VISITING PRASHANTHINILAYAM

WHERE IS SWAMI?

Sai Baba (or Swami, as He is addressed by His devotees) is usually in PrashanthiNilayam, but He does occasionally visit Brindavan, the ashram near Bangalore. There is no way to know in advance Swami's whereabouts, but in general, Swami spends most of the year in PrashanthiNilayam. You can find out about Swami's whereabouts from devotees or Sai Centers in your area before leaving. Swami's current whereabouts is also given on the Sai Darshan home page at http://www.saidarshan.org/

GENERAL INFORMATION

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

WHERE WILL SWAMI BE: Swami usually spends most of the year in Puttaparthi, but He does visit Brindavan (near Bangalore) and Kodaikanal. Naturally no one knows Swami's travel plans, but going by Swami's past travels, the following may give you an idea for planning purposes:

January: Usually in Puttaparthi until mid to end January

February - March: May go to Brindavan for a couple of weeks in early Feb, but usually will be in Puttaparthi.

March: By the end of March Swami usually goes to Brindavan

April: Usually goes to Kodaikanal. The climate in Kodaikanal is very good at that time. It is a hill station & is cool in the daytime, but cold at night.

May - June: Usually in Brindavan

July - September: Usually in Puttaparthi

October - November: Usually in Puttaparthi since Dasara & Birthday celebrations are there. Sometimes goes to Brindavan between Dasara & Birthday

December: Swami is usually in Puttaparthi for Christmas, but may go to Brindavan in the first week of December (after Swami's Birthday celebrations in November) and return before Christmas. However, in 1999 Swami stayed in Puttaparthi from Nov. 2nd till present.

* Please note that the above is all speculation and may very well not be Swami's actual travel plans. One thing to note is that Swami usually celebrates the major festivals in Puttaparthi and so He is usually there during those times. Please consult the festival calendar on the Sai Darshan site for festival dates.

VISAS: Non-Indian nationals require a tourist visa to visit India. Contact the Indian Embassy or Consulate in your area. Visa information is available at the web site of the Indian Consulate in NY: http://www.indiacgny.org/visa.html.

FLYING TO INDIA: It is the easiest (and cheapest) to fly in to India arriving at Bangalore directly or via Bombay or Chennai (Madras). Air India has flights to all three cities from USA and Europe. Other carriers are: Delta, British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Air France, KLM, Swiss etc. These are just a few of the many carriers that fly to India. Round trip air fare varies by season, but it's approximately $1000 (low season) to $1800 (high season) from the US east coast. You can then take an Indian Airlines orJet Airways flight to Bangalore or Puttaparthi (during festivals, only from Bombay).

GETTING TO PRASHANTHINILAYAM: PrashanthiNilayam (Swami's ashram in Puttaparthi) is about 160 km north of Bangalore in Andhra Pradesh in South India. You can reach there by direct bus service from Bangalore (about 5 hours, costing approximately $7 - $12) or by taxi from Bangalore. By taxi, the journey is about 3-4 hours and the approximate charge is about 1200 - 1600 Rupees (roughly $25 30). The cheapest way to get to Puttaparthi from Bangalore is by taxi or by bus. Deluxe bus service is also available to Puttaparthi from Hyderabad and Madras. Check with the transportation desk at Bangalore Airport or at the hotels to hire a taxi.
There is an airport in PrashanthiNilayam, but the only flights are Indian Airlines to/from Bombay, scheduled twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday) during high-traffic festival periods. Check with travel agent.

There is a new railway station at Puttaparthi, so train connections may be made from the major cities.

ACCOMMODATION: With a large group, Puttaparthi is probably the best in terms of accommodation availability and cost. Kodaikanal will be expensive and Brindavan has limited accommodation. Write well in advance to the accommodation office in Prashanthi Nilayam to reserve a room there. There's no guarantee for that since during festival times it will be pretty busy, but they will do their best to keep a room for you. Mention the dates of arrival and departure and how many of you are coming. Mention that you are coming from the US and your Sai Center (if any) and don't forget to take your passport. There is a nominal per day charge for the room (approximately 75 Rupees, or roughly $2). "Simple living and high thinking" is the motto here. Rooms are very simple and bare, so please take your own bedding (sleeping bags, air mattresses, etc.) and towels. Inexpensive cotton mattresses, pillows, and sheets can be purchased outside the ashram. In case a room is not available, there are general halls available to stay in. The address to write requesting a room would be: Accommodation office, PrashanthiNilayam, AP, 515134 India. Please write as much in advance as possible.

