That’s the Press, Baba
When your audience is made of real followers
Photo by Federico Sutera
Sathya Sai Baba, one of the most celebrated Indian gurus, is best known for having established a spiritual movement that has amassed devotees from religions in every part of the world. The man, who during his adolescence announced that he was the reincarnation of the Sai Baba of Shirdi, after his death in 2011 was effectively deified by his followers: they consider him to be the avatar of the God Shiva. His Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has 1200 centres in 100 countries and today is one of the largest economic empires in India, valued at over 12 billion dollars. Sai Baba’s estimated six million followers include politicians, captains of industry, business magnates, Bollywood stars and sporting heroes.
His ashram (place of meditation), known as Prashanti Nilayam, is located in Puttaparthi, near the village that was Sai Baba’s birthplace, in the southern state of Andra Pradesh. Financed by private donations from all over the world, the centre was created in 1950 by Sai Baba, whose activities over the years were the source of various controversies (linked to his alleged miracles and the enormous flows of money generated by the activities of his spiritual organization).
(2018)
