s birth name was Sathya Narayana Raju.
Born Satyanarayana Raju without wealth or privilege, Sai Baba declared at the age of 14 that he was the reincarnation of the 19th century guru Sai Baba of Shirdi. Believers claim that after the teenager was stung by a scorpion, he began singing religious chants. He could neither speak nor read Sanskrit, an ancient language.
Popularity and works
His popularity grew over the years and the first ‘mandir’ bearing his name was built in his hometown in 1944. Over the years, several temples and other facilities were built for him across the country.
As part of his philanthropic activities, he established the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization in the 1960s. Sai Baba established many schools, universities, hospitals and other charitable institutions in India and abroad through this trust.
Since Sai Baba established his first permanent meditation center more than 60 years ago, an extensive construction program funded by donations has transformed the remote village of Sai Baba’s birth into dozens of temples and free temples. It has transformed into a thriving small city with its own 220-bed specialist hospital. Treatments, universities, and an airport where chartered planes arrive daily with believers from all over the world.
His organization funds health and education projects, including hospitals and clinics that claim to cure diseases beyond the capabilities of mainstream medicine.
Volunteers working with Sai Baba NGOs have effectively provided disaster relief and embarked on major development works to bring water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands of people.
His Sathya Sai organization is believed to have more than 1,200 centers in more than 100 countries around the world.
controversy
Rationalist critics led a campaign against him, calling him a charlatan and his miracles fake. And although some news reports accused him of sexually abusing his followers, he denied the charges and was never charged.
Sai Baba was also the subject of a series of sexual abuse allegations against young male followers. Participants in the 2004 BBC documentary The Secret Swami accused him of massaging their testicles with oil and forcing them to perform oral sex.
Saibaba has not been charged with any crime in connection with the sexual abuse allegations and has denied all charges, saying they were part of a defamation campaign.
“Some people are trying to tarnish Sai Baba’s image out of spite. I am not seeking name or fame. So I will not lose anything by their false claims. My glory. will increase day by day,” the founder told his followers in 2000.
In 1993, six people died in the private room of a spiritual leader. This incident has not yet been fully elucidated. One possibility is a dispute between believers over money.
death
Sai Baba, who had predicted his death in 2019, said he would be reborn as the second reincarnation of Sai Baba in Shirdi and the third and final reincarnation of the saint in a small village in Karnataka in 2023. His supporters claim he could return as early as next year as he passed away earlier than expected.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the time described his death as an “irreparable loss”. “He was a spiritual leader who inspired millions of people to live moral and meaningful lives while practicing their chosen religion,” Singh said.
Published on: Sunday, April 23, 2023, 2:39 PM IST
