Shiridi Sai Baba

About Shri Sai Baba

Shri Sai Baba's life and teachings are well documented in Sai Satcharitra by Shri Hemadpant in Marathi which was personally blessed by Shri Sai Baba.


Shri Hemadpant got Shri Sai Baba's blessings in 1910 to write this work. Said Shri Sai Baba "Let him make a collection of stories and experiences, keep notes and memos; I will help him. He is only an outward instrument." Subsequently SaiSatcharitra has been translated into a number of different languages. The one in English is called Shri Sai Satcharitra by Shri Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji.

The following is a very short summary on the life of Shri Sai Baba to serve as an introduction. We recommend that you read one of the more authoritative books to really understand the life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba.

Chandbhai, the headman of a village called Dhoopkhede (in Aurangabad, India), once lost his horse and was looking for it. Suddenly he heard a voice say "You look tired. Come here and rest a while". He turned around and saw a young Fakir (Baba). The fakir smiled at him and said "What are you looking for in this jungle, Chandbhai". This surprised Chandbhai and he wondered how the fakir knew his name.

Slowly, he said "I have lost my horse. I have looked for it everywhere, but cannot seem to find it". The fakir told him to look behind a clump of trees. Chandbhai was pleasently surprised to find his horse grazing peacefully behind those trees. He thanked the fakir and asked his name. The fakir said "some people call me Sai Baba."

Sai Baba then invited Chandbhai to have a smoke with him. He got the pipe ready, but there was no fire to light it with. Sai Baba thrust a pair of tongs into the ground and brought out a burning coal. Chandbhai was wonderstruck. He thought "this is no ordinary person" and invited Baba to come to his house and be his guest for a few days.

Next day Baba went to Chandbhai's house and found everybody in a very joyful mood and festivities going on all around. He found that Chanbhai's wife's nephew was getting married. The bride was from Shirdi and the marriage party was going to Shirdi. Chandbhai invited Baba to accompany the marriage party to Shirdi. At Shirdi they camped in a field next to Khandoba's temple.

After the wedding, Saibaba stayed on at Shirdi. At first he lived under a neem tree and begged for food whenever he needed it. He then went to Khandoba's temple, intending to stay there, but the temple priest met him at the entrance and told him to go to the mosque. That is how Baba, started staying at the Mosque which was later called Dwarkamayi.

Baba preached at Shirdi all his life and performed numerous miracles to convince people that God exists. He healed people's diseases, provided moral and material comfort to his Devotees. Baba helped bring Unity and Harmony between all communities. He said that God is one, but called by different names. He said follow your own religion and seek the truth.

One day a rich millionaire named Booty came to Sai Baba and said he was going to construct a stone building for Shri Krishna. Baba helped him plan the building. Before the building was completed Baba fell very ill. On the 15th of October 1918, he breathed his last. His last wish was to be buried in Booty's building.

Booty's stone building came to be known as Samadhi Mandir. Shri Sai Baba was buried here and a beautiful shrine was built over it. To this day, people flock to Shirdi to pay homage to Shri Sai Baba.

Temple Site : http://www.saibaba.org/

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LORD SRI VEERA VENKATA SATYANARAYANA SWAMY

LORD SRI VEERA VENKATA SATYANARAYANA SWAMY

Temple History

As per the puranas the presiding deity of the place blesses the devotees with Anina Varam (Wanted Boon) the place is called Annavaram.

The hillock by the side of the village is considered to be very sacred. Meruvu the Lord of the hills and his consort Menaka did great penance and begot two sons by the grace of Lord Vishnu. One was named Bhadra and the other Ratnakara. Bhadra pleased Lord Vishnu with his devotion and penance and with his grace became Bhadrachalam on which Lord Sri Rama had permanently settled. Ratnakara desired to emulate his brother and succeeded in pleasing Lord Vishnu by his penance to settle on him as Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy, Ratnakara remaining as Ratnagiri hill.

The temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy is the main temple on the Ratnagiri hill. There is also a temple of Sri Rama and the shrines of Vanadurga and Kanaka Durga nearby. The temple of gramadevatha (village deity) is in the village at the foot of the hill.

It is said that Raja I.V.Ramanarayanam,the then zamindar of Gorsa and Kirlampudi estates, having been ordained by the Lord in his dream, traced the idol on the hill, worshipped it and installed it at the present spot on sravana suddha vidhiya of the telugu year Khara, 1891. The hillock it self is about 300ft above sea level, green fields all-round the hills and the pampa river encircling Ratnagiri. About 460 well laid stone steps leads to the top of it.

“The main temple constructed in the form of a chariot with the four wheels at each of the four corners. In front of the main temple is the kalyana mantapa, constructed and decorated with modern pieces of architecture. As we go down the way, we come across Ramalaya and then the shrines of Vana Durga and Kanaka Durga.

The Akriti of any temple is, according to the Agni Purana, merely a manifestation of the Prakriti. According to this the chariot of the temple is intended as a symbol of the Seven Lokas and the seven Lokhas above with, the garbhalaya of the Lord, at the heart’s center ruling over the entire Universe.

The temple at Annavaram has been constructed to depict this idea concretely. The front side of the temple depicts the chariot. The Meru on the floor with the pillar at the center, and the idols at the top are intended to bring forth the idea that the Lord not only remains at the heart’s center but also permeates the entire universe. The wheels depicting the Sun and the Moon serve to remind us that this Juggernaut moves on the wheels of time, and goes on for ever and ever, Thus the Annavaram temple satisfies both the ritualistic values and the spiritual aspirations of the devotees.” Read More...

How to Reach the Temple

Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamyvari Devasthanam, Annavaram is well connected by both Rail and Roadways. It is Situated at a distance of 3KM from A.V.M Railway Station, the Vijayawada –Visakhapatanam Line of the Southern Railway. Madras to Calcutta, NH-5 Road is going via Annavaram. Regular Bus service is available from all near by towns.

By Road

* Devasthanam Buses
o 2 buses run from Rajhamndary to up hill both sides by 1pm to 2pm
* APSRTC Buses
o A.P.S.R.T.C Buses every Half An Hour Via Annavaram to Rajhamandry to Visakhapatanam vise versa.
o Every 15 mintus buses available Tuni to Kakinada via Annavaram and surroundings Villages vise versa.

By Train

* Most of the trains passing between Kolkatta - Vijayawada line will stop at Annavaram Station
o Detailed train timings at Annavaram Station.

By AIR

* The nearest Airport is situated at Visakhapatnam. Annavaram is at a 3hrs distance from Visakhapatnam. APSRTC runs buses via Annavaram every half an hour

Devasthanam Website :http://annavaramdevasthanam.nic.in

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