Born on 5th October 1929 in Aschaffenburg, about seventy kilometres from Heidelberg, Germany, Maya was the daughter of Aurobindo Bose (spelled “Aravind” in the Ashram literature). Her father had been employed by the Maharaja of Baroda, who sent him to Germany to study engineering shortly before the First World War. After the war, Bose worked for Deutsche Werke Kiel AG, where he was involved in the manufacture of ship engines, and eventually married the daughter of the company’s CEO. As the Second World War approached, Bose took his wife and two children on one of the last ships to leave Germany for India. Once there, he brought the family to several places that had been important to him. In Pondicherry he visited the Ashram of his former roommate, Sri Aurobindo, who told him that there was a realised soul living in Tiruvannamalai. Bose brought the family to meet Sri Bhagavan and later purchased land opposite Ramanasramam, where he built a house despite the family being principally settled in Bangalore. Coming to Tiruvannamalai during holidays, Maya vividly remembered introducing herself to Bhagavan for the first time. When she told him that her name was Maya, Bhagavan replied playfully, “No, no, not Maya—Mahamaya!”

 

Maya recalled accompanying Bhagavan on walks up the Hill, often following closely behind him. On other occasions, while sitting quietly in the Hall with her eyes closed, she would inwardly pray that Bhagavan might look at her. Whenever she opened her eyes, she found him looking directly at her with a gentle smile. She repeated this experiment on several occasions with the same result.

A few years after the family came to Bhagavan, Maya’s elder brother, Vikas, died of typhoid. His death caused a profound crisis for the family, and Bose came to Bhagavan who gradually assuaged his grief.

 

In her late teens, Maya returned to Germany to study psychology at Heidelberg University. She later worked with the US Army Service Corps, treating traumatised American servicemen, while also serving as librarian. She married an American serviceman and returned to India when her father became ill. Bose passed away in 1957.

 

In 1959 Maya gave birth to a son, Aaron. Tragically, her husband died two years later after being struck by a car while visiting the United States. Maya eventually remarried. Krishnamurthi was a psychologist with whom she had studied at Heidelberg.

Returning to India in the 1960s, Maya worked in several academic and educational capacities, teaching psychology and German at a university in Mysore. She also taught at the Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore where she served as librarian. Over the years she divided her time between Bangalore and Tiruvannamalai.

Having enjoyed good health throughout her long life, in late May, advanced age brought physical weakness. She passed away peacefully on 8th June at the age of ninety-six. Her body was brought to Tiruvannamalai and cremated the following morning. Her remains were interred in a small tomb beside those of her father, mother and brother. —

 

Born to ardent Ramana devotees, Smt. Griddaluru Venkata Subbamma and Sri Griddaluru Satyanarayana Rao, Smt. Maddali Bala Saraswathi—lovingly called “Bala” by Bhagavan—was one of four siblings. She and her three siblings—Rukminamma, Krishna Murthy, and Varalakshmi—received their names directly from Sri Bhagavan.

 

Since her infancy, her life was touched by Bhagavan’s grace. Bhagavan performed her Annaprasana (first rice-feeding ceremony). Once, when she was critically ill as a toddler with severe dysentery that did not respond to medical treatment, her father brought her to Bhagavan. Bhagavan requested the medicine, mixed it with honey, and placed it on her tongue with his own fingers. Within minutes, consciousness returned and the girl recovered.

When Bala was seven years old, Bhagavan gently insisted she write on a sheet of paper: “Oh, Bhagavan of Sri Chinta Deekshitulu”.

 

At that young age, she did not realize his divinity but after repeated prompts, she scribbled the words, handed him the paper, and ran away to play. Pondering this event at the age of 68, she recognized this divine intervention as her gyanopadesa—a spiritual initiation laying an unshakeable foundation of lifelong devotion.

Throughout her life, whenever difficulties arose, she prayed before Bhagavan’s portrait or wrote directly to the Ashram. Placing these letters on his shrine and partaking of the blessed prasadam consistently brought immediate solace.

 

 

With Bhagavan’s explicit approval and blessings, Bala married Sri Maddali Subba Rao on 19th May 1948, in Nellore. The wedding was attended by Bhagavan’s sister Alamelu Ammal, brother-in-law Pichu Iyer, and Ashram President Sri T.N. Venkataraman with his family, who brought prasadam directly from the Ashram.

