I might have heard about Sathya Sai Baba earlier but I actually googled to find out more about him after I met my friend's grandparents back in Hyderabad a few years back. I am not a very religious type myself but I believe in God whereas this friend of mine was more of an atheist. So when I learnt that her grandparents were followers of Sathya Sai Baba I was rather taken aback. Of course, there was this huge gap of 2 generations to explain it. But till then, none of my friends or their families had been followers of any such religious figure.

There was a time when I used to wonder why anyone would need a mediator between God and him/herself. Even now I am not fully convinced but can accommodate the view that guidance on a spiritual path is needed if one is serious about it. But still, I am not sure if such a guidance can effectively come from someone who has wealth to the tune of crores of rupees - though managed by a trust. I have always been somewhat skeptical about those who materialize things out of thin air. So in a nutshell, I am rather sitting on the fence as far as these matters go.

Having said that, I was a bit surprised to find Tendulkar amongst Baba's followers. In any case, I think the Media has gone rather overboard in publishing photos and videos of his breaking down in Puttaparthi. For heaven's sake, let the man have the right to grieve privately! Can anyone see if there is any code of conduct that these Mediawallahs abide by?