Sathya Sai Baba's mahasamadhi was on Friday opened to devotees for darshan at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima.
Thousands of devotees assembled at the Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam, where the samadhi is located, bringing back festive atmosphere in the town. Sai Baba used to give darshan at the Sai Kulwant Hall and Guru Purnima has importance in the calendar of events in Puttaparthi.
The rectangular-shaped mahasamadhi is a white marble edifice, which was decorated with flowers. Andhra Pradesh ministers J Raghuveera Reddy, J Geeta Reddy, senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal were among those who had darshan of the memorial after it was unveiled.
The police have put elaborate security arrangements in place in Puttaparthi. Sathya Sai Baba passed away on April 24 due to cardio-respiratory failure after undergoing treatment for about a month in the super-specialty hospital run by the Sathya Sai Trust.
The mortal remains of Sathya Sai Baba were laid to rest with state honours at the Sai Kulwanth Hall on April 27, as a host of prominent personalities and thousands of devotees watched the event.
