Sathya Sai Baba's last rites begin

The ceremonies began at 9 a.m. in Sai Kulwant Hall, where the Baba used to give 'darshan' to devotees and deliver discourses.

As the rituals began inside, policemen outside Prashanti Nilayam gave a gun salute. Baba's nephew R.J. Ratnakar performed rituals like sprinkling of holy water on the mortal remains before the burial.

Only 600 selected people, including family members of Baba, members and officials of Sathya Sai Central Trust, his close disciples and VIPs, were attending the last rites, being telecast on various television channels.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader L.K. Advani, Punjab Governor Shirvraj Patil, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief  Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, former chief minister N. Chandrababu  Naidu and several ministers from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka paid their last respects.

Thousands of devotes had last 'darshan' of Baba till Tuesday midnight. The 85-year-old guru died Sunday, 28 days after he was admitted to hospital with multi-organ dysfunction. Since then, the body has been kept in Prashanti Nilayam to enable people to pay their last respects.