PM Modi, Naidu Join Thousands in Puttaparthi for Sathya Sai Baba Centenary Celebrations
PM honours spiritual icon at grand Puttaparthi centenary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in commemorating the birth centenary of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Wednesday, addressing tens of thousands of devotees at a grand celebration held at Hill View Stadium in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, where he released a special ₹100 commemorative coin and unveiled commemorative postal stamps alongside Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Describing Sri Sathya Sai Baba as the living embodiment of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one family – Mr Modi highlighted the spiritual leader’s unparalleled legacy of selfless service, including the provision of drinking water to millions through projects spanning over 3,000 kilometres of pipelines, world-class super-speciality hospitals offering entirely free treatment, and a network of educational institutions emphasising human values alongside academic excellence.
The Prime Minister praised the continuing social impact of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, noting its instrumental role in opening over four crore Sukanya Samriddhi accounts nationwide and the distribution of high-yield Gir cows to rural families under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, initiatives that have simultaneously empowered women and strengthened village economies while preserving indigenous cattle breeds.
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu lauded Baba’s transformative drinking water projects that benefited more than 1,600 villages across three states at a cost of ₹550 crore and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to perpetuating the values of free, value-based education currently serving over 60,000 students through 102 Sathya Sai institutions.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan added deeply personal tributes, with Tendulkar crediting Baba’s blessings for inner strength during the 2011 World Cup victory and Ms Bachchan, a former Bal Vikas student, reiterating the universal teachings that there is only one caste – the caste of humanity, one religion – the religion of love, and one language – the language of the heart.
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