* Sathya (truth) * (righteousness) * Santhi (peace) * Prema (divine love) * Ahimsa (nonviolence) 2

Om Sri Sai Ram

Dedicated to Bhagawan Sri on his 85th birthday - November 23, 2010

4 In Service Lies Success

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is one of the rare professional organizations active in engineering & construction with an annual sales volume of nearly $10 billion and is the largest such organization in . L&T enjoys the good fortune and unique distinction of having been associated with Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, () for over two decades. Founded by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Trust has been rendering selfless service to the society and spearheading the global spiritual message of universal brotherhood of mankind through dedicated efforts and commitment to the common man, transcending all barriers with amazing impact and unparalleled success. The Trust has been making a tremendous contribution to the upliftment of the individual and development of the society through education, healthcare and supply of safe drinking water to water starved people across several districts in Andhra Pradesh and in particular. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba strongly feels that education, healthcare and drinking water, being the vital necessities of every individual, are fundamental to life and development of the society at large. And L&T takes pride in having been a partner in progress with Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust in meeting some of these vital needs through its infrastructure development capabilities.

In tune with the vision and mission of our founding father “In Service Lies Success”, propounded by Mr. Henning Holck- Larsen, L&T has been providing necessary infrastructure for meeting the Trust’s objectives at different locations. Beginning its journey twenty years ago with a small contract to build the community flats, L&T continues its construction journey uninterrupted till date. Miraculous are the ways with which it has been delivering projects with quality and speed, meeting the requirements of the Trust and Bhagawan’s devotees.

L&T stepped into at a time when the Trust was in the thick of action with ambitious plans and critical projects, all aimed at meeting the needs of millions of devotees expected to throng Puttaparthi for Swami’s 65th birthday on November 23, 1990. L&T was entrusted with some of these critical projects to be executed with a stringent time frame. Typical of L&T, our site team took up the challenging assignments and completed the projects, well ahead of time. As a result, fully convinced and pleased with the high quality and extraordinary performance of L&T, the Trust, with the blessings of Swami, began entrusting the Company with more and more critical projects, year after year in succession and L&T has never looked back since then. We now look back with joy and pride at our association with the Trust and executing some of the most wonderful structures that are magnificent in shape and spectacular in size, built with devotion and abiding faith, defying every threat, every obstacle and meeting the deadlines with single-mindedness. Now, on the occasion of Swami’s 85th birthday on November 23, 2010, we take pleasure in releasing this special prestige publication, chronicling every major project we have executed for the Trust during the last twenty years. We are presenting them in a comprehensive manner, illustrated through beautiful and colourful photo features, interspersed with images of Bhagawan and quotes on L&T’s work by eminent people who are associated with the conceptualization and implementation of His projects.

For L&T, the projects that we have executed for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and the interactions our people had with Swami are matchless in character, monumental in stature and divine in nature. Everyone in L&T looks upon these projects with high esteem as divine; the innervating experiences they have gained during execution are remarkable and beyond explanation. We acknowledge with joy that many of these projects were forerunners in their own field and paved the way for L&T bagging much bigger and massive orders, specifically in healthcare/hospital sectors and water supply projects.

We cherish and admire every single project we have executed for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, illustrated herein. Our joy of looking at these projects over and over again is only overflowing with this happiness and ecstasy. We are awe struck when we look at them even today. We share our irresistible joy and gratifying memories through this special publication and dedicate it to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on his 85th birthday. May God bless everyone on earth and make this planet a unique place to live in and prosper, touching hearts and transforming lives.

Om Sri Sai Ram.

(K.V. Rangaswami) Member of the Board & President (Construction) Larsen & Toubro Limited Spectrum of Divine Construction

20 Landmark Years in Sai Service 8 A brief on Sri Sathya Sai Baba 18 Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust 24 Prasanthi Nilayam 26 Swami’s Style of Project Management 38 Perspectives of Divine Construction Dwellings for the devotees 48 Statue 56 Sri Sathya Sai Airport 58 Canteen Buildings 60 Boys’ Hostel 62 Hill View Stadium 64 Sai Kulwant Hall 68 Shopping Centre 72 Book Trust Building 74 Music College 78 School of Dance and Music 82 Sri Pedda Venkamaraju Kalyana Mandapam 83 Kalyana Mandapam, 84 Chaitanya Jyothi 88 Super Specality Hospital, Prasanthigram 100 Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield 112 Sri Sathya Sai International Centre for Sports 126 B-School for Women at 136 Sai Bhaktha Nivas 140 Prasanthi Tower, Muddenahalli 146 University College Campus, Muddenahalli 158 Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Projects 170 Sathya Sai Ganga Canal 192 Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project 200

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20 Landmark Years in Sai Service... Historic Anecdotes

It was my good fortune that I was invited, during 1990, to a us but was responsible for giving me enough freedom to take dinner hosted by Sri V. Srinivasan, Chairman, WS Industries up Swami’s projects at cost or with low profit as a very very (India) Ltd. and former All-India President, CII, during the visit special case, as they met many social requirements of the of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to Madras. It was during country and L&T as a good corporate citizen was obliged to the dinner that I had the first opportunity of a personal chat take up such works, even though with a different approach. from Bhagawan with me which made me travel to Puttaparthi. Col. S.P. Joga Rao coordinated the visit to Puttaparthi and During his annual visits to Kodaikanal, Swami used to subsequently told me of the immediate requirement for some meet and interact quite frequently with many devotees. construction to be taken up for the benefit of devotees at In one such interaction with Mrs. Grete Toubro, wife of Prasanthi Nilayam. Thus began L&T’s engagement with L&T’s co-founder Mr. Soren Kristian Toubro, at Hochelaga, Bhagawan and the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust to continue to L&T’s Holiday Home, He blessed her with a ring which he work on projects of a humanitarian nature and social value as materialized. On another occasion He also met Mr. Ole K per Swami’s wishes and directions. I was at that time Group Toubro, son of Mr. S K Toubro, and blessed him. Our former General Manager of Engineering Construction & Contracts Chairman Mr. N.M. Desai and current Chairman Mr. A.M. Naik (ECC) Division, reporting to Sri C.R. Ramakrishnan, Joint also had interviews with Swami and were similarly blessed. Managing Director. He too joined me in my subsequent visits I believe that the Company has grown by leaps and bounds to Puttaparthi, and Swami had so fondly given both of us and achieved good reputation to ultimately become the leader interviews whenever we visited Prasanthi Nilayam. In the later in engineering & construction, technology and manufacturing years CRR and I had many occasions to meet Bhagawan, and won laurels as a professional organization with good including the one in Kodaikanal and Swami used to call CRR value systems. On a request from us Swami was graceful ‘pedda Ramakrishna’ and me, ‘chinna Ramakrishna’. It is to visit L&T’s ECC Headquarters Campus at Manapakkam in good I am recalling CRR’s association as he is no more with Chennai and spent some time and blessed all the employees.

8 The occasion became very memorable for all of us at L&T. The first work to be taken up by L&T in Bhagawan’s cause Normally big companies and corporate entities make was to build quickly a housing for the enormous number of donations to some non-profit organizations to meet their devotees for their short-term as well as long-term stay. A corporate social responsibility objects and do not go beyond new technology was used in the project - RCC walls and the gesture. In the case of Swami’s projects, L&T took a slab using large area system formwork in place of the beam different route to serve the noble cause of social responsibility and column method with conventional formwork and brick/ by providing engineering and construction services at low block masonry. I had the good experience of interacting cost. L&T achieved this by participating in the projects with with Bhagawan with the plans made by us and modified as full intensity and involvement to execute the projects as per per His instructions, with open verandahs outside for access Swami’s directions and in the shortest time possible and to various rooms. The project - ‘W’ Blocks – (and later on with high quality, safety, honesty, sincerity and professional ‘S’ and ‘N’ Blocks) was completed in 3-4 months’ time to approach in the national interest. Serving good causes and high quality and most economically. This new approach was helping millions through Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has been chosen to save cost and time and the job was executed at a very valuable and rewarding experience as it proved to be rates lower than normal rate per sq.ft. extremely beneficial not only for those causes but also for L&T in taking such strategic directions which ultimately led to the Company’s growth during the two decades that followed, during which L&T has been associated with the Trust. Mr. C.R. Ramakrishnan retired by December 1991 and it was my turn to lead the ECC Division which celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1994 and Diamond Jubilee in 2004. Mr. K.V. Rangaswami succeeded me in January 2005 and Left: Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba flanked by continued the policies to support Sri Sathya Sai Central Late C.R. Ramakrishnan (left) and Trust in their socially relevant construction projects. I plan A. Ramakrishna (right). Above: Three generation to give below for the benefit of readers a few instances and leaders of ECC with their spouses - (from left) experiences to substantiate the influence that a godly person C.R. Ramakrishnan, A. Ramakrishna and could have on organizations as well as individuals. K.V. Rangaswami with L&T’s Chairman and Managing Director, A.M. Naik. Bhavan opposite the administrative office and Poorna Chandra Auditorium. As a construction solution we decided on a precast concrete structure so that while foundations were being laid, precast elements for floor and roof could be cast at the site and erected. We could complete the work within a short period at a very fast pace and proved to ourselves the efficacy of precast solutions for economy and fast work.

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthi Nilayam

The above small beginnings led to many other constructions of a much larger scale and complexity, of particular interest from L&T’s growth perspective. One of the landmark projects was the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences which had some international donors led by Mr. and Mr. John Sinclair who were inspired by Swami’s wish to provide high quality cardiac surgery free of cost to the poor from rural areas. This also brought Dr. Keith Critchlow, a renowned architect from the Prince of Wales School of Architecture and with a reputation of association with the Buckingham Palace, to design the hospital. During this period it so happened that a devotee came to I had the privilege of joining the discussions, led by Swami, Bhagawan with an offer to put up a Hanuman statue, nearly with these foreign devotees and Col. Joga Rao who was 65 feet tall (to match with the 65th birthday of Swami), on coordinating all the construction activities at that time. It the top of a hill next to an open air stadium of Sri Sathya was amazing that while Swami was communicating in Telugu Sai University. Swami materialized a small vigraha of language, some of the foreigners told me at the end of Hanuman holding the Sanjivini hill in hand and wanted a the meeting that they understood everything even though statue to be built as per that colourful model and identical they did not know one word of Telugu. I had the first hand in form to the vigraha. He wanted it to be the tallest statue experience of how Swami communicates with people and visible right through Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi and its makes them understand everything. The work commenced neighbourhood. L&T designed the 65 ft. high structure with one set of drawings prepared by the architect and in concrete, reinforced with a steel structure inside and the project had to be completed in a year’s time as per covered with concrete to enable the sthapathis ultimately the announcement of Swami that he would inaugurate the th make the big statue to fine detail as per the model given to hospital on his 65 birthday. L&T was introduced as the us. Designing the arm of Hanuman holding the hill posed engineer and constructor with inputs from the architect and a problems of getting the structural steel inside and we had few specialist consultants brought by Mr. Isaac Tigrett. to use the angavasthram to give the additional support for the heavy load from the hill. When we made the drawing for the structural steel inside the concrete with all calculations it ultimately turned out to be like the bone structure of a human being, thus enlightening us to the reality that human beings are only trying to understand the laws of structural engineering which are already existing in His creation. The statue was finally complete in time for Swami’s 65th birthday A. Ramakrishna receiving the FIP certificate and in a short time, along with an artificial waterfall from the for the “Most Outstanding Concrete Structure hill with arrangements for illumination and re-circulation of water as desired by Swami. Award - 1994” for Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam at Hyderabad at the Washington Congress. We were asked to construct a canteen (which later came Other two structures that won the “Most to be known as the South Indian Canteen) during a short Outstanding Concrete Structure Award” - L&T’s period when Swami would be away from Prasanthi Nilayam Administrative Office Building (right top) now traveling in and Kodaikanal. The canteen is normally very full when Swami is present in Prasanthi Nilayam renamed as “CRR Centre” (inset) the new look and its capacity needed to be increased to meet the needs of the building and Engineering Design and of thousands of devotees who come for darshan. The time Research Centre (right) - both situated in the available was hardly five months. It is a very long building, Headquarter Campus of L&T in Chennai. two-storied, with a width of approx. 9 metres along the main road from the gopuram entrance, right up to the Shanthi

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For four months from then on, there was not much progress two-shift operations for the construction work with all on the ground and everyone was wondering how this hospital mobilization of staff, workmen and plant & equipment for a would be ready within the remaining eight months unless job which we thought was almost an impossible task. Days there were to be a miracle by Swami. I must say a miracle and weeks went by and even though there was some good did indeed happen. I was waiting to be a part of the drama progress, the end was not in sight. In between, torrential that was to unfold thereafter. Swami called for a luncheon rains came, disrupting the work. Import of high quality meeting and praised everyone involved in the project and hospital equipment from abroad and their installation was told Dr. Keith Critchlow and Mr. Isaac Tigrett to hand over also part of the job. The erection of an intricate and heavy the architectural drawings to A. Ramakrishna of L&T and (2-ton) chandelier in the entrance dome was also part of said that he would complete the job before November 23 L&T’s scope of work. The work was going on at hectic and complimented them for their contributions. He also pace and I was one of the few who were most concerned invited them to the inauguration of the hospital on his 65th about the completion of target as the Prime Minister was birthday. Faced with the daunting task, I told Swami before to inaugurate the hospital and the first operation was to be my other fellow devotees from abroad that we at L&T would performed on that day (Swami’s birthday). Swami used to try our best to do the job but Bhagawan corrected me by come to site for inspection and motivate people at site. He saying, “You are going to finish the job and not try!” The used to distribute sweets and clothes to workmen. We used drawings given by Dr. Critchlow indicated a hospital that will to worry about the 3 to 4 working hours lost whenever He look better than even the Buckingham Palace but we have visited site. The amount of work that was done in the last to fit in a functioning super speciality hospital as per the one week, particularly the cleaning operation in the last three requirements of Dr. Venugopal, the renowned cardiologist days, with the help of the Seva Dal was unbelievable and in and Dr. A.N. Safaya, the then Director, All India Institute of fact a miracle. The night prior to the day of inauguration we Medical Sciences. We searched for a local architect having were still giving finishing touches to the floor under the central experience in operating theatres and detailed planning dome and erecting the beautiful and intricate chandelier. to complement our own design effort to make detailed The operation theatres were ready 10 days earlier for the engineering drawings good for construction. And we found doctors to make the entire environment anti-septic. Air- one Mr. Thomas Rajan and took him to Swami to receive His conditioning, water supply, sanitary engineering and waste blessings. He motivated all of us, particularly Mr. Thomas disposal treatment work and other systems were all in place. Rajan, to work closely with one another. We then started The first cardiac surgery for 4 poor patients was performed

12 Left: A. Ramakrishna briefing the salient features of Jawaharlal Nehru stadium to Swami during his visit to the site at Chennai. L&T completed this 40000 seat capacity stadium in just 260 days. Right: Swami with Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, then Prime Minister of India and Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh during the dedication of water supply project to the nation. This water supply project solved the water problem of 750 villages in .

