The Sathya Sai Baba movement is a new religious movement inspired by South Indian Neo-Hindu guru Sathya Sai Baba who taught the unity of all religions. Some of his followers have faith in his claim to be a purna Avatar (full divine incarnation) of Shiva and Shakti, who is believed to have been predicted in the Bhagavad Gita. This means that some of his followers see him as a God. Devotees engage in singing devotional songs called "bhajans" and selfless service (seva). Its official organization is the Sathya Sai Organization. However the Sathya Sai Baba movement extends beyond the organization. An important aspect of the faith of adherents is the miracles attributed to Sathya Sai Baba. The number of adherents is estimated between 6 and 100 million.

The official biography of Sathya Sai Baba was written by Narayana Kasturi. Additional sources for the official life story are Sathya Sai Baba's discourses.

Sathya Sai Baba was born on 23 November 1926. His birth name was Sathyanarayana Raju. Sathya (as Sai Baba referred to himself in those days) "was known to be very lively", and composed many plays, poems and songs for school and friends. He also taught the local children and villagers how to read and write. He was called by his neighbors "Brahmajnani," meaning a "Realized Soul." In sixth standard, Sathya left Puttaparthi to live with his elder brother, Seshama and his wife in Kamalapuram. About a year later, "holidays came and Seshama Raju took Sathya to Hampi." A municipal chairman witnessed Sathya being both inside a Siva temple and outside (looking after his brothers luggage) simultaneously. Afterwards, he presented the boy with "a collar pin made of gold." During a discourse in 2000, Sathya Sai Baba related the events that transpired a few days after, "He (Sathya) left the house and went about ten feet when the collar pin fell and could not be found... The collar pin symbolised worldly attachment, and when it was lost, it was symbolic of the end of the 'Raju phase' and attachments implied by it. Declaring that He had no worldly relationship with anyone, he ran to the house of one Anjaneyulu... In front of his house there was a small rock. Swami (Sathya Sai Baba) went and sat on that stone."

Narayana Kasturi's biography states Sathya Sai Baba performed many miracles (healings, levitation, materialization of fruit, sweets, pencils, pictures etc. and clairvoyance). At approximately age 14, Sathya Sai Baba made a claim that he was the reincarnation of the fakir, Sai Baba of Shirdi. To validate his claim it is alleged that jasmine flowers were dropped onto the ground and that they miraculously arranged themselves into the words "Sai Baba" in Telugu. At that time, he began his spiritual mission.

The first volume of Sathya Sai Speaks covers discourses given during the years 1953 to 1960. In this volume can be read the many early claims of divinity made by Sathya Sai Baba, including those of omnipotence and omniscience.

During the month of June 1963, Sathya Sai Baba suffered a stroke and 4 heart attacks. His left side was paralysed, and the sight in his left eye and speech were badly affected. After sprinkling water on his left hand and leg, he made a full recovery and delivered a Guru Poornima discourse. During the discourse he said, "Shiva said that they (Shiva and Shakti) would take human form and be born in the Bharadwaja lineage, thrice: Shiva alone as Shirdi Sai Baba, Shiva and Shakthi together at Puttaparthi as Sathya Sai Baba, and Shakthi alone as Prema Sai, later."

In a 1976 interview, he repeated his claim to be a full divine Avatar, saying "I have come armed with the fullness of the power of formless God to correct mankind, raise human consciousness and put people back on the right path of truth, righteousness, peace and love to divinity."

Between 1988 and 2006, Sathya Sai Baba suffered three accidents, the second of which left him with a fractured hip and a broken femur. He later moved among devotees in his car or Porte Chair.