Ugadi 2009 Darshan Report from Prasanthi Nilyam

Tuesday, 16, March 2010 - Ugadi Darshan - Discourse

- Sai News
"...On the auspicious Ugadi morning, Sai Kulwant Hall bore a festive look with simple, yet elegant decorations, aptly signifying the advent of Telugu New Year, bringing freshness that a new year demands. Bhagawan was ushered into the Hall at 9:36..." ...continue reading

SAI BABA UGADI GREETING CARDS

Ugadi Celebrations - March 27, 2009
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At about 9:25 am, as the bhajans were on, Swami arrived for the Ugadi morning darshan. Kulwant hall was like the bride awaiting her groom! Decorated in flowing blues and yellows, the hall looked like a picture out of a fairytale! The traditional holy items from coconut trees and mango leaves were placed at various places and the steps leading to the stage were filled with a myriad range of colourful items. The atmosphere was festive and cheerful. The hall was filled with thousands of people, all desirous of beginning the new year with His darshan. Swami went around for a complete round as the bhajans were on. He sat in the centrestage and enquired from the students as to whether they were well prepared for a music programme in the evening. One of the members of the bhajan group went up to Swami and told Him about all the songs that had been prepared.



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Swami told him that they should sing a lot of swaras (the notes of music) in the songs. After a few bhajans, Swami called a senior member of the faculty of Sathya Sai university and gave instructions about an announcement to be made. Accordingly, it was announced that in the evening, after 4:00pm, there would be a music programme by the students of the University and the College of Music. Swami seemed pleased even as the announcement was made. A few boys moved to the stage and showed Swami the cards they had made for Ugadi. The Ugadi Pachchadi, which is a mixture of all the six tastes and is partaken as symbolic of accepting everything that comes as the Lord's prasadam, was also blessed by Swami. He soon received Aarthi and left.

In the evening, a huge mat had been spread and the students who were to sing, were seated by 3:30pm. The array of instruments presented a wonderful sight. At about a few minutes before 5pm, Swami arrived. He came on the special raised golden throne that He seems to use when He feels that the occasion is special! The hall was truly packed now and Swami gently made His way through the surging crowds of devotees. Completing a round of the hall, He moved through the veranda and then arrived onstage. As soon as He saw the students, He asked for them to begin the programme. The lead singers moved on to the stage and offered flowers to Him. The introduction was beautiful.






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It stated that this year was one in which we have to be Virodhi (opposed) to the six Virodhi (enemies) within. The first song was the Yugadi song in Telugu which was so poignantly rendered. The second song was a Thyagaraja kirtan that extolled the might of Rama. The pair that sang the song excelled in the rendering of the swaras in the beginning, scaling new heights in the pitch and undulating their voice rapidly with great ease. The crowd could not help but burst into an appreciative applause. From the wonder of technique, the duo shifted to the beauty of feelings as everyone soaked in the Love of Rama. Swami seemed so happy and even proud at their rendering. The third song was a song "Maula Maula" which had been suitably altered and modified to fit the theme. Again, the pair revelled in high scales as they melodiously pleaded to their Lord. Then there was a Hindustani classic that brought out the richness of feelings and of the sonority that the voices of the boys exhibited.



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Another song in Telugu thrilled at the prospects of being in the divine presence. The next song was, "Gopi Gopala Bala" and it described the divine sport of Krishna with the gopikas. It also projected the masterful control and the expertise of the singers. Finally, there was a Namavali song on the Lord Hari which was sung by a trio of singers.

Though only seven songs were sung, the programme lasted a full 75 minutes! Time passed so quickly as it does when one is lost in something. In between Swami went to the interview room for a short while but He sat through for almost the entire programme. It was such a beautiful and musical way to begin the new year. More than anything else, Swami seemed so happy with the programme. He blessed prasadam to be distributed to all and then received Aarthi. Two students moved up to Him and thanked Him for the wonderful opportunity, also praying that He forgive any mistakes that might have crept in. Swami blessed them and then moving to the car, retired for the day.

