Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba (born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 192624 April 2011) was an Indian guru. At the age of 14, he said he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and left his home saying "my devotees are calling me, I have my work".

Sathya Sai Baba's followers have attributed to him a range of miraculous abilities, including the materialisation of ''Vibhuti'' (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces, and watches. He was also believed to have performed spontaneous healings, resurrections, and exhibited clairvoyant abilities. Additionally, claims were made regarding his ability to be in multiple places simultaneously (bilocation), as well as his omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience.

Sathya Sai Baba's devotees include members of all religions. In 1972, Sathya Sai Baba founded the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Through this organisation, Sathya Sai Baba established a network of free, general, and super speciality hospitals, medical clinics, drinking water projects, educational institutions, ashrams, and auditoriums.

As his number of followers started growing worldwide, it raised concerns among some observers in the western world. In the early 1990s, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created a secret report that stated the Sai Baba movement is “likely to eventually become another worldwide religion”. The CIA operative who wrote the report concluded it by stating, “there is always the possibility, too, that the movement will collapse if Sai Baba is convincingly demonstrated to be a fraud.”

Sathya Sai Baba faced numerous accusations over the years which include sleight of hand, sexual abuse, money laundering, fraud, and murder. However, he was never charged with any offence, and his devotees strongly reject these accusations, considering them as propaganda against their guru. Provided by Wikipedia