Devotees from 140 nations to converge in Puttaparthi for Sathya Sai Baba’s centenary

Devotees from 140 countries will converge in Puttaparthi from November 13–24 for Sathya Sai Baba’s centenary celebrations, featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan. Massive arrangements and global participation mark the landmark spiritual event.

Puttaparthi: Devotees from nearly 140 countries are coming together for the centenary birth celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba from November 13 to 24 here, which will see Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking part in events.

A large number of devotees from different parts of the country and world are expected to take part in the event, and massive arrangements are being made to provide free food and stay, which include temporary shelters. Also the venue of the Prime Minister’s event is being redeveloped for the occasion.

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“Sri Sathya Sai Baba centenary celebration is being planned by all the devotees coming together from nearly 140 countries. Everyone in the Sai mission feels this is a momentous occasion, a special occasion, a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for them to express their commitment and to rededicate themselves to the cause of Sai mission, to the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, that is — Love all, serve all. Help ever, hurt never,” Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust managing trustee R J Rathnakar said.

Speaking to PTI, he said all the Sai devotees and followers are taking this occasion to rededicate themselves to the mission of service, spreading love and unity amongst mankind.

November 23 is the most anticipated day for all the Sai followers and devotees across the globe, for which we preparations are on for the last two years, he further said.

“After Baba’s Maha Samadhi (death) in 2011, this is the biggest event which we are going to do, and this happens to be Baba’s 100th birthday. The celebrations are starting on November 13 till the 24th.”

PM Modi has consented to be here on November 19 and will be attending a grand programme at the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium, as part of the centenary celebrations, Rathnakar said.

November 22 happens to be the 44th convocation of Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, a deemed to be university, and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has consented to be the chief guest, he said. The next day, there will be a lot of invitees and guests and celebrities and people from offices of high positions taking part in the celebrations.

“Every devotee feels he is the chief guest on that particular day, because that is the kind of feeling that every follower feels — that on that day, it is like your father’s birthday. So you feel you have to be there, and you are the important person, you are the one who has to be in the show,” he added.

Indicating that the trust plans to unveil its next plans during the PM’s visit, Rathnakar, without sharing further details said, “it is on the cards, and we would like to do it on that day.” The Government of India has agreed to release a commemorative stamp in Baba’s honour, and also a commemorative Rs 100 coin, he said, adding it is likely to be released by PM Modi on November 19.

Pointing out that after Baba’s Maha Samadhi, a lot of questions were asked regarding, how his legacy and programmes will be carried forward, the managing trustee said. The foundation that was laid by Sai Baba was very firm and absolutely on solid ground.

He created systems and a kind of institution which has the wherewithal to carry forward all the missions which he had started in his lifetime, with the support of his followers and devotees.

“All the works are absolutely going in the way he directed us to take it forward — like education, medical, and social services — everything, as per his direction, we are carrying forward with the support of all the devotees and followers of Baba,” he said. Providing free and quality education and health care, and socially relevant projects have continued.

The number of people visiting Puttaparthi is more now, than when Baba was physically here, Rathnakar said, adding, his mission is moving forward.

“We want to strengthen the legacy of Baba, we would like to see where we can expand. In fact, we are upgrading continuously. Just a couple of months back, we introduced robotic surgeries in heart surgery — we introduced robotic equipment, I think its the first robotic surgeries anywhere in the world which are done free of cost. We are continuously upgrading and trying to be trendy and trying to catch up with whatever is happening around,” he said.

Along with the support of donations, the trust has also diligently built a corpus to fund programmes and service initiatives of Baba that are free, the managing trustee said. “We have a few thousand crores corpus, which gives interest also.” “So every year, from donations, we are diligently proportioning some funds towards the corpus. So our corpus is also increasing. From 2011, after Baba left us, till now, we would have added nearly Rs 800 crore to 1,000 crores corpus, apart from what we spent — almost Rs 1,500 to 1,800 crores on regular works. So it adds,” he said.

Noting that the youth are more inspired by the service activities Baba had initiated, more than the spiritual part of it, Rathnakar said that young people are very keen and they want to join socially relevant programmes.

“We have a huge youth programme. Our youth wing is very strong, and they had planned for the 100th birthday ride and run programme across cities. They have already done it in nearly 60 cities. In each place, 3,000 to 5,000 youth have participated,” he said.

Thanking the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for declaring Baba’s centenary celebration on November 23 as a state function, he said the Andhra government and district administration are supporting and participating in a big way.