Saturday, October 4, 2008
This evening Bhagawan came for darshan at 4.30 pm in the Porte car and moved out through the centre gate to go to the Hill View Stadium. There, He examined the area near the Shanthi Vedika where an extended stage is to be built for the Sahasra Chandra Darsana Mahotsavam in November. After returning to the Sai Kulwant Hall at five o'clock, Swami sat for nearly half an hour onstage while the Vedam went on, calling up and talking to many students with letters. He then asked for Bhajans to begin in the Bhajan Hall just before 5.30 pm. A few minutes later, He came into the Bhajan Hall and accepted Arati at six o'clock before returning to His residence.
Friday, October 3, 2008
This morning the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yagna got underway. Bhagawan arrived at Sai Kulwant Hall at 8.45 am, and after His darshan round in the chair, moved to the bhajan hall where the priests were seated. He had a session with them yesterday in the Bhajan Hall after Bhajan, and today after receiving His blessings, they started for the Poornachandra auditorium in a procession led by the Nadaswaram troupe. By 9.30, all were assembled in the Poornachandra and Swami came onstage. The priests brought up the ceremonial items used to light the sacrificial fire, and with Swami's blessings, began the proceedings. Swami stayed onstage for more than half an hour, moving around the stage to bless the various rites before returning to His residence.
In the evening, the pujari at Prasanthi Nilayam, an MBA and retired bank officer, was asked by Bhagawan to speak on the Devi Bhagavatham. After an introduction by Prof. Anil Kumar, he spoke for half an hour on the topicality of the Purana. Swami then asked him to speak about the Gayatri mantra. When he concluded just after six o'clock, Bhagawan called up a few students and spoke to them. After 15 minutes of this interaction, He asked for Bhajans to commence while prasadam was distributed. At 6.40 pm He accepted Arati and returned to His residence. The last rites for the puja for the day concluded at the Poornachandra at 8 o'clock.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Devi Navarathri has begun at Prasanthi Nilayam with the Kalasa puja in the Mandir. Preparations are underway for the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yagnam which will commence in a couple of days. Bhagawan has been sitting onstage while the Vedam goes on for a few minutes over the last few days before going into the Bhajan Hall for bhajans. Today, He came for darshan a few minutes after five o'clock and moved around in the verandah and the Bhajan Hall before coming onstage at around 5.15. He sat there for nearly half an hour, blessing the Birthday boys and also the Iranian Primary School student who had come for Id blessings. Swami moved to the Bhajan Hall at 5.45 and the Bhajans began. He accepted Arati just after six and returned to His residence in the car.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Materials for distribution like sewing machines, sprayers, bicycles, carpentry kits and so on were arrayed in Sai Kulwant hall this evening. The devotees from Medak had arranged for these items to be given to deserving needy people. Bhagawan arrived as the Vedam tutorial went on, and once He came onstage, the class came to a close and Prof. Anil Kumar took the stage to introduce the distribution function. In his speech, he mentioned a young bread-winner who had a second lease of life in the Super Speciality Hospital here. Bhagawan called up the young man and blessed him with a chain. By 5.20, the distribution of items came to a close, and a music programme was arranged. Half an hour of popular Telugu songs followed. Swami accepted Arati at six o'clock before returning to His residence.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Devotees from the Medak district of Andhra Pradesh were ready with a drama this evening. Bhagawan arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall welcomed by Nadaswaram players as the Vedam tutorial went on, at 4.30 pm. After He came onstage and the Vedam concluded, the devotees brought up many items to be blessed by Bhagawan. After fifteen minutes of interaction with Swami, the drama began at five o'clock. The musical entitled 'Sai Rama Nauka' depicted Sai ideals being put in action by people in villages, encouraged by the example of their boatman. Bhagawan came down from the stage for group photographs after the forty minute performance. He then asked for their music programme, so the artistes came up and readied themselves while Swami went into the interview room for a few minutes. At six o'clock, Swami returned to the stage and started the music programme. Fifteen minutes later, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
This evening, Bhagawan arrived during the Vedam tutorial at 4.30 pm. After His darshan round, He came onstage, and in a few minutes, the class for the day concluded. Swami asked the two singers who were teaching the Vedam to sing the bhajan 'Ram Hare Hari Nam Bolo' with aalaap standing onstage. After that, He asked an Iranian student of the Primary School to chant the Rudram. After blessing the boy, Swami came into the Bhajan Hall for Bhajans to commence at 5.45 pm. After a couple of Bhajans, Swami asked for the 'Mohabbat ki kami' quawwali and as it concluded, left for His residence accepting Arati.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
For the last few days, the Vedam tutorial has been commencing at 4 pm every day. This evening, Bhagawan arrived at 4.15, took a full round of the Sai Kulwant hall in His chair and came onstage. Youth from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were to present a drama this evening. When the Vedam tutorial concluded at 4.20, Swami went into the interview room and returned to the stage to begin the drama at 4.45 pm. At the end of the half-hour drama which depicted the story of Sage Bharadwaja, Swami took group photographs and blessed two of the participants with chains. Bhajans by the youth followed while Prasadam was distributed to all. Swami accepted Arati ten minutes later before returning to His residence.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Bhagawan was escorted into Sai Kulwant Hall at 9.40 am in a procession this Onam morning, led by a band by Srisailam school students and Vedam chanting children. After a full round of the Hall in His chair, Swami sat onstage as the Vedic hymns were chanted and the Panchavadyam troupe played. At 10 o'clock, songs by the devotees commenced. After half an hour of songs, Bhagawan accepted Arati. After that, He spoke to a couple of students and asked them to sing the Bhajans 'Sri Raghunandana' and 'Ram Hare' with alap. He spoke to Prof. Mukundan and asked him to announce the programme for the evening. It was 11 o'clock when Swami returned to His residence.
