Mandir

Mandir -History

Baba was then a charming youth of seventeen years. Three years earlier, he had declared, "I am Sai Baba of Shirdi come again for the redemption of mankind!". In spite of the revealing declaration, many people around him in Puttaparthi were sceptical about his might and mission. One such person was Lakshmaiah, although he had a deep love for the divine boy.

One day, Baba told Lakshmaiah, pointing to the hillocks south of the village,

The Sai Pravesh (the advent of Sai) will transform that region into Prasanthi Pradesh (a region of highest peace). There will rise a bhavan (mansion)! Lakhs of people from all over India, why only India, from all over the world, will come and wait there for Sai darshan (sight of Sai)!

Lakshmaiah expressed his doubt. Baba asserted,

You will have to believe it when you have to stand where we are now, trying to catch a glimpse of me, standing on the porch of that bhavan.

The bhavan (mansion) that Baba spoke of on that day is the mandir (temple) in Prasanthi Nilayam, the sacred abode of the Lord in the human form of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. This mandir is the heartthrob of millions of people all over the world. Sri Kasturi, the octogenarian biographer of Baba writes about the mandir, "It has been the scene of countless transformations of character, revolutions in belief, confirmations of faith, curing of disease, calmings of temper, discarding of hatred, salvaging of souls and reunions of hearts." Indeed, the mandir today stands as the symbol of the redemption of the world through the transformation of man. This mandir is the nucleus of Sai's mission of Dharmasthapana.

The majestic mandir now stands facing north in a compound measuring 220' x 150' and its plinth area is a little more than 7500 square feet. It is a nilayam (residence) evolved into a mandir (temple).

The construction of this building in the late forties may be described as the first manifestation of the engineering skill of Baba! Baba was then in his early twenties. It was felt that the old mandir in the village was too small to accommodate the growing Sai family that gathered round its young Master. A big building was the need of the hour, and it was raised with stone and mortar. Bhagawan himself was the architect and engineer of this building, which he transformed into the mandir in 1974. Also, he was the accountant! Baba recollects even now with a merry twinkle in his eye how he was doing the batwada (weekly payments to labourers), getting the signatures of the lucky recipients on the vouchers.

Others who were associated with the construction of the Nilayam are Sakamma (a devotee from the Coorg District in Karnataka, who was instrumental in the construction of the old mandir in the village); the Raja of Sandur (a province now in Karnataka); Tiruvenkatam, a merchant from Bangalore; and Thirumala Iyengar, an engineer in charge of the construction of the Tungabhadra dam. Some curious engineers who visited the construction site now and then accepted the ideas of Baba, because they found them to be better than their own. They discovered that Baba had a greater sense of perspective and a finer aesthetic vision than they had.

The story of the construction of the building is a chain of miracles wrought by Bhagawan's grace. The most astounding was the transport of the huge girders for the central prayer hall from the railway station at Penukonda 16 miles away. Girders of 40 feet length had come from Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirapalli) to Penukonda by train. The road from Penukonda to Bukkapatnam was a district board road with a sandy stream at the seventh mile, and it passed through a few villages with delicately built houses(!) flanking the narrow road on either side with a few acutely angled curves. There was a track of three miles, from Bukkapatnam to Puttaparthi with a few dilapidated culverts and low-level causeways and a broad expanse of the sand of the river Chitravathi. Then there was the task of hoisting the heavy girders on the twenty-foot high walls. Therefore, the engineers gave up all hope of transporting the girders from Penukonda to Puttaparthi and placed before Baba some alternative proposals for roofing the prayer hall. But Baba did not relent.

One fine morning, the Road Transport Officer of Anantapur district, who was a devotee of Baba, woke up to find a surprise in front of his house. It was a huge crane from the Tungabhadra Dam site, which had stopped there and refused to move forward. It had struck work! The driver was grappling with the engine in vain. He could not make it move. He sought the help of the Road Transport Officer, who thought that the crane was Baba-sent(!) for transporting the girders from Penukonda to Puttaparthi.

