245 kg Silver, 6 kg Gold found at Sai Baba's Bangalore Ashram

More valuables, including 6.09 kg of gold, 245.36 kg silver and Rs 80.50 lakh cash were recovered from the Whitefield complex of late Sathya Sai Baba during an inventory there on Wednesday.

The inventory was conducted by the Sathya Sai Baba Trust members along with Bangalore Urban district deputy commissioner at the Brindavan ashram near Whitefield in the outskirts of the city. 

The gold and silver found were in the form of trinkets, medallion, chains, coins, mainly offerings made to the spiritual guru during the past several years, ashram PRO Anantharaman said.

The valuables were largely recovered from one of the rooms where Baba used to sleep and meet visitors, he said. No gold or silver bricks were found during the inventory, Anantharaman said, adding most of the articles were used during puja.

The ashram, inaugurated by Sai Baba on June 25, 1960, served as his residence during his stay in the city. This is the fourth time that an inventory of precious metals and cash in Sai Baba's personal chambers is being conducted at the instance of the government after he passed away on April 24. The most recent inventory was conducted on Monday at the second building of Yajur Mandir and four rooms of Poornachandra Chamber in Puttaparthi.

Officials had found 34.5 kg gold, 430 kg silver besides cash worth Rs 1,90,53,899, media coordinator of the trust A Anantharaman said. In the first inventory made on June 16, 98 kg gold, 307 kg of silver apart from Rs 11.56 crore in cash was found whereas on July 2, when the second inventory was taken, gold and silver articles worth Rs 74 lakh and a diamond studded ring worth Rs 3 lakh was found.

Today is Shab-e-barat, Pray For All

Today is Shab-e-Barat the holy day of prayer and offerings for the muslims. Muslims throughout the world pray whole night from Maghrib in the evening till Fajr in the morning. Peole offer Namaz, recite Quran, Pray for themselves, relatives, those who are no more and others and eat sweets on this day.

With the Muslim festival of Shab-e-barat being observed on Sunday, the police have requested crematoriums across the city to take stringent security measures in view of possible terror threats.
Blasts had rocked the textile town of Malegaon on September 6, 2006 during the festival of Shab-e-barat when thousands of devotees had gathered at a local mosque-cum-crematorium to offer prayers at the graves of their loved ones. At least 37 people were killed and another 250 were injured in the blasts.

According to police officials, crematorium authorities have been asked to install closed circuit camera televisions (CCTVs) in and around their premises to keep a watch on devotees and anyone behaving suspiciously.

“We have installed six CCTVs inside the premises, apart from taking a host of security measures,” said Mohammed Salim Khan, trustee, Sunnat Jamat Masjid and Kabrastan Trust which is located near Raey Road railway station. The crematorium is visited by at least 5 lakh devotees throughout the evening and up to the wee hours of the next day during the day of the celebration.

The crematorium managements have also been asked by the police not to allow persons with bags inside. Apart from that, every belonging visitors bring will be checked by volunteers and private security guards hired for this day.

“Along with making the arrangements, the premises have been surveyed by police authorities,” added Khan. The crematoriums have also been asked to keep the entire area around the premises lit up.
Maulana Azeez Haider, of Rehmatabad Crematorium in Central Mumbai, said, “We are taking all possible security precautions to make this Shab-e-barat safe for all devotees.”

Sources said that the police administration recently had a series of meetings with the management of city crematoriums to take stock of the arrangements made by them for the festival.