successfully on the day as announced by Swami and the projects in Andhra Pradesh, , and other hospital got inaugurated by the then Prime Minister states of India and L&T started a new division called Water Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, after such an unbelievably short time & Effluent Treatment Business Unit. The diversification into of construction! this area has been so successful for L&T that the company continues to do work in the field to the tune of Rs. 2,000 Cr. every year. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore At the time of inauguration of the water supply project for Anantapur District, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, then Prime A few years later Swami similarly announced a new hospital Minister, commented that only a spiritual person like in the Whitefield area of Bangalore. This was also a design- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba could solve the drinking and-build job done by L&T. The structure was completed water problem of the district. He described the district as in eleven months and the finishing works took another “anantha” endlessly (“poor”) and said when he was a minister three months. This building was also received well by the in the state government, he could not get water for the public as it offers free speciality services to people suffering suffering people. He went on to say that after completion of from cardiac-related ailments. The involvement of L&T in the project the district has become ‘Anandapuri’, bringing the design and construction of this hospital increased the happiness to one and all in the district. Company’s reputation and it could secure many hospital contracts subsequently. One of these notable projects is Sri Sathya Nigamagamam the hospital constructed for the Government of India at Bhuj in Gujarat after the occurrence of a devastating earthquake. This is a project for providing a multi-purpose auditorium To make it earthquake-resistant, L&T constructed the new and dining facilities in a two-acre plot near Srinagar Colony, building using base isolator technology in a short period of Hyderabad. This was a design-and-build contract with one year. Mr. R. Chakrapani as architect. It turned out to be such an outstanding structure, both architecturally and structurally, Water Supply Projects that it fetched for L&T a Certificate of Merit from FIP (Federation Internationale de la Precontrainte; later on known The design and construction of a water supply project to as Federation International du Beton – FIB), an international cover 750 villages in Anantapur District in Andhra Pradesh association for prestressed concrete, at its Washington was a turning point for L&T to diversify into the field of water Congress (FIP holds a World Congress every four years) in projects. After the Anantapur project we did many such the year 1994, FIP acknowledged Sri Sathya Nigamagamam darshan hall to report to Swami about the progress of work as an outstanding structure in concrete using concrete shells and told Him about the predicament of the hot mix plant with a compression ring to cover the auditorium’s roof. It not functioning. On a particular day Swami told him, “Go so happened that in the same Congress the Headquarters back, the plant will start functioning from today” and indeed Building of L&T’s ECC Division at Manapakkam, Chennai was the plant started working with his own minor attempts at selected as the most outstanding concrete structure. It is repair and he believes it is a miracle. Thereafter the job was very rare in the world that a construction company from India completed in the shortest time. When we took the initial gets an award when there are competing companies from drawings for the terminal building (single-storey, flat-roofed) to the US, Europe, Japan and others who normally have the Swami, He remarked that the building looked like a headless financial capacity to win such awards for large and expensive man and this prompted us to add a dome on the top of the structures. I sincerely believe that it is Swami’s grace which slab and construct the same within the stipulated time. There helped us create and build these structures which would is no doubt the building looks architecturally more beautiful ultimately win international awards for innovative concrete after the addition of the dome as per Swami’s suggestion. structures designed and built by L&T. Yazur Mandir (Swami’s Residence) Sri Sathya Sai Airport Swami was staying in the rooms constructed as a This is another example of an incredible job being completed modification of Poorna Chandra Auditorium on the first floor. in 3.5 months. The entire runway and terminal building Subsequently, it was decided from many considerations that were designed and constructed in a short time for aircraft to the area opposite Poorna Chandra Auditorium should be land at Puttaparthi. Later on some commercial flights from chosen for a new building to serve as Swami’s residence. and Chennai were also using this airport. While Mr. Krishna Singhal and Mr. C. Sreenivas, Brindavan, the runway was under construction our hot mix plant did Bangalore provided lot of inputs and support for the new not function for about ten days and this long period was residence of Swami. Swami surprised me by making me understandably very critical for a job needing to be completed lay the foundation stone and participated in the function so in three months. Our Resident Engineer used to sit in the

14 take vehicles into the portico of the Tower. This job was also accomplished in a short time of eight months. Subsequently a new management school for girls was also added at Anantapur, constructed in just four months, as part of Sri Sathya Sai University. Sri Sathya Sai International Centre at Delhi, constructed Sai Bhaktha Nivas by L&T. To facilitate accommodating a large number of Sai devotees, dormitory accommodation under the name of Sai Bhaktha Nivas was designed and built, again in a short span of seven months. All of these blocks, five in number, are three-storied and have bunk beds and each of them can accommodate approximately 900 people. There are facilities like toilets, bath rooms and clothes washing area on all the three affectionately. I am extremely happy that this building has floors. The top floor of each block has two halls, 30 m x come out so well and Swami is currently using this as his 12 m in size, with column-free space and can be used for residence. Earlier, a darshan hall and a guest house were community meetings when required. The roof elements built near Sai Brindavan, Whitefiled, Bangalore. are made of precast concrete hyperbolic paraboloid shells, bringing economy and aesthetics combined with the latest in Sri Sathya Sai Indoor Stadium construction technology.

L&T has good experience and reputation in building world- L&T, as a professional engineering & construction class sports stadia like the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in organization, has a long association with many clients, Chennai (40,000-capacity, built in a world record time of 260 continuing to provide construction services to suit their days), Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore, the twin hockey requirements year after year. Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has stadium in Hyderabad, various sports structures in Guwahati provided such a unique opportunity to build projects which for the Asian Games, and a football stadium in Qatar. All serve India and meet the social needs of the vast majority these were based on design-and-construct principle and of less privileged people as well as devotees of Bhagawan brought good name for L&T. The Company once again won Sri Sathya Sai Baba. L&T could give not only innovative international recognition for the oval-shaped Kanteerava engineering solutions for these projects to be designed and stadium (120 m x 80 m) from the Federation Internationale du executed in incredibly short periods but also could diversify Beton. This experience has helped us in the construction of into new profitable business activities in many fields thereafter. the indoor stadium at the Sri Sathya Sai University, Prasanthi L&T project managers’ skills got improved in the process Nilayam to commemorate 25 years of the University. As a with a realization that all stakeholders working unitedly with a silver jubilee gift to his students, Swami wanted a facility to be single purpose can bring in highly satisfying results in terms put up for indoor games like basket ball, shuttle badminton, of quality, economy and time of completion. This proves table tennis, gymnastics, squash, yoga, etc. and an outdoor Swami’s message that divinity will automatically support any facility for tennis. The task of completing such a stadium (120 project executed with unity and purity. x 65 m), having no intermediate columns and with all modern amenities, would normally take not less than a year even for In the modern management parlance and the theories of a company like L&T. However, this project was completed management science there is no factor for luck or divine in less than 5 months and the stadium was inaugurated on grace for growth or success. Modern science also makes Swami’s birthday by the then President of India, us think that everything is explainable in physical terms; but Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. cannot explain rationally the miracles that we have seen Swami perform. When we experience individually and think Sri Sathya Sai University, Muddenahalli deep we understand the rationale behind the various beliefs and faiths and miracles performed by the various in For engineers in India Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam different ages, supported by the literature of many religious Visweswaraya is an icon. At Muddenahalli, the birth place of faiths. this great engineer, Swami gave us an opportunity to build the Prasanthi Tower and a college block in a site adjacent to In all these years I have been able to visit and provide the existing school. This college was designed to function leadership for scores of L&T projects not only in India but also as part of the Sri Sathya Sai University. The Prasanthi Tower in other countries in the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia, houses a museum to highlight the history of the institution Middle East, Russia and East Africa and found the time and as well as a clock tower on the top of a hill overlooking the energy because Swami told me and my wife that He would picturesque Nandi Hills. It also has a spiral concrete ramp to be always with me and there is nothing to worry about my health. He even predicted and indicated about a in L&T aircraft to take Bhagawan’s blessings and job where we would lose money and he protected proceeded in the same aircraft to Visakhapatnam me from the consequences by enormous success just the evening before the convocation. In the in many other jobs. When we took up for the first meantime I came to know later that cine playback time a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) project singer and musician of repute Smt. P. Susheela had for investing in and developing the Bangalore been chosen for “Kala Prapoorna”, a doctorate in International Airport with international partners/ music, by the Andhra University. She was staying shareholders from Germany and Switzerland there at Puttaparthi at that time and told Swami that was inordinate delay in policy decisions by the it was physically not possible for her to reach State and Central Governments. As this led to Visakhapatnam in time for the convocation. disillusionment to our international partners Dr. However, Swami told her not to worry and that Fritz Ruess and Dr. Wolfgang Bischoff of Siemens He would send her in time. After I reached and Mr. Herbert Meier of Zurich Unique Airport. I Puttaparthi on an unplanned visit, Swami arranged took them for Swami’s darshan and interview and for her to travel with me in the company aircraft to narrated our predicament. Swami told us that Visakhapatnam. We both received our honorary it would take a further three years even though doctorates in time. Who but God could have taken construction will be finished in two years and the care of His devotees through such miracles! project would be a financial success. Subsequently the Airports Authority of India Act was amended in L&T as an organization has also experienced the Indian Parliament and facilitated privatization extraordinary success and performance beyond of big airports in India. These developments made reasonable estimates. The twenty-year period Siemens and Zurich Airport stick with L&T in the from 1990 to 2010, during which we came under consortium. It is not only an enormous success Swami’s influence, has also seen such extraordinary for all of us but also led to “L&T being chosen for growth in ECC Division’s business volume, literally turnkey EPC construction of airports at Hyderabad, 90 times in annual sales performance, from Rs.280 Delhi and Mumbai” and making us an expert in a Cr. to Rs.26,000 Cr. per annum. From a background new business of airports, like water earlier. of constructing buildings and industrial projects, we went into new diversifications including roads, water Board meetings and other important engagements supply, airports and ports and other infrastructure would not clash with my many visits to Puttaparthi, projects apart from expansion into the international sometimes using the Company aircraft as if some market (especially Middle East) and investment in magic was happening. In August 1997, just public-private partnership (PPP) projects for the three days before the convocation of the Andhra first time in the country. In the PPP (BOT, etc.) University, I came to know that I would be awarded field we gained the experience of investing in an honorary doctorate (D.Sc.) by the Andhra and constructing projects very fast and making a University at Visakhapatnam. I went to Puttaparthi success of it. Nearly forty special purpose vehicles

16 (SPVs) were established to design and construct various projects and all of them proved to be a success for L&T as well as our country. I sincerely believe the success of all this has come not only through our strategic planning and business management approaches but also with right ideas emanating from Puttaparthi visits with the grace of God. We should be thankful to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for showering his blessings and telling many of our clients and dignitaries like Presidents and Prime Ministers of India about L&T and creating fantastic goodwill and brand image for us. Our association with the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust in their service to mankind is a unique experience for a modern enterprise like ours. I pray God to bless L&T for continued success and for taking the country to great economic heights by the year 2038, when the Company would be 100 years old, and beyond. May India be a leader in the comity of nations and nations by unifying them for universal peace.

Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

A. Ramakrishna Former President and Deputy Managing Director Larsen & Toubro Limited

Left & Top: L&T’s team of Engineers, Administrators and Workmen at the Dormitory Project in Prasanthi Nilayam. Above: Swami presenting a memento to A. Ramakrishna for speedy completion of Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam at Hyderabad during its inaugural function. Sri Sathya Sai Baba... An apostle of love and peace

Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born in a small hamlet called Puttaparthi in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh on November 23, 1926 to Pedda Venkamaraju and Eswaramma. The couple had a son and two daughters, Seshama Raju, Venkamma and Parvathamma. Eswaramma longed for another son and performed the “Sathyanarayana Puja” and kept a number of vows, which were rigorous and needed vigil and abstention from food.

While the child was conceived, strange things happened in the house of Pedda Venkapa Raju. For instance, the ‘Thambura’ would twang on its own, the maddela or drum on the floor would beat rhythmically as if an expert hand was handling it. On 23rd day of November 1926, the son was born at the time of sunrise. The year was ‘Akshaya’, the never declining, ever-full year and the day was a ‘Karthika’. The day was even more auspicious as the ascendant star was Arudra.

The baby was named Sathyanarayana, as Eswaramma believed that it was the result of the ‘puja’ that blessed her with the son. Soon Sathya grew up as a favourite child in the family, school and in the entire village itself, by virtue of certain special characteristics endowed with him. He, in fact, manifested many divine powers and even materialised flowers, sugar candy, vibuthi etc., from nowhere and presented it to members of his family and others assembled around him.

Even as a child, he manifested superhuman powers and demonstrated the virtues of compassion, selfless service, humility and respect for elders. Though he didn’t have schooling beyond standard eight, he displayed unparalleled knowledge of all fields, be it science, spirituality or philosophy. With his powers of omnipresence, he has cured his devotees of incurable diseases and also helped his devotees in several other ways to achieve happiness and well being. Miracles of objects materializing from no-where for the devotees as symbols of his grace and love happen even today.

18 Through the personal experience of many of the devotees of Sai Baba, Serve the poor who throng Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi, it is believed that Swami has with love, that following extraordinary traits: alone can redeem you. Service to • Infinite knowledge of all subjects, expresses • Being everywhere and in everything itself spontaneously • Imperceptible and independent the poor is service • An ocean of wisdom – the knower of the • Creator and performer of miracles and to God. Sacrifice past, present and the future (he narrates with materialisation of almost everything your life for the incredible details events of past, present and conceivable future) • Knower of all minds and hearts cause of the poor. • Always giving - merciful and eternally • Omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient Be compassionate benevolent • Infinite power and infinite bliss • Infinite patience and forbearance • Ideal guru/teacher and considerate • Always cheerful and helping anyone and • Powerful speaker with capacity to explain towards the poor. everyone intricate meta physical aspects with simple Spend your time, • Youthful and radiant body belying the physical examples understood by common people age of 85 • Perfectionist in everything he does wealth and energy • Preserver and protector of all • Unifier and integrator of all castes, creeds in service of the • Embodiment of eternal divine love and religions and nationalities • Beyond comparison and comprehension poor.

Bhagawan Because of these remarkable characteristics, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has come Sri Sathya Sai Baba to be accepted as the ‘Sampurna Avathar’ of our age by his followers. One day, on October 14, 1940, after returning from school, Sathya cast his books aside and called out, “I am no longer your Sathya, I am Sai, I am going and I do not belong to you. The ‘maya’ has gone and my ‘bhakthas’ are calling me. Saying, “I have work to do and cannot stay any longer”, he went and sat in a garden. People came into the garden from all directions, carrying flowers and fruits and singing in chorus, the lines that Sathya Sai had taught them. “Maanasa bhajare gurucharanam Dhusthara bhava saagara tharanum” Meaning - “meditate in thy mind on the feet of the guru. That can take you across the difficult sea of samsara” During the next few years, he was crowded with hordes of pilgrims from all parts of the country visiting him. Also devotees began calling him ‘Bhagawan’ Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Cultivate the attitude of oneness between people of all creeds and all continents to establish world peace

20 Prasanthi Nilayam

The Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi was inaugurated on November 23,1950 on the occasion of Sri Sathya Sal Baba’s 25th birthday. The engineering and design aspects of the building were worked out by Baba himself. The suggestions he gave for the construction proved to be far superior to what the engineers had come up with. They found that Baba had a greater sense of perspective and a better aesthetic point of view.

He developed Prasanthi Nilayam brick by brick with awe inspiring and architecturally marvellous structures for meeting the complete needs of his devotees, thronging the place in millions, from all over the world. To take care of the maintenance of these structures as well as to serve the society in matters of health, education and

other welfare measures, he established a Trust called “Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust” with a clear vision and mission of service.

Today, Sri Sathya Sai Organisations have spread all over the globe. And, the followers or devotees of Baba are working with the same zeal and vigour everywhere, spreading the message of ‘universal brotherhood of man’ to one and all. There’s no individual on earth, today who can spearhead a massive movement like this. That’s the Institution Baba has built and that’s “Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust”. A Trust that people really trust, all over the world. Pranams to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Puttaparthi

Puttaparthi, a hamlet in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, has earned name and fame world-wide due to the presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who is considered an incarnation of God by a large number of his devotees. Located at a distance of 85 km from Anantapur and 124 km from Bangalore, this religious and sacred place has witnessed the visit of not only top politicians and the ruling elite of India, but also the heads of the states and governments from many countries on special occasions.

Puttaparthi has a legend that strengthens the belief in the divinity of the place and reflects the divine powers of the Baba. The village name is derived from ‘Putta’ which means an ant-hill and ‘Parthy” means a modified form of multiplier. This village was earlier known as Gollapalli or home of cowherds. The cows yielded plenty of milk. Every home made butter and ghee. According to a legend explained by N.Kasturi, author of ‘Sathyam Sivam Sundaram’ a cowherd noticed that one of his cows did not have milk in its udder when it returned home after grazing.

The cow later came out of its shed and reached an ant-hill on the outskirts of the village. The cowherd, who followed the cow, was surprised to see a cobra that started drinking milk of the cow. Annoyed at the loss of milk, the boy lifted a stone and threw it on the cobra. The injured serpent threw a curse on all the ‘gopalas’ of the village and the creature’s last words were that the place will be full of ant-hills and multiplication of the same in endless numbers.

