Puttaparthi is a town in Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Puttaparthi mandal of Kadiri revenue division. The original name of Puttaparthi was Gollapalli. The town is located on the banks of Chitravathi River which is a tributary of Pennar River, and is surrounded by undulating hills.[3] While this small town may not have much to offer in terms of natural splendour and beauty, the place is a religious destination popularly known by the world at large as the birthplace of Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and for the ashram which he founded, known as Prasanthi Nilayam. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates bus services from Puttaparthi bus station. People visit Puttapathi from all over India, and most State transport services also ply buses to Puttaparthi. Puttaparthi is well connected by road to the district headquarters Anantapur (84 km), Hyderabad, (441 km), Bangalore (154 km) and all parts of Anantapur district. Puttaparthi has a railway station named as Sri Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam which started functioning from 23 November 2000, which was Baba's 75th birth anniversary. It is about 8 km from the ashram. This station falls under the Bangalore Division of the South Western Railway and lies on the Bangalore-Guntakal railway line. It is easy to reach the town from the railway station in 20-25 mins, through various modes of transport like cabs, autorickshaws and APSRTC buses. The town is connected directly by train to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata. Puttaparthi Airport is a domestic airport situated in the town. The nearest International airport is the Kempegowda International Airport at Devanahalli, a suburb of Bangalore which is about 119 km from Puttaparthi. The main ashram in Puttaparthi is known as Prasanthi Nilayam. Prasanthi Nilayam means "the abode of highest peace", the name given to the ashram of Shri Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthi. In 1950, on his 25th birthday, the seer inaugurated this ashram. This heavenly abode comprises splendid temples, public relations desk, post office, canteen, bakery, kitchens, dining halls, guest houses, dormitories etc. It also houses a huge 'Darshan Hall', a place where Sri Sai Baba gave darshan to his devotees.The samadhi of the guru on 24 April 2011 led to decline of business.
