* Sathya (truth) Dharma (righteousness) Santhi (peace) Prema

Left & Top:
 L&T’s team of Engineers, 
Administrators and Workmen at the 
Dormitory Project in Prasanthi Nilayam.     
Above: 
Swami presenting a memento to  
A. Ramakrishna for speedy completion of 
Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam at Hyderabad 
during its inaugural function.
(SPVs) were established to design and construct 
various projects and all of them proved to be a 
success for L&T as well as our country.  I sincerely 
believe the success of all this has come not only 
through our strategic planning and business 
management approaches but also with right ideas 
emanating from Puttaparthi visits with the grace 
of God.  We should be thankful to Bhagawan 
Sri Sathya Sai Baba for showering his blessings 
and telling many of our clients and dignitaries like 
Presidents and Prime Ministers of India about L&T 
and creating fantastic goodwill and brand image 
for us.  Our association with the Sri Sathya Sai 
Central Trust in their service to mankind is a unique 
experience for a modern enterprise like ours.  I pray 
God to bless L&T for continued success and for 
taking the country to great economic heights by 
the year 2038, when the Company would be 100 
years old, and beyond.  May India be a leader in the 
comity of nations and nations by unifying them for 
universal peace.
Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
A. Ramakrishna
Former President and Deputy Managing Director
Larsen & Toubro Limited

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18
Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born in a small hamlet called 
Puttaparthi in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh 
on November 23, 1926 to Pedda Venkamaraju and 
Eswaramma. The couple had a son and two daughters, 
Seshama Raju, Venkamma and Parvathamma. 
Eswaramma longed for another son and performed the 
“Sathyanarayana Puja” and kept a number of vows, 
which were rigorous and needed vigil and abstention 
from food.
While the child was conceived, strange things happened 
in the house of Pedda Venkapa Raju. For instance, the 
‘Thambura’ would twang on its own, the maddela or 
drum on the floor would beat rhythmically as if an expert 
hand was handling it. On 23
rd
 day of November 1926, 
the son was born at the time of sunrise. The year was 
‘Akshaya’, the never declining, ever-full year and the day 
was a ‘Karthika’. The day was even more auspicious as 
the ascendant star was Arudra.
The baby was named Sathyanarayana, as Eswaramma 
believed that it was the result of the ‘puja’ that blessed 
her with the son. Soon Sathya grew up as a favourite 
child in the family, school and in the entire village itself, 
by virtue of certain special characteristics endowed with 
him. He, in fact, manifested many divine powers and 
even materialised flowers, sugar candy, vibuthi etc., from 
nowhere and presented it to members of his family and 
others assembled around him. 
Even as a child, he manifested superhuman powers 
and demonstrated the virtues of compassion, selfless 
service, humility and respect for elders.  Though he 
didn’t have schooling beyond standard eight, he 
displayed unparalleled knowledge of all fields, be it 
science, spirituality or philosophy.  With his powers of 
omnipresence, he has cured his devotees of incurable 
diseases and also helped his devotees in several other 
ways to achieve happiness and well being.  Miracles of 
objects materializing from no-where for the devotees as 
symbols of his grace and love happen even today.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba...
An apostle of love and 
peace

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Through the personal experience of many of the devotees of Sai Baba, 
who throng Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi, it is believed that Swami has 
following extraordinary traits:
•  Infinite knowledge of all subjects, expresses
itself spontaneously 
•  An ocean of wisdom – the knower of the
past, present and the future (he narrates with 
incredible details events of past, present and 
future) 
•  Always giving - merciful and eternally
benevolent
•  Infinite patience and forbearance
•  Always cheerful and helping anyone and
everyone
•  Youthful and radiant body belying the physical
age of 85
•  Preserver and protector of all
•  Embodiment of eternal divine love
•  Beyond comparison and comprehension
Serve the poor 
with love, that 
alone can redeem 
you.  Service to 
the poor is service 
to God.  Sacrifice 
your life for the 
cause of the poor. 
Be compassionate 
and considerate 
towards the poor.  
Spend your time, 
wealth and energy 
in service of the 
poor.
Bhagawan  
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
•  Being everywhere and in everything
•  Imperceptible and independent
•  Creator and performer of miracles and
materialisation of almost everything 
conceivable
•  Knower of all minds and hearts
•  Omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient
•  Infinite power and infinite bliss
•  Ideal guru/teacher
•  Powerful speaker with capacity to explain
intricate meta physical aspects with simple 
examples understood by common people
•  Perfectionist in everything he does
•  Unifier and integrator of all castes, creeds  
and religions and nationalities
Because of these remarkable characteristics, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has come 
to be accepted as the ‘Sampurna Avathar’ of our age by his followers.

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