Does anyone have any experience or suggestions regarding stays at either of Sai BaBa's ashrams in South India? Considering going in December/January.

Thanks

I have friends who are living in Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthy. I gather it's a commune-type situation if you're staying in the temple itself, where you have your daily duties such as cleaning, helping out in the kitchen or anything else. You can also rent a room in the town itself, which gives you more freedom.

I don't know if you're aware of this, but there has been a lot of controversy recently regarding Sai Baba and his practices, mainly to do with numerous accusations of child abuse. I personally don't know whether they're true or not, but it's been interesting to hear different people say completely different stories about his sincerity as a guru. I'm sure you'll find a lot of articles on this if you run a search in the archives of any major papers, if you're interested.

Thanks,

I hadn't heard about the controversy, but it is always important to hear all sides. I am not a devotee, but he is getting old, and if one is interested in checking it out, time is limited.

Thanks again for the reply.