The last rites of Sai Baba, who passed away on Sunday, were performed at Sai Kulvant Hall in Prasanti Nilayam, in the presence of hundreds of select devotees and VIPs, while thousands of devotees watched it on giant television screens outside Prashanti Nilayam.
The last rites were performed as per the Hindu religion by his nephew and Satya Sai Trust member RJ Ratnakar Raju. As many 15 priests from various temples like Srisailam and Kalahasti read Vedic hymns, conducted “prayashchitta” and conducted proceedings like “dasa danams” (10 donations).
Ratnakar sprinkled holy water brought from nine sacred rivers and soil from the Saraswati Teertha, a pilgrimage spot – near present day Kurukshetra from where the ancient Saraswati river is said to have emerged.
After the rituals were completed at around 9.35 am, the process of laying Baba to rest in a pit (7ft deep and 12ft length) began. The pit is 10ft behind from where his body was placed in the glass casket in the hall since Sunday evening. Thick red colour curtains were pulled over the area so as to ensure that the Samadhi proceeding remain a private affair. Only key members of the Sai Trust and some family members would stand witness to the rituals.
Once the body was placed in the pit, holy ash was poured over the body, along with salt, silver, gold and navaratnas, to fill up Baba Samadhi. Later, soil brought from various religious places was filled in the Samadhi. After the Samadhi is built, a memorial with a golden statue of Baba would be built at the spot, which would be developed into sanctum sanctorum of Sai temple.
The location of his ‘Maha Samadhi’ has been chosen as per Satya Sai own wish. It is the same place from where he used to address his devotees and give darshan to them.
A host of VIPs including Governor, ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, LK Advani, Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, Venkaiah Naidu, Chandrababu Naidu, and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa are attending the funeral ceremony.
The state government, which had declared four day mourning since Sunday, also honoured Baba with a gun salute.