Ashram Suffers Devastating Financial Losses

The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and Prasanthi Nilayam ashram has suffered severe financial loses in the last year and a half, and much of it may be due to the covid pandemic and the subsequent lack of tourism money – including foreigners not visiting.

A local resident and employee inside the ashram who wishes to remain anonymous, has revealed he has seen many workers fired in the last year and a half. The few paid employees who remain, have had their salaries cut by at least half. Even those overseeing maintenance activities within the ashram have seen their salaries drop from an anyways pathetic Rs 9,000 a month ($121) down to Rs 4,000 ($54).

When employees beg for a living wage, Ashram higher-ups plead inability to do so, saying that due to a Rupees 4 Crore loss in the last year ($540,000), they are unable to pay bills, and need to cut corners extensively – including firing many employees and ignoring maintenance within the ashram, leaving the buildings to crumble and leaky faucets to puddle water.

Of course, the public will not know about these financial difficulties because the ashram continues to look splendid during festivals, making use of free service (seva) volunteers and recycled decorations.

The number of paid employees within the ashram has typically been low and the pay extremely insufficient and less than many other areas in India, due to the many ‘Seva Dal’ volunteers who come on a regular basis. These devotees come for typically two weeks at a time to devote 16-hour working days for free. In fact, each State and District in India who have Sathya Sai centres, are pressured into recruiting these volunteers on a regular basis. Sending less than the required quota of ‘slaves’ is NOT an option!

The ashram also continues to skillfully edit official videos to cut out angles that show just how empty the Hall is, such as the rare photo below, revealing a mostly empty gent’s side during the recent 10th Death Anniversary of Sathya Sai Baba on 24 April 2021.