Tearful farewell to Hindu guru
Source: Agencies |
April 28, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
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THRONGS of tearful devotees gathered yesterday in Puttaparti for the funeral of Sathya Sai Baba, one of India's best-known Hindu ascetics who was revered by millions as a divine incarnation with miraculous healing powers.
The 84-year-old was buried in an auditorium in his spiritual center in southern India where his body had been lying in state for the last three days. As Sai Baba's nephew performed the last rites, Hindu priests chanting verses from sacred texts instructed him to anoint the body with oil, herbs and flowers.
Tens of thousands of devotees, many weeping and sobbing quietly, filled the auditorium and the streets outside, where they watched the funeral on a large screen. Several Indian television channels broadcast the funeral live.
At one point a Western devotee in the auditorium stood up and shouted "Swami we need you back" several times before calming himself.
The actual burial was a private moment, with a heavy maroon curtain lifted to surround the body and just immediate family and close associates allowed to view.
Hindus usually cremate their dead, but infants and people considered pure and saintly are buried. Hindu holy men are usually buried in a cross-legged sitting posture called the lotus position in the ancient Indian practice of Yoga.
Sai Baba, whose massive popularity was sometimes marred by controversies, including allegations of sexual abuse, died on Sunday of heart and lung failure after about a month in a hospital. His passing triggered an outpouring of grief from followers in India and abroad.
"I feel helpless. I feel like a guiding force has now left," Aruna Doraiswamy, a 50-year-old housewife from New Delhi, who traveled to Puttaparti in Andhra Pradesh state, said amid sobs.
For three days, his body was on display in a glass casket in his ashram, or spiritual center, in the town of Puttaparti.
Among the multitude who came to pay their last respects were Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, governing Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, movie stars, athletes, and industrialists.
Religious leaders from different faiths, including a Christian priest and a Muslim imam, spoke at the funeral.
The 84-year-old was buried in an auditorium in his spiritual center in southern India where his body had been lying in state for the last three days. As Sai Baba's nephew performed the last rites, Hindu priests chanting verses from sacred texts instructed him to anoint the body with oil, herbs and flowers.
Tens of thousands of devotees, many weeping and sobbing quietly, filled the auditorium and the streets outside, where they watched the funeral on a large screen. Several Indian television channels broadcast the funeral live.
At one point a Western devotee in the auditorium stood up and shouted "Swami we need you back" several times before calming himself.
The actual burial was a private moment, with a heavy maroon curtain lifted to surround the body and just immediate family and close associates allowed to view.
Hindus usually cremate their dead, but infants and people considered pure and saintly are buried. Hindu holy men are usually buried in a cross-legged sitting posture called the lotus position in the ancient Indian practice of Yoga.
Sai Baba, whose massive popularity was sometimes marred by controversies, including allegations of sexual abuse, died on Sunday of heart and lung failure after about a month in a hospital. His passing triggered an outpouring of grief from followers in India and abroad.
"I feel helpless. I feel like a guiding force has now left," Aruna Doraiswamy, a 50-year-old housewife from New Delhi, who traveled to Puttaparti in Andhra Pradesh state, said amid sobs.
For three days, his body was on display in a glass casket in his ashram, or spiritual center, in the town of Puttaparti.
Among the multitude who came to pay their last respects were Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, governing Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, movie stars, athletes, and industrialists.
Religious leaders from different faiths, including a Christian priest and a Muslim imam, spoke at the funeral.
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