Sathya Sai Baba

Born Ratnakaram Sathyanarayana Raju on 23 November 1926, he left home at fourteen after declaring himself the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. Followers credited him with materialising vibhuti and small objects, spontaneous healings, resurrections, clairvoyance, and bilocation — claims of omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience followed. Accusations accumulated over the years: sleight of hand, money laundering, fraud, murder. He was never charged with any offence. He died 24 April 2011, leaving a vast philanthropic network and a divided legacy — devotion on one side, skepticism on the othe…