Popular Spiritual leader Satya Sai Baba is no more. A formal announcement was made at Puttaparthi in Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh by Dr A N Safaya Director of Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences. He told a crowded news conference that Sai Baba breathed his last at 7.40 this morning of cardio respiratory failure. He has been ailing at the super specialty hospital at Puttaparthi since the 28th of last month with multi-organ disfunctioning. A team of doctors and experts have been making all out efforts to improve his health condition all these days. Political leaders across party lines are reaching Puttaparthi while thousands of Saibaba’s devotees are thronging the pilgrim town. Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narsimhan and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy are reaching Puttaprthi by a special helicopter. Satya Sai Baba’s body will be kept at Sai Kulwanth hall at Prashanthi Nilayam from 6 this evening till Tuesday for his devotees and the general public to pay their last respects to the spiritual leader. Satya Saibaba had over 10 crore followers from more than 175 countries across the world. Born on 23 November 1926 in a poor agrarian family in a tiny village Puttaparthi in the drought-stricken Ananathapur District. Named Sathyanarayana Raju, he declared himself as a reincarnation of great spiritual guru Sai Baba of Shirdi at the age of 14 on 20th October, 1940. Sathya Sai Baba advocated the path of spirituality to one and all. Preaching five basic values of love, compassion, truth, peace and non violence, he soon became a popular spiritual figure and educator. Sai Baba founded several organizations which supported a variety of free education, healthcare and other charitable works in India and abroad. He spent thousands of crores of rupees to provide free education, health services and drinking water to hundreds of villages in the drought-stricken Raylaseema region and elsewhere in several states in the country. Top-ranking politicians including Prime Ministers, Union Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, filmstars, sportspersons and industrialists rank among the high-profile devotees of the Baba. The Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari and the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh have condoled the death of Sri Satya Saibaba. Mr. Ansari in his message said that the Baba, a preacher of the highest Human values was an iconic figure for over five decades. Dr. Manmohan Singh said the nation deeply mourns his passing away. He said that the Baba believed that it was the duty of every person to ensure that all people have access to the basic requirements for sustenance of life. Union Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh and the Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil are among those who have condoled the death saying his passing away is an irreparable loss to all.