Coronation of The SPH

THE SPH Declared as The Successor

Recognizing THE SPH as an incarnation of Sadaśiva, Śri Sathya Sai Baba declared THE SPH as the successor of the Śripura Sarvajnapeetha.

Śri Sathya Sai Baba reappeared again in the life of the devotee who built the temple and instructed her to offer the temple at the feet of THE SPH, nearly 30 years after it was constructed.

As soon as THE SPH heard the vision of Śri Sathya Sai Baba, THE SPH personally visited Kanchipuram, one of the most important temples of Devī, to receive Her blessings for accepting the Kingdom.

Revival

At the time, one of the world-renowned Hindu pontiffs, the 69th Kanchi Shankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswati, confirmed to THE SPH that the vision of Śri Sathya Sai Baba was indeed true. THE SPH then decided to accept the responsibility of the kingdom of Śripura as its King.

In honor of this auspicious occasion, Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati gifted a golden life-size Meru to THE SPH, recognizing and revering THE SPH as an incarnation. This Meru has been in the Kanchi Kamakshi temple for over a century

THE SPH convening with the 69th Kanchi Shankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswati, the Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Kanchipuram when he gifted the Śri Meru to THE SPH. Seen here is the manager of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham offering the highest obeisance (shashtanga namaskar) to THE SPH as the incarnation of Paramaśiva.

Passing the Torch 1 January 2004

The prestigious lineage of Śri Sathya Sai Baba

In 2004, Śri Sathya Sai Baba sent his emissaries with the golden footwear (swarna paduka) and golden crown (swarna kiritam). To symbolize his own presence, Śri Sathya Sai Baba directed his representatives to bring a framed photograph of him to officially coronate THE SPH as the inheritor of the Kingdom of Śripuram.

These royal, sacred heirlooms, which were bestowed upon THE SPH by Śri Sathya Sai Baba, signify the entire lineage and are traditionally passed down to the next successor of the kingdom.

Jan 2004: During the coronation ceremonies for THE SPH as the successor of the Śripura Sarvajnapeetha, these sacred golden footwear (padukas) and golden crown (kiritam) were offered to THE SPH by Śri Sathya Sai Baba

Jan 2004: Coronation of THE SPH, The emissaries of Śri Sathya Sai Baba perform the traditional coronation ceremony (pattabhishekam) of THE SPH

The SPH blessing the representatives of Sathya Sai Baba after the ceremony.

Jan 2004: In the elaborate prepatory rituals for the coronation of THE SPH, the trustees of Śri Sathya Sai Baba offer the ritualistic worship (pada puja) to the sacred golden footwear (padukas) inherited by THE SPH

The representatives of Sathya Sai Baba performing the homa, the sacred fire ritual, as a part of the coronation ceremony of The SPH.

emissaries of Śri Sathya Sai Baba perform the traditional coronation ceremony and padapuja

Jan 2004: Coronation of THE SPH, The emissaries of Śri Sathya Sai Baba offer the ritualistic worship of THE SPH’s divine feet (pada puja)

The photo of Sathya Sai Baba with the deities in Adi Kailasa

The photo of Sathya Sai Baba with the deities in the Nithyanandeshwara Temple in Adi KAILĀSA Sarvajnapeetha.

Among the great incarnations

Of the modern day, Śri Sathya Sai Baba, of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, India was a highly influential guardian for Hinduism through turbulent times. Śri Sathya Sai Baba was well known globally for his spiritual contributions to the world and was among the first to recognize The SPH as an incarnation as well. Sathya Sai Baba recognized that The SPH was the only perfect successor for his sacred guru-parampara. In 2004, Śri Sathya Sai Baba sent his own representatives with the swarna paduka (golden footwear), swarna kirita (golden crown), and his own framed photograph to signify his presence to officially coronate The SPH as the inheritor of the Kingdom of Śripuram. The golden items were the sacred inheritance items of the lineage of Sathya Sai Baba, which he offered to The SPH as his successor. Traditionally, the items of inheritance symbolize the entire lineage and are passed down for generations from guru to disciple.

