Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group III | Mr. G. Umamaheswara Reddy

Mr. G. Umamaheswara Reddy
Gummadam - 509 104
Pedduru Mandal,
Mahabubnagar District
Tel: 08545-224666

Mr. G. Umamaheswara Reddy (70), who retired as a Joint Director in the Department of Information and Public Relations, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

‘I was transferred to Kollapuram in 1972. One of my colleagues used to tell me about Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Some of my family members also were devotees of Baba. But I did not evince much interest. My colleague told me ‘depend on your own experience. Why not you pray for a thing and then trust Bhagavan if it is granted?’

‘If I am given a photograph of Baba, I will believe in Him’, I said. I wrote a letter also to Baba. I was returning after posting it when I ran into another colleague of mine. I told him about all that had happened.

‘You have written a letter to Swami for His photograph’, my friend said to me, ‘why? I have two photographs with me. I can give you one’. He went into his house, brought a photograph of Baba and gave it to me. I was amazed at the way my prayer was answered almost instantaneously. I became a devotee of Bhagavan. This was in 1974.

At that time I was in debt – mainly due to my own behaviour and habits. One night Bhagavan appeared in my dream.

‘Swami! I have many problems’, I prayed to Bhagavan in my dream, ‘when will they alleviate?’

‘They will’, Swami assured me, ‘alleviate soon’.

I repeated my prayer and Bhagavan repeated His assurance. Dream ended.

Next day, I gave up playing cards. My finances began to improve. I could clear all my debts in a few months.

In the same year, my eldest son, Vijayarama Reddy was selected on merit for study in the Government Residential School, Sarvel, Nalgonda district. He got free and quality education there. He got a seat subsequently in Medicine and did M.D. Now he is in Bahrain in a lucrative position owing to Swami’s grace. We never expected that he would be selected to the Residential School facing keen competition. Nor did we expect him to secure a seat in Medicine.

Similar is the case of my second son Venkataramana Reddy. Only two boys got 1st class in the X standard from Kollapuram. He was one of them. Subsequently he was selected for B.E. on merit. He is now a Chemical Engineer in Mascot.

My daughter Sarada came of age. I had to perform her marriage. I had just Rs. 300 with me at that time. One day an alliance came on its own to my house. The marriage was performed grandly. I do not know how all the arrangements were made for the marriage. I had no idea even till now how the money came for the marriage expenses. This was in 1977.

In 1975, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam. It was my first visit. I had the Darshan of Bhagavan for the first time then. I sat near the wall in the Poornachandra Auditorium. I was in the last row. Swami came down the dais and began to walk towards us but, for some reason, he went back after walking towards us for a few paces. But He began to walk again towards us. He came to the last row and gave me padanamaskar. From that year onwards, I have been coming to Prasanthi Nilayam regularly.

Whenever I came to Prasanthi Nilayam, I used to buy a cheap ring and put it on my finger. During the next visit, I used to throw it into the well near Gopuram and buy a new one. I wanted to buy a golden ring with diamond, but could not do so for various reasons.

In 1995, I constructed a new house in our village. At the time of house warming ceremony, my daughter presented me a diamond studded gold ring. I was grateful to Bhagavan for fulfilling my desire thus. Later I went to Shirdi. On my request, the priest there put it on the feet of Baba and returned it to me. After that I came to Prasanthi Nilayam. The birthday of my second son was on September 7. So I sat for Darshan on that day. I got second line. When Bhagavan was coming along the Darshan lines, I thought, ‘this ring touched the feet of Shirdi Baba. How I wish that Parthi Baba also blesses it? I removed the ring and held it up in my palms. Swami came straight to me and materialised vibhuti. He then poured the vibhuti on the ring and left. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I did not even think of making a packet of that vibhuti even though some one accompanying Bhagavan gave me a small paper for that purpose. Devotees around me requested for vibhuti Swami had given me, and I gave them all a pinch each till only a small quantity was left for me.

It was in 1974. Swami came to me first in the form of Photograph. Those were the days when I was going through difficulties. But since the day of Swami’s arrival, my life has taken a turn for the best, and there has been no looking back for me. All that has happened is to my best advantage.’

-- Mr. G. Umamaheswara Reddy.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 04.04.2005.)