The curse came true and the cattle population in the village declined drastically. They could not be raised successfully in the village any longer. Ant-hills spread all over the place and the village name was changed to Valmikipura for Valmika in Sanskrit means an ant-hill or Puttaparthi in common parlance.

The villagers still show, as a proof of this legend, the same thick and round stone, with a slight jam one side, which the angry cowherd had thrown at the divine snake. The stone

22 has a long reddish streak over it, which is believed to be the mark of the cobra’s blood. This stone is worshipped as Gopalaswami, the lord as cowherd, probably in an effort to nullify the effect of the curse and improve the cattle population. Spiritual progress is right living, good conduct, It is said that Sri Sathya Sai Baba had directed some people moral behavior. to wash the stone and smear sandal paste on the jammed side. When his instruction was carried out, a clear outline of a picture of Lord Gopalaswami, with the flute at his lips, leaning on a cow, was seen.

Some say that even today they can hear the melody of Lord Krishna’s breath passing through the straight and hollow reed. From that day, the curse has lost its effect and the cattle have begun to flourish at Puttaparthi. Puttaparthi is also believed to be the abode of goddesses – Lakshmi and Saraswati.

Baba gives ‘darshan’ to his devotees at Prasanthi Nilayam, the spacious spiritual centre where ‘Bhajans’ and religious discourses are regularly held.

A museum on a nearby hillock at Puttaparthi displays the models of various temple structures, including the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the Holy Mecca Masjid, etc. “Service to humanity is service to divinity’ is the basic concept that guides and runs the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Trust. This world famous place is about 8 km from Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi railway station and is well connected by road. Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust... Extending beyond boundaries, caste and creed

To carry out the mission of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and to manage the complete activities at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi and Brindavan in Bangalore, a Trust has been formed in the name and style of “Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust”. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the founder trustee himself, founded this in 1972 and this is the main executing agency for all his works.

“Service to man is service to God’, ‘Hands that help are holier than lips that pray’, and ‘Love All and Serve All’ are the watchwords of this charitable organisation. It functions with the help of unsolicited contributions received from devotees all over the world. More than one lakh persons are working for the trust on voluntary basis

24 and more than 10,000 persons are paid employees in various institutions run by the Trust. This apart, there are over 30,000 Sathya Sai centers spread over 200 countries. With over 150 centers in USA and 70 centers in Canada, Sathya Sai Centers all over the world expresses itself through three wings: Spiritual, Educational and Service, and work tirelessly for uplifting humanity in all these three spheres.

The activities of the Trust have been growing from year to year, and have covered the basic necessities of education, health and drinking water. With over 50 years of continuous growth, the organisation as an entity has developed major strengths in terms and capacity and capability to build, develop and run a variety of large institutions and activities.

The institutions are characterised by timely and successful completion of projects and programmes:

• Sri Sathya Sai Rural Service & Education Programme • Sri Sathya Sai Education Programme • Sri Sathya Sai Youth Programme • Sri Sathya Sai Drinking Water Programme • Sri Sathya Sai ‘Health for All’ Programme • Sri Sathya Sai – ‘Balavikas’ Programme Where there is FAITH, Prasanthi Nilayam... there is LOVE; Where there is LOVE; The Abode of Peace there is PEACE; Where there is PEACE; there is GOD; Prasanthi Nilayam – meaning `abode of peace` is a spiritual Where there is GOD; and educational centre of international repute in Puttaparthi, a remote village in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh. there is BLISS. Puttaparthi is the birthplace of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who is one of the world`s most revered spiritual masters today.

Once a small and insignificant village, Puttaparthi has emerged as a place of international repute, thanks to Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Though, the population of this village is estimated to be around 8-10 thousand people, millions of devotees and visitors not only from India, but from all over the world flock to Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi to see, worship as well as seek solace, advice and blessings from Sai Baba not only in spiritual but also in temporal matters. His teachings are universal and not sectarian. Devotees, seekers and adherents of all faiths and religions from different countries find their way to Prasanthi Nilayam to have his darshan (divine sight with blessings). People searching for God in many parts of the world find in him the object and fulfillment of their search.

26 Life is a challenge, meet it! Life is a dream, The entire complex of Prasanthi Nilayam is ideally located close realise it! to natural hilly surroundings. An aesthetic atmosphere prevails in the complex. A deer sanctuary reflects the community’s Life is a game, concern for the environment. Prasanthi Nilayam welcomes play it! all visitors - rural folk, urban executives and the international Life is Love, crowd. They are greeted by an electrifying array of ancient and modern architecture with proximity to all service facilities within enjoy it! the complex. VVIPs and state guests are accommodated in beautiful bungalows with ultra-modern facilities including high- level surveillance and security.

Once a small and insignificant village, Puttaparthi has emerged as a place of international repute, thanks to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Pictures gives a panoramic view of Prasanthi Nilayam and the magnificent Gopurams that decorate the landscape and the skyline. Temples, and darshan / prayer halls – an attraction all the more exciting for the absence of even the slightest noise, sound or whisper. A school and university conducive to higher learning in all spheres of arts, science and humanities; a large open playground with galleries; an artificial fountain that spills a beautiful cascade of water in natural form down the hill, are a feast to the eye. An imposing giant statue of Sri Hanuman on the hill arrests the attention of all visitors even from a long distance. In addition, consumer stores and shopping complexes, canteen facilities cater to national, continental and inter-continental visitors, bookstalls and library, general hospital blocks and dispensaries, a music college, kalyanamandapams (marriage halls) – all connected by well-knit and clean roads within the complex present the visitors a high quality of life and lend the complex an the aura of a great city within a small village.

Bottom: Millions of devotees arrive at Prasanthi Nilayam everyday to behold the Baghwan and seek His blessings. Right: The grand entrance arch to the town of Puttaparthi. Extreme right: Gopuram – the gateway to Prasanthi Nilayam Complex. Bottom right: Lord Temple at the entrance of the complex.

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Facilities like banks, post office, police station, bus terminus, hotels, planetarium, telephone booths, ATMs, internet café’s, markets are located outside the Prasanthi Nilayam, catering to the commercial needs of the visitors. In simple terms, Prasanthi Nilayam is referred to by many as a paradise of God, for many devotees are able to see and talk to Bhagawan face to face and get his blessings.

‘Seva Dal’ - Volunteers of Baba, clad in pure white, drawn from all walks of life irrespective of caste, creed, religion or status, manage the day-to-day affairs of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Well-drawn-out spiritual programmes like chanting of the sacred syllable “OM”, Pradakshina, Suprabhatham, Singing of bhajans, Darshan of Baba and interviews as per schedules in the morning and evening are conducted everyday. Those who have participated in these activities have found them scintillating and pleasant. People who attend these regularly are said to achieve a well-balanced mind and sublimity in life.

Different views of Sai Sree Nivas – the VIP Guest House at Prasanthi Nilayam.

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Start the day with Love, It is also gratifying to note that during performance of the Fill the day with Love, above spiritual exercises, everyone adheres to and maintains Spend the day with Love, a high sense of discipline, orderliness, cleanliness and silence to give the body and mind its due importance. End the day with Love. This is the way to God. The rules laid down by the Trust are strictly followed and maintained by the devotees. On the contrary, irrespective of one’s status many devotees voluntarily carry out without the least hesitation, even menial jobs like cleaning the toilets and streets – all in the name of God. It is here that all people see God alike and that is the principal objective of Bhagawan Baba’s Mission.

According to him righteousness in this world is based on the four moral pillars – “Satya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema” Bhagawan Baba’s emphasis in recent years has been on (Truth, Right, Conduct, Peace and Love). He said, “ All men education, health (physical, mental and social) and rural are of one lineage, of divine origin. Therefore, recognise the development for improving the quality of life of the poor and divinity in each being and banish all limiting thoughts and weaker sections of the society. projections”. He has further declared: Young and old, destitute women and top class retired officials • There is only ONE caste, the caste of humanity from the Government / Private organisations throng the • There is only ONE religion, the religion of Love Prasanthi Nilayam premises to offer various services in the • There is only ONE language, the language of the heart name of God for the spiritual, physical and social upliftment of • There is only ONE God, and He is omnipresent the humanity as a whole, without expecting anything in return. Indeed, one can lead an austere, unpolluted life in a congenial The universal character of Bhagawan Baba’s mission can be atmosphere, uphold all values and pursue a systematic way seen reflected in many places in the complex with symbols, of life with exalted spiritual ideas and tranquility in Prasanthi sculptures and statues of the founders of the principal Nilayam – for it is really an abode of peace. religions of the world.

Top: Boys’ School - part of Sri Sathya Sai University. The colourful dome of the Planetarium and Space Centre (Extreme right) and the school building (Right) which adopt a classical style.

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Structures and facilities inside the Prasanthi Nilayam Complex (Clockwise from top) Western Canteen Yazur Mandir – Swami’s residence Library building IT building The Book Trust Building

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36 Top: Overall view of Prasanthi Nilayam Complex as seen from the Kalpakavriksha. Bottom: The abodes for devotees follow a simplistic design.

You must welcome tests because it gives you confidence and it ensures promotion. Swami’s Style of Project Management... Unity, Purity, Divinity (UPD) approach to construction

The Engineering Construction and Contracts division (ECC) of Larsen & Toubro Limited has been playing a vital role in executing many of the critical projects of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Through total commitment in its endeavours, ECC has been meeting the ambitious plans and programmes of the Trust. Ever since it stepped into Prasanthi Nilayam in April 1990, when it was entrusted with the construction of 240 ‘Community flats’, ECC has made a significant contribution to Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, at Puttaparthi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

Through timely execution of projects with speed and uncompromising quality, ECC has been able to contribute to some of the most outstanding and award winning projects, for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, under the unique guidance of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba himself. In the process, ECC had the privilege of experiencing certain aspects of project management and construction management, which can be followed in other projects.

The super speciality hospital at Puttaparthi (named Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences) came up in an unbelievably short time. In just eight months, the hospital moved from commencement of construction to conducting cardiac operations! Wonder- struck, people started asking how it was possible that a magnificent hospital with so many modern facilities and services could be completed in such a short time and at such low cost. The answer simply lies in the Swamiji`s unique style of project execution. (Clockwise from top) Lord Ganesha All things in creation Lotus Stupa are subject to the law The brass antique of the lion and of change, and man, Nataraja – the dancing Shiva, characteristic of Hindu mythology too, is subject to this are on display at most of the law. building entrances.

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40 In fact, in most cases a new project is announced by Swami on a particular birthday. Almost invariably, the project is inaugurated on his next birthday or earlier on a festive occasion. This brings in a sense of wonder even among professionals. Before L&T got involved in Sri Sathya Sai projects, it had the reputation of constructing and completing projects at a fast pace, comparable to internationally accepted targets. While L&T might have achieved wonders by completing projects fast elsewhere, in the case of Sri Sathya Sai projects Swami seemed to have performed miracles through L&T. A few highlights are given below to bring out the essential reasons which contribute to making Sri Sathya Sai projects far better in all aspects - architecture, engineering & design, contract settlement, agency selection, quality control, cost control, project management and monitoring, time of completion. Not the least of these positive factors is the commitment of people involved in the project and the general happiness and satisfaction that prevails at the end of the project. It is hoped that this would provide pointers for similar projects elsewhere in the country.

Architecture

In all the projects which Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has taken up, he gives prime importance to aesthetics and architecture right from the beginning as well as through the construction phase. Quite often, He asks specialist architects or a company like L&T to prepare drawings and a perspective view or a model. He then suggests modifications which the architect could incorporate. In many cases the hints given by Swami help shape the building to be quite different and aesthetically pleasing, compared to similar projects conceived by others. He has quite often commented that a flat roof structure is like a headless man and always introduced either a dome or some feature including sthapati work and ornamentation work to make the building come alive and inspiring to those who work on the project or live in the building. People may wonder whether he insists on vaastu shastra as per tradition. To our surprise he has never insisted on vaastu shastra even though he has commended it as appropriate for the time for which it was conceived and the basic concepts are no different even today. But he has always given importance to functionality, simplicity and use of modern sciences without any dogmatic approach to vaastu shastra or other practices as in some parts of the country.

Architecture of buildings abound with an array domes, pyramids and Small minds select narrow gopurams. roads; expand your mental vision and take to the broad road of helpfulness, compassion and service. Engineering & Design

Here again economy in use of materials and knowledge of modern techniques are given importance. Swami has always made sure that the architecture and engineering design go hand-in-hand and there are no conflicts in realising the ultimate goal of an outstanding building. Through the experience of our many engineers associated with Sri Sathya Sai projects, it is a wonder that He used to point out certain technical aspects which have to be taken note of or details modified at the appropriate time even to those experts who might miss such important points. This also confirms the belief of his followers that his knowledge of science is extraordinary, unfathomable and unbelievable.

Estimates

When the design and engineering are approved in principle, an estimate is prepared in such a way that the total cost of the project is much lower than conventionally accepted thumb rule estimates. These are reviewed in great detail by some of his followers who are in the Trust who give an independent opinion on how the costs can be further reduced or controlled. These inputs ultimately are taken by the agency to bring in maximum economy in terms of cost of materials, labour, construction methods and thus the whole project cost. In this effort the persons in the Trust are able to talk to suppliers of major materials and are able to get concessional price or sometimes even free supply of materials. Efforts are made to get necessary approvals quickly from the Government to save levies like excise duty, sales tax, etc. All these efforts are made in a very short time that the benchmark lowest price is achieved right in the beginning to enable monitoring and control of the final total project cost.

Domes of varying styles and proportions culminate in beautiful pinnacles.

42 Every experience that is drawn through any of the senses has an effect on one’s health. Selecting the Agencies for Construction

In the Government or even in big corporations, agencies are selected primarily based on initial low bid and not the lifetime total cost involved in the project to be put up. The process involved in such tenders, especially in the Government, is so long that precious time is lost and in the meantime due to inflation the prices go up and the ultimate cost of the project is nowhere near the initial estimates. This is totally avoided in the case of Sri Sathya Sai projects by selecting the right agency on the basis of past experience and the requirement and entrusting the job to that agency, which has shown commitment to perform in short time against odds. After this a genuine effort is made to cut down costs as much as possible without sacrificing either quality or time.

In the light of service nature of jobs taken up for the general good, the purity of the purpose involved there is an automatic interest in all the agencies concerned to give the lowest prices possible. While the contract is settled on this basis, the trust keeps enough leeway to make changes and adjust the overall project cost from considerations of economy and any changes that may come about in detailed project design. Entrusting the work to a single agency with overall responsibility ensures there is unity of purpose and commitment to complete the job within the time and cost without sacrificing quality.

The examples in the following pages highlight some of the aspects of project management, which ultimately resulted in high quality buildings and projects which won international awards and all round acclaim as they all represent high aesthetics, unbelievably low cost and absolutely short time of completion. There are many instances where critical hurdles, which would normally have been intractable, were swept away as though by a divine hand. Essentially, as Swami himself described, it is the unity, purity and divinity which help projects move rapidly from concept to reality . And that is exactly the experience of L&T.

Your thoughts, words, and deeds will shape others and theirs will shape you.

