by MARK MAGNIER
After declaring himself the reincarnation of a Hindu saint in 1940 he built a loyal following, including politicians, and celebrities, despite allegations of sexual abuse. He leaves a trust worth billions.
Followers wept as his body was taken by ambulance from the hospital to his ashram, where it was placed in a glass coffin with gold plating. “The passing away of Sri Sathya Sai Baba is an irreparable loss to all,” Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement. “The nation deeply mourns his passing.”
His gentle demeanor, disheveled, Afro-style hair and tolerance of other belief systems attracted an estimated 6 million active and 33 million passive followers, including former presidents, generals, Bollywood luminaries and sports stars. His group maintains more than 1,000 ashrams in 126 countries.
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His legacy is not without controversy. There were several allegations that he sexually abused young male devotees. And in 1993 six followers were killed in his ashram, four of whom allegedly sought to assassinate him. The incident was never fully explained.
“India remains a country of faith,” said Ravinder Kaur, a sociology professor at New Delhi’s Indian Institute of Technology. “Even those reports about pedophilia didn’t really dent his image. In this country, if you develop followers, they are very loyal. Nothing seems to shake it.”
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