News

Swami visited New Delhi in the period 11-14 March and Mumbai on 14-16 March. Here are some articles from India's newspapers about the visits.

Times of India, 12 March
Hindustan Times, 12 March
Indian Express, 12 March

Times of India, 11 March
Times of India, 11 March
Hindustan Times
Indian Express
 

Times of India, March 11, 1999 (two articles)
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/11mdel23.htm
Devotees call him `love walking on two feet'
By M P K Kutty

The Times of India News Service

NEW DELHI: Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, who arrives here from Bangalore on Thursday morning and has a busy schedule upto Sunday, is among the most popular religious leaders of the country.

He will inaugurate the Sri Sathya Sai International Centre at Lodhi Road on Friday morning. A large number of his devotees are awaiting his arrival for a darshan, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Rai school or at his residence. Discourses are also scheduled at the Sai centre and Rai school.

The person, adored by many in India and abroad, also has his share of critics. The rationalists have particularly been among his challengers. His admirers describe him as ``love walking on two feet.'' His ability to materialise objects such as gold rings, watches and lockets from thin air is much talked about by his devotees. Many speak of his appearance in ``vision'' at times of crisis or illness.

Education has been a basic ingredient in his welfare projects established for the benefit of the people. A women's college was established at Anantpur as early as 1968. A college for men at Brindavan (Whitefield) Bangalore and a full-fledged Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (deemed University) at Prasanti Nilayam followed soon. A school at Prasanthi Nilayam had already been in existence. In all these institutions, education is provided free of charge.

A small clinic which started functioning at Prasanthi Nilayam in the fifties has now grown into a full fledged and well equipped hospital. Another milestone was the super speciality hospital at Prasantigram in Andhra for which the Baba laid the foundation stone on November 22, 1991. It went into operation in November 1992. All services ranging from routine treatment to open heart surgeries are free.

Return to: top of page     International Sai page

http://www.timesofindia.com/today/11mdel24.htm
8,000 volunteers arrive in city for Sathya Sai Baba's visit
By A Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Around 8,000 volunteers have arrived in Delhi to help in the arrangement of functions to mark the visit of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi to the Capital.

The volunteers of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samiti have taken over the premises of the Rai School, which also includes the Institute For Integrated Learning In Management, at Lodhi Institutional Area, among other places. The area was a beehive of activity on Wednesday evening, with scores of badge-donning volunteers making last-minute arrangements. ``They are here to perform seva. It might be in the form of security, sanitation or canteen work,'' said a senior Seva Samiti volunteer. The closure of the school and the management institute have led to complaints from several students. ``We were told the institute will remain closed from March 6 to March 14,'' said a worried student of the undergraduate programme in business management. ``This comes at a time when our course is not yet complete and the examinations begin in early-April. We are not allowed to enter the institute to use the library or computers...some have to finish their projects,'' he added.

A Seva Samiti volunteer, in turn, said the students should take this opportunity to ``study in peace'' at home. ``Sai Baba coming to Delhi is a major event...the institutes have been closed only for a week,'' he added.

While the men volunteers are staying at the nearby Andhra Association building and the Army camp on Lodhi Road, the women are at the Rai School. Huge tents have also been erected at these places for Sai Baba's darshan and discourses.

``The arrangements are going on smoothly. Around 10,000 to 12,000 devotees can be accommodated at Rai School for the darshan at one time. The capacity of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where Sai Baba is scheduled to give darshan on Thursday evening, is around 80,000,'' said a volunteer at the control room set up in Rai School.

Return to: top of page     International Sai page

Hindustan Times March 11, 1999
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/110399/detCIT12.htm
Sathya Sai Baba to arrive in Capital today New Delhi, March 10
(HT Correspondent)

Shri Sathya Sai Baba, who is arriving in the Capital on March 11, is scheduled to make his first public appearance on the same day at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. According to a spokesman of the organisers of his visit, Sri Sai Baba would make the appearance at five in the evening. After the first appearance, he will give darshan twice a day on March 12 and 13. In the morning, the time will be at 8:00 am and in the evening 5:00 pm. In addition to the appearance, Baba will also deliver a public discourse at the stadium at 9.30 in the morning of March 14. Sri Sathya Sai Baba is visiting Delhi after a gap of seventeen years.

According to the organisers, the main purpose of the visit is the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai International Centre located in Lodhi Estate. The Centre intends to promote appreciation of world heritage. The focus of the Centre will be on educational, cultural and other social activities to foster love and understanding at national and international levels.

Return to: top of page     International Sai page

INDIAN EXPRESS
http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/19990311/ige11041.html
Thursday, March 11, 1999
Sri Sathya Sai Baba to visit Mumbai
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MARCH 10: Spiritual leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba will visit Mumbai after a gap of nearly four years. The leader, who has a following in over 150 countries, will be in the city between March 14 and 16, during which he will attend several programmes.