44 The Chaitanya Jyothi – a fusion of many cultures and architectural styles. 46 Clockwise from left: The architecture of a new building project is being explained to Swami. The Stupa in front of Chaitanya Jyothi showing the delicate filigree work. Statues of Buddha, Zoraster, Jesus Christ and a Mosque on display inside Chaitanya Jyothi. Perspectives of Divine Construction Dwellings for the devotees

ECC, the Construction Division of L&T dwelling units at Prashanthi Nilayam, undertakes design and construction Puttaparthi for Sri Sathya Sai Central of housing projects such as high-rise Trust, adopting the innovativeL&T large apartments, townships and system area wall panel forms. housing using mass production techniques. The company employs The external façade walls are made of innovative system formwork techniques 200 mm thick concrete hollow blocks and mechanized construction methods and the internal partition walls are of to achieve high quality and speed. 100 mm thick concrete hollow blocks. Proven techniques employed include Cupboards, sunshades and water tanks large area wall panel forms, tunnel forms are of cast-in-situ concrete construction. and slipform technique of continuous The door and window frames were fixed construction for cores high-rise after concreting was completed by way buildings. Using these mechanized of providing openings in the formwork at methods, L&T builds the reinforced walls predetermined locations. and floor slabs in a continuous pour of concrete. All these techniques, while 192 community flats, each of 450 sq.ft reducing construction time frames and area was built in 183 days, using the cost, enables mass production of flats. L&T-Doka large area formwork system. The design and construction of these Anticipating a mass influx of devotees 192 flats was entrusted to ECC in April during the 65th birthday celebrations 1990. This consisted of six blocks of of Baghwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in four storyed (ground + three) structures 1990, the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust at each having 32 flats. On seeing the Prashanthi Nilayam decided to build 240 speed with which progress was made, community flats or pilgrim quarters for construction of additional 48 flats was accommodating the high profile visitors, entrusted. Altogether ECC built 8 blocks mostly from foreign countries. But, very of 240 flats at Prasanthi Nilayam in the short span of time was available to meet first phase. Out of these 240 flats, ECC the deadline of November 23, 1990. handed over 192 to the Trust within a And L&T was pressed in to service to period of six months for occupation by carry out this noble task. L&T with the the devotees during the 65th birthday leadership of A. Ramakrishna took up celebrations of Bhagawan Sri Sathya the challenge and with the grace and Sai Baba in November 1990. Work on blessings of Baghwan Sri Sathya Sai the balance 48 flats, which started in Baba, completed the task ahead of September 1990, was completed in schedule and handed over the project December 1990. for other agencies to implement the mechanical, electrical and plumbing With the help of L&T – Doka formwork works. systems 130 mm thick reinforced concrete walls were cast in the first What came as a small contract, this stage by employing the large wall panel blossomed in to several repeat orders forms and slabs over walls in the second subsequently and over a period of time stage by using the Flex system. Cranes L&T designed and built more than 1000 were used for lifting and placing as well

A section of the typical multi-storied pilgrim quarters.

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as removing and shifting the wall formwork panels. ECC The façade walls are 150mm thick in solid block work. also co-ordinated the execution of all services like electrical The internal partition walls are 100mm thick in solid block installations, sanitary, plumbing works. Apart from the speed work. The RC walls and 150mm thick solid block walls are and quality achieved, the cost of flats ranged from Rs.350 to supported on continuous strip/wall footings. 425 per sq.ft. In all, ECC built around 1000 flats at Prasanthi Nilayam, in Puttaparthi. In the second and third stage alone The walls and the slabs are built using Heated Tunnel form 679 flats were built in 7 blocks, each consisting of 97 units. system in which the main walls and the slab were cast Unlike in the first stage, each flat had an area of 420 sq.ft. together and cured by passing steam at requisite temperature The community flats, in two blocks, are constructed using to enable concrete to attain sufficient strength within 24 tunnel form technology with RC walls and slabs. One block hours. consists of twenty numbers of each 52.50 sq.m dormitories in ground and first floor and fifty numbers of each 26.50 Sqm The flooring is finished with mosaic tiles. The interior surfaces rooms in second and third floor. The second block consists and ceiling are painted over 1mm thick Plaster of Paris putty. of ninety flats, each having an area of 26.50 sq.m rooms. The exterior surface is painted with Every dormitory and room is provided with attached toilet waterproof cement paint. apart from common toilets in the ground and first floors. The total built up area of each block is 3252 sq.m. These were constructed within a period of 6 months. These elegant flats cost around Rs.485 per sq.ft indicating its The structural system consists of 135mm thick RC load- suitability for mass housing in urban areas of India. bearing walls with RC slabs spanning between the RC walls.

50 Different views of the pilgrim quarters with tree lined avenues and other amenities. Devotees are accommodated in these homely dwelling units.

52 I can’t forget the single most cherished moment when I first came into direct contact with Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

L&T had always been very supportive in the works of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and rose to the occasion, especially when it came to meeting the tight deadlines for project completion.

Mr. C. Sreenivas, Bengaluru 54

An imposing 65-ft giant statue of Sri Hanuman specially designed and built on the hill (to mark Baba’s 65th birthday) arrests the attention of all visitors to Puttaparthi. No one can miss it, because it is built at an elevation of approximately 150 ft high on a hill. Everybody can see it even from a long distance.

Installed on a 6-ft concrete pedestal Sri Hanuman, comes alive with his ‘ready- to-take-off pose’, holding the Sanjeevi hill on his left hand palm and gadha held resting on his right shoulder, and his head with the crown held high, beaming an air of confidence and hope.

56 Hanuman Statue... Signifying strength and valour

The 65 feet tall imposing statue of Lord Sri Hanuman. Perched on a 150 feet high hill, this statue was built on Artificial waterfall the occasion of Swami’s 65th birthday As Prasanthi Nilayam is located on a hilly surrounding and devoid in 1990. of a waterfall, the trustees of Sai Baba decided to create an artificial cascade. The foot of Sri Hanuman was chosen as an apt site for the origin of the waterfall. ECC executed the design, supply and commissioning of the artificial waterfall. For this purpose, ECC constructed a 30 cu.m water tank with pump house at the foot of the hill. From this tank, water is pumped 32m high to the foot The body of Sri Hanuman is made of the Hanuman statue and supplied through six spray nozzles, out of composite steel and concrete spreading it over a width of 12m. With the help of two artificial construction. Apart from the structural spillways at different levels, a smooth sheet of water cascades design and construction, ECC also down the hill like a real waterfall. The spilled water is collected at carried out the electrical installation the bottom storage tank and re-circulated to the spillway. works associated with it. Sri Sathya Sai Airport ... Welcoming the guests with warmth

Puttaparthi finds a place on the airline map of India ever since the Sri Sathya Sai Airport was pressed into service on November 24, 1990. ECC built this 1000m long, 23-m wide airstrip within an amazing time of 90 days. It was a breakthrough by any standards. The work involved site grading, excavation and construction of runway including a terminal building. This was subsequently extended to receive Airbus A320 aircrafts.

58 L&T has been associated earlier with Sri Sathya Sai Airport project in 1990-93 much before I joined and now they are supervising the runway resurfacing work.

As a consultant at present for Sri Sathya Sai Airport resurfacing work, L&T has been a thorough professional Company with prompt advice and follow up and have a dedicated team of professionals to execute the work.

Capt. M.S. Sharma, Director, Sri Sathya Sai Airport, Puttaparthi Meeting the culinary needs of everyone

South Indian Food Canteen

The two-storied canteen caters to 2000 people at a time. It covers a total built- up area of 2000 sq.m. A central kitchen caters to all four dining halls and each of the four dining hall caters to 500 people. It houses a kitchen which ideally located for easy articulation. The building was built and occupied within a matter of 5 months. The building meets all the culinary needs of the devotees.

North Indian Food Canteen

Consisting of two octagonal dining halls, the kitchen is located at the rear of the building. The canteen caters to 500 people, 250 people in each hall. Two decorative helical stairways lead to the first floor conference halls. The total built- up area of the building is 3000 sq.m. This building caters to the tastes of all North Indians.

Clockwise from right: Circular staircase. North and South Indian Canteen. Inset : The Western Canteen.

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Boys’ Hostel... Building trust and character

Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, founded by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, was inaugurated on November 22, 1981. It is an autonomous body accredited to and recognised as a Deemed University by the Government of India and University Grants Commission. Since April 1986, it has been a regular member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

The Institute is a non-profit independent organisation, having different campuses at separate locations. Its two campuses for men are at Prasanthi Nilayam in Andhra Pradesh, and at Brindavan near Whitefield railway station at Bangalore in Karnataka. The third campus, for women, is located at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

The Institute believes in spontaneous national integration and hence has an open admission policy purely based on merit, encouraging enrollment of boys and girls irrespective of income, class, creed, religion or region. At present over sixty percent of its students are from places other than Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Boys hostel is a three-storeyed structure (ground + two) having a total built-up area of 4520 sq.m. This consists of 64 rooms each having an area of 22 sq.m including a large prayer hall, dining and kitchen facilities, meant for students studying in the institutions there.

Boys Hostel provides accommodation for students studying in different schools and colleges (Sri Sathya Sai University) at Prasanthi Nilayam.

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Hill View Stadium... For entertainment and enlightenment

Vidyagiri stadium or hill-view stadium as it is known is located on a 9-acre land and is meant for annual sports meet by students of the University. Functions of general nature and events do take place here. This playground has an international quality cricket pitch and it is important to note that India 11 played an international one-day benefit cricket match here.

To start with, this ground had a main stage (380 sq.m) with two pavilions one each for ladies and gents (150 sq.m). Since this has limitations of space, an L-shaped gallery was built on one side of the ground to provide seating for 8000 people in ten tiers. An additional 325 sq.m was added to the pavilion as a part of the green room facilities for the players. This apart, there is a natural hill view area where 2000 people can sit and watch the games and other cultural events.

64 Vidyagiri Stadium with open gallery Bottom right: VIP Gallery Extreme bottom: Special pavilions for ladies and gents with green room facilities. Bottom Left: Entrance arch. 66

Sai Kulwant Hall... For transcending the mind

The intricately decorated center stage of Sai Kulwant Hall. 68

A large darshan hall was built in phases in front of the mandir for the devotees to have Baba’s Divya darshan. The hall - ‘Sai Kulwanth Hall’ - has a structural system made of reinforced concrete grid floor supported on columns for larger spans around 20 m. to give a clear view of Swami to devotees. An eye-catching polycarbonate skylight roof (300 sq.m) is provided at the center of the hall. Covering an area of 8825 sq.m, the hall accommodates 20,000 devotees at a time. This roof is electrically operated and part of it can be opened to let in fresh air.

An excellent Greek arch adorns the entrance to the darshan hall. The arch formed as a lotus petal blesses devotees entering into the darshan hall. All columns are cladded with natural granite and the ceilings are covered with decorative gold foil. This shelter is an abode of architectural and structural design providing a serene setting for a good inspirational darshan.

I was associated with L&T during the construction of Sai Kulwant Hall, Sathya Sai International Centre, New Delhi, and MBA Girls College, Anantapur. To me L&T means Good quality of work done on time; fully reliable. Especially the way Sai Kulwant Hall turned out to be.

Mr. Vinay Rai, President, Rai Foundation

70 Clockwise from top left: Electrically operated polycarbonate skylight roof, which can be opened to let in fresh air. The entrance arch to Sai Kulwant Hall, decorated with lotus petal shaped capital. Interior view of the 20,000 seat capacity Sai Kulwant Hall with its magnificent and rich decoarative work. Shopping Centre... Where you can shop till you drop

Originally a C-shaped two-storeyed shopping centre was satisfying the day-to-day needs of the devotees. The building consisted of a variety of shops. The total built-up area was 3000 sq.ft. This building operated for limited hours during the morning and evening. Due to the increase in devotees, the Shopping Centre was unable to fulfill the needs of the devotees to the fullest extent, therefore the need for a new shopping complex was felt.

New Shopping Complex

The New Shopping Complex is a large three-storeyed structure built in an area of 100 feet X 100 feet. A central atrium illuminates the internal areas, and all modern-day facilities are offered to the shoppers. The decorative slope roof top enhances the beauty of the building. Having an area of 3000 sq.m, this building is thrice the size of the old shopping centre (approximately 30,000 sq.ft).

The uniquely designed columns give a characteristic feel to the Centre thereby giving the shoppers a great experience.

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The Book Trust building – an architectural delight and a treasure house of knowledge.

74 Book Trust Building... The treasure house of knowledge

The Book Trust Building is known as Sanathana Sarathi Book and Publication Building. The structure is interestingly multi-level and is built as per the natural ground profile of the hilly terrain. Different areas have been segregated and earmarked in different levels for the Trust’s use. This building primarily contains bookstalls, Trust office areas and a library. The library is located in the uppermost level called ‘silent zone’. It has an excellent outdoor terrace area for ‘Sayankhaal Adhyayan’.

This building consists of 2500 sq.m. area. To reach the various levels, a smooth decorative ramp has been created on either side of the building. This architectural creation merges with the natural environment and speaks for itself about its unique nature. The unique architectural creation merges with the natural environs and ground profile. Right: Entrance porch and different views of the interiors.

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Music College... Nurturing classical singers, musicians and artists

The Museum

The Museum, housing musical instruments used across past centuries to the modern era, is a building encapsulated by a roof shaped in the form of a cymbal (‘Thaalam’). The building portrays its function with its appearance and form complemented by the 40m diameter 9.7m rise cymbal-shaped dome as roof, with a mini dome over it symbolizing the handle of the cymbal. Trumpets on either side of the entrance portico welcome visitors with their awesome form. Each of these is supported on a Veena and a Guitar (as columns) encompassing the harmony of the instruments.

Not just an exhibition of musical instruments, but a music college, which turns out students in classical singing and classical instruments. Clockwise from top: Entrance view of Music College. Cymbal shaped concrete dome of the music college. Staircase inside the tabla shaped structure. The school of dance and music.

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80 On either side of the building, 9.9m diameter Tabla shaped structure as stair room renders the completeness of an Indian Orchestra. The building as a whole reverberates the message of peace and harmony with well balanced and planned interconnection of the ‘instruments’. The roof (cymbal-shaped) of the main building is a 40m dia column- free reinforced concrete shell structure with double curvature in varying thickness of 270mm at the spring and 175mm at the crown. The roof springs from a tension ring beam supported on 22 columns founded on isolated footings. The stair room (tabla shaped) is a reinforced concrete shell structure with vertical ribs at 3.5m centres along the periphery. The flights of the staircase are saw tooth, without waist slab.

The flooring in the building is a combination of marble and granite. The interior surface and the ceiling are painted with plastic emulsion paint. The exterior surface is painted with waterproof cement paint. The built up area of the building is 3025 sq.m.

The tabla shaped structure on two sides, houses the staircase. Also seen a flute like feature incorporated on the parapet wall. Bottom left and right: Inside views – the open court at the center. School of Dance and Music

The school of dance and music with a built-up area of 3820 sq.m stands adjacent to the museum.

The building has a rectangular block, in the front, housing the Administrative office in the ground floor and the School of Music in the first and second floors. The rear side circular block housing the School of Dance has aesthetically designed stage and is in double height with open court at centre to seat the audience.

The flooring in the building is a combination of granite and The end of knowledge is love. ceramic tile. The interior surface and the ceiling are painted with oil bound washable distemper. The exterior surface is The end of culture is perfection. painted with waterproof cement paint in traditional colours. The end of wisdom is freedom.

82 Selfless service to the needy is the highest spiritual discipline. Do not use poisonous Sri Pedda words against anyone, for words wound more fatally than even arrows. What you Venkamaraju would desire others to do for you, you should do for others. You should respect Kalyana Mandapam others, as you want to be respected by them. This building has been built and donated to the public by Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Puttaparthi for conducting marriages and wedding receptions. The hall has a seating capacity of 300 people. The total built-up area, including kitchen and dining facilities, is about 750 sq.m. Decorative sthapathi work has been done to enhance the aesthetics of the building.

Named after Swami’s father, the Kalyana Mandapam is used for conducting weddings and receptions. Enriching the Monumental Beauty of Hyderabad

Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh with a population of 6.3 million and an area of 260 sq.km has been described as “Panchavani Sangam,’ a place where five linguistic and cultural streams meet. Here Telugu, Marathi, , Tamil and Urdu have mingled and enriched a city famous for its “Nawabf graciousness”. In this beautiful capital city and surrounding cities ECC has created several I was involved with the architecture of Sri Sathya monuments of excellence. Nigamagamam, Hyderabad including a host of other structures in Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi. Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam My association with L&T also extends beyond The Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam, a modern 30 years. The principal strength of L&T is taking Kalyanamandapam (marriage hall) cum multipurpose up challenges and carrying out tasks that are auditorium for Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Puttaparthi bears “impossible”. The speed and quality of L&T work the ECC stamp. The architecture, design and construction has been excellent and has culminated in many was entrusted to L&T ECC which engaged Mr.R. Chakrapani Landmark and Iconic Structures. The engineering and as the consulting architect for the project who shaped the construction teams have high professional efficiency, suggestions of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba into a concrete unparalleled in the industry. reality. Work commenced in August 1991. It was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao on August L&T has been the nodal force in transforming the 29, 1992. designs into reality in record time and quality using pioneering systems and innovation. This contribution The auditorium and balcony, arranged in an octagonal shape, from L&T was the underlying factor for Bhagawan’s has a seating capacity of 1,500 around a stage. An interesting extended confidence in this team. design feature of the auditorium roof is that it consists of an octagonal concrete compression ring having a height of The highlight of this association for me was when 3 m rising to a height of 16.5 m above the auditorium floor Bhagawan personally performed the wedding of level and connected with sixteen concrete beams spanning my son Ar. C. Vijay Ram with Ar. Priya Ram in His between columns/circumferential beams and compression chamber. ring. An octogonal dome and 16 upper curved shells form the roof of the auditorium. Sixteen lower curved shells form the balcony roof. The dining hall roof consists of an Mr. R. Chakrapani, R. Chakrapani & Sons (Architects interesting grid slab pattern of radial beams and intermediate & Engineers) circumferential beams.

