A sense of uncertainty looms large among people over the future of this town following the demise of Sathya Sai Baba, who transformed this once remote and faceless village into a thriving pilgrim centre. As thousands of devotees left this town after having their last 'darshan' of Sai Baba, the locals are not sure if they will ever come again. "We don't know what will happen now.

The business may not be the same as it used to be earlier," said M Raj Kumar, who runs a grocery shop. Small traders, who sold pictures of Sai Baba, flowers and other items, are also a worried lot. With about 25,000 residents, Puttaparthi was once unknown to the outside world and lacked even basic amenities. Sai Baba, who was born here in 1926 and claimed at age 14 that he was an avatar of god, put it on the pilgrim map by building his ashram Prshanti Nilayam. Many eminent pilgrims, including retired bureaucrats, police officers, judges and their family members, settled down in the town to remain close to the man they considered god.

The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, formed by Sai Baba in 1972, ran schools, a university, a super speciality hospital and other institutions, providing free education and medical treatment. It also developed an airport to facilitate the flow of devotees including heads of states and governments as well as celebrities. Over the last two decades, the land cost in the town went up many times. Land in Puttaparthi is more costly than in Anantapur town. Sathya Sai Baba had claimed to a reincarnation of the celebrated saint of 19th century. "We don't expect the kind of crowds when Swami was there but devotees will continue to come," said R Subba Rao, owner of a lodge.