Bringing to light a great service

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Monday, December 6, 2004

URL: http://www.hindu.com/lf/2004/12/06/stories/2004120600790200.htm

 

Bringing to light a great service

A DIGITAL photo exhibition on Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been arranged by

the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Niruvanam of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts at Sri

Besant Lodge in Thanjavur from December 4 to 6.

The exhibition showcases 108 photographs on various aspects of his life

including Sai Baba's life history, spiritual speeches, social work done by the

`niruvanam' and by Sri Baba in areas such as education and health, and drinking

water schemes implemented by him. A picture depicting his contribution to the

Telugu Ganga project is displayed. He spent Rs. 200 crores on the project for

improvement works to enable water from the Krishna river to reach Zero Point

near Chennai from the Kandaleru reservoir. The Sai Trust had taken up concrete

laying for the entire stretch. The exhibition shows that Sai Baba started

contributing to social welfare since his childhood days. As a child, he used to

bring water in pots to Puttabarthi in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, his

birthplace, according to his mother's wishes. Later, as an adult, he

implemented a water scheme for Anantapur district by supplying water in lorries

and in 1994, he implemented a drinking

water scheme for the Royalaseema area by laying pipelines for a distance of 2500

km. In 1995, he said, "I have made a resolution. Madras (now Chennai) is

suffering from an acute drinking water shortage. The rich can buy water through

tankers but the poor need help. I have decided to work towards bringing Krishna

water to Madras." He has now kept his word.

Other photos that depict the social service rendered by him are the opening of

free super-speciality hospitals at Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttabarthi and

Whitefield near Bangalore, a deemed university where education is free, and his

emphasis on `bhajan sampradaya' for inclucating and strengthening community

worship.

V.R. Angappan, president, Sathya Sai Sevai Niruvanam, says Baba did not come to

start a religion but to instill faith in ourselves and the god within us to

become better Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews etc. and to help us

to love our neighbours. Training for Sai devotees on disaster management was

given at the exhibition. According to Dr. Angappan, hundreds of people visit

the exhibition every day.

>From G. Srinivasan in Thanjavur,

2004, The Hindu

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