On the auspicious occasion of the 100th birth anniversary celebrations of Shri Sathya Sai Baba in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, several celebrities and dignitaries arrived in Puttaparthi, Sri Sathya Sai district, to commemorate the event.
Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai offered prayers at the Maha Samadhi of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Sai Kulwant Hall, where she also took part in the centenary programs. Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also travelled to Puttaparthi to attend the celebrations. During his visit, he held a special meeting with Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh at Prasanthi Nilayam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and G. Kishan Reddy were among the notable attendees.
Several videos and photos of Aishwarya and Sachin delivering speeches at the event have gone viral.
A heartwarming clip shows Aishwarya Rai Bachchan touching PM Modi's feet. She also delivered a powerful speech on caste and religion, stating, "There is only one caste, the caste of humanity." Her words were met with applause from the audience.
After her speech, Aishwarya respectfully touched PM Modi's feet and received his blessings, as he placed his hand on her head and folded his hands in a warm gesture.
She said, "There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one religion, the religion of love. There is only one language, the language of the heart. And there is only one God, and He is omnipresent."
For the event, Aishwarya wore a yellow ethnic outfit and styled her hair in a sleek middle part.
Expressing her gratitude to PM Modi, she said, "I extend a heartfelt thank you to PM Narendra Modi ji for being here with us today and for honouring this special occasion. I look forward to listening to your wise words, which are always impactful and inspiring. Your presence adds sanctity and inspiration to this centenary celebration and reminds us of Swami's message that true leadership is service, and service to man is service to God."
Another set of photos and videos of Aishwarya that have gone viral shows her at Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam. She is seen greeting the crowd there and also lit a lamp.
Netizens reacted mixedly to Aishwarya's speech. Some commented that she was reading word-for-word from a paper and lacked emotion, while others praised her and called her sanskari after she touched PM Modi's speech.
Most of them were asked about how her mother-in-law, Jaya Bachchan, would react since she is from another political party.
Aishwarya Rai returns to the Bay after offering prayers at Puttaparthi
After the celebrations of Shri Sathya Sai Baba in Andhra Pradesh, Aishwarya Rai was papped at the Mumbai airport. The former Miss World smiled and waved at the paps.
Take a look at the videos:
Sachin Tendulkar's Speech
On the other hand, Sachin Tendulkar remembered Sathya Sai Baba's blessings during the 2011 World Cup. Speaking at the centenary celebrations, the Bharat Ratna awardee recalled a heartfelt memory from India's iconic cricket triumph.
"I remember in 2011, after having played multiple World Cups, I knew that was going to be my last World Cup. We were having a camp in Bengaluru, and I received a phone call saying that Baba has sent you his book. It brought a smile to my face. I knew that this World Cup was going to be special for us. It gave me that confidence, that inner strength. That book became my constant companion," he shared.
Reflecting on India's historic win, he said, "We all know what happened in 2011 when India played against Sri Lanka in Mumbai and lifted the trophy. The entire nation was celebrating. It was the golden moment of my cricketing life. I don't think I've ever experienced anything like that—where the entire country united in celebration. That was only possible because of the blessings of our well-wishers, our gurus, and above all, Baba's blessings."
Work Front
Aishwarya Rai was last seen in Mani Ratnam's 2023 film Ponniyin Selvan 2, alongside Jayam Ravi, Sobhita Dhulipala and Aishwarya Lekshmi. The film is a sequel to Ponniyin Selvan: I and was directed by Mani Ratnam.
