By IANS,
Mumbai : Mourning the death of Sathya Sai Baba, thousands gathered at the Sathya Sai Trust premises in Mumbai soon after they heard the news of the spiritual leader passing away in Puttaparthi Sunday morning.
Dharmakshetra, the Sathya Sai Trust’s centre in Mumbai, saw thousands of devotees thronging its premises in prayer to calm themselves.
“We are all heartbroken and shattered. For us Bhagwan (Sathya Sai Baba) was everything. He was our mother, father, friend, philosopher and guide,” said Nimish Pandya, head of the centre in Mumbai.
“We had never imagined the day when we would be living without him. This is a great shock and we are trying to come into terms with it,” he added.
Pandya said that the great solace to Sai Baba followers is that he will be with them and guide them.
“The principle of God and the spiritual power that he symbolised is within every man. I think it is going to be a great test for all of us to secure him in our hearts,” he said.
“We are sure that Bhagwan will always be in our hearts and we draw our strength from that fact,” he added.
Condolence messages also poured in from Maharashtra’s political leaders who expressed grief on Sai Baba’s death.
Governor K. Sankaranarayanan said: “Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi was a fountainhead of goodness and love for humanity. In his demise, the world has lost a highly popular community leader whose mere presence was a source of inspiration to his followers. I pay my respects to the loving memory of Sathya Sai Baba.”
Former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who had also played host to Sai Baba in November 2009 soon after he became the chief minister, said he has been Baba’s follower since last 45 years.
“This is a moment of grief for Sai devotees all over the world. What we all miss is his physical form, which we always used to seek darshan of. Nevertheless, his soul will continue to guide us,” Chavan said.
State Congress president Manikrao Thackeray said that Sai Baba’s passing away is a great loss for the mankind.
“I had the privilege to meet him personally on two occasions and his words and deeds have always inspired me. I am saddened by the loss,” he said.
Former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said: “A sad day for the entire world. It is difficult to describe his deeds in words. We have lost a great and pious personality. His contribution to various social causes was immeasurable.”
Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde said that Sai Baba has been a great source of strength for all his devotees.
“His organisations have supported variety of institutions, hospitals and other charitable works in India and abroad. It is tremendous loss for all,” he said.
Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said it is an irreparable loss for mankind.
“He will always remain in everybody’s hearts through his preaching and thoughts,” he said.