President Murmu visits Puttaparthi, pays homage to Sri Sathya Sai Baba

President Droupadi Murmu attended the birth centenary celebrations of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthi on Saturday, marking the commencement of nationwide observances for the revered spiritual leader’s 100th birth anniversary.

Earlier in the day, the President concluded her official visit to Telangana and departed from Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, after being seen off by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, and other dignitaries. During her stay in Telangana, the President inaugurated the second edition of the ‘Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav’ at the Rashtrapati Nilayam on Friday.

Upon her arrival in Puttaparthi, President Murmu was received by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and other state ministers, who accompanied her during the visit. Senior officials, public representatives, and members of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust were also present at the airport to welcome her.

The President was escorted to Sai Kulwant Hall, where she offered prayers at the Maha Samadhi of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. She later attended the centenary programme held at the Poornachandra Auditorium, which was organised by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust.

In her address, President Murmu stated that participation in the centenary celebrations was a great honour and that Sri Sathya Sai Baba stood among the foremost spiritual leaders devoted to the service of humanity. She noted that Baba considered forgiveness, compassion, and service to the needy as the true expression of devotion to God.

It was highlighted that Sri Sathya Sai Baba had initiated significant social welfare programmes, including large-scale drinking water projects in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, which continue to provide free drinking water to lakhs of people. The President recalled that welfare initiatives for women had been started by Baba as early as 1969, demonstrating his long-standing commitment to social upliftment.

The work of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, which manages super-specialty hospitals offering free medical care for critical illnesses, was praised by the President. The Trust’s global presence spanning over 140 countries with more than 2,000 service centres was described as a reflection of Baba’s universal message of love and service.

The President called upon devotees to reaffirm their commitment to Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings of truth, righteousness, peace, love, and non-violence, and to carry forward his mission of humanitarian service on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary.

The celebrations concluded with devotional programmes and the lighting of the “Sri Sathya Sai Universal Torch for Peace” by President Murmu.