*HIS STORY IN HIS VOICE:* Sri Sathya Sai Baba narrates what happened on 20th October 1940 in Uravakonda, (about 5 hours from Puttaparthi) when He declared to the world He is Sathya Sai Baba. It is on this Historically significant day in the year 1940 that the young lad Sathyanarayana Raju revealed to the world His Divine identity and the glorious mission on which He has come. The following lines capture the events on that epochal day: Sathyanarayana started for school as usual. However, within a few minutes, He returned to the house. Standing on the outer doorstep, He cast aside the books He was carrying and called out, “I am no longer your Sathya. I am Sai.” The sister-in-law came from the kitchen, only to be blinded by the splendour of the halo around Baba’s head! He addressed her, “I am going; I don’t belong to you; Maya (delusion) has gone; My Bhaktas (devotees) are calling Me; I have My Work; I can’t stay here any longer.” When the brother hurried home on hearing all this, Baba only told him, “Give up all your efforts to ‘cure’ Me. I am Sai; I do not consider Myself related to you”. In spite of repeated pleas, Sathya would not step into that building again. He moved in into the garden of the then Excise Inspector Sri Anjaneyulu’s bungalow, and sat on a rock in the midst of the trees. People came into the garden from all directions bringing flowers, fruits, incense and camphor to worship Him. The garden resonated with the voices of hundreds singing bhajans (devotional singing) and following the lines of the first prayer that Sri Sathya Sai taught them. “Manasa Bhajare Gurucharanam Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam “ (O Mind! Meditate on the Feet of the Guru, which will take you across the wearisome sea of Samsara or worldly existence.) Here is a link for the above song which is subtitled into English https://youtu.be/ZTadBaMGPpA