Modi praised the Sai community for opening 20,000 Sukanya Samriddhi accounts locally, calling it a major step for girls’ financial security.
Published Nov 19, 2025 | 3:35 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 19, 2025 | 3:35 PM
PM Modi paid homage to Sathya Sai Baba at the Sai Kulwant Hall. Credit: x.com/narendramodi
Synopsis: PM Modi attended Sathya Sai Baba’s birth centenary in Puttaparthi today, paying tributes at the Mahasamadhi and releasing a Rs 100 coin. He hailed Baba’s universal love and selfless service, linking it to India’s seva tradition and Atmanirbhar Bharat, while praising Sai institutions’ free education, healthcare, and water projects.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 19 November, paid tribute to Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of the spiritual leader’s birth centenary and said the late guru’s message of universal love and selfless service continued to inspire millions across the world.
Modi said visiting the sacred town was an “emotional and spiritual experience,” and that bowing at Baba’s Samadhi “always fills the heart with deep emotion.”
Modi offered floral tributes at the Mahasamadhi before attending the centenary celebrations, which were also attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Ministers K Rammohan Naidu, G Kishan Reddy and BSR Verma, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, IT Minister N Lokesh, and former Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar.
PM Modi said that Sathya Sai Baba’s birth centenary year was “not merely a celebration, but a divine blessing,” noting that although he was no longer physically present, his teachings on compassion, duty and service continued to guide devotees in over 140 countries.
Calling Baba a living embodiment of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, Modi said the centenary had become “a grand festival of universal love, peace and service.”
Earlier in the day, the government released a Rs 100 commemorative coin and a postage stamp marking the centenary. Modi said these symbols reflected a legacy built on “love in action,” and reminded the gathering of Baba’s well-known principles such as “Love All, Serve All,” “Help Ever, Hurt Never,” and “Manav Seva hi Madhav Seva.”
Modi said the central value of Indian civilisation was seva, which acted as a unifying thread across bhakti, gyan, and karma traditions. He stressed that Sathya Sai Baba placed service at the heart of life, and that the continued expansion of Baba’s institutions in education, healthcare and rural development demonstrated how “the impact of truly great souls grows with time.”
He cited the Sai institutions’ work and said over 3,000 km of drinking-water pipelines laid in Rayalaseema, the construction of 1,000 houses for flood-hit families in Odisha, and hospitals where “there is no billing counter” and treatment remains free even for the poorest.
“These institutions show that spirituality and service are not separate, but two expressions of the same truth,” he said.
Modi recalled how Sai volunteers played a major role in relief efforts during the Gujarat earthquake, and said Baba’s teachings had transformed countless lives. He said the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust had built an “organised and long-term model of service” that extended from cities to remote tribal settlements.
The PM also highlighted the link between Sai-inspired service and the government’s social security initiatives. He said over the last 11 years, India had expanded social-security coverage from 25 crore to nearly 100 crore people.
Referring to girls’ empowerment, he said the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was among India’s highest-interest schemes at 8.2 percent and had seen over 4 crore accounts opened nationwide with more than ₹3.25 lakh crore deposited.
Modi praised the Sai community for opening 20,000 Sukanya Samriddhi accounts locally, calling it a major step for girls’ education and financial security.
During the visit, Modi also participated in a Gau Daan programme, where the Trust donated 100 cows to poor farming families. He said the cow symbolised “life, prosperity and compassion,” and cited success stories from Varanasi, Rwanda and Brazil to underscore how Indian cattle breeds had become symbols of nutrition and economic empowerment.
Linking the centenary to his call for Kartavya Kaal, Modi urged devotees to strengthen the “Vocal for Local” movement, saying every purchase of a local product supported families, small businesses and local supply chains, thereby advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Calling Puttaparthi a land where “thoughts reflect peace and actions reflect service,” Modi expressed confidence that Sathya Sai devotees would continue to be “a beacon of hope and light wherever there is deprivation or suffering.” He extended his greetings to the Sai family and volunteers across the world for advancing Baba’s mission of love, peace and service.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
