Puttaparthi,
the birthplace of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, is located on the southwestern
corner of Andhra Pradesh. It is easily accessible by road, rail
and air. Regular buses operate from Bangalore and Hyderabad to Dharmavaram;
from Dharmavaram there are regular buses to Puttaparthi. Once you
arrive at Puttaparthi, you can check into a number of rest houses
and have your lunch and dinner in the many restaurants at your disposal.
Travel to Puttaparthi is primarily undertaken to visit Prasanthi
Nilayam.
The
Abode Of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba
Puttaparthi,
once a sparsely populated village, has shot into national and international
fame as the abode of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba. The original name
of Sai Baba is "Satyanarayana Raju". He was born on November
23, 1926 in Puttaparthi.
He
started showing unusual talents and purity and compassion from an
early age. Baba's supernatural abilities caused some concern to
his family, who took him to Vedic doctors. After being pronounced
to be possessed by the divine rather than the diabolical, at the
age of fourteen he announced that he was the new incarnation of
Sai Baba, a saint from Shirdi in Maharashtra who died eight years
before Satya was born. Number of devotees, from all over the world
flock to this small town every year to have a glimpse of the Baba,
and be touched by him.
His
disciples have constructed the 'Prashanti Nilayam' an ashram, which
attracts large number of devotees throughout the year. Prasahanti
Nilayam means 'the abode of peace". The ashram was inaugurated
in 1950. The ashram is a huge complex with room for thousands, with
canteens, shops, a museum and library, and a vast assembly hall
where Sai Baba gives 'darshan' twice daily. A considerable number
of devotees turn out for his birthday celebrations in Puttaparthi,
where he delivers a message to his devotees
» The
Museum
The
most often-visited place in the ashram is the museum, which is located
on the nearby hillock. The museum contains models of various temple
structures including the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the Mecca mosque,
etc. The museum also depicts the story of Satya Sai Baba, right
from his birth to the time he attained 'Nirvana'.
»How
to reach Puttaparthi
By
Air : The nearest airports to Puttaparthi are Bangalore and Tirupati
at the distance of 250-km and 300-km respectively.
By Rail : The nearest railhead - Dharmavaram at a distance of 30-km
on Secunderabad - Dharmavaram and Pakhal - Dharmavaram line.
By Road : Puttaparthi is situated
at 150-km from Anantapur and 30-km from Dharmavaram. Regular State
buses from Hyderabad and major towns of A.P. Taxis are also available
from Bangalore .
Puttaparthi, Religious Places in India Reservation Form