It was agreed that the crane would transport the girders if it were repaired. The R.T.O. hurried to Puttaparthi and prayed to Baba, who materialised some vibhuti (sacred ash) and gave it to him. This vibhuti was smeared on the engine, and the driver was asked to start it, and --lo-- the crane started moving! The surprised driver went happily to Penukonda railway station, lifted the girders with the giant arms of the crane and started toward Puttaparthi. The sight of this giant carrying the girders was a great surprise for the villagers, who greeted it by lining up on the roadsides. The crane somehow passed over the culverts, negotiated hairpin bends, lurched over the slushe,s and puffed its way up the Karnatanagapalli hill! It did not move further, perhaps on seeing the broad sheet of sand of the Chitravathi River!

Baba himself went to the crane, sat with the driver, and handled the steering wheel. Thrilled by the touch of the Lord, the crane moved happily to the work spot and unloaded the girders.

Prasanthi Nilayam, the simple looking two-storied building of granite, was inaugurated on 23 November 1950, the twenty-fifth birthday of Baba. It had a central prayer hall flanked by rooms on either side and corridors in front and behind. In addition, there was a small portico attached to the central portion of the corridor in the front. The height of the prayer hall was divided into two floors for the rooms and the corridors linking the rooms on either side.

Mandir-temples in the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana

1 Achaleshwar Mahadeo Temple at Achalgarh near Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: Shiva temple featuring an image of the toe of Shiva and a brass Nandi.

2 Achalgarh Jain Temples at Achalgarh near Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: Colorful Jain temples with great views.

3 Adbudji Jain Temple at Nagada near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Ruined temple with interesting architectural features, a black marble statue of Shanti Nath dating back to the 15th century.

4 Adhar Devi Temple at Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: Durga temple in rock cleft near Mt. Abu.

5 Adinath (Jain Temple) at Rikhabdeo near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Ancient temple (15th century) with elegant architecture.

6 Adiswara temple at Palitana in Gujarat: Most notable temple in the Shatrunjaya Jain Temple complex of 863 temples on a hill.

7 Amar Sagar Jain Temple at Amar Sagar near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan: Beautifully carved temple under renvoation.

8 Amba Mata Temple at Junagadh in Gujarat: Located on top of the 600 meter high Girnar Hill.

9 Ambika Mata Temple at Jagat near Udaipur in Rajasthan: 10th century temple dedicated to Ambika.

10 Arbada Mata Temple at Eklingji near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Located in Eklingji home to the famous Eklingji temple.

11 Atri Rishi Temple at Guru Shikhar near Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: On top of the 5300 ft high hill the Guru Shikhar the loftiest point in Rajasthan.

12 Balaji Temple at Bharatpur near Jaipur in Rajasthan

13 Baroli Temples at Baroli near Kota in Rajasthan: One of the oldest temple complexes (9th century AD) in Rajasthan.

14 Bhand Sagar Jain Temples at Bikaner in Rajasthan: 16th century temples dedicated to Adinath and Parasvanath.

15 Bhrama Temple at Pushkar near Ajmer in Rajasthan: Only one of its kind Bhrama temple with a red spire.

16 Bhrigu Rishi Temple at Broach in Gujarat: City name Bharuch derived from Bhrigukachba after this temple.

17 Bijolia Temples at Bijolia near Bundi in Rajasthan: A complex of ancient temples once numbering 100, now just 3.

18 Chamunda Temple at Jodhpur in Rajasthan: Durga temple located in the Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur.

19 Chaumukh Temple at Palitana in Gujarat: Adinath temple in the Shatrunjaya Jain Temple complex of 863 temples on a hill.

20 Chaumukha Temple at Ranakpur near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Huge marble 15th century Jain temple with 29 halls, 1444 pillars, no two alike. Temple is located in the Ranakpur Temple complex.

21 Chintamani Temple at Bikaner in Rajasthan: Part of the Bhand Sagar Temple complex.

22 Durgiana Temple at Amritsar in Punjab: 16th century Durga Temple.

23 Dwarakadish Temple at Kankroli near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Similar to the Nathdwara temple at Nathdwara.

