Sathya Sai Baba is one of the greatest spiritual gurus that India had in the era after Independence and his pervading influence can be felt even today.
The followers of Sathya Sai Baba believed that he could perform miracles. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
New Delhi: Sathya Sai Baba was an Indian guru and philanthropist who declared that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba when he was just 14 years old and left his home to work for his devotees. Sathya Sai Baba is one of the greatest spiritual gurus that India had in the era after Independence and his pervading influence can be felt even today.
He was born as Sathyanarayana Raju on November 23, 1926, to a Telugu-speaking Bhatraju family, which was a community of religious musicians and balladeers, in the Madras Presidency of British India. According to his mother Easwaramma, Sathya Sai Baba’s birth was a miraculous conception. As a child, he was unusually intelligent and had a keen interest in charity, even though he was not academically inclined as he was more of a spiritual nature. Also, he showed an astute talent in devotional music, dance and drama.
The reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba
According to the sources of his life, on March 8, 1940, Sathya Sai Baba was stung by a scorpion and he lost consciousness for many hours. His behaviour changed in the next few days and it is claimed that he started to sing Sanskrit verses which he did not know earlier. On May 23, he called members of his household and materialised prasad and flowers. It infuriated his father, and Sathya calmy revealed that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, a saint popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Maharashtra who passed away eight years before Sathya Sai Baba was born. From then on, he came to be known as Sathya Sai Baba.
The miracles of Sathya Sai Baba
The followers of Sathya Sai Baba believed that he could perform miracles like the materialisations of holy ash and other small objects like watches and rings. He reportedly had the power of miraculous healings, resurrections, clairvoyance, and bilocation. To his devotees, Sathya Sai Baba was a divine figure.
Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust
In 1972, the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust was founded by Sathya Sai Baba. It aimed to enable its members to undertake services for spiritual advancement. Sathya Sai Baba, through the organisation, founded several hospitals, free medical clinics, schools, universities, drinking water projects, ashrams, auditoriums, and education technology.
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