Puttaparthi

Puttaparthi (IAST: Puṭṭaparthy) is a municipality and district headquarters of Sri Sathya Sai district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Puttaparthi mandal of Puttaparthi revenue division. The original name of Puttaparthi was Gollapalli. The town is located on the banks of Chitravathi River which is a tributary of Penna River, and is surrounded by undulating hills. It is widely known for the birthplace of the Indian spiritual leader and guru Sathya Sai Baba and his ashram, Prasanthi Nilayam. Etymology Puttaparthi means "village of anthills." A local legend says that a cobra snake cursed the village after being hit by a cowherder, which caused the proliferation of anthills in this area. Demographics The official language in Puttaparthi is Telugu. Other common languages spoken in Puttaparthi are Kannada and English. Various national and international languages are understood and spoken due to the presence of national and international devotees. Geography