24 Dwarkanath Temple at Dwarka in Gujarat: One of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Krishna with a 5 storey spire and 60 columns.

25 Eklingji Temple at Eklingji near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Ornate 8th century Shiva temple with beautiful pillars.

26 Gaumukh Temple at Gaumukh Temple near Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: Associated with the mythological sage Vasishta.

27 Gopinath Temple at Bhangarh near Alwar in Rajasthan: Abandoned beautiful yellow stone carved temple on a 14 ft high platform, with intricate sculptural work.

28 Hanuman Temple at Bhangarh near Alwar in Rajasthan

29 Har Mandir Shiva Temple at Bikaner in Rajasthan: Located in the Junagarh Fort at Bikaner.

30 Harshat Mata Temple at Abhaneri near Jaipur in Rajasthan: Known for sculptural remains of the post Gupta period monuments of the 9th century AD.

31 Hathee Singh Temple at Ahmedabad in Gujarat: 19th century marble Jain temple dedicated to Dharamanath.

32 Jagdish Temple at Udaipur in Rajasthan: Grand 17th century temple to Vishnu located near Udaipur city palace.

33 Jain Temples at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan: 12th-15th century Jain temples dedicated to Rikhabdevji and Sambhavanthji.

34 Jaisalmer Shiva Temple at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan: Located in the Jaisalmer fort along with a Ganesh Temple.

35 Kailashpuri Temple Ruins at Eklingji near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Ruins of Shiva and Vishnu temples in Eklingji known for the Eklingji temple.

36 Kali Temple at Amber near Jaipur in Rajasthan: Temple located in the fortress palace in Ambar (16th century AD).

37 Kalika Mata Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: An 8th century Sun temple converted to Kali temple in the Chittorgarh Fort near the Padmini palace.

38 Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok near Bikaner in Rajasthan: Marble carvings and a silver door adorn this temple where rats are cared for.

39 Kiradu Temples at Kiradu near Barmer in Rajasthan: 11th century Kathiawar style temples with Gupta elements.

40 Krishna Temple at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan: Temple near the arched gateway to the Gadi Sagar Water Tank.

41 Krishna Temples at Bet Island near Dwarka in Gujarat: Modern Krishna Temples in this island near Dwarka.

42 Kumar Shah Temple at Palitana in Gujarat: One of the temples in the Shatrunjaya Jain Temple complex of 863 temples on a hill.

43 Kumbha Shyam Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: Large temple in the Chittorgarh Fort.

44 Laxmi Narayan Temple at Amritsar in Punjab: Laxmi and Narayan temple built in the middle of a lake.

45 Lodruva Jain Temples at Lodruva near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan: Ornate temples with arches in the ruins of an ancient capital.

46 Mahamandir Shiva Temple at Mahamandir near Jodhpur in Rajasthan: A 100 pillared Shiva Temple.

47 Mallinath Temple at Junagadh in Gujarat: Marble temple on Girnar Hill along with 4 other Jain temples dating back to the 12th century.

48 Mat Bhavani Temple at Ahmedabad in Gujarat: Associated with the Mat Bhavani step well.

49 Meera Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: Ornate temple located in the Chittorgarh fort.

50 Menal Shiva Temples at Menal near Bundi in Rajasthan: A complex of Shiva temples from the Gupta period.

51 Nasiyan Temple (Red Temple) at Ajmer in Rajasthan: Century old Jain temple with wooden figures.

52 Nathdwara at Nathdwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan: 19th century temple bearing image of Vishnu brought from Mathura in the 17th century.

53 Neelkanth Mahadev Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: Temple located near Padmini's palace of the Chittorgarh fort.

54 Neminath Temple at Ranakpur near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Jain Temple located in the Ranakpur Temple complex.

55 Nemintah Temple at Junagadh in Gujarat: 12th century marble Jain temple along with 4 other Jain temples on Girnar hill.

56 Osian Temples at Osian near Jodhpur in Rajasthan: Ruins of 16 Hindu and Jain temples from the 8th to 11th centuries in this town inhabited by hundreds of peacocks.

57 Parasnath Temple at Ranakpur near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Jain Temple located in the Ranakpur Temple complex.

