Millions of devotees in India and around the world were heartbroken this Sunday morning as Sri Sathya Sai Baba passed away after prolonged illness. The extremely popular Indian spiritual leader, 'Godman' and humanitarian died on April 24, 2011 (Easter Day) at the age of 84. He was undergoing medical care at one of his super-specialty hospitals in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh where thousands of poor people undergo free medical treatment.
The hospital website on Sunday morning announced that the swami "is no more with us physically. He left his earthly body at 7:40 a.m. due to cardio-respiratory failure... We appeal to all not to rush to the hospital, but to remain calm." Sai Baba's body will lie in state till April 26, for visitors to pay their last visit or "Darshan" at the Sai Kulwant Hall in Puttaparthi, a small village in Andhra Pradesh.
Sri Satya Sai Baba was a spiritual leader who inspired millions to lead a moral and meaningful life even as they followed the religion of their choice, said India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoling the death of the swami. His teachings were rooted in the universal ideals of truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence, he said.
Sai Baba, as he is popularly known, was an iconic figure for over five decades, who endeared himself to the people through various institutions, which promote egalitarian values, education and public health. He believed that it is the duty of every person to ensure that all people have access to the basic necessities for sustenance of life. Baba Ramdev, the famous yoga guru of north India said: "Sathya Sai Baba was an avatar of compassion, love, and selfless service for all mankind."
In a discourse in September 1960, Sai Baba had said, "I will be in this mortal human form for 59 years more and I shall certainly achieve the purpose of this avatar... I may sometimes wait until I can achieve ten things at one stroke; just as an engine is not used to haul one coach, but awaits until sufficient haulage in proportion to its capacity is ready. But my word will never fail; it must happen as I will." It means that Sai Baba had predicted that he would live to be at least 93 or 94 years old while he died a decade earlier at the age of 84. A possible explanation for this seeming discrepancy is that he may have been talking in lunar years as he lived about 1,133 lunar months, which equals to over 94 lunar years.
What he predicted many years ago is a fact today in many ways. No spiritual leader could achieve so much in one life in terms of serving people through developmental work. Sathya Sai Baba's trust has presence in 186 nations and operates about 1,200 organizations worldwide. The Sathya Sai Central Trust owns or manages colleges, schools, publication houses, general as well as super-specialty hospitals, women's welfare and many social service organizations. Besides, there are famous social welfare schemes such as the Anantapur drinking water scheme, a piped-water project that benefits 750 villages in the dry and barren district of Andhra Pradesh.
Indeed, Sri Sathya Sai Baba's true mission in life was love. As he himself said, "I have come to light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to see that it shines day by day with added luster... I have come to tell you of this unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty of Love, this obligation of Love." He will live on as an inspiration to people of all faiths for his mission of love and humanitarian service.
Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided 
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