Located 115 km from Bangalore airport by road, the village Chitravati, situated at a distance of about 30 km from Penukonda, 3 km off Penukond-Bukkapatnam road, has now become a centre of great attraction, Puttaparthi. Puttaparthi is a small town situated in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is also the residence of the notable spiritual teacher Sathya Sai Baba. The town's main attraction is the Baba's Prasanthi Nilayam ashram, the presence of which has given a huge boost to the local economy, in the form of hotels, lodges, restaurants and shops which are largely frequented by the countless visitors/devotees to Prasanthi Nilayam. Puttaparthi is in a beautiful valley between the hills. It is a true definition of a global village, where you get to see the Indian countryside along with modern facilities.
How to Get There
By Air:
Puttaparthi has a small airstrip meant for small aircraft. It can take the Dornier class of 14-20 seater commercial aircraft, though upgrading to a proper domestic airport in the near future remains uncertain.
By Rail:
Puttaparthi is easily accessible today by train, as it has recently been linked by rail and
a tiny but neat railway station opened there. It is connected to Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bubhaneshwar, Mumbai and New Delhi directly.
By Road:
It is well connected by road to Bangalore, which is only 3 hours away and Hyderabad, a longer trip. Regular State buses from Hyderabad and major towns of Andhra Pradesh ply to this mini-city. Taxis are available from Bangalore.
The Abode Of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba : Puttaparthi, once a sparsely populated village, has shot into national and international fame as the abode of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba. The original name of Sai Baba is "Satyanarayana Raju". He was born on November 23, 1926 in Puttaparthi. He started showing unusual talents and purity and compassion from an early age. Baba's supernatural abilities caused some concern to his family, who took him to Vedic doctors. After being pronounced to be possessed by the divine rather than the diabolical, at the age of fourteen he announced that he was the new incarnation of Sai Baba, a saint from Shirdi in Maharashtra who died eight years before Satya was born. Huge numbers of devotees, from all over the world flock to this small town every year to have a glimpse of the Baba, and be touched by him.
His disciples have constructed the 'Prashanti Nilayam' an ashram, which attracts a large number of devotees throughout the year. Prasahanti Nilayam means 'the abode of peace". The ashram was inaugurated 60 years ago. The ashram is a huge Spartan complex with room for thousands, with canteens, shops, a museum and library, and a vast assembly hall where Sai Baba gives 'darshan' twice daily. A considerable number of devotees turn out for his birthday celebrations in Puttaparthi, where he delivers a message to his devotees.
The most often-visited place in the ashram is the museum, which is located on an adjacent hillock. The museum contains models of various temple structures including the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the mosque at Mecca, etc. The museum also depicts the story of Satya Sai Baba, right from his birth to the time he attained 'Nirvana'. Apart from the main Ashram, Puttaparthi has other places of interest like HanumanTemple, a Village Mosque and Sathyabhama Temple.
Other important institutions include Sri Sathya Sai Space Theatre, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (Super Speciality Hospital) designed by the English architect Dr. Keith Other important institutions include Sri Sathya Sai Space Theatre, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (Super Speciality Hospital) designed by the English architect Dr. Keith
Critchlow, Chaitanya Jyothi Museum, Sri Sathya Sai University, Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri Music College and Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium. The then President of India, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, inaugurated a newly-constructed Indoor Sports stadium - to International standards -in November 2006.
Where to Stay
Bans Hotel, a 3-star facility and Sai Towers, with clean rooms, excellent service and reasonable rates. Most devotees stay on at the Ashram itself. Plain South Indian fare is freely available.
