Remembering Sathya Sai Baba on his 6th Death Anniversary

At the time of his death in 2011, Baba had over 50 million followers, worldwide. (Photo: sathyasai.org)

Born as Sathya Narayana Raju in Puttaparthi village of Andhra Pradesh, Sathya Sai Baba was a godman who indulged in several charitable works through his institutions. On his sixth death anniversary, let us look at some of the times he made news.

Claiming to be a reincarnation of the Shirdi Sai Baba, he had over 50 million followers worldwide. Through the Sathya Sai Organisation, he established a network of educational institutions, hospitals, orphanages, and several other philanthropic projects.

Like manyother godmen, Sathya Sai Baba was no stranger to controversy. His ‘holy miracles’ have been both his claim to fame and the subject of skepticism. His ashram Prashanthi Nilayam made news in 1993, when four men were gunned down by the police for having stabbed four persons in Baba’s bedroom – killing two and injuring two others.

Baba also has accusations of sexual abuse and pedophilia against him. Even after his death in 2011, a mysterious aura surrounded the wealth amassed by the Satya Sai Central Trust. The Trust faced a lot of tussle and infighting over the estimated Rs 40,000 crore legacy.

Meanwhile, several followers find solace in the fact that Sathya Sai Baba will reincarnate as Prema Sai, to be the saving grace of his legacy.