sai-innersky

This temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna was brought up in a community of cowherds or gopas and He is lovingly called Gopala. The history of this temple is intricately woven with the legend of Puttaparthi.

This temple dedicated to Krishna or Venugopala has an interesting mythological genealogy. Apparently, Gollapalli (Puttaparthi’s earlier name) was a prosperous village of cowherds at one time. However, evil fortunes fell upon the village when one incensed cowherd hurled a stone at a cobra that was sucking milk from the udder of one of his cows. The dying cobra cursed the village, and as a result, the cattle began to perish, and the place was infested with ant-hills. Its name was now changed to Valmikipura (the word ‘Valmiki’ denoting ‘anthill’ in Sanskrit, and Puttaparthi being the Telugu equivalent of the same). In an attempt to appease the spirit of the dead snake, the villagers installed the blood-splattered stone in a shrine and started worshipping it. Sathya Sai Baba instructed them to wash it and smear it with sandal paste. On doing this, the outline of the figure of Krishna (or Venugopala) holding his customary flute, became discernible.

The temple was now called the Venugopalaswamy temple, and the curse on the village of Puttaparthi came to an end.

A Sojourn in Puttaparthi for Maha Shivaratri 2016 Blog

“The happiness of all is my happiness. What else do I need than that? May all have greater and greater devotion, knowledge and renunciation, long life, health and happiness and may all deserve more and more the Grace of the Lord! With mutual friendship and affection, be engaged in Bhajan, Puja, Meditation and the Study of the Glories of the Lord! Utilise the little time available in thoughts of the Lord, without wasting it in idle talk. Time, once lost, can never be reclaimed! The time that is yet to come cannot be claimed, as certainly yours! So, to transform each moment into joy, make this moment, while it is still with you, holy and pure. Give up all yesterdays and tomorrows and the days after; do now, this very day, the task that is worth while.

This is My New Year Blessings to you all.”

(Excerpt from a letter Bhagavan had written to a devotee on 1st January 1959)

Photo at the Old Mandir (1992)

Recently discovered photo’s taken by author back in 1992

ATI RUDRA MAHA YAGNAM

in His Divine Presence.

1st March – 12th March 2015

at Sri Sai Ramesh Hall, Brindavan Ashram

Whitefield, Bangalore

Brindavan 2015

“The happiness of all is my happiness. What else do I need than that? May all have greater and greater devotion, knowledge and renunciation, long life, health and happiness and may all deserve more and more the Grace of the Lord! With mutual friendship and affection, be engaged in Bhajan, Puja, Meditation and the Study of the Glories of the Lord! Utilise the little time available in thoughts of the Lord, without wasting it in idle talk. Time, once lost, can never be reclaimed! The time that is yet to come cannot be claimed, as certainly yours! So, to transform each moment into joy, make this moment, while it is still with you, holy and pure. Give up all yesterdays and tomorrows and the days after; do now, this very day, the task that is worth while.

This is My New Year Blessings to you all.”

(Excerpt from a letter Bhagavan had written to a devotee on 1st January 1959)