Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. Lolabhattu Chinnam Raju

Mr. Lolabhattu Chinnam Raju,
Sri Sai Nagar, Rangampeta - 533291,
East Godavari District

Tel: 08852-246738

Mr. L. Chinnam Raju (60), a retired teacher and presently the convener of Sri Sathya Sai Samithi in his area, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba came to Kakinada in 1965. Then I had the good fortune to have His darshan for the first time.

In 1968, Swami came to Rajahmundry. When He came to Gurukulam, there was a large gathering for His darshan. Before anyone could guess what Swami was going to do, He climbed on to the top of His car and stood there to afford all a good darshan. Immediately, all of us in the sevadal posted on duty there stood close to the car, each one holding one's hands as stairs and bending to form an incline to enable Swami alight from the top of the car. In the process, Swami put one of His lotus feet on my hands also as He was getting down. It was an unexpected boon showered on us by the Divine.

During 1979-84, I worked as a teacher in Mukundapuram near our village. We used to reside in the house of a Sai devotee Mr. T. Subba Rao there as tenants. It is a small village without any facilities worth the name. One night, I had severe chest pain and feared a heart attack. There was no doctor in the village. No means was available to shift me to a hospital at Rajahmundry. Mrs. Satyavati, the wife of our house owner was an ardent devotee of Bhagavan. She brought some vibhuti from pooja and rubbed it on my chest herself. Miraculously, within a few minutes, my pain was gone as if removed by hand. It fortified my faith in Bhagavan.

In 1981, my son, Srinivasa Raju was blessed with a son. We all came to Prasanthi Nilayam. I sat in darshan line with our grandson on my lap. Swami came along. I took padanamaskar with one hand, as the other was holding the child. As I was praying to Swami to christen the child, He moved on. Afterwards, we met Mr. Anil Kumar and told him what had happened.

'Why do you worry?' he told us, 'call him Sesha Sai Kiran'.

There is a reason for his telling that name. My wife, Mrs. Venkatalakshmi used to suffer from Asthma. During 1976, she had a dream in which Swami came to her and said, 'open your mouth'. When she opened, He blew into her mouth when a few spoonfuls of amrit fell in. She swallowed it and the dream ended. That very moment she became free of the decades old asthma.

Immediately after that event, she wanted to go to Prasanthi Nilayam. That time I could not go there for some reason. My son, Srinivas took his mother and her sister to Prasanthi Nilayam. This was in 1977. They used to stay under the trees and cook food there only. As my son went out, they kept some milk for him in a steel tumbler. They put the glass in a small vestal and placed another big vessel as a lid. Then they sat for taking meals nearby. While they were having there meals, they heard some sound as if the vessel and the lid rattled. But there was none to rattle them that way. After meals, they took off the lid and examined to find out why the lid had rattled. What they saw simply stunned them. The bottom of the steel glass in which they kept milk, took the shape of a snake's hood as if it was moulded thus. The snake mould is five-headed! My sister-in-law took it to Swami.

'Give it to your sister', Swami told her and placed His hand on the tumbler by way of blessing. He then said, 'Sesha Sai, Sesha Sai' as if naming it.

'Ask your sister to worship it daily' Swami told my sister-in-law.

It is still in our pooja being worshipped daily. Mr. Anil Kumar, who was aware of this, gave the name Sesha Sai to my grand son, adding 'Kiran'.

My father, Mr. Ammi Raju was suffering from stomach-ache during 1978. We got various tests done and arranged treatment. But there was not relief. He used to say Sai Ram whenever he had a bout of stomach ache. One day, he had a dream. Swami came in his dream and operated on him. 'Swami came in my dream like a doctor and performed the operation', my father told us the next morning. He showed us his banian with blood stains. From that day he has never suffered from stomach ache.

I came to Prasanthi Nilayam in November 2002 for the Birthday of Bhagavan. There was heavy crowd. I got stuck in stampede and was being pressed hard on all sides when I began to recite Sai Ram. I lost consciousness in the melee. Then two very strong and hefty persons came from nowhere and brought me out to safety. As I was unconscious, they sprinkled water on my face and brought me back to consciousness. I thanked Bhagavan for saving my life.'

-- Mr. L. Chinnam Raju

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 18.07.2005)