Prashanthi Balamandira Trust was established on the 2 April, 1981 in the holy premises of Sri Yogeshwara Mutt located at the north of the serene and calm town of Chikkaballapur in the state of Karnataka. A seed sown by virtuous people with fewer resources but a greater vision has today grown into a huge tree assured to perennially spread the good work to all corners of the world. The foliage of this tree has already unfurled its virescence to many districts in Karnataka. “Goodness is the only investment that never fails”.
Mr B N Narasimha Murthy, currently the Chief Mentor of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Group of Institutions was the District Co-ordinator for Sevadal wing for the Chikkaballapur district during 1971, which is also his birth place. He came to Muddennahalli in the year 1971 as per the directions from his Mentor Sri Madiyal Narayan Bhat to start a School, due to the growing demand of Sathya Sai Schools, in the mirror image of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva School that was already functioning successfully at Alike. The inspiration that aroused in the hearts of people after witnessing the speciality and uniqueness of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva School at Alike was so much so, that some of the local Schools’ management at Davanagare, Mandya and Shimoga came forward to entrust their Schools to the care of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Group. The power of rectitude naturally attracts its innate likeness from around the world!
The acquirement of the current Prashanti Bala Mandira School land happened on the same lines. This land where the School stands today belonged to Sri Yogeshwara Mutt. The sanctified premises of Sri Yogeshwara Mutt have a pious history. This place was an Ashram where a Yogi by name, Sri Yogeshwar Maharaj spent his life, meditating in a cellar beneath the ashram. He would occasionally emerge from the basement and speak to his devotees. During one of his talks, he prophesied thus: “I am known by the name of Yogeshwar, but the real Yogeshwar is yet to come. When he comes, he will manifest himself here and dwell here, in the near future. He will be wearing an orange robe (referring to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)”. During the year 1960, Sri Yogeshwar Maharaj asked his disciples to close the entrance to the cellar and entered the Blissful Samadhi state for ever. Later, a small shed was erected in this place and regular bhajans were held.
Mr B N Narasimha Murthy, in the meantime, worked tirelessly towards starting a School at Muddenahalli at Sathya Sai Grama in 1973. It was initially a day School, and attracted a lot of students from in and around Muddenahalli and Chikkaballapur as well. In the year 1978, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba took over the complete responsibility of the School at Muddenahalli, after Sri Madiyal Narayan Bhat merged at the Lotus feet of Baba. Baba’s module for His Schools and Colleges is the residential Gurukula system where the students and teachers live and work in unison with joy and vigour, to impart and partake knowledge and wisdom. Based on Baba’s direct command, the School at Muddenahalli was turned into a residential School from 1978. Due to this, many students coming from Chikkaballapur dropped out of the School.
At this juncture, Mr B N Narasimha Murthy had a strong desire to build a Sathya Sai School at Chikkaballapur itself in order to benefit many students of his native town. He, along with Mr N Kasturi, the State President of Karnataka during that time, thought of the sacred land where the Yogeshwara Mutt was previously existent and approached the disciples of Sri Yogeshwar Maharaj who had the ownership of that property. The disciples of Sri Yogeshwara were also ardent devotees of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. They readily agreed to offer the land to them for this noble cause. Mr B N Narasimha Murthy, Mr N Kasturi, along with Mr T Ramaiah, Mr Krishnamurthy, Mr Srinivas Reddy, Mr K R Shastry (Former District President of Kolar District) went to Prasanthi Nilayam to seek the blessings of Bhagawan Baba to start a new Trust, christened by them as Prashanthi Balamandira Trust, in order to carry out the good work at Chikkaballapur. Thus, the Trust came into existence in the year 1981.
True to Sri Yogeshwar Maharaj’s prophesy, this place became the seat for a Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samiti and Sri Sathya Sai School drawing unto itself the nearby villagers, men, women and children. From thereon, the various service and spiritual activities in the premises commenced. A Jeeva Samadhi in the form of Brindavan Smrithi Mantap is built in this place for Sri Yogeshwar Maharaj, which to this date, is suffusing the environs with its divine vibrations. Sri Sathya Sai Roopa Mandir has been constructed here to conduct prayers, Bhajans and other spiritual activities.