Genesis
The story of Sri sathya Sai Loka Seva Institutions at sathya Sai Vihar in Alike and at sathya Sai Grama in Muddenahalli, their inception, their growth, their unique fortune in being accepted into His fold by SWAMI, their development afterwards is a story of His unfathomable compassion, mercy and Divine Love.
The story of these institutions begins way back in 1960 although the invisible Hands of Swami had been all the time guiding, guarding and leading the one who worked as His instrument in the inception of these Institutions.
“One who chooses the Divine is chosen by the Divine” – these are the words of wisdom of the great poet, philosopher and saint Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. Reverend Madiyala Narayana Bhat of hallowed memory who was the founder of Loka Seva Vrinda in Alike in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka, had chosen God as his Guardian, Guide, Guru and Goal at a very young age in life.
In 1962 he had the Darshan of Swami for the first time and he immediately recognised that Swami is God Himself. After the first Darshan of Swami he went to Alike with his heart brimming with joy at the thought that the infinite God had incarnated in finite form to re-establish Dharma in a world riven with hatred, discord, disharmony and conflicts. Then and there in the heart of his hearts there arose an intense yearning to offer himself and Loka Seva Vrinda at the Lotus Feet of Swami. He started two educational centres in Karnataka under the auspices of Loka Seva Vrinda to inculcate in young minds the noble and enlightening teachings of Swami. One is at Sathya Sai Vihar in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada and the other at Sathya Sai Grama in Muddenahalli, Kolar District the hallowed birthplace of Bharatha Ratna Dr. M. Visweshwaraiah, the great engineer, statesman of our country. Whatever he did, he did it as worship and he always used to pray to Swami to graciously accept Loka Seva Institutions into His fold. On 8th January he shed his mortal coil with the sacred name of Swami on his lips till his very last breath. On the same day Swami sent a telegram to Alike – “Narayan Bhat eternally merged in Me. Don’t bring the body. Be bold”. This was indeed a touching finale to a saintly life.
14th August, 1978 is a red-lettered day in the history of Sri sathya Sai Loka Seva Institutions. On that day the all Merciful Swami visited sathya Sai Grama for the first time and sanctified the campus. He graciously accepted the institutions at sathya Sai Vihar and sathya Sai Grama into His fold by forming Sri sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust under His Divine stewardship. This act of compassion was in response to the sincere prayers of Sri Madiyal Narayana Bhat. On that day in His Divine Discourse to students and teachers Swami said, “the seed sown by Narayan Bhat has grown into a big tree and you are all taking shelter under it”. In this way Swami fulfilled the yearning and aspirations of Narayana Bhat to offer the institutions built by him at the altar of Swami’s Mission.
From that onwards with the benign blessings and guidance of Swami these institutions began to grow from strength to strength and now they attract students from different states of the country and have been acknowledged as the Gurukula model of institutions where education is imparted on the basis of the universal Sai principles of duty, devotion and discipline.