Prasanthi Nilayam, Abode of Highest Peace, the main ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, is in the south-western corner of Andhra Pradesh at puttaparthi. Sai Baba has a huge following in India and around the globe. He set up this ashram 40 years ago. He spends most of the yearhere but sometimes moves to Whitefields asfram near Bangalore, or Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu in the hot season. Around 20,000 people live in the small town of Puttaparthi. Many times a year however, the population swells to more than 50,000. the drawcard of course is Sai Baba and puttaparthi is his birthplace where he established his main ashram, Prasanthi Nilayam.

Everything about Sai Baba is big. There`s his afro hair-do. There are the big name devotees including film stars, politicians and other 'gods' such as current Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar. there`s the big money (millions of dollars) pumped into the nearby hospital, schools and University and there`s the big controversy. Serious allegations of sexual misconduct have led some devotees to loose faith.