Sikkim mourns passing away of Sri Sathya Sai Baba

GANGTOK, 24 April: Sai Bhakts throughout the State mourned the passing away of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the tears brought on by the initial shock soon made way for somber prayers as the “Baba’s” followers returned to his teachings on the impermanence of life and realized that he would always remain among them through his teachings. His followers then spent the day in prayer and public bhajans.
The two major Sai Mandirs in the capital, one at  Baluakhani and the other at 5th Mile Tadong, held  daylong prayers as the devout came together to help alleviate their sense of collective loss. These gatherings started growing as news of the Baba’s demise spread.

Similarly, in Singtam, Rangpo, Jorethang and almost all major towns in the State, followers of the Baba along with children from ‘Bal Vikas’ centres, wore white clothes to mourn the passing away of Baba. Business establishments of Sai Bhakts throughout the state pulled down shutters and gathered in homes and sang bhajans and kirtans in memory of the Baba.
Upon hearing of the Baba’s passing away, his followers, in obviously disturbed states of minds gathered at neighbourhood satsangs and temples and spent the day in prayer.
In the morning, the devotees chanted Gayatri Mantra, Sai Gayatri and Maha Mritunjaya Mantra followed by bhajan till afternoon. Then again in the afternoon the chanting of Sai Gayatri started.
Sri Sathya Sai Organisation’s Sikkim president, Ratan Pradhan, informed that the chanting of Sai Gayatri will continue for three days and conclude at 6 PM on 26 April.
“Sri Sathya Sai Baba has just left his physical body but he is omnipresent and is still among us,” he said.
Similar services are also underway at the other three districts as well.
“This is a great loss for us, but then, the Baba will send someone in his place to guide and help us in whatever we do. Many have left for Puttaparthi near Bangalore to offer their last respects to the Baba. He has left us physically, but his blessings and his words will always be engraved into our hearts, mind and soul. We will really miss him and the sense of loss is impossible to convey our sense of loss. This is the cycle of life which the Baba had preached to us,” shared Sai Bhakt Yashushi Pradhan who couldn’t stop tears while speaking.
“Baba had told us that our bodies will eventually burn in the funeral pyre and what was important was what we did with our lives because that is what we will remembered for. We will miss Baba but he is always with us,” said an emotional Lakpa Sherpa who was also in a shock when news spread that the Baba was no more.     
Among the organizations to issue formal condolence messages, the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee has prayed that Sathya Sai Baba attains swift nirvana.
“The heartbreaking news proclaiming the demise of spiritual leader Sai Baba has caused wave of immense shock and uncertainties to all of us. It is very shocking to note that when the world still needed the guiding blessings of the Sai Baba, he is no more amid us. The late Sai Baba was an inspiration to innumerable of his followers. His noble deeds, however, shall keep on inspiring the human beings for infinite times to unfold. We also pray that we all are bestowed with endurance to bear with this most irreparable loss thus caused in the death of the spiritual leader,” SIBLAC conveys in a message released today.
Similarly, the Chinmaya Mission, Sikkim Centre, receiving the news of a “heavy heart”, conveys that all its members have condoled the passing away of the spiritual leader.
“The Nation as well as the whole world suffers an irreparable loss. All the Humanities rise to Salute this great Spiritual leader who through his teachings and Seva work relieved the sufferings of millions of people far and wide. Sai Baba taught humanity the highest human values,” states a message released by the association’s general secretary here, SK Sarda.
The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front has also mourned the passing away and conveyed its condolences to the people at large.