Front view of the spectacular ‘Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam’ (Kalyana Mandapam), which won the FIP Award for the Most Outstanding Concrete Structure - 1994 at the Washington Congress. Right: Inside view of the auditorium. Extreme right: Grand entrance lobby showing the columns and waffles.

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Construction of the auditorium was very complex. The site being located on a rocky terrain, L&T had to resort to heating of rock using firewood for excavation without disturbing the adjacent structures. L&T also resorted to single hole drill blast at a time for rock excavation. A central acrow tower and sixteen radial beam towers were simultaneously erected for stability. Concreting was completed in sequence, taking up compression ring, radial beams and curved shells one after another. The whole staging was deshuttered only after completion of sixteen shells. The air volume covered within the auditorium/balcony was 1.5 lakh cu.ft which was an achievement in itself.

ECC’s contract also involved plumbing, sanitary, electrical and air-cooling works. The multipurpose auditorium consists of centrally air-cooled dining hall, auditorium and balconies. The main auditorium has an annexe block consisting of kitchen, marriage party rooms and green rooms, plant room and electrical sub-station buildings to cater to air-cooling and power requirement of the auditorium.

The quantum of work involved 3,000 cu.m of excavation (soft rock/hard rock), 5,000 cu.m of concreting, 18,000 sq.m of shuttering, 310 t of reinforcement steel, 1,200 cu.m of brick work, 21,000 sq.m of painting, 5,000 sq.m of ceramic tiles and 2,000 sq.m of marble flooring/cladding.

Sri Sathya Sai Auditorium, apart from its functional aspect has also transformed into a tourist attraction owing to its fascinating architecture. It has been placed on the list of important places to be visited in Hyderabad along with Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Falaknuma Palace and Salarjung Museum. Another facet of importance is that Sri Sathya Sai Auditorium was accorded a special mention for its engineering excellence by FIP – Federation Internationale I have been associated with Sri Sathya Sai de la Precontrainte, an international organisation for the Nigamagamam, Hyderabad, for the past 18 years. development of structural concrete, based in London, UK. It gives me pleasure to place on record the excellence of the buildings constructed by L&T. Architecturally the buildings of Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam constitute an excellent blend of architecture and modernity.

Justice Y.V. Anjaneyulu, Former Judge of Andhra Pradesh High Court and Member, Law Commission of India, New Delhi 86 Interior view of the octagonal shape auditorium showing the seating, balcony, radial beams of the roof shells and the compression ring in the center. Chaitanya Jyothi... Redefining the design and construction experience

88 The magnificent Chaitanya Jyothi with its rapturous design and outstanding construction features. This building was constructed to commemorate the 75th Birthday of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and houses an exhibition on His Life and Mission. The location was selected keeping in view the ambience and grandeur of the structure. A level site of 65m frontage and 60m depth and 4m above road level had to be created out of a sloping hillside. This entailed 3 to 4m of filling to an extant of one third portion and about 5000 cu.m of rock removal on the remaining portion. The building is 23m high, with a covered area of about 6000 sq.m. The apex of the roof is 27m high from the road level.

The architect, Mr. Goh Say Tong of Malaysia, designed a unique structure with a fusion of many cultures and architectural styles. A roof similar to a Chinese Emperor’s Palace, flanked by two Moorish domes made of titanium, crowning semicircular ends adorned with Gothic arches, are the main features. The two lift shafts have Japanese style roofs and there is K0I fish pool in front, designed by a specialist from Singapore. The stone balustrades and the stupa in front came from China. Incidentally, this is the biggest Chinese roof outside mainland China.

The fusion of Chinese architectural style lends grandeur to the beautiful Chaitanya Jyothi.

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The excavation which started on 16th November, 1999 was completed in April 2000, because this involved hard rock profiles. In order to accelerate the progress, a rock breaker was employed. It was withdrawn a month later being unable to break the hard granite strata underlying the top layer. Permission was then given for controlled blasting, which commenced on 3rd February 2000 and went upto 20th April 2000. Because of stringent time schedules, the structural construction did not proceed in the normal way but commenced wherever site clearance was made available. Thus on the right hand side the columns and slabs were raised up to the roof level, leaving dowels. All levels were tackled simultaneously and the whole building was constructed proceeding sideways from right to left. This radical departure from normal construction sequence was adopted, in order to meet stringent time frames and to make the building functional.

I was involved with construction Sri Sai Srinivasa Guest House, Prashanthi Nilayam and Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospitals both in Puttaparthi & Whitefield including Sri Sathya Sai Convention Right: The intricate and Centre at Whitefield. colourful filigree work on the ceilings and stone In my opinion, L&T is competent to take up and ballustrades. complete major works to the entire satisfaction of the clients. The Sri Sathya Sai Convention Centre Extreme Right: Sloping roof – Whitefield is a unique structure which involved with Chinese architectural advanced technical excellence both in structural and elements and decorative civil engineering. features. Mr. D.K.Audikesavulu, Former Member of Parliament and Chairman, Tirumala Devasthanam.

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Yet another innovation includes anchoring the reinforcement bars of columns directly into the hard granite rock wherever such rock was encountered. M-30 grade concrete was used for all structural members. For intermediate slabs and heavily reinforced beams, w/c ratio of 0.38 was adopted using FOSROC Conplast SP 337 superplasticiser. For all slabs open to sky and the Chinese roof slab, w/c ratio of 0.36 with maximum superplasticiser dosing was adopted. Joints in slabs were kept to a bare minimum and wherever joints had to be provided, epoxy based bonding chemical was used to ensure the best possible bonding.

Colourful ‘arty facts’ – spectrum of light with fine art images, heritage paintings and statues that imparts a stunning visual treat to the eyes.

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Chinese roof with gothic arches and titanium domes on either side. Right: Aesthetically designed arch windows and facades.

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No leakage or seepage was ever noticed in the roof structure of the Chaitanya Jyothi. In order to ensure proper curing, pounding for 28 days and column cured slabs and beams were cured using FOSROC WB water based membrane curing compound. For maintaining proper curvature of Chinese Roof and Gazebos, templates were used and finished surfaces matched exactly with the drawings. Maximum care was taken to maintain straight lines on the exterior finishes. To maintain uniformity, all mortar for plaster was mixed in concrete mixers. Filling in plinth was done using alternate layers of rock and murrum and compacted by plate vibrator. Fill portion of the road was compacted by a vibratory roller initially and later by a conventional road roller. Flooring required a wide variety of materials to be used, such as ceramic tiles, polished granite tiles of grey/red colour and of different tiles - like Jaisalmer marble tiles and white glazed tiles. Because of the coarse sand available in the area, the plastered surface had to be treated with plaster of paris and applied with acrylic emulsion paint. The external surface was treated with Heritage (granite) surfacing system and a pattern was created to stimulate granite masonry. Extensive stapathi work was done on flat surfaces to improve aesthetics. The structure is lit, for most part, by halide lamps of Thorn make. Fiber optic lights under the Chinese roof enhance the beauty of the decorative reflected ceiling. The edifice is something that all those connected with the construction can be proud of. The unique building, now named Chaitanya Jyoti, was inaugurated on 18th November 2000 by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Miniature animal forms (on roof) - characteristic of Chinese architecture. Top right: Aerial view of Chaitanya Jyothi as seen from the top of University Building.

98 I express my deep sense of appreciation and congratulate the team L&T for the excellent work done by them for the construction and timely completion of the Chaitanya Jyothi, which was inaugurated on 18th November 2000 by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on his 75th Birthday celebration.

“Chaitanya Jyothi”is a unique but complex structure, set in a picturesque but very difficult site. Completing this project in one year has been a marvellous feat on the part of L&T. What makes this feat even more creditable is that maximum speed was combined with topmost quality and at the same time observing good engineering practices.

The dynamism, impetus and the boundless energy of the entire L&T team with its high degree of cohesion to carry out the task with single minded dedication, was largely instrumental in achieving this feat. The synergy of the entire team went a long way in achieving this feat, which L&T can be proud of.

Col. S.K. Bose (Rtd.), Trust Engineer Super Specality Hospital, Prasanthigram... Providing the Healing Touch

In line with his mission ‘Health for all’, Swami has been undertaking primary and secondary health care through Sri Sathya Sai Hospital in the precincts of Prasanthi Nilayam since 1963. This general hospital now has 100 beds. All outpatients undergo preliminary scanning here before they are referred to specialists in the field for tertiary health care if any.

The first venture of Sri Sathya Sai Trust into tertiary care came up with the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences at Puttaparthi on November 23, 1991. This 280-bed super speciality hospital was designed and built by ECC on turnkey basis in a record time of ten months.

The architecture of the building is conceived in the form of a human being with folded arms, symbolising love, affection and care. It is built on the lines of a palace, with arch-type windows and corridors running around almost the entire length of the hospital on the ground and first floors together with a domed terrace.

Structurally the building has been designed as a framed structure. The dome has been designed as a shell structure. It consists of conventional beam and column framework. The main central dome near the entrance, having a diameter of 24 m with a shell thickness of 150 mm, is supported on a ring beam with eight columns, placed equidistant from each other. The tip of the dome outside is crowned with an ornamental lotus and a beautiful chandelier of 2 tons hanging beneath, inside the central hall. Besides the main dome, there are 20 other domes.

Temple of healing - Front view of the Super Speciality Hospital at Prasanthigram.

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The hospital has two floors, each having a height of 4.6m. This houses thirteen operation theatres, four intensive care units, one cath lab on the first floor and service facilities like OPD, X-ray dept, pharmaceutical stores, sterile stores, laboratories, blood banks, kitchen, central laundry on the second floor.

Till 1998, as many as 30,725 inpatients and 4,12,123 outpatients have benefited from state-of-the-art free treatment at this hospital.

I was associated with L&T in Sri Satya Sai Super Speciality Hospitals in Puttaparthi (1990-91) and Whitefield (2000-2001).

L&T’s contribution in the building of Bhagawan’s hospitals has been monumental. The sheer scales of planning, meticulous execution and timely completion have always been underscored by Shri A. Ramakrishna’s personal commitment and devoted service.

Recently, I had the opportunity to see the Puttaparthi hospital through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time. While feelings of awe and wonder are customary when one sees this magnificent edifice, he remarked that it was difficult to believe that the building - strong, solid and spectacular - was 20 years old!

My most enduring impression of the L&T team is the open-mindedness and receptivity, which they have displayed to us - ‘clients’. When we were fitting out the Operation Theatres (OTs) at Whitefield, we discovered that the air flow from the centralized air conditioning was contrary to what is mandatory for an OT i.e. a laminar air flow. A laminar air flow is will pump in fresh air from the outside to replace the contaminated air, contrary to the centralized ACs.

We brought this to the L&T team’s attention, demonstrating our point with a smoking agarbatti! The team immediately caught on and went to great lengths to rectify this in spite of the paucity of time and the extent of the re-work required. We had a perfect OT ready for inauguration day! I salute their spirit and wish them all the best in their devoted efforts in future.

Dr. P. Venugopal, Chairman, Alchemist Medical Corporation

The entrance gate from the road Top: The beautiful landscaping and horticulture work.

104 I have been blessed to design and build many projects around the world, but none compare to the building of the Super Specialty Hospital for Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences at Puttaparthi.

For the construction of the project, L&T literally received architectural drawings for the next day or two from London by courier almost daily, as 27 architects slaved in London and countless L&T structural, electrical, lighting and building engineers worked feverishly night and day with 1000’s of workers 24 hours on site. The will of Sai Baba is unshakable and the structure was completed in its basic form in 9 months, just a few hours before its inauguration by then India’s Prime Minster Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao.

Although Mr. Ramakrishna, myself and the entire team of L&T are aged considerably over this time, the grace of being chosen by Sai Baba for this great philanthropic project, which is serving millions of India’s less fortunate citizens is the thrill of my life. Thank you, dear Swami.

Mr. Isaac Burton Tigrett, Founder of Hard Rock Café Overall view of the Prashantigram hospital. The architecture of the building is conceived in the form of a human-being with folded arms symbolizing love, affection and care.

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I was involved with L&T in the Planning and construction of SSSIHMS Hospital at Prashanthigram, where they executed a very good, highly professional work.

Both the planning and construction of this hospital was done by L&T in a record time of 7 months working day and night to construct a building which is very user, patient and eco-friendly.

Dr. A N Safaya, Director, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSSIHMS), Prashanthigram and Professor of Hospital Administration and Medical Superintendent, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

108 Left: Massive central dome and other smaller domes impart an institutional feel to the building. Bottom: Uniquely designed overhead water tank capped with a dome amidst lotus buds. Left bottom and extreme left: The double height central dome is fitted with port hole windows glass paintings and other ornamental gold works. An ornate chandelier emerges from the center of the decorative floral design. 110 Top left: Deities at the grand entrance lobby adds the touch the divinity. Left middle: Another view of the hospital. Left bottom: Beautiful view of the ornate chandelier, shimmering gold work and glass paintings that lets light and adds delight. Top: An artistically designed expansive open corridor with columns and waffle slabs. The enchanting front view of the hospital with statue of Lord Dhanvantri – God of Medicine.

112 Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield... An engineering marvel 114

Continuing the good work and yeoman service began at Super Speciality Hospital at Prasanthigram, Puttaparthi, Baghwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba wanted to extend this critical healthcare facility to people in the suburbs of Bengaluru. This resulted in the creation of an imposing super speciality Top: Side view of the hospital and the hospital and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical ramp leading to the reception. Sciences at Whitefield in 2001. It came as a birthday gift from Right: The awe inspiring and spacious Baghwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, when he completed 75 years. expanse of the foyer with double height This hospital is a tertiary care institution that caters to the columns, waffled ceilings and central specialties of Cardiology, Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery. And the Sri Sathya Sai Central atrium. Trust once again called up on the high-tech construction expertise of ECC Construction Division of L&T to build this magnificent structure.

116 This super speciality hospital incorporates some of the best Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, facilities and provides high quality, free medical and surgical Bangalore was the project that I was associated with L&T. treatment encompassing: In my opinion, the Construction work done by L&T has to • 330 beds and 12 operating theatres be seen to be believed. They do a high quality work at a • Treatment for cardiac illnesses as also Cardio-Thorasic very high speed. With the grace of Bhagawan they have Vascular Surgery, Neuro Surgery. been able to deliver all the projects as per deadlines set • Training for nurses and para-medics, by Him. They always give their full commitment and do the work round the clock to complete the projects assigned to Most importantly, the hospital offers cardiac care to the poor them. and needy. The hospital is designed architecturally to create an atmosphere and environment, surcharged with love and In a short period of 18 months entire hospital of hope and sanctified by divinity to encourage the curing of such magnificence and grandeur was made ready for disease, not merely in body, but in mind and spirit as well. inauguration on 19th January 2001. Anyone who has seen the hospital will not feel that this is possible.

Dr. A.S. Hegde, Director and Neuro-surgery Chairman The Architects for the Project are : Ravi Associates, Bangalore Sai Architects, New Delhi Mr. Srivastsan, Medical Consultant

In creating this high-rise structure of style and substance ECC brings its range of capabilities into play. These include civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, including aesthetic “finishings” as also electro-mechanical services that make the buildings “intelligent” plus a gamut of systems such as water, sanitary, HVAC, elevator, fire protection, security and surveillance systems, landscaping and horticultural works. As a part of the turnkey services ECC also had to co-ordinate with BNA Agencies, medical gas agency, medical equipment suppliers, including architects and medical consultants.

