From the sacred land of Lord Jagannath, around 2,000 devotees from Odisha have arrived at Prasanthi Nilayam to offer their loving obeisances at the Lotus Feet of Sai Jagannath as part of a two-day Parthi Yatra. Carrying with them the fragrance of devotion and the spirit of selfless service, the devotees are also rendering Prasanthi Seva within the Ashram, making their pilgrimage an offering of both love and service.
The morning session unfolded with the chanting of the Sri Sathya Sai Ashtottara Shata Namavali, with devotees offering sacred rice grains at His divine photograph. The occasion also marked the Golden Jubilee of the Sri Sathya Sai Trust Odisha, celebrating five decades of dedicated service to society.
Reflecting on this remarkable journey, Mr Narayan Sar, East Zone President, SSSSO, spoke of the fifty-year legacy of the Trust and the ideals of service and sacrifice that have guided its growth.
Speaking on the service initiatives undertaken during the Centenary Year, Mr Sathya Swaroop Patnaik, State President, highlighted the wide spectrum of activities carried out by the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations and Sri Sathya Sai Trust Odisha under the threefold ideals of Educare, Medicare and Sociocare.
A newly redesigned Odia Bal Vikas magazine was formally released in the divine presence by Mr RJ Rathnakar, Managing Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Celebrating the Year of Bal Vikas in Odisha, the long-running publication has been given a vibrant new avatar, featuring a fully coloured format and several new sections and features designed to inspire young minds. The devotees expressed the prayerful aspiration that the magazine would reach every child, every home and every school in Odisha, carrying Bhagawan’s message of love, truth and human values to a new generation.
The five-decade journey has witnessed significant contributions in the fields of education, healthcare, rural development and environmental care. Odisha today is home to 18 Sri Sathya Sai Schools, while the Trust-administered school at Bhubaneswar provides completely free education. A Skill Development Centre for women is also being developed at the Sri Sathya Sai Women’s College, Bhubaneswar. In the field of Medicare, the Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital, inaugurated in 2024, continues to bring medical, dental and eye care to remote tribal villages of Rayagada district. A Telemedicine Centre in Bhubaneswar provides follow-up care to patients from Odisha who have undergone treatment at Bhagawan’s Super Speciality Hospitals. Regular Thalassemia and Sickle Cell clinics, along with an extensive CPR awareness initiative that has trained more than 40,000 young people, further reflect the organisation’s commitment to compassionate healthcare. The spirit of Sociocare finds expression through more than 50 Sri Sathya Sai Nirmal Jal drinking water projects benefiting nearly 60,000 villagers, while the Prematharu initiative has seen more than five lakh trees planted across Odisha in the last three years. Grama Seva, disaster relief, cyclone shelters and other community initiatives continue to bring hope and dignity to those in need. The speakers also recalled several significant spiritual and cultural initiatives, including the Sri Sathya Sai Divya Paduka Yatra, which reached nearly 10,000 villages, and the Likhita Japa Yagna, through which devotees collectively offered 100 crore written names of the Lord.
