Sai Baba and Sai Geeta,
A story of love

In the beginning was silence. There was only the Formless God, seeking to be known and loved. The Formless commenced the very act of creation and declared, I am One, let me be many. Thus, sparks of the Divine emerged on a wonderous journey from Self to Self. All of creation emerges from the Formless God, and is on a journey back to union with the Formless God.

Sparks of the Divine inhabit all of creation. Everything has this essence of the Formless God within, minerals, soil, plants, trees, animals and humans. Evolution is progressive, all forms of life evolve to higher forms, until union with the Formless is attained. So it was that the Formless breathed love and life into all things that exist.

Holy men prayed, and the Lord has come in human form. This time, the Lord took birth in the tiny hamlet of Puttaparthi. The Lord's mission of the restoration of righteousness commenced right from birth. He chose his mother, his father, his siblings. Remaining in the town of his birth, the Lord caused the Prashanti Nilayam Ashram to come up, to provide a place for the thousands of devotees who throng to see him.

Sai Geeta came to Sai Baba many years ago in 1962, when as a motherless calf, she was offered to Sai Baba. Immediately, Sai Baba accepted and named her Sai Geeta.

Sai Geeta was transported to Puttaparthi on a truck, and lived in a small sand-filled shed directly outside Sai Baba's mandir. Sai Geeta learned to garland Sai Baba, and to take padnamaskar. Here, a young Sai Geeta places a garland on Swami..

The ashram expanded, and grew, and Sai Geeta was moved to a small shed to the south of the mandir, where she could see her beloved Swami every day, during darshan. Here, Sai Geeta waits outside the Mandir on Sai Baba's birthday, many years ago.

As the Lord's mission expanded, more buildings were constructed in Prashanti Nilayam. The Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning came up. Alongside, the Primary School and High School were also built. Adjacent the boys hostel, Gokulum was built, the residence of the cows Swami had procured to supply milk to the ever-growing ashram population.

Sai Geeta was moved to Gokulum and had the ashram cows for her neighbours. Being adjacent to the boys hostel, the students saw her often, and whenever Swami visited the students at the hostel, Sai Geeta would be present and see her beloved master. From time to time, she would participate in ball games with the boys, knocking the ball around with her trunk, with glee. Here, Sai Baba is with Sai Geeta as students look on.

Hillview Stadium came up and space was crowded. Sai Geeta was moved across the road to her new home in a mangrove, surrounded by coconut trees and a small plantation to supply her with food. She was very fond of sugarcane leaves, which are hard to obtain in South India. Swami would frequently ask if sugarcane leaves were procured for Sai Geeta to eat.

Swami would visit her often, and on occasion, feed her. Apples, Bananas, all kinds of fruit were fed to her. Here, students hold the plate as Swami feeds Sai Geeta. Sai Geeta would blow through her trunk do dry Swami's hands when they became wet with her saliva!

Sai Geeta was given ornamental rugs, bells and anklets. She had 27 different ornaments to wear when she was bedecked out to visit Swami in the ashram on festival occasions.

Sai Geeta and her compound became a familiar sight to visiting devotees, who would always look for her on arrival in Puttaparthi. Many devotees were familiar with her routine, and before the many amenities like the Museum and Planetarium came up in Puttaparthi, families would often take their children to visit Sai Geeta after darshan.

Sai Geeta's evening walk along Main Road, Puttaparthi after evening darshan was always a happy sight; surrounded by children and devotees, she would happily accept gifts of fruit from eager children, and pose for photographs with devotees.

Once upon a time there was a group of young men engaged in a sacred pilgrimmage. The goal of their pilgrimmage was Puttaparthi. During their time at Puttaparthi, they had the wonderful opportunity to be close to Sai Geeta. She was situated next to the planetarium at that time. She was so huge, and she didn't mind them petting her and all. At one point, she was so excited that she let down a gush of urine! It was normal as it seem she does that when she is excited.

She was very excited to see the young men and her trunk was moving about like a snake when they were near her. She was trying to smell them and all. It was very beautiful experience for those young men.

They decided to take a photograph with Sai Geeta. The plan was to form a group in front of Sai Geetha (with Geeta visible of course) and then shout "Sai Geeta!" instead of "Cheese!".

So they were all ready. "1...2...3..SAI Geeta!!!" They all screamed!

There was a loud trumpeting noise!

That's it! Sai Geeta has lost her mind! They all ran helter and skelter. One of them fell into a pile of food for Sai Geeta, he tripped over that and fell. All of them were for one moment thinking that Sai Geeta was in a rampaging mood. They ran a good distance, and stopped at their tracks and turned. The caretaker was laughing and perhaps Sai Geeta grinning too. It seems she gets excited when people call out her name. So that is why she trumpeted happily when they screamed Sai Geeta!

When the construction of the new sports stadium came about, Sai Geeta moved into a temporary home. Swami was most solicitous for her welfare, and gave oversight for the construction of a new home for Sai Geeta, adjacent the Planetarium. Sai Geeta moved into her new home on 22 November 2006. Six months later, she left her motal coil.

Sai Geeta Passes Away

On the 22nd May, around 8.00 am Sai Geeta had a fall in her 'bathtub' which is just in front of School Hostel to the right side of the planetarium - her home being on the left side. All along she lived in front of the College Hostel and her last moments were destined to be in front of the School Hostel.

She did not appear visibly hurt - but there was some possibility of a fracture in her leg - which the caretaker and mahouts were unsure of. She lay there with her head resting on the edge of the cement pool. Vetinary surgeons were called, and Sai Geeta was given fluids and a saline drip. It seemed her foot was stuck in the mud, and she could not lift her foot.

Other expert vetinary surgeons were summmonsed from Bangalore and Kerala, to attend Sai Geeta. At 5pm, she left her mortal coil.

Swami came the next morning, applied vibhuti to her trunk, gave a very large garland to be placed in the pit, and left directions to for her interment in her new home. A deep pit was dug, and cranes were arranged to lift her and move her to her final resting place. Swami returned at 11AM and remained for the final obsequities. Her body was covered with kumkum and vermillion, and all her ceremonial adornments were placed on her body. Final rites were conducted, with Swami remaining for two hours.

Swami has told that Sai Geeta was his foremost devotee. She was devoted to him, and him alone for all her life. Swami is Lord of the Past, Present and Future. He told that Sai Geeta had come to him on a long and torturous journey, to be with him this lifetime. That was her destiny. Many years ago, at the insistence of some devotees, Sai Geeta was sent to a forest to mate with other elephants. Sai Geeta was totally disinterested in the males. One day, Swami arrived at the forest, and her mahout said, "Swami has come". She immediately left off eating, ran to the river and swam vigourously across the river to reach her beloved Swami.

For thousands of other devotees, her devotion to Swami remained an unforgettable example. High up in her stall, there were large pictures of Swami affixed to the walls. Often, devotees would see Sai Geeta, at all hours, lifting her trunk and touching Swami's picture, with love.

Sources: Paul Izuka, Spiritual Impressions, July-August, 1998;
Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust Tribute to a Princess;
Divine Discourse, 17 May, 1968;
Personal Reminisces