Acharya EkkiralaBharadwaja

Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja was born in 1938 and became a lecturer in English in Andhra Pradesh. As a young man he was a sceptic, but a visit to Shirdi in the 1960s changed his life completely, and he devoted himself to studying and sharing the lives of saints.

He wrote the Telugu "Sri Sai Leelamrutham" and the English "Sai Baba the Master", along with many books on other saints and on spiritual life. His writings and talks brought Baba into countless Telugu homes, and the regular reading (parayana) of Sai Leelamrutham is still a daily practice for many families.

Acharya Bharadwaja inspired the building of many Sai temples in Andhra Pradesh and guided devotees to live simply, serve others and keep faith in the Guru. He passed away in 1989, and his followers continue his work through study circles and publications.