Shri Kasthuri, a fine instrument in the hands of Swami.

[Guest guest]

Shri Kasthuri was the official translator of Bagawan's discources in the earlier years before Dr.Bagawantam and Shri Anilkumar. Not only this, he was a multifarious personality. He was the All Rounder manning many functions of the Nilayam. Many will wonder at the versatile tasks he had undertaken when the Nilayam was in the developing stage. He worked for "Sanathana Sarathy". He used to translate Swami's lucid Telugu articles, Vahini series and a host of other articles. He used to type them in an old typewriter, got in composed in the only press with manual typesetting fecilities. He acted as the Post Master of Prasanthi Nilayam. He was the official announcer of Festivals in Prasanthi Nilayam, in several languages. He was born and brought up in Kerala. Hence he knew Malayalam. He was a tamilian by birth and hence he knew Tamil. He worked in Mysore state. He learned Kannada during his long tenure in Karnataka as a Teacher, lecturer etc in History. He worked as a secretary in the local Ramakrishna Mutt. His service activities began long before He came in the Presence of Divine. Even in Collage, he used to take the students for voluntary service in slums and Adi Dravida villages. He served in the All India Radio for a short stunt. It is he who coined the name "Akashwani" to Radio programmes which has struck and is being used even now. He took enormous pain to see that the monthly "Sanathana Sarathy" both in Telugu and English reached the devotees in time. That was the only communication, the devotees got from the Nilayam every month. No doubt, Swami molded him in his own sweet way and it is reliably learnt that Shri Kasthuri will be an important member of "Prema Sai" family when the Avatar takes his birth in future. A magnificient role he has played in the Sathya Sai Era. But for him, many foreign devotees would remain in dark about the life of Bagawan. His monumental work, the biography of Bagawan was written by him in several volumes. It acted as the foundation for western devotees who thronged to the Nilayam during 60 and 70s. As we enter Prasanthi campus, the first ground floor flat belonged to Shri Kasthuri. Previously there were only tiled houses and Kasthuri worked in that humble atmosphere for many years. Now we have all amenities in the Nilayam. Sairam.