On November 23, 1926, when the world had undergone the throes of the First World War and was in the doldrums of political and economic chaos, the tiny hamlet of Puttaparthy in Andhra Pradesh (then a part of the Madras Presidency) saw the birth of a phenomenon, perhaps the greatest of the century.

A person whose name is synonymous to religious unity and universal brotherhood. A person whom the world today knows as Sathya Sai Baba.

Sri Sai Baba was born to a poor agrarian family, as the son of Pedavenkappa Raju and Easwaramma. Being born after the Sri Sathyanarayana Puja, the child was aptly named after the puja's presiding deity, Sathyanarayana Raju.

Lore has it that when the child was born, musical instruments in the household started creating music on their own. The child was known to be very lively and was the pet of the entire village. He attended the local school. But, by the age of fourteen, a transformation came over him. On 23 May,1940, he declared to the world that he was not little Sathyanarayana, as people knew him, but Sai Baba, the reincarnation of his previous Avatar as Sri Shirdi Sai Baba.

Today Puttaparthy has undergone a sea change. From a tiny hamlet that barely existed in the local map of the British Raj to a world pilgrimage centre. His efforts have resulted in Deemed University, which spreads over three campuses -- one at Whitefield, the other at Anatapur (strictly for women) and the main one at Puttaparthy itself - and super speciality hospitals that cater to the needs of the poor free of cost.

Sri Sai Baba has brought the world to him. People from all over the world come to him seeking his blessings and guidance and some out of great curiosity.

He has often stated that his mission is to re-establish the principle of Righteousness, to motivate love for God and service to fellow man. He has consistently called on all mankind to 'Love All, Serve All' and has repeatedly asserted that the essence of all scriptures is 'Help Ever, Hurt never!'

Sai Baba has said about himself that his "mission" on this planet would have a global impact and that he would enter into samadhi at the age of 94.This Avatar will not be the last and that he will be born again in Karnataka as 'Prema Sai Baba', in the district of Mandya.

The saga of Sai Baba is a long and often mysterious one, full of strange and conflicting episodes in his life. To his devotees they are Leelas (divine miracles), to others they are mere acts of magic. Yet whatever they may seem or however people may take it - he is an enigma.

Ramakrishnan R

Published on 22^nd Nov. 2002