Thyagaraja Nagar Saibaba Temple or Sri Sai Thyagarajanagar Spiritual Center was inaugurated in April 1954. This Sri Sai Baba idol was installed in May 1978 and this is the first idol in Bengalore City. Sai Baba and his disciples Sri Narasimha Swamiji and Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji are the presiding deities. Sri Sai Spiritual Centre was founded by Radhakrishna Swamiji on April 4, 1954.
Daily religious programs are Rudrabhishekha, Sahasranama Archana, Recitation of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, chanting of Ashtakshari Bhajan, Aarati(Thrice a day) and Gita Parayana. Go Pooja(Cow Worship) takes place on Fridays. These prayers have been shown to impart positive energy and invoke blessings on all who participate in the prayer.
Basavanagudi Sri Sai Spiritual Centre Timings:
Morning: 6:30 am to 1:00 pm
Evening: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Thyagaraja Nagar Sri Sai Spiritual Centre Poojas:
Abhisheka & Pooja
Satyanarayan Puja
Daily Prasada for Noon
Daily Prasada for Evening
Thursday Prasada for Noon
Thursday Prasada for Evening
Thyagaraja Nagar Saibaba Temple History:
Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji arrived in Bangalore in 1952 from Madras/Chennai. At that time, there already existed a Sai Samaj, founded by Sri Narasimha Swamiji in the Bangalore Cantonment. It was here that Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji set up his headquarters.
Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji started performing Sai pooja and Bhajans every Thursday. In no time, several devotees flocked to hear his discourses. Sri M. Subbaramaiah, a Sai devotee met Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji and was deeply moved by him. He invited Swamiji to his house where he had been performing Sai pooja and Bhajans every Thursday. Swamiji visited him regularly and in course of time, they became good friends.
Swamiji found Subbaramaiah to be a good source to connect with more Sai devotees. Once, while on a walk, the idea of starting a Sai mandir arose in the mind of Swamiji. On April 4, 1954, a day of the auspicious Ugadi, Sri Sai Spiritual Centre was born. When Swamiji inaugurated the Sri Rama Navami celebrations conducted by the Sai Bhajan group at South End Road, Basavanagudi, awareness about the Sri Sai Spiritual Centre started spreading.
By 1956, Swamiji shifted his lodging to an upstairs room in a house near the N.R. Colony bus stand. The landlady saw Baba in a dream, asking her to invite Swamiji to this room. She willingly carried out Baba’s instructions. This dwelling place is considered as the origin of the Sri Sai Spiritual Centre and here Swamiji lived for about seven years until a permanent building for the Centre was constructed.
As the activities of the Centre expanded from bhajans and chanting of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama to Ashtakshari Japa and Homas, devotees felt the need for more spacious and independent accommodation.
This need was satisfied in a most surprising manner and devotees hailed it as a demonstration of the infinite grace showered upon them by Baba and Swamiji.
Sri Domlur Krishna Murthy, a retired official of the Mysore Government had earmarked a plot of land of 1000 square yards in Thyagarajanagar for a mandir where the teachings of Sai Baba could be spread. Sri V.S. Sastry, who held the site had collected funds and laid the foundation for the construction of the prayer hall with two rooms. Impressed by the activities of Sri Sai Spiritual Centre under the guidance of Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji, he handed over the site to Swamiji in 1961.
Funds for a building on the site came from devotees all over India. The building was formally opened on June 17, 1965. The Centre was registered on May 6, 1970.
A magnificent life-size portrait of Sri Sai Baba was installed in the sanctum sanctorum in the eastern wing of the Prayer Hall on 23rd April 1967. In addition, an artistically sculpted life-size marble idol was installed on Akshaya Thadige, 10th May 1978. Another attraction at the Centre, a beautiful marble idol of Radha and Krishna was installed opposite the Prayer Hall, under a Parijatha tree. It was consecrated by Swamiji on March 23, 1972.
Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji attained Mahasamadhi (waiting for Uttarayana punyakala) on 14th January 1980. A marble idol of Swamiji was installed on 6th December 1981.
Sri Narasimha Swamiji’s marble idol was installed on 24th January 1993, thus completing the Trinity in the sanctum sanctorum.
Shiridi Sai Baba Temple Address:
Sai Baba Temple Road,
NR Colony,
Thyagarajanagar,
Basavanagudi,
Bengaluru,
Karnataka – 560028.
Phone: 080 26766922
Email: saimandirtrnagar@gmail.com