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Ugadi Celebrations
Music Programme by Students of the Sri Sathya Sai University

March 27, 2009

With the completion of another eventful year of the telugu calendar, Prashanthi Nilayam resplendent with floral and other decorations welcomed the New Year with a lot of cheer. Though the almanac declares the year name as "Virodhi", with the Lord's assurance of "Why Fear when I am Here", there can but only be celebrations on every occassion.

This Sai Avatar has a special quality; to pour unconditional and unbounded love and grace on anybody and everybody. As He says, there is ‘No reason for Love, no season for Love’. And this evening, the students of His institutions were the benefactors of this outpouring. Having taken much interest over the past few days about their music programme, Bhagawan had it announced in the morning in the Sai Kulwant Hall.

At about 5 pm, the Lord arrived in the special golden white throne. After completing a full round of Darshan, Bhagawan came and occupied His position on the dais and indicated for the music programme to begin.

The programme began with a special song composed by the students for Ugadi. The song welcomed Swami and everyone into the New Year. It beautifully conveyed that though this year was called ‘Virodhi’ there would no Virodh (Fights) since Swami was there pouring His Divine Love to everyone. The song meandered through high pitch notes and was a perfect start to the evening. Swami appeared touched with the meaning and happy with the rendering.

This song was followed by the famous ‘Appa Rama Bhakti Yento Gopparaa’ by the poet saint Sri Thyagaraja. It began with an alaap which brought out the exquisite beauty and toughness of the raga (Raga Panthurali) marvelously. The two singers (one from the institute and other from the music college) fully blossomed in the course of the alaap garnering several rounds of applause. Swami too was all smiles & pride for them. Some of the notes they were able to scale were superlative and only possible through dedicated practice and divine grace. The song followed the alaap, and everyone was left swinging from side to side. Swami too joined the song in bouts, singing and putting talam for the song. The presentation showed off the brilliance of the singers and the applause after the song was a resounding one.

A sufi song followed the Thyagaraja song. It was a total contrast in terms of singing style. The song was laced with insightful meaning and incredible range. These sufi songs have a very lilting tune and convey in the prayer of an ardent devotee for the Lord.

This was followed by another virtuoso performance by the students of music college. This time it was a Hindustani Bandish. A bandish is a presentation of a raga in all its glory. The words are very few but the beauty lies in its presentation. The singers did full justice to the raga (Rag Jog) strolling through the song with mastery of swaras and bhrigas and gamakas. Such presentations beautifully showcase what happens when talent meets practice and both stream forth skillfully. They had done justice to the song and, through that, to Swami’s instructions.

Sai Naamam Tarakamuraa.... was the next offering at His Lotus feet. The song beautifully conveyed the efficacy and potent power of Sai Nama and that only by its incessant chanting, mukti (liberation) is attained with ease. This song too boasted of high pitch notes and the extremely melodious singers sang their heart out. Swami too responded to the plea of their song.

The last but one song was a Surdas composition (Gopi Gopala Bala...) tuned to rag Poorvi Kalyani. The song had a lot of energy and vibrancy and was sung commendably by the singers. The programme ended with another lilting tune of Hari Guna Gao.... as Bhagawan signaled for the Mangala Aarathi.

The beauty of any programme in His divine presence is that it is He who prepares, it is He who performs and in the end it is He who applauds too. Such is His Grace and Love.

He only teaches us how to love Him and how to pray to Him and becomes pleased if that is done with sincerity and love. Such is His compassion. It was a great start to another year in His most Divinely auspicious presence.

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Ugadi 2009 Darshan Report from Prasanthi Nilayam -

eye witness darshan account submitted by a devotee

MORNING DARSHAN
Om Sairam dearest Sai Family,
Ugadi greetings from the land of Yuga Avatara, Puttaparthi.
Ugadi, telugu new year was celebrated with festivity and gaiety in the abode of Highest peace Prasanthi Nilayam.

The ashram was beautifully decorated on the holy occasion. The kulwanth hall in particular was draped with sky blue cloth around the pillars and on the dias. Beautiful flowers covered the whole dias and a small space left for Lord Ganesha to be visible.
Replica of Mangoes, the fruit of the season was hung between pillars and here and there some real mangoes were seen.

