Editing Sathya Sai Baba (section)

===Funeral and mourning===

Sathya Sai Baba's body lay in state for two days and was [[Burial|buried]] with full state honors on 27 April 2011.<ref name="news9">News 9, 24 April 2011, 16:00 IST</ref> An estimated 500,000 people attended the burial. Political leaders and prominent figures attending included then Indian Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]], [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] president [[Sonia Gandhi]], Gujarat Chief Minister [[Narendra Modi]] (who later became Prime Minister of India), cricketer [[Sachin Tendulkar]] and [[Union Minister]]s [[S. M. Krishna]] and [[Ambika Soni]].<ref>{{Cite news | title =Sathya Sai Baba gets a tearful farewell at his Puttaparthi home | newspaper=[[India Today]] | date = 27 April 2011 | url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sathya-sai-baba-last-rites-in-puttaparthi/1/136399.html|access-date = 27 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/04/201142452416203714.html |title=Indian guru Sai Baba dies in hospital – Central & South Asia |publisher=Al Jazeera English |access-date=24 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_sathya-sai-baba-buried-in-puttaparthi_1536633 |title=Sathya Sai Baba buried in Puttaparthi |publisher=DNA |date=27 April 2011 |access-date=27 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/final-farewell-to-sathya-sai-baba-today/150310-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430163330/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/final-farewell-to-sathya-sai-baba-today/150310-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 April 2011|title=Tearful farewell to Sathya Sai Baba |publisher=[[CNN-IBN]] |date=27 April 2011 |access-date=27 April 2011}}</ref>

Political leaders who offered their condolences included the then Indian prime minister, [[Manmohan Singh]],<ref name="news9"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mirchi9.com/news/2011/04/24/l-k-advani-reaction-on-sathya-sai-babas-death-tv9/|title=L.K.Advani Reaction on Sathya Sai Baba's Death :TV9 – Mirchi 9 – Telugu News &#124; Andhra News &#124; Hyderabad &#124; Andhra &#124; India &#124; Brain &#124; Studies &#124; University|publisher=Mirchi9.com|access-date=24 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323040616/http://www.mirchi9.com/news/2011/04/24/l-k-advani-reaction-on-sathya-sai-babas-death-tv9/|archive-date=23 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://70mmonline.com/WatchMovie.aspx?movieid=9086&movieName=L.K.Advani%20Reaction%20on%20Sathya%20Sai%20Baba's%20Death|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018100215/http://70mmonline.com/WatchMovie.aspx?movieid=9086&movieName=L.K.Advani%20Reaction%20on%20Sathya%20Sai%20Baba's%20Death|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 October 2011|title=L. K. Advani Reaction on Sathya Sai Baba's Death, TV9 – L. K. Advani Reaction on Sathya Sai Baba's Death at|publisher=70mmonline.com|access-date=24 April 2011}}</ref> then Nepali Prime Minister [[Jhala Nath Khanal]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 April 2011 |title=Nepalese PM condoles Sathya Sai Baba's demise |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/nepalese-pm-condoles-sathya-sai-babarsquos-demise/article23047961.ece |access-date=4 October 2022 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=25 April 2011 |title=Nepalese PM condoles Sathya Sai Baba's demise |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/156421/nepalese-pm-condoles-sathya-sai.html |access-date=4 October 2022 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref> and Sri Lankan President [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/04/26/world-has-lost-great-spiritual-leader-sri-lankan-president-mahinda-rajapaksa|title=World has lost a great spiritual leader – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa|work=asiantribune.com}}</ref> The cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, whose birthday was that day, cancelled his birthday celebrations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cricketnext.in.com/news/sachin-mourns-sai-babas-death-on-his-bday/56827-13.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426031545/http://cricketnext.in.com/news/sachin-mourns-sai-babas-death-on-his-bday/56827-13.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 April 2011|title=Sachin mourns SaiBaba death on his b'day|date=24 April 2011|work=IBNLive}}</ref> ''[[The Hindu]]'' newspaper reported that "Sai Baba's phenomenal mass appeal lay in his unswerving commitment to communal harmony, his encouragement of charitable activity and public-spiritedness, and his own example in building educational and health care institutions that focused on meeting basic needs on a large scale."<ref>{{Cite news | title =Sai Baba, his life and legacy| newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | date = 26 April 2011 | url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/Sai-Baba-his-life-and-legacy/article14808978.ece|access-date = 2 April 2011}}</ref>
[[File:Sri Sathya Sai Baba Mahasamadhi at Sai Kulwant Hall.jpg|thumb|250x250px|Sri Sathya Sai Baba Mahasamadhi at Prasanthi Nilayam]]
Many spiritual figures expressed their sentiments at Sai Baba's death. [[Mata Amritanandamayi]] said, "Sri Sathya Sai Baba was the one who opened the path of love and compassion to millions of his devotees. Sathya Sai Baba’s life was his message."<ref>{{Cite news | title =Sai Baba's life was his message: Mata| newspaper=[[Indian Express]] | date = 25 April 2011 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/sai-babas-life-was-his-message-mata/|access-date = 25 April 2011}}</ref>

[[Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader)|Ravi Shankar]], founder of the [[Art of Living Foundation]], wrote that "Baba will continue to live in the hearts of millions of devotees ... his message of 'Satya Dharma Shanti Prema' which has transcended all barriers of [[caste]] and religion."<ref>{{Cite news | title =Sri Sri Ravi Shankar condoles the death of Sai Baba| newspaper=[[NDTV]] | date = 24 April 2011 | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sri-sri-ravi-shankar-condoles-the-death-of-sai-baba-453795|access-date = 24 April 2011}}</ref>

The [[14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]] expressed shock over the death of Sathya Sai Baba.<ref>{{Cite news | title =Dalai Lama condoles Sai Baba's death| newspaper=[[Indian Express]] | date = 26 April 2011 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/dalai-lama-condoles-sai-baba-s-death/|access-date = 2 April 2011}}</ref> In a message he said, "I am saddened by the passing away of Sri Sathya Sai Baba,
the respected spiritual leader. I would like to convey my condolences and prayers to all the followers, devotees and admirers of the late spiritual leader."<ref>{{Cite web
|url = https://tibet.net/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-mourns-the-demise-of-sri-saithya-sai-baba/|title = His Holiness the Dalai Lama Mourns the Demise of Sri Saithya Sai Baba|publisher = tibet.net|date = 26 April 2011|access-date = 29 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|url = http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?719929|title = Dalai Lama Mourns Sri Sathya Sai Baba's Death
|publisher = outlookindia.com|date = 25 April 2011|access-date = 29 May 2011}}</ref>

The Government of [[Karnataka]] declared 25 and 26 April as [[Day of mourning|days of mourning]]. The state government of [[Andhra Pradesh]] (where [[Prasanthi Nilayam]] is located) announced a four-day state mourning period and decided to honor Sai Baba with a [[state funeral]].<ref>{{Cite news | title =Sathya Sai Baba dead, to be buried on Wednesday| newspaper=[[Indian Express]] | date = 24 April 2011 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/latest-news/sathya-sai-baba-dead-to-be-buried-on-wednesday/|access-date = 24 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="news9"/>