Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave his most ardent devotee, Srimathi Gali Sarada Devi, the name of 'Pedda Bottu' as a term of endearment. It means 'Big Bindi', as she was conspicuous by the unusually large kumkum (vermilion) mark she wore on her forehead. She was born on 8.8.1888 in an extremely wealthy family of surname: Manthripragada, of Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh). Traditionally the family were dedicated worshippers of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Sri Mahavishnu; but they were also devotees of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba. For three generations the family had no female offspring. Soon after they obtained Sri Sai's benediction, a female baby was born; she was named Sarada Devi, after the presiding deity of Shringeri Peetham (Karnataka), as directed by Baba himself. She later changed her surname to Gali when she got married.

The baby was orphaned soon. Her mother died when she was but 9 months old; and a year later her father retired to Shringeri and embraced sannyas (renunciation). The eldest of her six paternal uncles and his wife (whom she called her father and mother) brought her up, though in that family of 150 members, to say nothing of 50 servitors, the varaprasad of Sri Shirdi Baba received love, care and attention in ample measure.

The little girl grew up in an environment of traditional learning in Sanskrit and Telugu, coupled with regular worship, purity, truthfulness and ever-pervading awareness of the proximate and strong presence of the family deity. Spiritual visions and experiences commenced even at the tender age of five.

Ever since her father had retired to Shringeri, the family was keenly desirous of inviting the Sankaracharya of Shringeri to their home but the sage was unwilling to make the journey. A yogi appeared in Sarada Devi's dream and instructed her what to do to get round the problem. He also blessed her and foretold that one day she would reach him, and that his name was Chandra Yogi.

When in due course the Sankaracharya did visit their home, the little girl was presented to him. Her respectful demeanour, intelligence and ability to answer him in Sanskrit impressed him. He observed, "This child is blessed with good bhakthi. She is destined to master six languages and to come across many yogis, saints and exalted souls in her life.Turning away from worldly concerns, she will attain salvation through worship of God's avatars". In later life, she did master six languages - Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Marathi. Needless to add, the other predictions too proved to be equally correct.

When she was hardly six, the family made a pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrine of Badarinath. On the way, at the foot of a tree, she found a four-inch golden idol of Balagopala. That night Lord Narasimha appeared in her father's dream and directed him to initiate the child in Balagopala Manthram and worship. After two years of ritual worship, she began experiencing spiritual occurrences. A few months later she discovered her ability to write inspired poetry in Telugu as well as Sanskrit. Formal schooling stopped in her eighth year but she continued with the worship of her Gopi.

Sarada Devi was married as soon as the family returned from Badarinath; and in her twelfth year she went to live with her husband. Her parents gave her plenty of land, gold and silver befitting their high status. As her husband's people were living in a tiny village, to avoid the hardship of life there, Sarada Devi was given a big house in the nearby Rajahmundry town on the banks of the Godavari. All of them including the couple settled down in the town. But her marital life, so auspiciously begun, soon turned sour. She bore six male children in as many years but all of them died before reaching five. The husband, although a gifted musician, was a profligate. On false pretexts he cheated her of her property. To crown it all, he secretly negotiated for a second marriage. When the terrible news reached Sarada Devi's ears two or three days before the marriage day, she decided to put a bold face on it lest her parents should feel humiliated and disgraced if she publicised the tragedy. Times then were such that if a girl, though innocent, was unfairly deserted by her husband, her parental home felt besmirched. Besides, there was no divorce in those days. Poor Sarada Devi's conjugal life thus ended when she was just about eighteen. She took to wearing ochre clothes, the time-honoured garb of a sannyasini. She was penniless, homeless and husbandless - but she was rich in her bhakthi of her dear Gopi and dogged perseverance in her spiritual journey.

The news was a shattering blow to Sarada Devi who felt utterly lost. She very much needed a guru to teach and direct her towards spiritual progress. About twelve years earlier she had heard of a great Sage living somewhere in the Dwaraka hills near Ujjain Onkaara Kshethram (Madhya Pradesh). Now, in her desperate yearning, she left home and relatives behind and headed for him. After going through great privation, she succeeded in reaching him. She also found that Chandra Yogi who had appeared in her dream in her childhood and advised her about the Shringeri pontiff's visit. The Sage, who had already seventy sishyas receiving spiritual instruction from him, admitted Sarada Devi to the order. He gave her the name of Radha. In due course, she received Maha Thaaraka Manthram from the guru; she heard his daily discourses and practised spiritual disciplines and austerities and dhyan under his guidance. After six years of that blissful life, she was directed by the master to return home. She was destined, he told her, to accomplish many things in the outer world.