From ordinary believers to the President of India, his clout spread far and wide but controversy also followed Puttaparthi Sathya Sai Baba all along. India had, and has, several godmen but none could match his name and fame. In fact, Sathya Sai Baba's influence had no barriers as his millions of followers spanned the globe.
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He separated his followers by gender. Women and their children were always huddled together. We walked into the enclosure that surrounded his mansion and sat down; the hard earth beneath us — a feeling of groundedness that dissipated when Sai Baba arrived.
Our bodies tensed and roused with anticipation. I desperately wanted to see his bare feet approach us, to feel the stroke of his hand on my hair and receive his good tidings. My mother raised her hands in prayer. I copied her movements and lifted my hands in worship. We waited for his acknowledgment. He walked around and waved like a beauty queen, his long orange kurta gracing the dust and dirt on the floor. My mother always held a note in her hand, hoping he would take it from her. He randomly chose people to bring into his mammoth home where he performed small miracles.
He made fancy goods like diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and vibuthi — a holy ash — magically spring from his palms. I never understood how he produced these riches. I suppose it might have been a sleight of hand. Sai Baba was well known for his philanthropy. He accepted money from his wealthy devotees, built hospitals and schools for the poor. An educated elite of doctors and teachers donated their services in exchange for his blessings.
There were also rumours of sexual misconduct, of his interest in teenage boys; allegations that were denied by Sai Baba and many of his followers. I later learned that we did not have the money to give to his charities; whatever we had was rationed for travel.
On that frenzied trip, when we eventually arrived at our hotel, we met a white American couple. They were there to see Sai Baba as well. They had a baby, a little girl. She could not have been more than five months old. The wife wore a large emerald ring encrusted with tiny diamonds wrapped around her index finger. My mother looked at the ring, and the woman looked at her. The woman explained how Sai Baba had brought them into his home and performed his small miracles, the emerald ring and a tiny figurine of some god.
She pulled the statue from her purse, and we marvelled at it. I held the idol in my palm and imagined it was a medallion worn by a superhero, that by holding it I would be granted good luck. The woman told us how her family was chosen, how they had bought Sai Baba a car in return for his blessings. There was a hint of superiority when she narrated this story, glancing at my mother with what I can only describe now as pity.
In our hotel room, my mother fiddled through our belongings, searching for some paper and a pen to write down all the questions she had for Sai Baba. I was exhausted, cold, and very hungry. A big bed called out to me to lie down. I begged for room service. My mother ordered me my favourite meal, masala dosa, which arrived on a stainless-steel thali with steam twisting through the air.
The smell of potatoes and onions mixed with curry leaves, black mustard seeds, and green chilies, all wrapped in a long crepe, overwhelmed me. I stuffed my face, dropping pieces of the dosa into the coconut chutney and sambar it was served with. Soon after, I began to throw up, heaving the food I had just devoured into the hotel toilet. I lay on the floor, peered up at the ceiling, and wondered if my mother would find the answers she came for.
The next morning, my mother pulled my shivering body up a hill. I tugged the edges of my wool shawl to tighten it around me. I was weak, dizzy, and dehydrated from throwing up the night before. Bengaluru: A man from Muddenahalli village near Bengaluru claims that he is the reincarnation of Sathya Sai baba of Puttaparthi in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Some followers of Sai baba who believe that he is the true reincarnation of the god man have organised a grand birthday bash of Sathya Sai baba on November 24, which is his 90th birth anniversary. He did not appoint anybody as his successor. Now, Madhusudhan Naidu of Muddenahalli claims that he is the successor of Sai baba. He even claims that all his actions are guided by Sathya Sai baba who visits him in his dream.
He has told the local newspapers that Sai baba himself has asked him to organise a massive birthday celebration. The Sathya Saibaba trust at Puttaparthi dismisses these claims saying that Madhusudhan Naidu is not the reincarnation of Saibaba and he has nothing to do with the world famous godman.
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