DHARWAD: Hundreds of devotees of Putparthy Sri Satya Sai Baba thronged the 'Sai Charan', a meditation centre located in the Sathya Sai Institute near Saptapur Bhavi in the city to pay homage to their spiritual guru. They offered special pooja performed bhajans.
Sai Baba had set up the Satya Sai Institute of Rural Home Sciences for Women here way back in 1994 with the objective of empowering rural women of this region.
The institute spread over a spacious 10acre land at Saptapur in the heart of the city, has been instrumental in providing employment for hundreds of women besides also being involved in various community services.
The members of the Sai Seva Dal told Express that the institute has been providing free education to rural women in home sciences and joboriented courses. Every year nearly 150 students enrol in the institute.
Sai Baba also launched Sai Seva Dal to serve the poor and needy. The Dal adopted four villages in Dharwad district.
The Dal has been providing basic amenities and holding spiritual classes for the villagers. It also set up drinking water facility at busstands.
Special Balvikas classes are also held for the children every week in the respective villages. Seva Dal's another programme Narayan Seva, wherein free food is distributed to orphanages in the district, has also earned accolades from the people.
Sai Seva Dal Dharwad unit is making arrangements to take the devotees to Putparthy in Andhra Pradesh to pay their last respects to the spiritual guru.
Sai Charan
A meditation centre 'Sai Charan' was established on the institute premises at Saptapur way back in the 1970s. Sai Baba, during his visit to Dharwad in 1974, had visited this place and conducted religious discourses.
Now, this place is considered a sacred place and till date bhajans and religious discourse are regularly held.
The volunteer list has swollen by many a fold in recent years. People come over to this place and generously donate for the noble cause.
The volunteers said: "Baba may not be physically with us today. However, he resides in our hearts. As a tribute to the spiritual guru, the Dal will become more vibrant and extend its services to other parts of the region."
86-hour bhajan
With the health of Sai Baba deteriorating, the volunteers and general public started an 86hour continuous bhajan for speedy recovery of Sai Baba in the Sai Charan at 6 pm on Saturday. The bhajan lasted till 9.40 am on Sunday.