Talking Sai Baba, a new attraction!

Visakhapatnam: The idol at North Shirdi Sai Baba temple located in Arilova not only gives darshan to the devotees but also speaks to them.

Yes, you read it right! Sitting cross-legged on a rock as a stream of water oozes from his toes, the newly designed Baba at the shrine shares stories, experiences and motivates devotees through preaching. By slowly moving his head and blinking eyes, Baba talks to the devotees. Using animatronics, former Fine Arts student of Andhra University Yardhala Ravi Chandra came up with a four-ft Shirdi Sai Baba idol that exudes so much of life.

The animatronics-based Baba is attracting the attention of the people not just in Arilova but also in neighbouring localities and on social media platforms.

In just a few days of its installation at the shrine, an ardent Baba devotee from Hyderabad came forward to own the idol. "The project of making the idol began six years back. Having no experience in electronics and robotic domains, it did turn out to be challenging to design such a structure based on animatronics. However, with the help of sensors, microchips, relays and motors, I could bring life to the structure which looks like a human," shares Ravi Chandra with The Hans India. Since Ravi Chandra has to depend on experienced hands for electronics and robotics applications for the idol, the exercise turned out to be expensive for him.

"To bring down the cost, I opted for digital lessons to pick up the nuances of electronics and robotics. Seeking the support of a team of 10 workers, I could complete the structure eventually," the artist recalls.

To imitate muscle movement and create realistic motions, a host of materials including silicon, soft plastic and clay were used. Sporting crow feet, beard and moustache, the structure of Baba looks quite natural. Although, Ravi Chandra has so far made over 200 idols of Baba in varying sizes and shapes, the white-clad Baba at the temple turned out to be an outstanding craft designed by him.