Ekupheleni kwesonto lesithathu lika-Ephreli umhlaba uvuke ngezindaba zokushona kwalesi sikhondlakhondla somoya I-Sri Sathya Sai Baba, edume umhlaba wonke kuze kufike ezingeni lokuthi kuvame ukushiwo ukuthi inabalandeli abayizigidi eziyisithupha. Ukushona kwakhe kwenzeka eneminyaka engama-86 ngemuva kokuchitha inyanga yonke esesibhedlela edolobheni lasePuttarti, lapho ayengowokuzalwa khona, empeleni eyokwehluleka kwezitho eziningi isizathu sokuthi kungani ahlulwa empini yokufa, njengoba manje sekuyisikhathi sokuba bona ukuthi ngubani ozoba ophethe izikole nezisekelo zabo.
Ngaphandle kokuthandwa kwakhe ngabantu abavamile uSai Baba futhi wayenabalandeli abayizinkulungwane emibuthanweni yamandla ezepolitiki nakwezokuzijabulisa, hhayi kuphela India, ifinyelela ithonya layo emhlabeni wonke. Abalandeli bakhe bayohlala bekwazi ukumkhumbula ngesithombe sakhe sakudala ngezinwele ze-afro ezisontekile nokusetshenziswa kwezingubo zakhe eziwolintshi.
Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi kusasele usuku ngaphambi kokuba angcwatshwe, kwaqubuka izimpikiswano mayelana "nokufa kwakhe okungenzeka ukuthi kungamanga", nokuthi uSai Baba wangcwatshwa ebhokisini lengilazi, okwadala ukuqagela phakathi kwabathembekile bakhe mayelana nokuzalwa kabusha, futhi lokho yilokho abanye abathembekile bakholelwa ukuthi uSai Baba wayenama-avatar ama-3 eKalyug, i-avatar yesibili kwakungu-Shirdi Sai Baba, kanti owesithathu prema sayi, okucatshangwa ukuthi uzozalelwa edolobheni laseDoddamalur. Ngokusho kwabalandeli bakaSai Baba, lo guru uzophindukuzalwa futhi uzozalelwa esigodini, ngemuva konyaka ka-2023, ngokusho kwezibikezelo ezenziwe ngumholi ofanayo oyimfihlakalo eminyakeni eyedlule.