Puttaparthi – The Highest Abode of Sathya Sai

About Puttaparthi

Puttaparthi is the district headquarters of the Sri Sathya Sai district in Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Chitravathi River. Gollapalli was the original name for Puttaparthi. Later, it was named as Puttaparthi which means ‘village of anthills’. According to legend, the cobra was fed milk on a daily basis by a cow. This prompted the cow herder to strike it, spurring the cobra to curse the village, resulting in an increase in the number of anthills in this area. Moreover, it is widely regarded as Guru Sathya Sai Baba’s birthplace and the location of his ashram, Prashanthi Nilayam.

Prashanthi Nilayam

Prashanthi Nilayam is Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s main Ashram. He was born in Puttaparthi in the year 1926. Prashanthi Nilayam translates as “Abode of the highest peace.” Within the ashram, there is a Sai Kulwant Hall, which houses Baba’s Samadhi. It is a large hall with a seating capacity of 20,000 people where daily darshan used to take place earlier. The ashram has two majestic gates, the main entrance of which is Ganesh Gate. There are also temples, including a Ganesha temple, a Gayatri temple, and a Subramanya temple within the complex. The Prashanthi Nilayam ashram is painted in blue, yellow, and pink to represent the symbol of spirit, intellect, and heart respectively. This harmony leads to peace, and the theme of Prashanthi Nilayam is supreme peace.

Places to Visit in Puttaparthi apart from Prashanthi Nilayam

Venugopalaswamy Temple

One of Puttaparthi’s well-known temples, the Venugopalaswamy temple, is around 500 m from Prashanthi Nilayam. There is a background story to the temple’s construction. As per the legend of Puttaparthi, the temple has the stone that a cowherder used to kill the snake. Lord instructed to wash the stone with sandal paste on the stained side and it formed the outline of Venugopalaswamy. Thus, the temple got its name. There is a shrine honoring Radha Krishna inside the temple. Trees surround the shrine and provide shade.

Satyabhama Temple

Satyabhama temple is roughly a 10-minute stroll from Prashanthi Nilayam. It is a humble shrine to Goddess Satyabhama, Lord Krishna’s consort. This is the sole known temple devoted to Goddess Satyabhama. The inner sanctum of the temple houses the shrine for Devi Satyabhama. Kondama Raju, Sai Baba’s grandfather, built the temple. According to legend, Satyabhama asked him to give her with shelter during a thunderstorm in his dream. She told him that during the storm, she had nowhere to go and was waiting for Krishna to return with Parijatha flowers. This dream greatly inspired Kondama Raju, who went on to construct the temple. This took place a few years before Sai Baba was born.

Meditation Tree / Vata Vriksha

The Vata Vriksha, or meditation tree, is a large Banyan tree planted by Baba with a holy copper plate beneath it primarily for meditation. It is a peaceful meditation area located just above the ashram on the way to the old museum. It is a very calm and peaceful place, and the surrounding Banyan trees purify the air, adding to the tranquility. However, there are many birds, mostly bats, on and near the trees, so you will hear chirping all around you. Men and women have separate seating, as in the rest of the ashram. Women are not permitted here before sunrise or after sunset.

Puttaparthi Spiritual Museum

The road or step path leading from the meditation tree leads to the Spiritual Museum. It is located on a hill near Prashanthi Nilayam. A college is located within the same premises. We couldn’t visit because it wasn’t yet open, and we wanted to go to the Planetarium and Chaitanya Jyoti museum later. According to the staff, it houses Baba’s sermons on religious unity. It includes prayers and quotes from great saints to aid spiritual humanity. The setting is serene, with trees encircling the entire area, so you can unwind here.

Sri Sathya Sai Space Theatre (Planetarium)

Baba dedicated this Planetarium in 1985. The shows at Planetarium take place every morning because the space theater’s main goal was to provide free education to all. So, visitors are welcome to attend regular shows free of charge. Entry is only permitted until 10.30 am. The show usually begins at 10 am, and there is a queue system for entry. Then you can go into the hall to look at the solar system and other models. Following that, visitors can proceed to the auditorium to watch the show. You can spend about an hour in the theatre. Because visitors come from all over the world, the shows are in regional Telugu, Hindi, and English languages to accommodate everyone.