58 Ramgarh Temples at Ramgarh near Kota in Rajasthan: Accessed by jeep.

59 Ranchodrai Temple at Dakor near Baroda in Gujarat: Krishna temple famous for the Shard Purnima festival in Oct-Nov.

60 Rangji Temple at Pushkar near Ajmer in Rajasthan: An important temple in the temple town of Pushkar.

61 Rathasan Devi Temple at Eklingji near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Rashtrasena Devi temple in Eklingji known for the famous Eklingji temple.

62 Sammidheshwar Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: Temple located in the Rana Kumbha palace of the Chittorgarh fort.

63 Sampriti Raj Temple at Palitana in Gujarat: One of the temples in the Shatrunjaya Jain Temple complex of 863 temples on a hill.

64 Sanganer Jain Temples at Sanganer near Jaipur in Rajasthan: A group of Jain temples with fine carvings.

65 Sas Bahu Temple at Eklingji near Udaipur in Rajasthan: A complex of temples with fine carvings, dating back to the 11th century.

66 Sharda Pith Temple at Pilani in Rajasthan: Modern marble temple of learning at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science.

67 Shatrunjaya Temple Complex at Palitana near Bhavnagar in Gujarat: Jain Temple Complex of over 863 temples on a 600 meter high hill built over 900 years.

68 Shiva Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: Temple located in the Rana Kumbha palace of the Chittorgarh fort.

69 Sidhpur Temple Ruins at Sidhpur near Ahmedabad in Gujarat: Near the Mehsana the drop off point for Modhera.

70 Sila Devi (White Marble) Temple at Amber near Jaipur in Rajasthan: Temple located in the fortress palace in Ambar (16th century AD).

71 Singa Chowri Jain Temple at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan: Located in the Chittorgarh Fort.

72 Sirsa Mata Temple at Bhangarh near Alwar in Rajasthan

73 Someshwar Mahadev Temple at Bhangarh near Alwar in Rajasthan: Shiva temple with a grand lingam (marble) in the abandoned Rajput settlement.

74 Somnath Temple at Somnath Patan near Veraval in Gujarat: One of the 12 Jyotirlingams in India, and an ancient temple, current structure belongs to this century.

75 Soyalla Shiva Temple at Soyala near Jodhpur in Rajasthan: 75 km from Jodhpur on the Nagaur Road.

76 Sun Temple at Ranakpur near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Temple is located in the Ranakpur Temple complex.

77 Sun Temple at Galta near Jaipur in Rajasthan: A temple built on a hill dedicated to Surya.

78 Sun Temple at Modhera near Ahmedabad in Gujarat: Ruins of well known 11th century temple intricately sculpted.

79 Sun Temple at Somnath Patan near Veraval in Gujarat: Ancient temple with interesting sculpture. dating back to the period of the Somnath temple, near a rebuilt Somnath temple of the Ahilyabai Holkar period.

80 Surya (Sun) Temple at Jhaira Patan near Kota in Rajasthan: Ruins of an ancient temple.

81 Swami Narayan Temple at Ahmedabad in Gujarat: 19th century temple enclosed in a large courtyard.

82 Takteshwar Temple at Bhavnagar in Gujarat: Hill top temple with great views.

83 Talaja Jain Temples at Talaja near Bhavnagar in Gujarat: Complex of Jain temples on a hill

84 Tejpal (Dilwara) Temple at Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: Jain Temple (Neminath) with intricate marble carvings in the Dilwara Temple group.

85 The Golden Temple at Amritsar in Punjab: The holiest Sikh shrine in India housing the original Granth Sahib.

86 Vimal Shah Temple at Palitana in Gujarat: One of the temples in the Shatrunjaya Jain Temple complex of 863 temples on a hill.

87 Vimal Vasahi (Dilwara) Temple at Mt. Abu in Rajasthan: Jain temple dedicated to Adhinath - Finest specimen of Jain architecture - in the Dilwara temple group.

88 Vindhyavasani Devi Temple at Eklingji near Udaipur in Rajasthan: Located in Eklingji known for its famous Eklingji temple.