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Acknowledgement - Source: photos, text etc. Our humble thanks to all Sai friends for Sai Baba photos & textual matter, particularly to www. sssbpt.org - www. sairadio.org for darshans & photo material and all the other official & public domain sources - Also, Various Sai Baba groups ,Forums & individuals etc. In addition, submitted articles, Darshan account, photos & Sai news by respective Sai devotees from all over the globe & SBOI group members to Group Saibabaofindia & www.Saibabaofindia.com website. Submit Sai news & Photos: mail to: saibabaofindia@yahoo.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 The alumni of the University and Higher Secondary School campuses at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan have been gathering on 1 January for the last few years. This time, they had arranged a workshop for the alumni in the Poornachandra auditorium, with presentations on how to interface better with their alma mater and with the Sai Organisation. Bhagawan indicated last night that He would grace the proceedings, so all the alumni were seated in the Poornachandra by 8.30 am. Swami went to the Mandir where the Bhajans began at 9 o'clock, and accepting Arati at 9.15, came to the Poornachandra where He was welcomed with Vedic chants. The nearly 500 strong gathering was given an introduction to the speakers by Sri Chakravarthy, former Registrar of the University and current Secretary of the Central Trust. Former Vice Chancellor Sri S. V. Giri and the All India President of Sai Organisations Sri V. Srinivasan were the two speakers for the morning. Following their speeches, Bhagawan addressed the alumni, with translation by Prof. Anil Kumar. Bhagawan's 30 minute Discourse was followed by a 20 minute interactive session, in which the alumni got some points clarified by Swami directly. Prasadam was distributed, and Bhagawan left for His residence after Arati at 11.30 am. The alumni continued their workshop with presentations by some of their own number. In the evening, many of the alumni sat in the Bhajan Hall for the five o'clock bhajans. When Swami came to the Bhajan Hall at 5.15, He moved down the aisle and took a round of the verandah, returning to the Bhajan Hall to accept Arati at 5.50 pm. |
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Monday, December 29,
2008 This morning, the devotees from Indonesia who did the overseas sevadal duty were seated in the Bhajan hall, and the bhajans started at 9 o'clock from Sai Kulwant hall. A few minutes later, Bhagawan came to the bhajan hall and blessed the Indonesia group with vibhuti prasadam, padanamaskar and group photographs. After spending around an hour with the 200-strong group, Swami went into the interview room and thence onstage to accept Arati before returning to His residence.
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Friday, December 26, 2008 Boxing Day : Children's Choir and Skit: This evening, children from overseas presented songs and a musical play on the works of Jesus. After His darshan round at 4.30 pm, Swami came to the stage from the interview room at 5.10. and began the programme. Half an hour of songs were followed by the half-hour musical play. As they concluded, Bhagawan came down from the stage and blessed the participants with clothes and a group photograph. He then gifted photo-frames to the children who sang. The conductor and accompanists were also blessed with clothes. Swami interacted with the group for nearly half an hour before He went back onstage to accept Arati. Before He returned to His residence at 6.50, He blessed Mr. John Behner, the Christmas co-ordinator, also with clothes and raised both His hands in blessing all the devotees. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday, December 25, 2008 This Christmas morning, the devotees from overseas gathered in the Sai Kulwant Hall and carolled after Nagarsankirtan as scenes from early morning darshans from Christmases past were projected on two screens atop the Mandir. Later, Bhagawan arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall at 8.35 in a white robe seated on His golden chair led by a procession of children from overseas dressed as the characters in the Nativity. When He reached the verandah, He blessed the cakes arrayed there and came onstage to begin the programme. The University brass band was the first to perform. After 10 minutes of Christmas-themed music from them, the violins of the Primary
School took over. As the young boys finished their performance with 'Jingle Bells', young 'Santa's came up to Swami to get their gift bags blessed. Swami threw a few toffees to the boys nearby, and the Santas completed the job, running around the hall. Christmas songs by the students began next. The 40 minute song bouquet was interspersed with a commentary in the form of a dialogue between two of Christ's apostles and a young boy. Two more 'Santa's arrived to throw toffees, and more traditional prasadam was distributed too. After Arati at 10 o'clock, Swami blessed students who came up with pictures of the Senior Students Hostel, Christmas day being the Hostel anniversary day too. More students with cards and birthday trays were blessed too before Swami left for His residence 10 minutes later.
