23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011

Sathya Sai Baba was one of the most revered Spiritual Masters in the recent times. He had been silently transforming the world by re-establishing the eternal values of Truth, Love, Righteousness, Peace and Non-Violence in everyday living. His teachings are universal to all religions, yet he was not seeking to start a new religion. Rather he urged us to go to the roots of our own faith whatever it may be, to rediscover the universal Truth therein.

Sathya Sai Baba was born on November 23, 1926, in Puttaparthi, a remote village in the state of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India. He was the fourth child of a humble and pious couple, who named Him Sathya Narayana Raju. As a child, He demonstrated exceptional qualities of wisdom, compassion, and generosity. When He was seven years old, He composed devotional songs that were sung in religious festivals. At the age of fourteen, He announced that His name was Sathya Sai Baba and proclaimed His mission: to bring about the spiritual regeneration of humanity by demonstrating and teaching the highest principles of Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-violence. With that announcement, He left His childhood home and began His mission.

From an early age, Sathya Sai Baba began demonstrating extraordinary powers. He quickly became known for the miracles that He performed such as materializing objects, especially a holy ash called vibhuti, assisting people in distress, and letting those who came to Him for advice know that He was aware of even the most intimate details of their lives. Yet, He always maintained that His miracles were to be treated only as His calling cards. They were for the purpose of inspiring and encouraging people to begin their own spiritual journey of personal transformation.

In 1950, His devotees built a temple and residential quarters near the village He was born in. He named this ashram 'Prashanti Nilayam' (Abode of Peace). Today, this ashram can accommodate and feed many thousands of devotees who come and sit in this Abode of Peace. Under His care and guidance, Puttaparthi has evolved to have high quality schools, an accredited university, a spiritual museum, a well-equipped modern hospital, and an airport.
 

Sathya Sai Baba's followers regarded Him as an incarnation of God in human form (Avatar). He was an ideal of goodness: One who manifested all human virtues in their purity and perfection; One who showed power, wisdom and knowledge beyond the comprehension of humans; and One in whom immense powers lay at His will.

He was also known as Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Sai Baba, Swami, Bhagavan, or simply as Baba to millions of people in the world. His followers come from all faiths and races and meet regularly for devotional singing, to study His teachings, and to engage in service activities in order to practice His message of Love and Peace to unite all mankind.

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