The entire complex is a masterpiece from the master builder. ECC’s Knowledge Centre, the Engineering, Design and Research Centre (EDRC) at Chennai has carried out the comprehensive design for structural, electrical, HVAC works, water and hygiene and fire-fighting systems for this world class hospital.

The hospital is planned on a 52.26 acres of land donated by the Government of Karnataka and it is provided with the following facilities

For Cardiac For Neurology Department Department Operation 8 4 Theatres Cath Lab 4 1 Post OP ICU Beds 45 30 Caronary Care Beds 45 Neurology 10 ICU Ward Beds 98 90

In tune with the ground profile, the main hospital building has been built with three floors in two front wings and four floors in rear. The total built-up area is 3,54,000 sq.ft. The building has a large central lobby with high ceiling and domes housed with Lord Ganesha. While the front wings houses the outpatient departments on the ground floor and the in-patient wards on the two upper floors, the administrative offices are housed in the rear. This includes the central stores, dietary kitchen, pharmacy and laundry. All the engineering services department operates from the basement.

The majestic entrance porch and central dome with beautiful ornamental columns.

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The emergency centre, the imaging and radiology sections, the blood bank and the laboratory are housed in the ground floor level II. The cardiac operation theatres, including the cardiac ICU and ancillaries are there in the first floor of the rear wing. The top floor houses the neurosurgery complex including the operation theatres and Intensive Care Units.

A detached reception block situated near the northwest corner of the plot provides the initial screening services for patients. In addition, there is a public canteen, lady voluntary block with cloak room and toilet blocks adjacent to it.

A 2,00,000 litre capacity over head tank has been planned on the northeast corner of the plot including the exclusive service building to house diesel generators, UPS Units, chiller units, boiler transformers. The total built-up area of this utility building is approximately 1,00,000 sq.ft.

Engineering Details (Structural Works)

In the hospital project, columns with flat slab structural system have been adopted to cater for more head room and speedy construction. For the main lobby, the waffle slab system has been adopted. The details of works executed by L&T’s ECC Division is furnished below:

Date of start of work : September 1999 Date of completion of work : October 2000 Value of work : Rs. 64 crores

Quantity of Works

Excavation incl. Grading : 1,19,000 cu.m Concrete : 30,600 cu.m I was actively involved in the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Form Work : 1,13,500 sq.m Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram (AP) and Whitefield, Bengaluru. It Reinforcement : 3,100 tons stands as an example par excellence of both structural integrity and Block work : 47,500 sq.m function as a patient-centred, state-of-the-art medical institution. Plastering : 99,500 sq.m The result is not only a hospital that is listed among the top 50 best Waterproofing : 6,050 sq.m hospital buildings in the world by P. James and T. Noakes in their Flooring/Wall Cladding : 53,250 sq.m book, “Hospital Architecture” (Longmans, 1994), but also most importantly, a hospital where the patient receives ideal healthcare The meticulous planning of resources and day to day for body, mind and spirit. monitoring ensured completion of target set by clients. There are six domes, as detailed below: In the field of engineering it is indeed unusual to see such a fusion of structure, form and function. The work was expedited by L&T Main Dome (Central Dome): 23 m in dia, 26 m from terrace. because of the love and energy of the workers, and the grace that Other Domes (four):11 m in dia, 12 m from terrace, our beloved Swami showered on them incessantly. During the Porch Dome (one): 8 m in dia, 8 m from ground level execution of this monumental project, L&T senior executives, staff, managers, engineers and construction crews delightfully worked in The main dome construction was on critical path of the harmony with doctors, architects and hospital administrators, under project schedule, involving high staging (using Doka heavy- the direct guidance of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. duty tower system). To ensure timely completion, structural steel trusses were provided to enable removal of staging In this context I recall an interesting anecdote - During the below the ring beam, which facilitated to take up complicated inauguration of the hospital on 19th Jan 2001, the then Prime flooring works of main dome and also to take up dome ceiling Minister Honourable Sri. , mentioned in his finishes. speech that this medical institution is unique, where one gets both dava (medicine) and duva (Divine Blessings).

Dr. Narendranath Reddy, M.D., FACP, FACE

120 A master piece from the master builder – Larsen & Toubro.

Public Health Engineering

Water requirements of the entire complex are met by two 3000 kVA power tapped at 2 points from Karnataka Power bore wells located inside the premises and in addition to Transmission Corporation Limited caters to the complete water from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board. power requirements for medical equipment, illumination The raw water gets treated in water treatment plant and and utilities like HVAC, lift, water supply, sewage treatment then pumped to the overhead tank, from where it will be plant etc. Two 650 kVA and 500 kVA Diesel Generators are supplied by gravity flow. A Reverse Osmosis Plant has also installed to protect against power cuts. A 340 KW UPS is been designed and installed to provide RO water for labs installed to give uninterrupted power supply. and CSSD areas. Sewage from the hospital is treated in the sewage water treatment plant and it is used for toilet-flushing A total of 6 million man-hours were engaged to ensure timely and landscaping, thereby bringing about efficient water completion. The hospital was inaugurated on 19th January management. 2001 by the the Prime Minister of India, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee in the holy presence of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. On Services completion of the project, L&T’s project engineers stood back and gazed at the marvel, they created. Magnificence arose The hospital is provided with a well-equipped fire-alarm from the mundane, and a thing of beauty stands on what was and fire fighting system including a pump house to meet once, a barren land. It is with Swami’s blessings, L&T turned the exigencies during fire accidents. A 800 TR (4 x 200 TR) this golden concept into glittering reality. It is, truly, Swami capacity water cooled screw chiller takes care of the HVAC who has built it all. systems including 100% fresh air system for the patients in the operation theatres and ICU. The central atrium is a celebration of light both natural and from the ornate chandelier. Left Bottom: Ornamentally carved wooden handrail. 122

124 State-of-the-heart hospital showing different facilities and sophisticated medical equipment installed to cure and care. Sri Sathya Sai International Centre for Sports... For developing sports person to Olympic standards

The 4000 seat capacity Sri Sathya Sai Indoor Stadium with a built-up area of 1 Lakh sq.ft.

126

The Sathya Sai International Centre For Sports was completed in a record duration of 150 days. The Sports Complex, spread over 7.05 acres, adds another dimension to the existing cricket ground (turf pitch) of the Outdoor Stadium. It has a 58 metres x 98 metres multi-sport hall with elliptical galleries on all sides. The complex has an octagonal display centre with a diameter of 60 feet. Indoor Stadium offers six disciplines - badminton, basketball, table tennis, squash, volleyball and gymnastics. The stadium’s hall has a capacity of 4,000 people. The building has six entrances. All facilities meet Olympic standards.

The flooring is made layer by layer, starting with a concrete slab and followed by a damp proof membrane. It is then covered by insulation sheet which is followed by a layer of screed. After the screed, an elastic layer of 10-14 mm is provided by a plastic web, a PVA glue layer and finally topped with a plastic finish layer. The flooring is made of 100% recycleable products.It complies with the world-wide sports flooring standard, i.e. NFP90-203, OIN18-032/2. The surface has been approved by ITF (Tennis), IBF (badminton), FIVB (volleyball), FIBA(basketball), ITTF (table tennis) and IHF (handball).

Sathya Sai International Centre For Sports also offers: • Tennis complex having four hard courts with synthetic top. • Two Squash courts. • Yoga cum Aerobics Centre. • A hall for Gymnasium cum Health club.

This sports complex has been aesthetically designed with columns and beams with adequate lighting and ventilation system for different arenas. It comes with international-class facilities such as practice areas, gym, locker facilities and administration offices.

128 The octogonal shaped display centre (60 ft. Dia) in the foreground with shell roof and oval shaped indoor games hall in the background, completed in just 150 days. 130 Well lit interior of the games hall with the playing arena and seating gallery. The stadium on a 4.8-acre site has the largest open frame space dome in the country. It has been built to Olympic specifications and can host international tournaments. Baba has always championed the quest for excellence. Here, he has created a facility that will prepare sports persons from all over the country to strive for gold at global levels. Like all his projects this one too is for the benefit of the country and comes at no charges.

The stadium has all amenities such as state-of-the-art training facilities and equipment. The scoring and TV systems are the best in the world. From flooring to seating, every bit that makes this a world-class facility has been brought from different, parts of the world. It also has a well-equipped gym and tennis complex, accommodation facilities and stands to seat 4,000 spectators.

As part of the inauguration, a volleyball match between India and Sri Lanka, a basketball match between India and Indonesia, and gymnastics display by some members of the Athens Olympics gold winning Greece team was also held. The highlight of the events was a basketball display by the Harlem Globetrotters whoJMye, who came down to be part of the opening ceremony.

The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, the apex body that has commissioned the facility, brings down coaches from all over the world for train youngsters and to win Olympic medals for India.

This state-of-the-art, Olympic-standard indoor stadium was inaugurated by President Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam at Puttaparthi.

132 Inside view of the octogonal shaped display centre with shell roof and compression ring. I recall two instances of L&T’s dedication in executing and completing works on time schedule, which any one would consider near impossible - International Sports stadium at Puttaparthi and the Water Supply Project in East and West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh. I have, of course, heard about many other projects like the Super Specialty Hospital at Prasanthi Gram, Chennai Water Supply Project, etc. which are far more spectacular.

The one supervening observation in regard to all the projects is that they are all Swami’s projects, and it is His will which governs every one of them.

Mr. S.V. Giri, Former Vice Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

134 Different views of the state-of-the-art indoor stadium built to Olympic standards. B-School for Women at Anantapur... An elite school of business management

Larsen & Toubro recently completed the construction of the Architectural and Design Parameter Business School for Women at Anantapur Sri Sathya Sai University Campus with complete infrastructure facilities This building has been designed and built: designed for an in-take of 120 students per year. • To place the structure closer to the main highway with a wide frontage. Consisting of ground plus two levels, the school is provided • As a ground plus two storied structure with two wings with complete amenities like the library, display / class rooms, having a grand entrance with a reception hall in the center administration area, computer lab including a spacious of the building dining hall in the ground floor. The first and second floors are • As a modular structure with modern grid system designed as typical twin room hostel facility with attached • To provide easy connectivity to all levels through broad bathrooms to accommodate students. In addition, there is staircases at vantage points a central television and recreation hall for entertainment and • To provide a comprehensive and efficiently loaded single leisure. corridor for heavy movement • With the natural flooring materials to take care of the wear The turnkey construction of the project was undertaken by and tear and easy maintenance L&T while FBA Architects, Chennai, the principal consultants, • With large windows and wide doors for good ventilation conceptualized this project as per the guidelines of and easy circulation Dr. A. Ramakrishna, Former President and Deputy Managing Director of L&T. While conceptualizing the school building, the following architectural and design parameters were taken into consideration.

136 I was actively involved with L&T in the Construction I am associated with the proposed Advanced of the new Humanities Building at the Prasanthi Multi-Disciplinary Research Centre Nilayam campus during 2005 and 2006 and later and Departments of Management and construction of a new building for the Management Mathematics and Computer Science. Programme for girls at the Anantapur campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Building Plans for this project are getting ready for the approval of Bhagawan and In all the above projects, I observed that three things the work is yet to commence. However, am went together at every stage and for every task. interacting with L&T engineers and architects These are (a) quality of the final product, (b) strict and find that they have the acumen to quickly adherence to requirements and Instructions and (c) grasp all ideas required for proper usage and timely completion of the total task. functionality with a flair for aesthetic appeal. And the quick delivery of the draft plans. Whenever I see the Baha’i Temple in Delhi, I think of L&T with admiration. Prof. J. Shashidhara Prasad, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Vishwanath Pandit, Former Vice-Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Vidyagiri, Prasanthi Nilayam

Built Form

This building is aesthetically planned and designed with decorative columns and domes in a balanced manner with the central dome bigger in size than the rest of the domes. Moreover, conventional Sthapathi works have been introduced in the parapet area and windows to give an ancient heritage institutional look for the building.

Areas Sq.m Sq.ft Ground Floor 1105 11894 First Floor 975 10495 Second Floor 975 10495 Total 3087 sq.m 33229 sq.ft

Structural System

The modular grid system has been introduced in a way that the ground floor level provides class rooms and other academic facilities. First and second floors have been constructed with same grid system to accommodate hostel rooms with attached bath facilities.

Articulation

This building has been designed and built in the conventional way infused with heritage characteristics including various decorative elements, features, dome facade and the like. The dome architecture gives the building its magnanimous look apart from the typical institutional characteristics.

Panoramic view of the ‘B’ school for women. This 33,000 sq.ft building is designed for an intake of 120 students per year. 138

Sai Bhaktha Nivas... For more influx and added comforts

140 Two of the five dormitory complexes inaugurated by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on September 11, 2010 at Prasanthi Nilayam. Each of this dormitory is designed to accommodate 864 devotees. 142 Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba declared open three out of five dormitory blocks completed by L&T at Prasanthi Top left: Interior view of the dormitory. Inset: Nilayam on 11th September, 2010 and dedicated them A. Ramakrishna briefing Swami about the to Sai devotees on the auspicious occasion of Vinayaka facilities. Bottom left: An illuminated view of Chathurthi. Consisting of ground plus two stories, each of these dormitory block has an area of 40950 sq.ft . The the building. Above: Between two wings of walls of the buildings are made of solid block masonry the dormitory, there is an intermediary open while the floors and roof including the stairways are made space for ventilation and lighting. of precast elements. Each of this dormitory is designed to accommodate 864 devotees.

Sai Bhaktha Nivas is a dwelling place for the devotees thronging Prasanthi Nilayam from all over the world to have a darshan of Baghwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In order to meet the growing accommodation needs of overflowing devotees at Prasanthi Nilayam, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba decided to build these five new dormitories. Unlike the earlier built dormitory sheds with sheet roof, the new Surrendering the fruit of dormitory dons a modern look and they are provided with complete amenities for the devotees to have a comfortable action to the Lord stay. is real sacrifice. Each of these new dormitories is provided with two blocks – a spacious hall of size 12m x 30 m area in the front with a 9 m x 32 m toilet block in the backyard. Divided into two wings, each dormitory block has two staircases in the centre of the building to provide access to the upper floors. Overlooking downwards between the two wings, is an open intermediary space for better ventilation and lighting.

160 precast rib slabs, each of size 5.8 m x 1.61 m form the floor of the first and second floors and each of these rib slab weighs 2 tons. The second floor roof is made of precast shell elements, each having a dimension of 13.9 m length x 2.65 m width and a weight of 9.5 tons. 42 parabolic shell roof elements adorn each dormitory complex. The curved edges of the precast roof shells placed side by side and projected outward along the sides of the building with its wavy form design, presents the structure a beautiful look. There are two precast stair ways providing access – one in the front and the other at the backyard of the dormitory. Each of these stairways are made of 12 precast segments each weighing 5 tons.

There are two entrance doors for each wing and sufficient space is provided for the walkways. Accommodation inside the hall is provided in the form of a double deck steel cot with berths (cushion beds). The two wings in each floor provides 8 rows of 8 double berths (lower and upper berths) which can totally accommodate 288 persons per floor and altogether 864 persons in three floors of one dormitory block. Adequate number of ceiling fans and lights are Major items of work fitted for good ventilation and lighting. In the backyard, the toilet block is provided with bath rooms, wash Precast elements basins, closets and taps with good water connectivity • Floor rib slabs - 800 Nos and lighting. • Roof Shell elements - 206 Nos • Staircase segments - 60 Nos A casting yard at a strategic location with negative moulds yielded the required precast rib slabs, staircase Structural segments and roof shells. After casting, they were • Concrete - 3380 cu.m demoulded, transported and erected in place with • Shuttering - 23190 sq.m heavy lift cranes for speedier operations. • Reinforcement - 600 tons

The operations which began on February 2010 was Architectural completed in a record time of eight months by • Solid Block masonry - 16980 sq.m th 30 September, 2010. • Plastering - 35420 sq.m • Flooring & dado - 39230 sq.m • Painting - 58800 sq.m Top right: Exterior view of Sai Bhaktha Nivas. Right: Mr. K. Chakravarthi, Mr. Satish Nayak and Architect Nayak explaining details of a new project to Swami.