It was a very bright and cool morning to start with. Being a new year, many Puttaparthians in particular came to the ashram in new clothes and coconuts and flowers in their hands... Many breaking coconuts to Ganesha, some seriously moving around Ganesha, clearly seemed to be counting the number of rounds and Sai Kulwanth hall was not really jam packed but had good numbers. Being election season, it was also the turn of chota politcians to come for Swami's darshan.

Being examination season for all the students in India, probably would have been the reason for not so many devotees on this holy occasion. Notably there were no big groups on Parthi Yatra in the recent past for the same reason.

Every one were eagerly awaiting Swami for His divine darshan on the auspicious occasion. It was 8:30am and still no trace of His arrival, it was 9am and the bhajans started and made many in the hall little bit curious if Swami will come or not...

It was 9:45 and then there was some movement at His residence and in no time Swami out of His immense grace came out from His physical abode wearing the brightness of the bright sun and with a sweet smile. The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr.Mallikarjun will be retiring in few days and He had to say a few words to Swami and after a quick chat, Swami entered the Sai Kulwanth hall in His mobile throne.

Swami took a full round in the hall. This time, there were beautiful flowers placed on either side of the path way and here and there small baskets with some mangoes were kept.. Swami after finishing His darshan round came on to the dias.

After 5 or 6 bhajans, he called upon Mr.Sudhir Bhaskar to make an announcement in place of Prof.Anil Kumar who is not in town. It was announced that Swami's students from Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of music, MBA and MPhil students will have a karnatic music programme this afternoon.

AFTER NOON DARSHAN:
In the afternoon Swami came just after 4pm and this time in a bit bigger Mobile throne. Swami interacted to students and some devotees before He came on the dias. Immediately the music programme started and it was a beautiful programme totally performed and MASTERED by Swami's students. The Alaaps in particular were too good. I'm Music illiterate but there was one elderly devotee probably in his 60s sitting next to me.. When the student was doing the alaap, he was listening to them in rapt attention probably checking if the students were singing it right. His index finger was making small movements as if drawing a ECG graph and his gestures made me more curious and he seemed very much thrilled by the way the students were singing. Seeing him so much immersed I was definitely sure that he had good knowledge of music. In about 10 minutes I looked at him and this time tears were rolling down from his eyes.. it was definitely a beautiful appreciation not to the students but to the MASTER who made this beautiful music college and no doubt this will be a pioneer music mandir in the years to come..

The students on the other hand were getting big round of applauds after every song and they definitely made our beloved Swami proud to be His chosen ones..

At 6:30 Swami asked for arathi while prasad was distributed to every one. Just out of curiosity, I went to the elderly devotee and asked him two questions... how do you feel and are you a musician? He looked at me as if feeling little bit uncomfortable and in a second he came back to me with a beautiful smile and said so you saw me crying??? It was beautiful and first of its kind experience. For my second question, I was little bit taken back when he said I'm working with A.R.Rahman (the Oscar winning music director of the slumdog millionaire fame) and Iam going to share this experience with him. I knew he was a musician but I never thought he would be working with a living legend and this is what our students are!! Swami always says my students are PURE BANGARU (gold) and how true it is!!!

This new year, which sounds little bit scary by its name VIRODHI (enemy, opponent) has already created sleepless nights to every one. Especially many politicians feel it is not a good year for them. Many others think there will be lot of enmity this year. To add to this, there is one email circulated in South Africa reading SWAMI'S PREDICTIONS which has been projected as personally given by Swami to His students and the contents of the letter need not to be mentioned as every word in that is absolutely false and baseless. Swami our beloved Lord, has come to this world, to save His own beautiful creation and to teach us all love and non violence..

The VIRODHI (enemy), in fact VIRODHIS are the jealousy, anger, desire, hatred.... with in us and let this VIRODHI year remind us these VIRODHIS and let us all, by Swami's grace fight these enemies and win the game of life...

source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabaofindia/message/16220

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