Bala and Subba Rao were blessed with four children: Jayalakshmi, Raghuram, Sivaram, and Rajya Lakshmi. Continuing her lifelong devotion, Bala visited Ramanasramam each year on her birthday until 2019 along with her brother, the late Krishna Murthy to reminisce on her childhood with Bhagavan and seek his blessings.

 

 

On 7th March 1996, when her husband, Sri Subba Rao was admitted to the ICU with cardiac complications, a distraught Bala prayed intensely before Bhagavan’s portrait: “Bhagavan! Only you can save him.”

Falling asleep in prayer, she had a significant dream. She saw herself sitting outside the clinic when a familiar, loving voice called out, “Bala!”—the exact affectionate inflection used by Bhagavan during her childhood. Looking up, she saw a nurse holding medical files who asked why she was sitting alone. When Bala expressed her anguish over her husband’s critical state, the nurse offered divine reassurance: “Do not fear! I am looking after your husband’s file.”

Upon waking, no one was there, but her husband made a rapid recovery. She recognized the dream as Bhagavan’s Abhaya Hastham (protective hand) appearing in the guise of a caregiver.

On 16th May 2026, surrounded by her loving family in Hyderabad, Smt. Maddali Bala Saraswathi merged in the Lotus Feet of Sri Bhagavan. She was 96. A lifetime graced by Bhagavan’s compassion and grace, her legacy remains an inspiring testament to surrender and devotion to Bhagavan Sri Ramana. —

Sri Sundararajan, poet and scholar of Tamil literature, was deeply devoted to Sri Bhagavan. In his early years, he drew inspiration from the Vedas, the Upanishads, Swami Vivekananda and Mahakavi Bharathiyar, but a series of inner revelations eventually anchored his life in devotion to Bhagavan.

At the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, he experienced Lord Siva as Chokkanathar, who directed him to recite the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra. Later, at Hosur, he received an inner instruction to go to Tiruvannamalai.

Though initially hesitant, he arrived during the Karthigai Deepam festival. On his early visits to Sri Ramanasramam, Sundararajan imagined that Bhagavan’s teaching was intended only for advanced aspirants. But while looking through the window of the Old Hall, he envisioned Bhagavan appearing before him and declaring, “I am not as you say.” He immediately understood that Bhagavan’s grace was universal.

Soon afterwards, a close associate encouraged him to study Conscious Immortality. Spellbound by Bhagavan’s words, he began reading the Maharshi’s works with increasing intensity, and his life gradually became one of deepening surrender. Moved by Sri Muruganar’s poetry, he prepared and published commentaries on selected verses from Guru Vachaka Kovai, Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai and the nine-volume Sri Ramana Jnana Bodham. He distilled these profound works into accessible books freely distributing them to present-day devotees.

Sundararajan’s life became a continuous meditation on Bhagavan. Whether engaged in spiritual study or ordinary conversation, his thoughts invariably returned to the Master.

Born in Srirangam, he spent much of his life in Bangalore and Chennai before returning to his birthplace. On the night of 21st July 2026, after praying to Bhagavan as usual, he peacefully breathed his last. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ranjini Sundararajan. His life remains a testament complete surrender. —

Devotees will remember Smt. G. Muniamah as a quiet, soft-spoken presence who sat each evening at 6 pm in Bhagavan’s Old Hall. For many years she also came for the morning sittings, though in recent years she was no longer able to do so.

Born in Malaysia in January 1949, Muniamah moved to Tiruvannamalai following her marriage in 2000. She lived with her husband on Post Office Road, near the local post office. A sanctioned meditation teacher in the Vipassana tradition, she spent more than a decade guiding and supporting groups of young women—sometimes numbering over fifty at a time—in meditation practice in Chennai. During visits to Malaysia, meditators gathered around her for group sittings, while family members drew strength from the quiet courage and steadiness she embodied in times of difficulty. Those who meditated in Bhagavan’s Old Hall know how valuable her stillness was to the collective effort.

In March, Muniamah fell ill, suffering swelling in her feet, and in time became confined to bed. Those present during her final hours said that she remained conscious, peaceful, and inwardly focused on Arunachala until the very end. Her many years of meditation practice in Bhagavan’s Old Hall came to her aid, enabling her to transcend physical pain and remain anchored in silence and stillness.

Muniamah passed away quietly at home on 21st April, merging at the Feet of the Holy Hill. She is survived by her husband, V. Kumarasamy, and will be missed by the meditators in Bhagavan’s Old Hall. —