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Prasanthi Tower, Muddenahalli... Reaching high into the sky and keeping the time of the village

146 Prasanthi Tower - an elevated landmark on a landscaped hillock. An iconic clock tower structure for Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been built by Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust at Muddhenahalli in Chickabal- lapur District of Karnataka. The serene and lush green locale of Muddenahalli has been chosen for constructing this monumental structure, Prasanthi Tower. Perched on the highest point of a small hillock, this 120 feet (36m) high build- ing is already the most notable or visible land- mark structure with its enthralling architecture, set amidst the hilly surroundings and verdant fields. The main feature of the building, the clock tower, is the time keeper of the entire village, for it reminds villagers of the exact satellite time by striking the bell every hour on a 12 hour basis. The resonating waves of the bell goes splitting the air and reaches a distance of 6-8 km radius around the village. Being a square tower, there are four clocks installed on four faces of the tower, each of which measure 12 feet in diam- eter in order to be visible from a long distance. Rising high into the sky, the clock tower ema- nates from the petal like red coloured RCC shell roof making Prasanthi Tower look like a lovely flower from afar.

The podium of the Prasanthi Tower is located about 50 feet above the ground level on the hill- ock and a beautiful 6m wide winding ramp and drive way provides access to the ground floor of the building, from below. Architecturally, the building has been conceived in the form of Adhisesha - the Serpent God with its geometri- cal forms – a combination of circles, squares, covered with conical folded plate roof, all sym- bolizing the form of the snake when viewed from the air.

The 6m wide ramp and 8m wide circular driveway leading to the ground floor of Prasanthi Tower. The twin columns cantilever circumferentially with radial beams, gives the driveway the floating effect. Top: Ramp leading to the circular driveway. Above: Bottom of the elevated driveway showing the twin columns and radial beams.

148 The 36m high iconic clock tower building perched on the hillock. This ground plus two storied structure has folded plate red coloured RCC shell roof arranged like the petals of a lovely flower. 150

There is only one religion, the religion of Love; There is only one language, the Top: The second floor open corridor language of the Heart; There is only one over looking the famous Nandi Hills, a hill resort in Karnataka. This is caste, the caste of Humanity; There is only covered by RCC shell roof. one law, the law of Karma; There is only Right: Different view of the main one God, He is Omnipresent. hall with lobby.

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The 8m wide circular ramp has been built with twin columns cantilevering circumfer- entially with radial beams. This gives the driveway the floating effect on top of the hill. The ground floor has an area of 256 sq.m and it comprises the entrance car porch which leads in to the main hall lobby, display area, service rooms, lift and a stair case further leading to the upper floors. The first floor having an area of 214 sq.m consists of the Senate Hall, Swami’s room and caretaker rooms.

The second floor of the building has an expansive viewing gallery (open on all sides) of 214 sq.m covered with the folded plate roof and the clock tower rising up in the center. Thus, the entire architecture with its decorative elements gives the structure the perspective of an outstanding monument.

From the terrace floor one can experience a breathtaking view of the natural beauty of the surrounding village. Perhaps the most captivating of all is the breathtaking view of the lofty Nandi hills on the Southern part of the towers.

Prasanthi Towers is built in an area of about 5 acres (20000 sq. ft) which forms the southern part of the 58 acres of the Muddenahalli University Campus. Overlooking the University Campus on the northern side, the tower has beautiful views of green agricultural fields on its eastern, western and southern parts.

Extreme Left: The entrance porch and the main hall in the ground floor has an area of 256 sq.m. Top Left: The spacious main hall with windows, stairs and lift. Left : View of the entrance porch and driveway as seen from the second floor open corridor.

154 154 The 8m wide circular ramp has been built with twin columns cantilevering circumfer- entially with radial beams. This gives the driveway the floating effect on top of the hill. The ground floor has an area of 256 sq.m and it comprises the entrance car porch which leads in to the main hall lobby, display area, service rooms, lift and a stair case further leading to the upper floors. The first floor having an area of 214 sq.m consists of the Senate Hall, Swami’s room and caretaker rooms.

The second floor of the building has an expansive viewing gallery (open on all sides) of 214 sq.m covered with the folded plate roof and the clock tower rising up in the center. Thus, the entire architecture with its decorative elements gives the structure the perspective of an outstanding monument.

From the terrace floor one can experience a breathtaking view of the natural beauty of the surrounding village. Perhaps the most captivating of all is the breathtaking view of the lofty Nandi hills on the Southern part of the towers.

Prasanthi Towers is built in an area of about 5 acres (20000 sq. ft) which forms the southern part of the 58 acres of the Muddenahalli University Campus. Overlooking the University Campus on the northern side, the tower has beautiful views of green agricultural fields on its eastern, western and southern parts.

Extreme Left: The entrance porch and the main hall in the ground floor has an area of 256 sq.m. Top Left: The spacious main hall with windows, stairs and lift. Left : View of the entrance porch and driveway as seen from the second floor open corridor.

154 A different view of the architectural masterpiece showing the circular driveway, twin coloumns, the entrance porch, the podium level of the building and the clock tower emnating from the folded plate shell roof.

156 Clock Tower Features

Diameter of the clock dial : 3.6 m dia. each Number of faces : 4 (Four Sided Tower clock) Dial Architecture : Acrylic white sheet dial with black vinyl cut Roman numerals from I to XII along with minute markings Movement : Stepper motor driven brass gear movement enclosed in a weather proof and anti-corrosive aluminum die-cast metal box. GPS Receiver unit : Clock features a GPS receiver to receive time signals from the satellite (no manual time-setting required) Working power : 230 Volts AC single hhase electric power with stand-by battery power University College Campus, Muddenahalli... set amidst majestic hills and bounty of nature

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160 Sri Sathya Sai Grama at Muddenahalli in Chickaballapur District of Karnataka is endowed with a beautiful educational campus comprising academic buildings and class rooms for Primary and Higher Second- ary courses. In order for students to pursue their higher education Baghwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba desired to build a university college that would provide quality education to deserving students after completion of their higher secondary courses at the Muddenahalli campus itself. The serene setting and the congenial atmosphere prevailing at Mudde- nahalli is ideally suited for young minds to indulge themselves in higher education and academic development. With this idea in the mind Sri Sathya Sai University College has been aesthetically conceived, de- signed and built with future expansion closer to the existing campus at Muddenahalli.

Consisting of a rectangular ground plus two storied structure, the col- lege building has a total built up area in excess of 49,000 sq.ft. The building comprises decorative columns and domes of varying sizes on the terrace. The height of central dome has been raised and well utilized by providing a mezzanine floor in the second floor level for the library. The library is perhaps the most fascinating of all rooms with its circular form including a mezzanine level to accommodate more students.

The entire building presents a captivating look with its grand central dome flanked by smaller domes on its sides. Three domes have been built on the terrace in order to provide symmetry to the entire struc- ture. This dome architecture gives a magnanimous look representing high standard institutional character.

In addition, there is an imposing entrance dome at a lower elevation, forming the entrance porch. Students will pass under this entrance porch and climb up a flight of stairs to reach the first and second floor corridors. This gives a better ambience while entering the building Top left: Front view of the college with the large open space and landscape around it. building. Two murals “Kodanda The college building has been planned with expansive open spaces, Rama’ and “Murali Krishna’ would well lit and ventilated rooms, and good access roads. Students can adorn the blank vertical wall faces at benefit from the airy and well lit class rooms, labs and library. There is left and right. a landscaped courtyard in the inside centre of the college which pro- Top: Front entrance. Left: Entrance vides good aesthetics apart from enabling proper air circulation. to Chancellors’ room in the first floor Designed to cater to the educational needs of about 300 students, of the courtyard. the university college building features wide staircases on either sides along with connecting corridors to facilitate easy movement of the large student population.

Also wider road connectivity has been provided considering the large vehicle traffic and other users. The slope at the site has been well utilized incorporating an interesting landscaping with creation of water bodies giving a pleasing transition to the entire structure. The captivating view from the corridors of knowledge-power, showing the entrance dome on the left and the central courtyard on the right.

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164 Top left: A breathtaking view of the college from the terrace showing the corridors and staircase. Top right: A view of the library with a mezzanine floor for book shelves. Different views of University College Campus.

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Water For All... To quench the thirst

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Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Projects Coverage: Three Districts - 1051 villages - 10.8 million people

Anantapur District

For millions in and Telengana Regions of Andhra Pradesh, getting pure drinking water was a daily drudgery. It meant trudging long distance, often in vain. Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust decided that the villagers should never again trek for something which ought to be on their taps and proposed the Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Projects covering more than 1000 villages in Anantapur, Medak and Mahabubnagar districts and providing water to more than two million people who had lived all their lives on the edge of drought and despair.

This was a dream turned into reality, as safe drinking water flowed into the parched districts of Anantapur, Medak and Mahabubnagar. Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust made it possible. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba reached out to the neglected villages with a sense of urgency, and the project was completed with speed and efficiency, thanks to the commitment and spirit of service displayed by various agencies.

In November 1994, the Trust began its mission in Anantapur. The Panchayat Raj department of Government of Andhra Pradesh acted quickly, submitted plans for providing drinking water to more than 700 villages and urban centres such as Anantapur, , Dharmavaram as indicated by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Construction of this massive project was entrusted to ECC.

Overhead water reservoir at Anantapur

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Water treatment plant at Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir, which covers 93 villages in and Atmakur.

172 Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project at Anantapur consists of four schemes:

• Comprehensive Protected Water Supply Schemes involving infiltration wells, collection wells and associated pumping behind the Chirtavati Balancing Reservoir at Peddakotla and Chinnakotla villages covering 169 villages. Sources for other infiltration wells include Penna and Hagari river which cover 93 villages. • Direct pumping from Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir (PABR) and treatment through rapid sand filtration system. This consists of two major lines passing through Kalyandurg and Atmakur covering 93 villages. • Comprehensive Protected Water Supply Schemes (CPWS) through seven summer storage tanks rang- ing upto 100 acres by tapping water from Tungab- hadra High Level Canal, covering 97 villages. Water Treatment Plant at PABR for Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project at Anantapur • The Protected Water Supply (PWS) Scheme covers 279 villages. It involved drilling deep borewells, construction of storage tanks and installation of pipeline networks.

The design, engineering and implementation of Sri Sathya Sai Drinking Water Supply project in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, India, (a massive project worth nearly US$70 million) was completed by L&T within 18 months without cost overruns; exceeding the international norms and standards in my experience. L&T’s performance was characterised by a combination of high levels of professionalism, integrity, innovation and team spirit and a rare sense of vision.

During the course of an independent evaluation of the project by UN-HABITAT (2003) jointly with the Asian Development Bank, the assessment team was deeply moved by the impact the project had on the lives of nearly a million people who benefited from it. A touching example was a widow and mother of three children in a remote village in Anantapur district whose daughter had to drop out of the school in order to fetch water from long distances before the project was implemented. After the project had brought water close to their doorstep, the girl had been readmitted to school and the mother was planning to revive her late husband’s weaving business in the productive time she had gained back with no more long distance treking for fetching water.

Mr. Kalyan Ray, Former Chief of Infrastructure Branch, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and Senior Advisor to UN Under-Secretary General, UN-HABITAT. 174

Thus, the Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project came into being as a collaborative effort of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, the Government of Andhra Pradesh and ECC. It was Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba who brought these three distinctly different organisations together. He inspired them to work with a unity of purpose and harmony of thought. Significant features that characterise the uniqueness of this project include:

• The stringent time frame • The vast magnitude • Project cost funded by a charitable organization

Clockwise from top: Pipeline Network. Water treatment plant showing clariflocculators, overhead water storage reservoir and aerator at Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir. Water cistern installed at a village for tapping water . Pumphouse with water lines and a connecting bridge.

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178 Clockwise from top left: A typical 1.5 lakh litre capacity overhead water storage reservoir. Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir (PABR) Pumphouse. Clockwise from top: Birds’ eye view of PABR showing massive clariflocculator and ground level storage reservoirs. Aerator at the summer storage tank. Infiltration well and water lines. Substation and pumphouse near summer storage tank.

180 Salient Features

• Laying of more than 2000 km of AC, CI, DI, MS and PVC pipelines of different diameters ranging from 80 mm to 600 mm • Construction of 43 sumps from 1 lakh to 25 lakh litre capacity • Construction of 18 balancing reservoirs at the top of hillocks with capacities ranging from 3 lakh to 10 lakh litres • Construction of 270 overhead reservoirs ranging from 40,000 litres to 3,00,000 litres capacity • 125 ground level reservoirs ranging from 20,000 litres to 80,000 litres capacity • Installation of more than 1500 precast concrete cisterns of 2500 litres capacity, with provision for four taps per cistern Left: Swami flanked by R. Kondala Rao (left) and A. Ramakrishna (right). Right and bottom: Water cisterns installed at different villages for tapping pure drinking water.

I was part of Bhagavan Baba’s Satya Sai drinking water projects in Anantapur district, Medak, Mahabubnagar, East and West Godavari districts including water supply projects to provide drinking water to Chennai City. I was also involved in the project of providing drinking water supply project to Tirumala for devotees.

In all these projects, I found L&T work with excellent quality norms and completing them in record speed. My sincere greetings and compliments to Shri A. Ramakrishna and all L&T officers who worked day and night tirelessly, for completing the water supply projects taken up by them.

Mr. R. Kondala Rao, Engineer-in-Chief (Retd.) and presently Technical Advisor to the Government

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Medak & Mahabubnagar

Medak & Mahabubnagar are two districts of Telengana region in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which are drought prone and fluoride affected due to erratic rainfall and over- exploitation of the ground water. Mahabubnagar district is situated on the western part and Medak district is situated in northwest central part of Andhra Pradesh.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba willed that pure and safe drinking water should be made available to the people of these districts and launched the Sri Sathya Sai Water supply project during March 1999. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, realising the importance of the project, immediately came forward to supply raw water from various sources like Krishna River in Mahabubnagar District & Manjeera River, Haldivagu stream and H.M.W.S.S.B. Mains in Medak District. This apart, the government also agreed to provide land for putting up various civil structures, electrical power for operating the schemes and also extending administrative and technical support to the Trust.

The project envisaged providing drinking water to 145 villages in Mahabubnagar and 175 villages in Medak districts. This was achieved by providing 12 Comprehensive Protected Water Supply (CPWS) schemes covering 250 villages and individual Protected Water Supply (PWS) Schemes for 70 villages with the help of sources from Intake well at Medak, Overhead balancing reservoir at Anantapur and bore wells.

