Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Acclaimed travel writer and self-described ?spiritual nomad? Bill Aitken tell us why people flock to Puttaparthi.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Bill Aitken
Penguin Viking
2004
Pages: 259
Price: Rs.450
ISBN 0-67-005807-6

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Acclaimed travel writer and self-described ‘spiritual nomad’ Bill Aitken tell us why so many-royalty, wealthy, industrialists, influential politicians, as well as the poor-flock to Puttaparthi. Sai Baba,s message, he reveals, can be summed up in one word: love. It is as simple as it is profound, not unlike hoe his devotees see the Sai himself-the embodiment of deep spirituality wedded to simplicity, elegance and grace.

Yet, the Sai phenomenon is less about producing vibhuti from the air and more about modern day miracles. Miracles like free schools and university, super-specialty hospitals which provide4 free treatment to all and revolutionary projects like the one which has brought drinking water to a million villages in drought prone Rayalseema.

Aitken is a rarity-a genuine spiritual seeker with a keen eye for cant and superstition. His study is neither a hagiographic exercise in myth-making nor a dry, objective account of the Sai’s life. While never shy of expressing his deep love and reverence for Sai Baba, he squarely confronts the controversies and criticisms which inevitably with the holy. The result of many years of inquiry and research, this biography bears testimony to the enduing relevance of the sacred in our times.