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008 This evening, the Christmas eve celebrations began with Bhagawan arriving at 4.30 pm in His chair. After a full round of the Sai Kulwant Hall, Swami came onstage after a brief visit to the interview room. The conductor of the Western choir came up to Bhagawan for blessings, and their hour-long programme began. When they finished all the songs in their printed schedule, Swami asked them to sing more songs, so they sang some traditional carols like 'Silent Night' and then began an encore of selected songs from their programme. Prasadam was distributed and Swami called up the conductor to bless her with a chain before accepting Arati. He then asked the students to sing bhajans. After the first couple of bhajans, He asked them to sing 'Sarva Dharma Priya Deva'. A couple of multi-religious bhajans followed before Swami accepted Arati once again and returned to His residence in the car after spending more than 2 hours in Sai Kulwant Hall. |
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Monday, December 22, 2008 This evening's bhajan session was for over 100 minutes. Bhagawan arrived after the Bhajans began at 5 pm, and moved to the interview room. After a series of interviews, He came to the Bhajan Hall and almost immediately accepted Arati at 6.45 pm. |
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Sunday, December 21, 2008
Three thousand devotees from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh had gathered at Prasanthi Nilayam. Yesterday, they had a procession in the streets of Puttaparthi outside the Ashram. This evening, they had a chance to present their programmes in Sai Kulwant Hall. Bhagawan arrived at around 5.40 pm in His chair, and when He reached the stage, He asked the leader of the group to speak a few words of introduction. Following his Telugu speech, a 50 minute drama was presented by the youth and Balvikas children, on the transformative quality of Balvikas. The devotees sang some songs for fifteen minutes after the drama while chocolates were distributed to the participants and Bhagawan went down for group photographs with the children. Once He came back onstage, Bhagawan accepted Arati at 7.15 pm and returned to His residence. |
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 This evening, when Bhagawan arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall at five o'clock, He moved in His chair to where the youth from MP and Chhattisgarh were seated and moved among them. He said He wanted to give group photographs for the participants in yesterday's drama. Since they could not arrange themselves where they were seated, the students vacated an area in the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall and the photo session went on there. Swami blessed two of the group with clothes and they also received their photos then and there. Moving to the Bhajan Hall where the Bhajans were going on, Bhagawan moved down the aisle in His chair and gave sarees to a lady and three of the bhajan singers there before He accepted Arati at six o'clock. |
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Below:
Bhagawan interacting with the Devotees 18th Dec 08 |
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Since Saturday, when Bhagawan had enquired about the sports events of the students, they have been eagerly awaiting a visit from Him at the Indoor Stadium complex. Today, that visit materialised. Last evening Bhagawan came for darshan at 4.15 pm and this morning at 8.10 am, moving in a full darshan round of Sai Kulwant Hall in His chair. Click here for: 40 New Photos & detailed darshan news:: Swami visits Indoor stadium and MP programme
This evening, at four
o'clock, Swami went to the Indoor Stadium directly from His residence and watched parts of
tennis, volleyball and basketball intra-mural matches there. He returned to Sai Kulwant Hall
at five o'clock, and after a brief visit to the interview room, came onstage for a performance
by the youth from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Fifteen minutes of traditional Karma dance
from Chhattisgarh was followed by a Hindi adaptation of Bhagawan's play 'Cheppinattu Chestara'
(Do you do as you say). The half hour drama was followed by fifteen minutes of songs by Sri
Abhas Joshi, a former Balvikas student and a top three finalist of a singing competition on
national television. Bhagawan accepted Arati and returned to His residence blessing all the
participants with Abhayahasta at 6.30 pm. Photo slide show: Cultural
Programme by Devotees from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh |
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Saturday, December 13, 2008 Sri Ashok Chavan, the new Maharashtra CM, had an audience with Swami this morning. A couple of days ago, former Union Home Minister Sri Shivraj Patil had also come for Bhagawan's darshan. This evening, the students presented a card detailing their Sports activities as the Bhajans went on, and after Arati Swami had a brief interaction with the students and teachers in the Bhajan hall, enquiring about the different events before returning to His residence in the car at 5.45 pm. |
