Tuesday, April 10, 1945

During World War II, Baba apparitioned in front of a house in Bangkok. He gave some vibhuti to the lady of the house and told her in her native tongue to sprinkle it all over the house and disappeared. She noticed that the powder given to her looked like white sand. She sprinkled it all over the house. Within a few minutes, all houses in the neighbourhood except hers were destroyed in an air raid!

Her son, Mr. Art-Ong Jumsai, became a distinguished scientist and in time won many a prestigious award. Following great success in his career, he abandoned the pursuit of science and busied himself in the pursuit of God. He and his mother arrived in Whitefield guided by his friends in New Delhi. Baba gave them an interview  during which He reminded the lady about the Vibhuti episode during World War II.

- Tapovanam, Chapter-14

1945

It was probably during the 'Paata Mandiram' (Old Mandir) days that Bhajan singing, and a set of rules for conducting the Bhajans as it exists today, were initiated. Baba would Himself sing the concluding Bhajans, offer Arati to the Shirdi Baba idol and bring the plate with the camphor flame to all those assembled. Once a week Baba would permit chosen devotees to worship His feet (Pada Puja). To a chosen few, Baba would grant interviews behind an improvised curtain near His small room. Many miracles have occurred during these 'Paata Mandiram' days. For instance, the first recorded surgical operation - herniotomy on Dr. Padmanabhan's brother - was done in Baba's room in the 'Paata Mandiram'. Sri Tirumala Rao, a devotee from Bangalore, planned to construct a new Mandir between the Sathyamma and Gopala Krishna temples.

- Sri Sathya Sai Baba - A Story of God as Man, Chapter -2

1945

Baba frequently visited the family of Sri Desraj Urs, heir apparent to the throne of Mysore, at Karanji Mansions in Mysore and at Melville House in Bangalore. The daughter of the Urs family, Smt. Gitadevi and her sons Major Desraj Urs and Sri Prithviraj Urs became devotees of Baba.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -11

1945

As Baba did not like the slander of the villagers about His stay at Smt. Karnam Subbamma's house, He went away to a cave in a hill located on the other side of the Chitravati river near Janakampalli. He stayed there for six months. When Smt. Subbamma heard that the Sidhagunananda Swami of Kothacheruvu wanted to take Baba with him and groom Baba to become his successor, she acted quickly and invited Baba to use a vacant plot of land on the western banks of the Chitravati as His temporary residence. This land belonged to the Karnam family and had a small thatched hut built in it.

One night, miscreants set fire to the little hut where Baba was sleeping. A sudden downpour put out the flames and Baba was unscathed. Subsequently, Smt. Karnam Kamalamma and Smt. Subbamma offered a vacant plot of land, their family property, as a token of devotion to Baba. On the same day the sale deed was registered in Baba's name at Bukkapatnam. On the 21st of July 1945, Smt. Karnam Subbamma called Sri Thunga Gangappa, Baba's friend, and told him to help Baba construct a small house in the vacant land.

When the foundation work for the first Mandir began on Sri Krishnashtami in 1945, someone found a lingam at the site. Baba immediately took it away, saying that it belonged to Him. He said that many Rishis had done penance in that place, and was hence charged with spiritual energy.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -11

1945

Baba visited the house of the famous cricketer Sri Balaiah Naidu in Madras during January 1945. Sri Ramaswamy Naidu, a star cricketer and tennis player along with Col. C. K. Nayudu  had Darshan of Baba in Sri Balaiah Naidu's house.

- Divine Footprints, Chapter - 1

1945

Baba revisited Pamidi in 1945, staying in the house of Rama Thulasi, a local merchant. During this visit, Baba frequented the river bed in the evenings and on the sands, materialized idols that He gifted to the devotees present. They all proceeded to Illur after thee days. The Karnam of Illur, Sri Adinarayana Rao, took Baba in a procession through the streets of Illur. Baba was taken to the house of the politician, freedom fighter Sri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. Sri Sanjiva Reddy was then in jail. Only his mother was at home. Baba told her, "Don't worry about your son, he will be released and will become a very famous person." Sri Sanjiva Reddy later went on to become the President of India.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -11

1944 - Travels

Swami travelled 4,109 kilometres during this year.

December 1944

In the winter of 1944, Baba visited Anantapur again. This time, He stayed in the house of Sri Atma Rama Rao. He cured Sri T. Vishwanatha Rao's mother Smt. Subbamma of fever by making her eat a guava.

Baba was invited to visit Machilipatnam, a sea resort also called Bandar. During this time, Baba stayed in the houses of Sri Rama Raju and Sri Parthasarathy Naidu, and visited the beach nearby to play and swim. Sri Raghaveswar Rao Naidu, who had accompanied Baba on the trip, had been suffering from double vision for a few years then. A nerve in the left eye was also paralysed. During the stay at Machilipatnam, Baba would every day tie jasmine flower strands to both his eyes. After Baba returned to Bangalore, the treatment continued for another fifteen days and Sri Raghaveswar Rao Naidu was completely cured of his ailment.