Chaitanya Jyoti Museum

This museum was established in 2000 especially to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the birth of Sathya Sai Baba. Located on a hilltop in the traditional Chinese architectural style, it takes you to a Chinese or Japanese setting. The entrance is very magnificent, with a bright museum structure and a large fountain and a small pond in front with fishes. The pond is full of vibrant colour fish. The museum focuses on Baba’s charitable work and houses many of his personal belongings. It contains spiritual teachings from all religions. The entire hall has quotes and images of Baba, who primarily preaches peace.

There is no entry fee to the museum and it remains closed on Mondays. The tour of the museum is a purely spiritual experience. The only disadvantage is that if you arrive late, the volunteers or staff will encourage you to move quickly, so you may not be able to see everything in the museum.

Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium

On the way to the Chaitanya Jyoti Museum, you’ll pass by this stadium. It has a massive statue of Lord Hanuman. It is a large stadium that is primarily used for student sports. During Baba’s reign, many celebrations took place here.

Wish-Fulfilling Tree

The tree is located on a hillside that overlooks the Chitravathi River. There is a belief that when Sai Baba was a child, he would bring his friends up to this tree and ask them to make wishes for any fruit they would like to have, and the tree would grant their wishes. The tree is therefore famous as the Wish-Fulfilling Tree.

There are roughly 100 steps to climb in total, and along the route, you can buy a paper and some wish thread if desired. It is a common belief that if you write down any wishes you have in a piece of paper and attach it to the tree, they will come true. Numerous such wishes were tied to tree branches, and Baba photographs were positioned at the tree’s base. From the top, you can also appreciate the panoramic view. The steps are a little steep, and there are no handrails, so it might be difficult for elderly people or people with knee trouble to climb.

Chitravathi River

The Chitravathi River finally flows into the Penna River. It flows from the Karnataka district of Chikkaballapur to the Andhra Pradesh district of Ananthpur, where it meets the Penna river. It is a seasonal river that flows primarily during the rainy season. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the ashram. The water is clear, and it’s a peaceful spot to gaze out over the river and fields ahead. We felt more comfortable here than anywhere else in Puttaparthi. The wish-fulfilling tree is also about 200 m away from the river.

How to reach Puttaparthi

By Road

Bike/Car:

• From Bangalore, take the NH44 route through Nandi Hills, Bagepalli, Gorantla, Puttaparthi and Prashanthi Nilayam. The journey will take nearly three hours.

Bus:

• During the day, both APSRTC and KSRTC buses run from Bangalore to Puttaparthi. This will take approximately four and a half hours.

By Rail

• Sri Sathya Sai Prashanthi Nilayam Railway Station is located in Puttaparthi. It is 8 km away from Ashram.
• Railways connect the town to nearby cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Kolkata.

By Air

• Puttaparthi has a domestic airport on its grounds.
• The nearest international airport, Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, is 120 km away.

Travel Tips To Visit Puttaparthi

• Puttaparthi is hot all year round. It is therefore preferable to plan your trip between July and December.
• When planning your trip, it is best to opt for a day stay at least to cover the areas within and around the ashram at a leisurely pace. Many of the locations are only open for a few hours in the morning, making it difficult to visit them all in a single day.
• If you plan to volunteer at Ashram, contact the Ashrama office for more information. Further, the ashram offers reasonably priced boarding and lodging. It has a simple room with simple décor. In addition, if you are going as a volunteer, you will have a different stay option depending on the days you choose for volunteer service.
• This town has plenty of vegetarian options. You can eat within the ashram at the dining halls or at nearby ashram hotels. The dining halls have specific times for getting food coupons at the counter, and the food is also delivered at a restricted time. Further, it has sections for North Indian, South Indian, and Western cuisine.
• There are volunteers everywhere in the ashrams or places related to ashrams to monitor the movements. Some are friendly, while others are not.
• Men and women must also venture separately in most areas of the ashram and when visiting a few places outside of the ashram.
• Like any other ashram, the visit to Puttaparthi is both peaceful and spiritual.
• If you are in Bangalore, you can also visit the Pyramid Valley or Art of Living ashrams for a peaceful retreat.