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Friday, December 12, 2008 Devotees from Anakapalli had come to Prasanthi Nilayam as a group, and this evening they had the opportunity to sit near the Sai Kulwant hall stage and lead the evening bhajans. They run a Deena Janodharana Pathakam there for orphans and single mothers, and the children were also seated in the front. Bhagawan arrived for darshan in the chair at 4.45 pm, and interacted with some of the group before coming onstage and beginning their bhajans. He sat there while prasadam was distributed and had another short interaction with some group members after Arati at 5.50 pm before retiring for the day. |
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looking at all these I was running with the car, many times, Swami sweetly
smiled back at me.. Brothers and sisters, I want to share a very personal heart to heart
conversation. Just a reminder of how Swami is there in every action, in every thought and
every second of our life.. Just four days ago, my wife Shanthi's pregnancy report came as
positive. Me along with the whole family was so excited about that and I immediately felt like
running up to Swami and seek His blessings which were already there and I expressed my wish to
my family. My grandmother, who was blessed to see Swami since His childhood days, said "Gone
are the days my dear Satish, today, you have to be a BIG man to go to Swami and share all the
good news and seek guidance". I laughed at her and told, for Swami we all are BIG and it is
just a matter of time.. Thinking it was the right occasion, while the car was just passing by
the dais and was heading towards the main road via Eswaramma school gate, I prayed to Swami
from inside, Swami my wife Shanthi, is carrying her baby in her womb, this baby be Yours, let
her be a divine child and let the baby be your humble instrument in this avatar and your
loving Prema Sai Avatar which the man kind will be witnessing in a very short time. As I was
offering this prayer, Swami suddenly looked at me with a sweet smile and raised His left hand
to bless me. Brothers and sisters, this incident is enough to show that all our prayers reach
Swami whether you say it loud or from your heart.. and He is always there to respond. I
couldn't believe when He suddenly looked at me and blessed me just an live example to show
that Swami is all knowing and all caring. Even while typing this email, I can clearly see our
our Sweet Lord's instant reaction to my prayer and for a while, I thought, did I say it
loudly? This incident no doubt is Swami's grace and what a good fortune Swami!!!! As the car
came on the main road, instead of taking a left turn towards ashram Swami took a right turn
heading towards Gopuram I went after the car and the car now came on the airport road, just
passed by the samadhi of Sri Janakiramayya the chosen brother of Swami....and now the car
gained more speed. Swami after reaching the petrol station took a right turn and now the car
was on the road which leads to the ashram western-gate. the road was very quiet with no
devotees. no one in that area knew about Swami's arrival. On the way there came a Shepard. He
was playing alone with his stick on the road not knowing the arrival of the Lord, suddenly he
saw the tiny porte car heading and in few seconds he realised that it was none other than
Swami who was coming and immediately he threw away the stick and bowed down and Swami was all
smiles.. then came a herd of cows. There was one cow which was walking like a king to cross
the road. Swami's car slowed down and waited for the mother cow to cross the road. If it was a
minister in this particular situation he would probably have jailed the cow herder and also
the cow. I am not writing this to criticize any one but just want to show how down to earth
our Swami is loving all and caring all. As the car passed by there came some farmers who were
drying the paddy crop on the road. Any one visiting India would have noticed this and It is a
very common scene any where in India . Many farmers didn’t know the arrival of their beloved
and before they realised the car passed by. Many women set aside their work and bowed down to
Swami. Swami's car drove on the paddy grains. How blessed are those farmers whose hard earned
crop was blessed by none other than our Swami Himself and not to forget the lucky souls who
will be partakin those grains. We chant Brahamarpanam before we eat but this kind of food is
already, blessed by Swami physically and it will only reach to those lucky ones whom He
chooses to.. Swami's car then drove into the ashram from the western gate thus ending a
beautiful quiet street darshan passing by the stadium, into the busy road and then into quiet
scenic paddy fields and back to the CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.. Prasanthi Nilayam... |
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008 This evening, while the Bhajans went on, Bhagawan moved down the Bhajan Hall aisle and went out through the rear door. On the verandah, He blessed the faculty members of the Department of Economics of Sri Sathya Sai University, who presented a card to Him about their upcoming conference. The national conference begins on Thursday, December 4, at the Prasanthi Nilayam campus and has the theme 'Economics and Energy'. |
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