FOOD: There are three canteens in the ashram providing good, simple Western, North Indian and South Indian vegetarian meals at low prices (a meal will cost you about 10 - 25 Rupees, roughly 25 - 50 cents). Food is usually spicy. There is also a bakery and a snack bar. Avoid eating or staying outside the ashram not only for health and hygiene reasons, but also because the main purpose is to have Swami's Darshan and enjoy the serene atmosphere of the ashram.

HOW LONG TO STAY: Plan to stay at least a few days in PrashanthiNilayam, if you have the time. We suggest at least 3 days (longer is better) so that you can have more opportunities for Swami's Darshan and to take advantage of the peaceful atmosphere.

ASHRAM ACTIVITIES: The routine is (approximate times): morning Darshan and Bhajan from 6:45 - 9:30 AM and evening Darshan and Bhajan at 2:00 - 6:30 PM at the Mandir. Note that queues for admission begin about three hours before these times, and the lines are let in about an hour and a half before Swami's appearance. Swami comes out for Darshan and during these times He may accept letters, and also may call people for interviews. Note that you cannot take pens, electronic equipment including cell phones and cameras and bags into the Darshan hall. During other times there are talks for devotees by some residents of the ashram, and you can visit the Sanathana Samskrithi museum. There is also a book center where you can purchase books, tapes and videos by and about Swami.

CLIMATE: The coldest time in Puttaparthi is in December and January, when you may need a sweater in the evening and early morning, but at other times it is hot.

December - February: climate is good. Cool temperatures & you should take light jackets or sweaters.

March - May: it gets very hot

June - August: Hot, but also may be rainy season

Sept - November: Hot, but cools off a bit by November/December

DRESS CODE: Prashanthi Nilayam is a place of worship, and as such those visiting the ashram must dress in a modest and sober manner. Women should wear a wrap/shawl and also must not wear short skirts or shorts. Men should not wear shorts; and whites are preferable.

MEDICAL FACILITIES: There is a general hospital that caters to devotees and the local population. Serious cases are referred to the super specialty hospital. All medical treatment is free of charge. For minor medical needs, it is advisable to carry from home basic medication such as aspirin/Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, etc. and any special medication. There are many pharmacies outside the ashram that can provide generic Indian versions of many drugs.

BASIC PROVISIONS: There is a supermarket complex within the ashram where you can buy toiletries, some clothing, stationary, snacks, etc. at very reasonable prices.

BANKING: There are a number of Government (State Bank of India) and private banks (Canara Bank, Vysya Bank) in Puttaparthi where one can exchange currency. A passport is required for currency exchange. The exchange rate is roughly US$1=46 Rupees. It is suggested that visitors not use private agents for currency exchange, and stick to the banks.

TELEPHONES: The ashram maintains a public telephone office for the use of devotees for making local, national, and international calls. The calls are metered and payment must be made after the call. Email/internet and phone facilities are available outside the ashram.

POSTAL FACILITIES: There is a post office in the ashram with mail and cable facilities. The main Post office is outside in Puttaparthi.

INDIAN AIRLINES OFFICE: Indian Airlines maintains a ticket office in the Ashram.

ASHRAM TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR GENERAL INFORMATION: +91-8555-87164

WRITING TO BABA:

There are no intermediaries between devotees and Swami. Once you have finalized your schedule, some devotees write to Swami to say that they are coming and are seeking His Darshan and blessings (and whatever else they may wish to write) and then mail it to Him. The following are Swami's addresses:

PrashanthiNilayam:

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

PrashanthiNilayam, A.P. 515134

India

Brindavan:

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
'Trayee Brindavan'
Brindavan, Kadugodi
Bangalore 560067

India

You may not get any written reply, but Swami hears all prayers and replies in His own way. Swami Himself does not have an e-mail address - use p-mail (Prayer).

MORE INFORMATION:

The following links provide more tips/information on visiting PrashanthiNilayam:

The International Sai Organization Web site: http://www.sathyasai.org/

VISITING BRINDAVAN
(Swami's ashram near Bangalore)

Occasionally Swami visits Brindavan, the ashram in Whitefield ( about 15 miles from Bangalore). The Brindavan campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is situated here. Whenever Swami is in Brindavan Darshan and Bhajans are held, but the timings may vary. Since this is a smaller ashram compared to PrashanthiNilayam, accommodation and other facilities in Brindavan are much more limited. There is a canteen and a book store in the ashram. Please check the above mentioned links for more information about visiting Brindavan.