To mark his arrival, the Sri Sathya Sai Trust Maharashtra has organised a series of four programmes at the Dharamakshetra at Mahakali Caves, Andheri (east). Sai Baba will bless inaugurate a medical centre and eye hospital and deliver a discourse at 4 pm on March 14 at Dharmakshetra. On March 15, he will be felicitated by prominent citizens including Nani Palkhiwala, Nana Chudasama, Y P Trivedi, J T Vyas and Father Orlando Rodrigues at Cooperage at 6 pm. This function will be followed by a discourse by Sathya Sai Baba. A devotional music programme has also been organised on March 16 at Parade Ground, near Mahananda Dairy, Western Express Highway, Goregaon East.

The other programmes during the visit include Nagarsankirtan from Chakala Naka, Andheri East at 5.15 am,bhajan and darshan at Dharmashetra at 8.30 am from March 15 to 17, cultural programmes by students of Sri Sathya Sai schools, Bal Vikas and youth wing members and inauguration of an audio-video studio.

Return to: top of page     International Sai page
 

Times of India March 12, 1999
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/12mdel12.htm
Devotees welcome Sai Baba
By A Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: As soon as the black Mercedes rolled right into the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday evening, the ten thousand devotees began chanting a welcome to Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.

The devotees, the majority squatting on the ground, then craned necks to catch a glimpse of Sai Baba, who had arrived in the Capital from Bangalore in the morning, as he alighted from the car. A couple of devotees, ``fortunate'' enough to be near the stage, fell at his feet, even as he blessed the gathering. The others had to be content with a darshan from a distance.

Sai Baba, in his characteristic saffron robes, then went up to the stage, sat on a chair for a brief moment, and finally lit a lamp before leaving as he had come. A motorised golf-cart, arranged for Sai Baba to take a round of the stadium, was left unused during the ten-minute darshan.

People of all ages, some of them barefoot, had begun gathering at the stadium, ringed by around 600 policemen and scores of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samiti volunteers, right since the afternoon. This led to some traffic disruption on the busy Lodhi Road.

``I want my physically disabled son to have darshan,'' said one eager devotee, pushing his son's wheelchair. ``I have brought my entire family to recive blessings,'' said another.

Some had come just out of plain curiosity. ``I don't know much about Sai Baba...I am not a devotee. I have come to see who he is,'' said Ravi Madhok, a teacher living in Lodhi Colony. There were some protesters, too. ``We have detained three people who wanted to stage a black flag demonstration. The weird thing is they wrote a letter (signed by a person named P K Taliya) to the Lodhi Colony SHO, seeking police protection for the demonstration,'' said a police officer, on duty outside the stadium.

Inside, stands were draped with colourful banners, with messages like We love you Baba and Love all, serve all, even as devotional music filled the stadium. The smaller-than-expected crowd was handled by volunteers wearing white clothes with badges like security, control, medical and technical, among others.

Sai Baba arrived at the stadium after another darshan at the Rai School nearby. He has a busy schedule till Sunday afternoon, when he leaves for Mumbai, with discourses and darshans lined up at Rai School, Nehru stadium and Sai Centre.

Return to: top of page    International Sai page

Hindustan Times Friday, March 12, 1999, New Delhi
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/120399/detCIT12.htm
Devotees throng for Sathya Sai Baba's darshan
New Delhi, March 11 (HT Correspondent)

A mass of humanity surged to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium this evening to have a glimpse of Shri Sathya Sai Baba who came to the Capital after 17 years. Most of the devotees turned up much before five p.m when the Baba was supposed to come.

The devotees sat on the ground of the stadium when there was an announcement that the Baba would come at the venue in three minutes. There was a pin drop silence when the black Mercedes of Sai Baba rolled near the makeshift stage.

The Baba waved to the crowd and blessed them in his typical style. Wearing his traditional saffron robes, the Baba looked peaceful and calm. He spent five minutes on the stage amidst constant chanting of bhajans and then left the venue but not before an arati was conducted. He is now slated to give darshan tomorrow morning.

There was massive security arrangements at the venue. The police was there in all its strength.Significantly, there was no police personnel inside the stadium as the volunteers manned the place.

Indian Express
http://www.expressindia.com/news/07100299.htm
Friday, March 12, 1999

Thousands throng to have darshan of 'Baba'

NEW DELHI: Thousands of devotees, including a large number of women and children, today thronged the local Jawaharlal Nehru stadium to have a darshan of Shri Sathya Sai Baba, visiting Delhi after a gap of 17 years. Press photographers had tough time as overzealous securitymen did not allow some of them despite their having invitation cards of the organisers. The Baba is visiting the capital to inaugurate the Sri Sathya Sai International Centre, which intends to promote appreciation of World Heritage, organisers said. Tight security arrangements were made by the Delhi Police to prevent any untoward incident, reports PTI.

Return to: top of page     International Sai page