At Madras, Baba visited the house of Sri Navaneetham Naidu's son-in-law, Sri I. Raghava Rao Naidu, and stayed with the family for about twenty days. Smt. Eswaramma (Baba's mother) accompanied Him on this trip. He materialized a lingam for Smt. Nagaratnamma, Raghava Rao Naidu's wife. He would give Discourses on the Bhaja Govindam of Adi Shankara to all those who thronged for Darshan. Baba visited the Parthasarathy temple and the Kapaleeswar temple during this stay.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

October 1944

Accompanied by Sri Narasimha Rao Naidu, Baba visited Sri Tirumala Rao's house on St. John's Road, Bangalore, staying there intermittently for a few months. Hundreds of people went to have His Darshan. The food prepared for the devotees, though seemingly little in quantity, would miraculously cater to all those present. In 1944, Sri Seshagiri Rao, with the blessings of Baba, started Bhajans in various houses on all Thursdays. Baba materialized five photographs of Shirdi Baba and gave them to the five initial Bhajan groups. By the following year, 'Bhajan Mandali's were formally established.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

Sunday, September 24, 1944

Baba's first visit to Mysore. He stayed there for four days, witnessing the Royal Dassera festival and left Mysore on the 27th of September.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

September 1944

Baba's Bangalore visits had created quite a sensation and more and more devotees started visiting Puttaparthi from Bangalore. Among others who came to Baba in 1944 were Sri Raval Seshagiri Rao, Sri C. M. H. Ranajoth Singh, Smt. Ankamma, Captain Thangavelu Mudaliar and Sri A. H. Tirumala Rao. It was about this time that the book 'Sayeeshuni Charitra' mentioned earlier was published.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

August-September 1944

During August-September 1944, Baba started from Karnam Adinarayana Rao's house in Illur on a tour to Gooty Taluk. Baba left for Anantapur later, and stayed there with one of the Karnam's relatives. Enroute from Anantapur to Illur, Baba instructed His host to arrange for a photograph to be taken by one Sri K. H. Rayudu, a renowned photographer. Rayudu could not capture Baba on the viewfinder, but only a picture of Shirdi Baba. The photographer, who had been needlessly disparaging of Baba, must have been graced with this special vision in order to make him realize his error. Finally, Rayudu managed to take Baba's photograph, and this portrait is still a precious possession in Rao's family. Baba graciously had lunch with an ardent devotee Sri Narayana Rao, fulfilling an earlier promise given.

Baba decided to proceed to Pamidi for the first time with Rao and his aunt Smt. Lalithamma. He stayed in the house of Sri Subbarangaiah, a local merchant. During this visit, Baba cured Rao's cousin of typhoid by asking him to eat a guava. Baba also spoke to them about the early life of Shirdi Sai Baba of which little was known.

Baba stayed in Pamidi for two days. He took His devotees to the Pennar river bed and materialized idols from the sand. He returned to Anantapur by the evening train and stayed at Sri Chidambaraiah's house. The following night Baba left for Bangalore accompanied by Sri Tirumala Rao.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

Friday, May 05, 1944

Baba arrived at Sri Chidambaraiah's house at Anantapur from Kadiri at about noontime on the sacred Jyeshtha Poornima day. This was during World War II. In a short while, He called the family for an interview. The family offered worship to Him. Baba exorcised Sri Chidambaraiah's daughter Smt. Kalavathamma and daughter-in-law Smt. Narasamma, both of whom were believed to have been possessed by evil spirits.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

1944

Baba visited Bangalore once in two months. He stayed at the residence of Sri Narasimharao Naidu. Daily Bhajans were held during His stay. The Excise Commissioner Sri Navaneetham Naidu's family went there to have Darshan of Baba. Once, Baba locked Himself in a room at 9:00 pm and came out only at midnight. When everybody enquired He said, "I had been to a hospital at Bombay to perform an operation". Sri Navaneetham Naidu immediately called up Bombay and found out the details. This deepened faith in Sri Navaneetham Naidu. He gave Baba His first pet dog. Baba treated both Sri Narasimharao Naidu and Sri Jagannatharao Naidu as His friends. Since they had shown Baba the city of Bangalore, Baba broudht them to Puttaparthi to show them around.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10

February 1944

When Baba went to Bangalore in February 1944, He wore a striped shirt and a Dhoti. One day, He suddenly said, "I don't want to wear this". A person named Srinivasan bought a few pieces of Makhmal Dhoties dyed light lemon-yellow and had a long jubba (loose upper garment from shoulders upto the knees) made. Such attire was called 'Madanapalli Jubba' in those days. However, Baba gave up the Jubba and Dhoti too. Yadalam Venkataramanappa from Bukkapatnam perhaps designed Baba's first robe. It was light grey in colour and not of full length. The dress went through further transformation to a full sleeve, body-length light yellow or sometimes off-white coloured, buttoned at the neck and extending down to the heels. This is reminiscent of the Kafni worn by Shirdi Sai Baba.

- Love is My Form, Chapter -10