The swarna padukas (golden footwear) inherited by The SPH from the lineage of Śri Sathya Sai Baba

The SPH adorning the swarna kirita (golden crown) after The SPH was anointed as the successor of the Kingdom of Śripura

The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam was recognised and coronated as the King of Kailaasa Paramparagatha Sripura Sarvajnapeetham by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) who is an incarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, who in turn is an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Sathya Sai baba was also on a mission to revive the traditions of Hinduism and restoring traditional Hindu Kingdoms. He recognised and coronated The SPH as not only King but as ‘the Avatār (Incarnation of Paramaśiva)’ before he left the body. It was a rare instance of a living Avatār (Incarnation) recognising and coronating another living Avatār.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba personally identified Sripuram (abode of Devī, Divine Consort of Paramaśiva) in the Sripura region (modern-day Hyderabad in the State of Andhra Pradesh, South India) as the headquarters of the Sripura Kingdom. Devī is the chief deity of the Sripura Kingdom. The below silver deity of Devi is the actual moola murti – the main presiding deity of this region which was offered everyday worship in the temple that existed earlier here. The deity was not traceable once the temple got destroyed. Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba materialised the very same silver Devi deity from the past and handed it to a devotee, personally instructed the devotee and got the temple built in the same place. And recognising The SPH as the incarnation of Paramashiva, he handed over the Sripura Kingdom to him.

The people of the Sripuram region have shared that they have received live darshan (Divine Vision) of Devi appearing before them and blessing them in this very place where the temple once existed and was asked to be built by Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba.

On 12 June 2004, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba officially recognized The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam and formally coronated Him.

The President of the Shri Sathya Sai Trust, Sri Srinivasan and a group of devotees and temple priests of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba traveled to the Dhyanapeetha Matha in Bidadi, Bengaluru to perform the coronation. Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba officially coronated The SPH by performing traditional rituals and ceremonies which lasted 2 days, performed by the temple priests who were specially deputed by Shri Sathya Sai Baba all the way from Sripura. The rituals included a reverential homa (ceremonial fire ritual) and Pada Pūjā (ceremonial worship to the sacred feet of the Guru), by the President of the Shri Sathya Sai Trust. Two Swarna Padukas (sacred golden sandals) and a Kirita (divine golden crown), sent as special gifts by Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba, were offered to The SPH as part of the Coronation. Of the two padukas offered, one was to be kept for devotees to offer their prayer and respects, and the other for The SPH’ personal use.

By this ceremonious offering of the divine items, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba formally recognised The SPH as the King of Sripura Kingdom and as The Avatār, the direct physical manifestation of the Divine Superconsciousness. The coronation ceremony of an Avatar by another Avatar is very rare and holds not just the traditional significance of honoring the Divinity embodied in the Avatar, but also holds the cosmic significance of declaring onto the world the spiritual legacy and unbroken lineage of Avatars. This is an ancient practice in Hinduism. According to Hindu history, eons ago Bhagavan Parashurama (the Avatar of Shri Vishnu) recognized the Divinity in Sri Rama (the later Avatar of Shri Vishnu) by gifting him the celestial Bow of Vishnu, which can only be held by an Avatar of Vishnu alone. In this current age, it is a rare occurrence of Bhagavan Satya Sai Baba coronating and gifting divine items to The Avatar The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam, signifying the traditional honoring of The SPH for his superconscious state and his divine responsibility to spiritually lead the world and raise humanity to Divinity.

President of Sri Sathya Sai Trust Sri Srinivasan seen with Sathya Sai Baba, who visited and coronated The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam

Photograph of Bhagavan Shri Sathya Sai Baba brought by the President placed alongside the Shiva Linga in the Ananda Sabha at the Dhyanapeetha Matha, Bengaluru, symbolically representing Shri Sathya Sai Baba performing the entire coronation himself.

Hindu Priests who accompanied the representatives of Shri Sathya Sai Trust and Babaji’s devotees, perform the fire rituals as per the traditional Vedagamic process.

The SPH presides over the fire ritual being performed as part of the traditional coronation ceremony. The Kirita, golden crown and the Svarna Paduka, golden sandals are seen placed before Him.

President of Sri Sathya Sai Trust Sri Srinivasan and his wife, offer the Swarna Paduka to The SPH and while He wore it, they offered Paada Pūjā (the traditional worshi
p offered to the sacred feet of the Avatār) to The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam

Hindu Priests who accompanied the representatives of Shri Sathya Sai Trust and Babaji’s devotees, perform the fire rituals as per the traditional Vedagamic process.

President of Sathya Sai Trust Sri Srinivasan offers pattabhiśekam, sacred ritualistic bath during the formal coronation ceremony as ‘The Avatār’ as per the divine mandate of Shri Sathya Sai Baba

The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam adorns the Kirita, the sacred crown, the gift offering from Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Representatives of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba perform pada puja to The SPH Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam (ritualistic offering to the sacred feet)

The SPH blesses the President of the Sri Sathya Sai Trust and his wife, along with the devotees and the Hindu priests who performed the coronation ceremony.

The offered swarna paduka (sandals) and kiritam (crown)