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Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba (born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 192624 April 2011) was an Indian guru. At the age of 14, he said he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and left his home saying "my devotees are calling me, I have my work".

Sathya Sai Baba's followers have attributed to him a range of miraculous abilities, including the materialisation of ''vibhuti'' (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces, and watches. He was also believed to have performed spontaneous healings, resurrections, and exhibited clairvoyant abilities. Additionally, claims were made regarding his ability to be in multiple places simultaneously (bilocation), as well as his omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience.

Sathya Sai Baba gave his message of "Love all, serve all" and "Help ever, hurt never" to the world, urging people to serve humanity transcending national barriers, while also emphasizing that he has not come to establish a new religion, rather restore one's faith in ones own religion. His devotees include members of all religions. In 1972, Sathya Sai Baba founded the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Its goal was "to enable its members to undertake service activities as a means to spiritual advancement". Through this organisation, Sathya Sai Baba established a network of free general and super speciality hospitals, free medical clinics, drinking water projects, schools, universities, ashrams, auditoriums, and education technology.

As his number of followers started growing worldwide, it raised concerns among observers in the western world. In the early 1990s, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created a secret report that stated the Sai Baba movement is “likely to eventually become another worldwide religion”. The CIA operative who wrote the report concluded it by stating, “there is always the possibility, too, that the movement will collapse if Sai Baba is convincingly demonstrated to be a fraud.”

Sathya Sai Baba faced numerous accusations over the years, which his devotees consider as propaganda against the guru. These include sleight of hand, sexual abuse, money laundering, fraud, and even murder. Critics such as Abraham Kovoor and Hossur Narasimhaiah challenged his miraculous claims, with Narasimhaiah forming a committee to investigate his miracles, which Sai Baba did not respond to. In the 1990s, allegations of fraud and abuse surfaced, notably through documentaries such as ''Guru Busters'' and ''The Secret Swami'', which featured testimonies from former devotees, including Alaya Rahm. After his death, the handling of his wealth became contentious, with large sums of cash and gold found in his private residence. Conflicts over the control of his trust and its assets, worth tens of crores of rupees, led to further controversies. Provided by Wikipedia