In the evening, the Vedam tutorial commenced at four o'clock as instructed by Bhagawan. As the chanting went on line by line, Swami arrived at 4.15 and went on a full round in His chair. Once He reached onstage, He asked Prof Mukundan to announce the programme for the evening. A student from Sri Sathya Sai Vidyapeeth, Srisailam, spoke briefly before Bhagawan stood up to deliver His Onam message. Swami praised the sacred land of Kerala and the devoted Keralites. He narrated the story of Mahabali and Vamana, concluding by mentioning the Savitri drama to be staged as the next programme. Balvikas chilren of Alappuzha district presented the Savitri drama at 5.30 pm. Swami
blessed the participants with clothes and a group photograph, and asked for Bhajans to commence at 6.10 pm once He returned onstage. Prasadam was distributed and Bhagawan accepted Arati ten minutes later before returning to Yajur Mandir.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
This evening, Bhagawan arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall by 3.30 pm. After His darshan round, He came onstage and at 3.45, asked for the Vedam tutorial to begin. The second stanza of Rudram was chanted by all, and a revision of the first stanza was begun while Swami went to the interview room and returned. Once Swami came back onstage, He asked for the programme by the Kerala devotees to begin at 4.20 pm. This evening's drama was presented by students from the Sri Sai Vidya Vihar along with Balvikas children. Inspiring episodes from the Ramayana were presented, interspersed with many songs. At the end of the 50 minute programme, Bhagawan blessed the children with a group photograph and clothes. A programme of "Traditional Bhajans" followed, before Swami accepted Arati fifteen minutes later. Before returning to His residence, Bhagawan interacted onstage for a while with Prof. Mukundan, the Kerala State Sai Organisations President, who conveyed to the children that Swami said He was very happy with the drama and that He would come to their school.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Devotees from Kerala have arrived in strength at Prasanthi Nilayam to celebrate their festival of Onam. This evening, Balvikas children from Malappuram district of Kerala presented a dance drama on Dasavataram. After a full darshan round in His chair, Swami reached the stage and started the proceedings by asking the Kerala State Sai Organisation President to introduce the drama at 4.50 pm. As the 50 minute dance drama concluded, Bhagawan moved down from the stage for group photographs with the children and blessed them with clothes from His Divine Hands. When He returned to the stage, He asked the students to sing bhajans. After twenty minutes, He accepted Arati at six o'clock and returned to His residence to the strains of Panchavadyam music played by the Kerala devotees.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
This evening, Bhagawan arrived for darshan at 4.45, and after twenty minutes in the interview room, came onstage as the Vedam chanting went on. He had instructed yesterday that everybody be taught the Vedic hymn Rudram, in His presence. At 5.10, He asked former Vice-Chancellor Sri. S. V. Giri to announce this Vedam tutorial. After a brief introduction by one of the students working in the Ashram, the teaching of the hymn began. Bhagawan's instructions were that before His Birthday festivities this year, all should learn this mantra and chant together for the cause of the welfare of the entire world. In half an hour, the first paragraph of Rudram was covered, with the congregation repeating after the teacher onstage. Bhagawan then moved to the Bhajan Hall, interacted with some students and teachers there, instructed that the Bhajans commence today at six o'clock and moved to the interview room. Just before the Bhajans began, He returned to the Bhajan Hall, accepting Arati half an hour later before returning to Yajur Mandir.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The devotees from Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh presented a programme this evening. The centre of Sai Kulwant Hall was filled with sewing machines, grinders and other materials brought by them for distribution to worthy recipients. Bhagawan arrived at 4.45, and after moving to the Bhajan Hall to bless the newly registered PhD students, came onstage at five o'clock to begin the proceedings. The programme was introduced by one of the devotees from Kadapa, and Swami Blessed him with a chain. Prof. Anil Kumar spoke next, detailing the parts of Bhagawan's childhood days He spent at Kamalapuram and Pushpagiri of Kadapa district. Distribution of the articles followed, and a half-hour dance drama on Annamayya was the next item. While introducing the programme, Prof. Anil Kumar specially mentioned the role of the alumni of the Anantapur campus of the Sri Sathya Sai University in running a school in Kadapa district, mentoring children of extremely poor parents, who had now come to Prasanthi Nilayam to present the dance drama. Swami Blessed the participants with clothes and went down from the stage for group photographs with them. A couple of songs by the devotees was followed by Arati as Swami left for His residence at 6.45 pm.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Ganesha Immersion ceremony was held today. Representatives from all the Sai Institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam brought their Ganesha idols in colourful floats to the Mandir in a procession, lining up along Swami's darshan route by 3.30 pm. Bhagawan arrived just before four o'clock, and moved slowly along the path in front of the arrayed Ganesha chariots. When He reached the stage, the students presented a dance on Ganesha. Then the entire procession circumambulated the Mandir, and with a short description being narrated for each chariot, moved out of the main gate for the immersion. Bhagawan moved to the interview room, and in a few minutes came into the Bhajan Hall and asked for the Bhajans to commence just after five o'clock. After half an hour, Swami accepted Arati and returned to Yajur Mandir.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Today, Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated with puja being performed in the various institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam after morning Bhajans. In the evening, Bhagawan arrived at 4.15 pm and after a full darshan round in His chair, went into the interview room. A short while later, He came out and called some devotees for interviews. At 5.45, He sent word for Bhajans to start in the Bhajan Hall, and half an hour later He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
This evening, a few students dressed in orange dhoties brought icons of Lord Ganesha for Bhagawan's blessings. Swami went on a full darshan round in His chair when He arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall at 4.15 pm. Later, He made another full round of the Hall before 5 o'clock when He emerged from the interview room. Bhajans were as usual in the Bhajan Hall.
