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| Puttaparthi: Devotees paying their last respect to the Body of Sri Sathya Sai Baba at the Ashram in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh on Monday. Photo: PTI |
Devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba can have darshan of the mortal remains of the spiritual guru and pay their respects at the Sai Kulwant Hall in Prasanthi Nilayam only till 6 p.m., on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will arrive at Puttaparthi at 4.45 p.m. on Tuesday to pay their last respects to the departed soul and return to New Delhi an hour later.
The funeral will be held between 9 a.m. and 9.30 a.m., on Wednesday and the Baba will be laid to rest in the imposing confines of the Sai Kulwant Hall itself.
Addressing a press conference at Puttaparthi on Monday afternoon, Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said the decision to stop the darshan on Tuesday evening was taken to facilitate the Trust authorities to make arrangements for the funeral on the following day.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy and Major Industries Minister J. Geeta Reddy appreciated the restraint shown by devotees and the disciplined manner in which about a lakh of people walked past the coffin in a single file to have their last darshan of Sri Sai Baba on Monday.
Anantapur District Collector B. Janardhan Reddy said the entire main approach road was being barricaded to ensure smooth flow of devotees into the Sai Kulwant Hall on Tuesday when the numbers of devotees was expected to reach its peak. VIP vehicles from the airport to Prasanthi Nilayam were being allowed on the road leading to the Western gate, opposite side of the entrance used by the regular devotees.
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