About Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust

An Introduction | Campus Evolution | Unique Features | Mission | Objectives | Location

An Introduction

The two campuses of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust (SSSLST) at Alike in Dakshina Kannada district and Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state are abodes of bliss, glittering bright by the grace of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The two campuses serve the society through Education and Selfless service, upholding Human Values, Moral Conduct and Spiritual Excellence.

SSSLST was earlier known as Loka Seva Vrinda, until Sri Sathya Sai Baba formally took over the two campuses, through a deed registered at Muddenahalli in August 1978. This act of compassion was in response to the sincere prayers of Late Madiyal Narayan Bhat, the founder of Loka Seva Vrinda. He was truly a sage rooted in the ancient culture of India, but alive to the needs of modern times. He established the institution at Muddenahalli in June 1973.

In His Divine Discourse to the students and teachers at Muddenahalli, Bhagawan said, “The seed sown by Narayan Bhat has grown into a big tree and you are all taking shelter under it”. Swami fulfilled the yearning and aspiration of Narayan Bhat to offer the institutions built by him at the altar of Swami’s Mission. From that day Bhagawan has been bestowing special care and attention on these institutions. Bhagawan is the Sole Trustee of SSSLST which runs institutions at Muddenahalli and Alike. Bhagawan once compared the two campuses to His eyes.

Evolution of the campus at Muddenahalli

Loka Seva Vrinda had started a residential school at Alike in 1962. Its name and fame spread far and wide in the state of Karnataka and the school started attracting students from all over the State. The parents of these children were highly impressed by the atmosphere and life at school in Alike. People from different regions like Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga and Shimoga started requesting Anna (Sri Madiyal Narayan Bhat) to start a similar school in their locality.

The Divine will prompted him to choose Chikkaballapur taluk, the town through which Swami passed whenever he travelled between Puttaparthi and Whitefield. Soon a committee was formed and suitable piece of land was identified in the vicinity of Muddenahalli, the birthplace of the renowned Engineer-Statesman, Bharatha Ratna Dr.M.Visweswarayya. This place is about four miles to the southwest of Chikkaballapur, and is located in a panoramic setting at the bart of the chain of Nandi Hills.

One of the members of the Committee was blessed with an interview at Prashanthi Nilayam in 1970, in which Swami gave His command to go ahead for the project at Muddenahalli. However there were some teething troubles which made Loka Seva Vrinda halt the project temporarily.

In May 1971, at the State Conference of Sri Sathya Sai Organizations of Karnataka, Swami walked up to Anna and asked him, “What has happened to the Muddenahalli School?” Anna replied, “Swami, we have incurred heavy loans for the school at Alike and therefore we are not able to go ahead with the project at Muddenahalli.” Swami punned with a few words in Kannada and said, “Your loans will be settled if you start the School!” Anna submitted himself to the divine command which materialised in due course. Sri Narashimha Murthy was made the Secretary for the school project at Muddenahalli.

The building construction started in right earnest. Simple tile-roofed buildings came up at a brisk pace at the school site. One was for the hostel to house the boys and the other was for the School. It was decided to start a High School with only one class i.e. 8th class in June 1973 and then to add on the next higher classes in the consecutive years till tenth class. In April 1973, when Swami visited Manipal in Dakshina Kannada District, Anna prayed to Him to give a suitable name to the campus at Muddenahalli. The name ‘Sathya Sai Grama’ was graciously blessed by Swami, which means ‘The Village of Sathya Sai’.

The School at Muddenahalli was inaugurated on the morning of 11th June 1973 in a simple but elegant function. The School at Sathya Sai Grama started with only twenty-seven boys in the Campus during the first year. The atmosphere on the campus was similar to that of an ancient Gurukula, where students and teachers lived very intimately like a single family.

After three years of hard work, the school secured hundred percent results in Karnataka State Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Examinations. It was the first time ever that any school had achieved such distinction in the backward district of Kolar. The school attained instant fame as one of the best schools in the state. The strength of the school had grown to more than hundred by that time and it doubled in the next year with the addition of the Higher Primary School and an English medium section in the High School. Apart from the residential students who lived on the Campus, there were also day-scholars who came from the neighbouring villages. Today, Sathya Sai Grama has more than one thousand students, 850 of them residing in the hostel.

After the sudden demise of Anna in a car accident in January 1977, Swami showered His immense grace on the members of Loka Seva Vrinda and instilled courage into their hearts. He accepted to take over the institutions under the umbrella of His Divine grace and said “Narayan Bhat was no doubt a great and a good person. But one flower, however big and beautiful, does not make a garland. All of you stood behind him as one man. Keep up that unity. You will see that the institution will prosper more and more.” The decision of Swami to take over the institutions was announced in the huge concourse of devotees that had gathered at Prasanthi Nilayam on the day of Vijaya Dashami in October 1977.

14th of August 1978 was the auspicious day of Dahsami and a memorable day for Muddenahalli. It was the day on which Swami officially accepted both the institutions of Alike and Muddenahalli into His fold by arriving at Muddenahalli and signing a Deed which made Him the Sole Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust. Swami asked the senior members of Loka Seva Vrinda to form the Council of Management of the Trust. The first public function in the divine presence of Baba in Sathya Sai Grama was on 22nd June, 1979 when He inaugurated a small hospital there. The Hospital was named ‘Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Health Centre’.

Till date, Swami has blessed the campus with 29 visits. With His divine grace, the campus has grown with many elegant buildings surrounded by greenery all around. We now have two schools (One affiliated to The Karnataka State Secondary Education Board and the other to the Central Board of Secondary Education) and a Junior College with science and commerce streams. The 83rd Birthday of Bhagawan turned out to be a day of great blessing to Muddenahalli as He declared to the world that He would establish the fourth campus of Sri Sathys Sai University at Sathya Sai Grama. The university buildings are already under construction and the campus is expected to start functioning in June 2010. Click here for more details and photographs.

Unique features

These institutions have on their campuses a band of dedicated elders and teachers who have taken a vow of life-long celibacy (Brahmacharya). They stay with the students on the campus and look after their progress and welfare. This band of men of sacrifice was inspired by the example and precept of late Narayan Bhat. Apart from serving the student community, they are also striving to uplift the villages around the campus with support from ‘Children Of Sathya Sai,’ the alumni of the institutions.

Another unique feature of these institutions is that education is imparted to students completely free of any fees and other charges.



Mission

Objectives

Location
Sathya Sai Grama is the haven of Institutions of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust at Muddenahalli, the birth-place of Bharata Ranta Dr. M.Visveswaraiah. This campus is located at a distance of 23 kms from Bengaluru International airport. It enjoys a salubrious climate and nestles on the lap of Mother Nature.