184 Clockwise from left: Overhead Storage Reservoir at Medak. Close up view of the intake well. An intake well in the reservoir. 186

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Anantapur Medak and Mahabubnagar

Villages covered : 731 nos. Population served : 1.30 Million Population served : 9.50 lakhs CPWS in Mahabubnagar : 94 Villages Design Population : 15 lakhs CPWS in Medak : 157 Villages No. of PWS Schemes : 279 nos. Individual PWS Schemes : 70 Villages No. of CPWS Schemes : 21 nos Infiltration / Intake wells : Major CPWS Schemes : 4 nos 13 nos (3 m to 5 m dia and 22 m dia depth) Trunk Line covered : 750 km OHSR / OHBR : 25 nos Branch Line covered : 1550 km OHSR GLSR / GLBR : 18 nos (0.4 to 3.0 lakh litres) : 270 nos GLSR Sumps : 54 nos (0.2 to 0.8 lakh litres) : 125 nos GLBR Pump Houses : 38 nos (3.0 to 10.0 lakh litres) : 18 nos Conventional Water Treatment Booster Stations : 40 nos Plants (2.00 MLD to: 5 nos 10.00 MLD) Summer Storage Tanks : 07 nos Water Treatment Plant by Infiltration Wells : 13 nos Micro filter system: 2 nos (65 to 80 cu.m/hr) Bore Wells : 250 nos

188 This project involved construction of civil structures like water treatment plants, over head reservoirs, sumps, ground level reservoirs, pump houses, pipeline laying and commissioning including Project Management Services for the execution of mechanical & electrical works. The total length of pipeline is approx. 800 km involving various types of pipes such as AC, PVC, HDPE, PSC, GI and MS of varying diameters ranging Left: Overhead Balancing from 63 to 600 mm. Reservoir. Bottom: A school girl from the village, quenching Work commenced in May 1999 and 77 villages were her thirst. commissioned on 23rd November 1999 for the 74th birthday of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Similarly a total of 290 villages were completed by 23rd November 2000 for Swami’s 75th birthday. 190 Clockwise from top left: Ductile iron and mild steel pipelines after laying in the hilly terrain of the project. Intake well. Inside the pumphouse. Exterior view of the pumphouse. 2.5 mlpd water treatment plant. Sathya Sai Ganga Canal... Telugu Ganga Project

Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust took up this project to provide drinking water to the people of Chennai City. The total length of the Sai Ganga Canal from to is 200km. When the required quantity of drinking water let into the canal was not reaching Chennai due to heavy leakage, damages and breaches at various points, experts from Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Irrigation Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh and L&T, under the leadership of Mr. R. Kondala Rao, inspected the canal periodically when water was in full flow, to investigate the losses due to leakage. Following these investigations the Sai Ganga Canal project was launched and L&T were appointed turnkey contractors.

The major works involved in the Project were:

• Improvement works of Kandaleru Reservoir • Grouting works of Kandaleru Reservoir cutoff wall • Easening of slopes at Approach Channel and Sai Ganga Canal • Concrete lining in Sai Ganga Canal at vulnerable locations • Construction of Escapes & Regulators at three different locations • Other miscellaneous structures and improvements

The major items of plant & machinery deployed at various locations were:

• Batching Plant of varying capacity (9 to 36 cu.m) - 9 nos. • Transit Mixers - 39 nos. • Concrete Paver with rails - 19 nos. • Road Rollers (10 Ton) - 10 nos. • Vibromax - 07 nos. • Power Generator (25 to 125 kVA) - 41 nos. • Compressor with all accessories - 15 nos. • Rock Breaker - 03 nos. • Wagon Drill - 03 nos. • Excavator (one with 14m long boom) - 19 nos. • Tippers - 70 nos.

192 Improvements at

The job involved the following major works:

• Rough stone revetment of 70,000 cu.m. of size varying from 225 mm to 450 mm on slopes 1.5:1, height varying from 20 m to 46 m • Escape regulators on the Sai Ganga Approach Canal No. 22 • Laying of 0.5 mm thick geotextile filter media - 13,800 sq.m. • 4,000 cu.m of Gabion placed along the length and across to form panel walls and protect the revetment stones from the wave forces of water

Rough stones of size 225 mm and 300 mm were Clockwise from top left: filled in the eroded parts of the earthen dam. Approach channel near the Further 450 mm stone slabs were placed to Kandaleru Dam. L&T Excavator protect the entire inside dam portion wherever left unfinished during earlier stages. This in operation. Lining work with was done to increase the storage capacity to automatic pavers to ensure 67 TMC in the Reservoir (FRL). accurate and smooth surface. Canal being prepared to regular A quartzite stone quarry was established 25 km dimensions before concrete from Kandaleru Reservoir. The job was completed within a short duration of effective 150 working lining. days. The most critical part of the work was the approach to inside of the dam which was through two ramps located 6 km away from each other and the bund width of which was 4.50 m. Grouting works at Kandaleru dia, 1.5 m depth. Apart from easing of slopes, the entire top portion of the bund was to be protected as otherwise the Grouting works of Kandaleru Reservoir cutoff wall upto a entire area would be submerged when the reservoir becomes depth of 75.00 m using casing pipes and pressure of cement full. Major quantities of work involved were: to arrest the piping action in the Earthen Bund. 133 drill holes were driven in hard rock and grouted with cement. Excavation in all types of soil : 2,00,000 cu.m Hard rock : 38,000 cu.m Sai Ganga Approach Channel Guniting : 48,000 sq.m

The work involves widening of deep cut portion of the mouth Head Regulators of Kandaleru Reservoir upto Head Regulator for a length of 700m out of 3200m. The existing canal having a deep cut Similar work as in Approach Channel was carried out in Sai of 20 – 24 m in ¼: 1 slope was getting eroded and caving Ganga Canal chainage 0.2 – 0.6 km due to the nature of the into the canal during monsoon. Since the soil strata were a soil strata and also to keep the canal in straight line to combination of gravelly earth, shales, sheet rock, soft avoid the impact load of water when the Regulators are disintegrated rock, hard rock etc, the soil at certain areas opened. Major works involved were: when in contact with water, softened and dissolved, causing erosion of the bunds. Excavation in all types of soil : 60,000 cu.m Hard rock : 40,000 cu.m To overcome such isses, the canal was widened to 1.5:1 Guniting : 8,500 sq.m slopes and protected with weld mesh reinforced cement concrete (1: 3: 6), 70 mm thick by guniting method. The entire soil strata were bolted with anchor rods of 20 mm

194 Concrete Lining

Due to heavy leakage, erosion and breaches at several places, only 3 TMC out of designed 10 TMC reached the destination (Poondi Reservoir) from Kandaleru Dam. 65 km of concrete lining was taken up in different stretches over a length 152 km.

Cement concrete lining of 100mm thick, M15 grade PP Cement was used. To arrest seepage / leakage and also to increase velocity of flow, canal pavers (self-spreading / Left: Gabion and stone revetment compacting & frictionless smooth finishing) was used for works done at the Kandaleru Dam. concreting the bed and side slopes. Guniting with weld mesh reinforcement was also done in the portion of hard rock. Bottom: Close-up view of the revetment work. Random rubble masonry and rough stone revetment works were carried out at vulnerable reaches where heavy erosions and breaches occurred. Cement concrete lining was done in canal of bed width varying from 5.5m to 29.0m and slope length varying from 8m to 14m. Major quantity of works involved were:

Earth work in excavation : 8,00,000 cu.m Filling with Gravel : 5,00,000 cu.m Lining : 1,75,000 cu.m Guniting : 1,70,000 sq.m Escapes and Regulators 1.50 m depth. Removal of the silt and slush was a difficult task where canal bed was 15m deep from the top of bund. Three numbers of Escape and Regulators were constructed The soil at this location was very hard but when it came in at three different locations across the Sai Ganga Canal contact with water it softened and became loamy slush. involving 14,290 cu.m. of concrete, 19 nos of Gate (210 MT) Wellpoint dewatering system was deployed to overcome and embedments of 70 MT to (1) regulate the surplus waters the difficulty in excavation to the designed bed level. Major during floods; (2) to safeguard the earthen canal bunds quantity of works involved were: from breaches; (3) to take up repairs / maintenance in the canal; (4) and above all to regulate the flow of water into the Easening of slopes & excavation in bed : 30000 cu.m nearby nallas during emergencies/surplus floods through the Stone masonry : 7500 cu.m escapes. Well point dewatering : 120000 HP Hrs

Miscellaneous Improvements Revetment in Canal

Flume: During monsoons, the soil on the slopes is getting The canal passes through some local tanks and lakes. The eroded and choked in the flume and canal portion. The flooded water during monsoons enter the canal at lower scope involved widening of the slopes in deep cut portion, levels, causing damage / breach in the bunds and leading protecting the sides with stone masonry and provision of to loss of water during summer when water is let into the chute drains. canal from Kandaleru to Poondi through the weak bunds. To prevent this, vulnerable reaches were identified and In the canal for about 1.00 km at the flume portion the protection works carried out in the form of stone masonry, deposited silt was saturated with subsoil water upto rough stone revetment, grouting with cement

196 concrete (1:2:4) and guniting. Major from heavy erosion and deposition of silt Special Features of the Project quantity of works involved were: by cement lining, guniting, stone masonry and rough stone revetment on • Usage of polypropylene sheet (geo- Stone masonry - 5,000 cu.m the high embankment Major quantity of textile) as filter media under dam Rough stone revetment - 20,000 cu.m works involved were: revetment • Usage of gabions (as renomatress) for Inlets & Chute Drains Lining - 10,500 cu.m revetment / panel wall Guniting - 10,000 sq.m • Usage of high density polyethylene The water during rainy days from the hills Stone masonry - 2,000 cu.m sheets as water tight membrane un- and catchment areas was entering the Rough stone revetment - 10,000 cu.m der cement concrete lining canal from the bund top there by eroding • Grouting of dam cutoff wall for a the bunds - causing breaches and 68456 tons of cement required for the depth of 75.00 m deposits of silt on the bed. To prevent project was issued free by Sri Sathya Sai • Guniting works with weldmesh rein- this, vulnerable points were identified Central Trust. forcement and rock bolting along the canal passing through hillocks. • Pressure relief valves using porous Cement concrete inlet structures and concrete cylinders (plugs), perforated chute drains were constructed through HDPE pipes surrounded with polypro- catch drains letting the rainwater into the pylene sheet. canal.

Improvements in Flood Flow Canal

Surplus water from Somasila Reservoir Left: Gates and a minor-bridge with flows to Kandaleru Reservoir through ornamental works in the Sai Gana Water open channel. Certain vulnerable Supply Project, which provides drinking stretches of the Somasila–Kandaleru Flood Flow Canal were to be protected water to Chennai City. Bottom: Escape regulators at the canal. Water to Chennai

The Telugu Ganga project is a water supply scheme implemented to provide drinking water to Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is also known as the Krishna Water Supply Project, since the source of the water is the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh. For this, water is drawn from the Srisailam first and sent to Kandaleru reservoir and then diverted towards Chennai through a series of inter-linked canals, over a distance of about 200 km, before it reaches the Poondi reservoir near Chennai. The main checkpoints en route include the Somasila reservoir, the Kandaleru reservoir, the ‘Zero Point’ near Uthukkottai where the water enters Tamil Nadu territory and reaches its destination, the Poondi reservoir, also known as Satyamurthy Sagar. From Poondi, water is distributed through a system of link-canals to other storage reservoirs located at Red Hills, Sholavaram, Chembarambakkam and the treatment plant at Kilpauk.

This project was approved in 1977 after an agreement was reached between Tamil Nadu and the riparian states of Krishna River: Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. According to the agreement, each of the three riparian states was to contribute 5 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of water annually, for a total supply of 15 tmc. This works out to 12 tmc after accounting for seepage and evaporation losses. The water initially supplied by the canal was disappointing, delivering less than 0.5 tmc as the earth embankment along the slopes of the canal collapsed in to the canal restricting water flow. In 2002,Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba announced a great scheme of restoration and lining of the canal to reduce the seepage losses and wastage by entrusting the works to L&T.

198 With an extensive rebuilding of the canal and several Apart from Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, this grand reservoirs, the project was completedin a record time of 16 function was attended by the glitterati from Indian political months by L&T in 2004, when Poondi reservoir received the leadership including His Excellency the Governor of Tamil full quantity of Krishna water for the first time. The supply Nadu, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala, Hon’ble Chief Minister of of water to Chennai City in 2006 was 3.7 tmc.The Andhra Tamil Nadu, Mr. Karunanidhi, His Excellency the Governor Pradesh Government, in appreciation and gratitude to of Maharashtra, Mr. S.M.Krishna, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bhagawan rechristened the Kandaleru-Poondi Canal from Maharashtra, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Hon’ble Chief Minister Telugu Ganga to Sri Sathya Sai Ganga Canal. of Karnataka, Mr. H.D.Kumaraswamy, Hon’ble Union Minster for Home Affairs, Mr. Shivraj Patil, Hon’ble Union Minister for The long-suffering residents of Chennai had finally found Railways, Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Hon’ble Union Minister for succour. The Lord had come to their rescue unasked, Communications & IT, Mr. Dayanidhi Maran, besides Tamil and showered His bountiful blessings on them. During Nadu State Ministers like Mr. M.K. Stalin, Mr. Durai Murugan, Bhagawan’s visit to Chennai in January 2007, a grand Andhra Pradesh State Ministers including Mrs. Geetha Reddy, meeting was organized by the Chennai Citizens’ Conclave Mr. Ponnala Lakshmayya and Mr. Muniyappa. in order to express their gratitude to Bhagawan for His munificent gift of water to Chennai through the Sri Sathya Sai Ganga Canal. The meeting held on 21st January, 2007 at Nehru Stadium, Chennai which was packed with people.

Top left: ‘Zero-point’ at Poondi reservoir and the state of the canal before the commencement of rebuilding and expansion works. Left bottom: Gabion and random rubble masonry works in progress. Bottom: Completed view of the canal, showing the vast and neat arrangement of revetment works. Godavari Drinking Water Supply Project... Yet another saga from Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

The upland and backward areas of East & West Godavari Districts, which are mainly inhabitated by tribals and economically weaker sections of people, depend mostly on borewells and river streams for their drinking water needs. Even though these people live by the side of Godavari, they are deprived of potable water. Moreover, the borewell water contains rich iron content and the stream / river water is unsafe for drinking due to its high bacterial content. Due to excessive exploitation of ground water, the borewells also dry up in summer months, making people trudge long distances for carrying water.

Thus, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust under the benign guidance of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, decided to provide pure drinking water from assured sources of Godavari river and its tributaries to the water starved people in East and West Godavari Dirstricts.

East Godavari District

For this purpose, two main sources were selected for supplying the raw water. One is river Godavari and the second ‘Pamuleru’, a tributary of Godavari, both of which flows throughout the year. Accordingly, this caters to about 220 habitations covering a population of about 2.30 lakhs, with provision for expansion for another 1.00 lakh population.

Two Schemes

In the East Godavari District two schemes were under implementation. Under Scheme – I, ECC constructed a 6m dia 25m high intake well at Top: Intake well at Godavari river, Purushottampatnam on the bank of that serves as the source for the river Godavari and it is installed with drinking water supply project. vertical turbine pumps, which supplies Right: Inside the pumphouse. raw water to the treatment plant (at Purushottampatnam located at a Extreme right: Pipeline network. distance of 0.5 km through 400mm dia pipelines.

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This 10.5 mld treatment plant employs West Godavari District rapid sand filtration method for purification. From here the clear water Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply project in is pumped to a GLBR of 10.00 lakh the West Godavari District caters to 220 litre capacity situated on the top of a habitations covering a population of hill, from where the water is supplied to about 4.7 lakhs. the villages, by gravity. Sumps, OHSRs and GLSRs are provided in between for In this district the source for the intake storage and distribution. Intermediate well is located at Polavaram village on pumping is also provided wherever the bank of river Godavari. Here an ‘peaks’ are to be crossed, as the line intake well of 6m dia and 28m high is passes hills and forests. This project built with vertical turbine pumps. The provides drinking water to about 90 raw water from Polavaram is pumped to villages covering a total population of 2.5 the ‘Hukumpeta’ water treatment plant Lakhs. located at a distance of 7.5km

Scheme-II The Hukumpeta water treatment plant has a capacity of 21.75 MLD and it also In the second scheme an intake well was employs rapid sand filtration method constructed across river ‘Pamuleru’, a for purification. The purified water is tributary of River Godavari, from where pumped to a GLSR situated on a hillock raw water is pumped to the treatment nearby and from here water is distributed plant situated at Kuttravada, located at a to various villages. Intermediate distance of 1.4 km. pumping is also done wherever required.

Here again the 3.5 MLD capacity Various piping materials like GRP, MS, treatment plant employs rapid sand DI, AC, HDPE and PVC are used for filtration method and after treatment, the transmission of water and the total water is supplied to about 150 villages. length of pipeline is laid around 430 km The entire work was was completed and Various pipes like AC, HDPE, PVC, GRP, commissioned in March 2006. MS etc., are used in the project totaling a length of 405 km. On the occasion of Swamy’s 80th birthday on 23.11.2005, it was commissioned.

202 What is the unmistakable mark of a wise man? It is Love, Love for all humanity.

Clockwise from left: Clariflocculator in the water treatment plant. Ground level storage reservoir. Interior of the pumphouse. Panoramic view of the treatment plant showing the underground reservoir, clariflocculator and pumphouse.

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