Hyderabad, April 26: Clad in white clothes and suffering great mental pain and sorrow, 26-year-old K Abhishek, an IT professional, and his close friends, all great devotees of Satya Sai Baba, were seen distributing brief treatises at the main entrance gate of Sathya Sai Seva Samstha or Shivam temple that indicates “Baba might have left his mortal remains, but the spiritual sage’s ideologies are immortal.’’
Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at Shivam, which is located near Osmania University, on Sunday as a large number of devotees started crying inconsolably when they came to know of the news that the Baba was no more.
Baba was on ventilator support for many days with all his vital organs not functioning properly.
The Sathya Sai Baba Central Trust confirmed in the morning that Sai Baba left the world due cardiac-respiratory failure.
The sign boards with message “Please Observe Silence’’ were everywhere on the premises of Shivam. “Who said Baba is no more? He will return soon in a new avatar to promote peace and harmony among us,’’ said Abhishek whose eyes were filled with tears.
Several devotees from various parts in the twin cities came with their children and offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum of the mandir at Shivam which has a more than 10-foot-high portrait of Baba. Smearing vibhuti (sacred ash) that was brought from Puttaparthi on their forehead, devotees offered prayers at the Shivam.
Besides, Sathya Sai Baba Seva Samstha pitched up tents on the premises for the convenience of a large number of devotees who thronged the place.
“We have been praying for the last 15 days for his health. We hoped that Baba would return to his Ashram in good health. We are not able to assimilate the news that Baba is no more,’’ grieved a retired employee, M Parameswar.
Shivam office-bearers cancelled all regular events. With a large number of devotees gathering at Shivam, vehicular traffic on the Shivam Road that connects Amberpet and Osmania University was hit.
Police beefed up security at Shivam where special prayers will be held in the next two days.
-Agencies