Sathya Sai Baba birthday magnificence

Year after year, Sathya Sai Baba insists on have a huge birthday celebration for himself. Of course, his devotees support this, because for them he is God Incarnate and his will must be done. Sathya Sai Baba could easily stop the costly birthday celebration, but – as residents at Prashanthi Nilayam have often expressed to me (not least his close servitor and editor V.K. Narasimhan) – they are not at all keen on the disturbances and demands this makes on them – the unruly crowds and the huge infection dust clouds they throw up, all of which makes daily life almost intolerable for them for days on end. V.K. Narasimhan told me that really, only Sathya Sai Baba revels in these gaudy celebrations.

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Through the decades from when I first became a follower of Sai Baba, the tinsel and pomp increased and the money lavished on the annual event mounted out of all proportion to anything that could be achieved. Western devotees often complained about this waste and pomp, such as at Organization meetings, but nothing could be done about it. The organization is ruled from the top according to Sai Baba’s directives  with an iron hand – democratic feedback is not tolerated. Many left the organization for these reasons.

The round number birthdays (50, 60, 70, 80 years) considered more important and auspicious became bigger and bigger ‘tamashas’ with helicopters, coloured moving illuminations stretching the length of Puttaparthi, rock music and three free meals a day for all comers (not especially for the poor). Take into account the energy consumed for this celebration – on the biggest event (70th birthday) the public relations office published the figures for visitors from abroad (foreigners and especially visitors from the Indian diaspora abroad) as 18,000. That was the peak for foreign visitors, since when non-Indian foreigners have turned their backs on him in increasing numbers (for reasons known to everyone). The number of airline flights to and fro India alone would have eaten enough money to feed all the beggars in India for a long period! Instead it was lavished to promote Sathya Sai Baba.

This year he has virtually combined the once-annual three-day yajna rituals, and the Golden Chariot procession (formerly only for the ‘paduka’-worship ceremonies) in the run up to the birthday. It is not likely that this is done with any economy of energy or resources in mind – but rather a way to try to raise his flagging profile somewhat. The main effort is to impress impressionable Indians – not least villagers – with the luxuriant show and flaunted opulence. Yet Indian newspapers are scared to remark on the hypocrisy in all this – that a supposed avatar of Vishnu wastes so much on his own aggrandizement.

Further information it is crucial to know about Sathya Sai Baba:-
The Murders in Sathya Sai Baba’s bedroom at Prashanthi Nilayam

Robert Priddy – more on the 1993 bedroom murders

Summary of the history of world-wide allegations of sexual abuses by Sathya Sai Baba