The falling week with sizeable public holidays in its kitty resembled an important festive occasion as the swelling surge of devotees made every available space in the ashram a scarcity. With a huge group of three thousand and five hundred from Srikakulam arrived on a Parthi Yatra for three days, the Youth from Gujarat still camping in Prasanthi, the week that began had sizeable rush that continued till the ‘falling week’ that had three consecutive holidays, owing to Sri Krishna Janmashtami, National Independence Day followed by the weekly holiday on Sunday. Prasanthi was filled to its brim and one could see huge serpentine lines outside the canteens, reminding one of a Shivarathri or a Birthday occasion…. …And for a close onlooker curious enough to learn the best out of observation the week had plenty to offer…
The Gujarat Youth finally got their dues, an opportunity to stage a programme, but not without the test of uncertainty. Repeating a script similar to that of the previous evening, wherein instructions came to the UK group to get set for a programme session, the youth got to perform a small skit entitled “Sai Aapadbandhavaya Namaha” portraying some of the real life incidents happened during the Sri Sathya Sai Village Integration Programme.
Call it a prelude to National Independence Day, the devotees from Srikakulam, came in large numbers, a whopping 3500, on a Parthi Yathra put up a programme, a Dance Drama, “Sai Bharati”, which sang paeans of praise on the greatness, grandeur and glory of the sacredness of the great land of Bharat. In an imaginative portrayal, brining in three great men of the time, namely, Max Muller, Rabindranath Tagore and Bal Gangadhar Tilak unto the portals of Prasanthi Nilayam, the drama spoke through these great men showcasing the ever colourful greater glory of the land of Bharat. Something that is so close to His heart, something that comes quite often referentially in His Divine discourses, noble women of the Land, was hailed by Max Muller for their pristine character. This land of piety and nobility attained plenty and prosperity and became the teacher of all the nations of the world because of such women of chastity, said Max Muller glorifying Bharat. …In a sudden act of blessing in appreciation, at this point, in between the presentation, Bhagawan called “Max Muller” on stage to present him with a materialised golden chain!
Synthesis of Seva and Sadhana, perhaps this was what the 180 odd Youth Group from the United Kingdom wanted to achieve as the troupe had their regular Sadhana sessions continued before leaving back to the Kingdom happily after securing His Divine ‘go-ahead’. The Youth of Sai Kingdom left on the 13th August, joyous and filled to the brim with Swami’s Love, knowing full well in their hearts that what they experienced in Prasanthi over their two weeks stay were rare chances indeed.
Next to follow was the “Falling Weekend”…with three consecutive holidays, Krishnashtami, Independence Day followed by the national public holiday Sunday brought a sudden surge of rush. …and the Krishnashtami morning had the rare Divine Darshan that had been otherwise missing for 10-12 days. Yellow clad Bhagawan granted darshan to the vast concourse of devotees making the morning a most memorable one. Evening programme was marked by the regular “Gokulam Procession” of quadrupeds and special keerthanams sung on Lord Krishna. Bhagawan, during His darshan rounds, blessed the animals and birds, a traditional affair every year during the occasion, symbolizing the Dwapara’s age old tradition derived out of Lord Krishna’s greater affinity towards the quadruped…
The 63rd Independence Day of Bharat was marked with the flag hoisting ceremony at various educational institutions in Prasanthi Nilayam. In the Prasanthi Nilayam campus, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Vishwanath Pandit, addressing the students, exhorted them to develop greater love toward motherland following Bhagawan’s Ideals. Where love for mother and motherland has often been referred to as a duty par excellence, by none other than the Avatar of the Age, Prasanthi Nilayam gets to witness flashbacks from Nation’s Freedom struggle, recurrently every year, on the occasion of National Independence Day, 15th August. 15th August, being a marked day with some other engagements in Prasanthi Nilayam, the final year Post Graduate students from the University staged a drama on the 16th August evening, “Bharatha Bhagya Vidhata”, a portrayal of celebrity saint, Aurobindo Ghosh, whose undisputed role in Swaraj Movement aimed at National Independence was depicted with astounding precision bringing in subtler elements of his unflinching love and devotion to Bhagawan Sri Krishna that finally played a pivotal role for the country winning her Independence.
A convention of Thyagajeevis (of Alike and Muddenahalli) and Brahmacharis in Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan was held on the 15th August in the building adjacent to Bhagawan’s residence. Over 240 Thyagajeevis and Brahmacharis attended the one day symposium organized with the blessings and guidance of Bhagawan. Eminent speakers addressed the convention were Sri Sanjay Sahani, Principal, Brindavan Campus, Sri B.N.Narasimhamurthy, Warden, Brindavan Campus, Prof. G.Venkataraman, formerly Vice Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University, Sri. S.V.Giri, formerly Vice Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University, Dr. Shiva Shankar Sai, Warden, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus, Sri Vedanarayanan, Faculty with Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Sri U. Gangadhar Bhat, Chairman, Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust and Sri Narayana Rao, Secretary, Sathya Sai Institutions, Muddenahalli.
Earlier, as a prelude to the a symposium, Mr. Narasimhamurthy, Warden, Brindavan Campus addressed the gathering of “two hundred and forty” evincing details of the proceedings followed by a peptalk on the greater significance of the institution of Brahmacharya. Quoting Bhagawan, he announced that, You have made the sacred decision in your life; hold on to it; you could not have done anything better… Bhagawan blessed the meet at the valedictory function in the evening on the 15th Aug. He exhorted the participants to practise all that had been deliberated during the symposium.
Three hundred and sixty young farmers with marginal land holdings, trained specially on educare, medicare and sociocare in the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Aksa village, Malad were brought to Prasanthi Nilayam for Divine Darshan under the auspices of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Maharashtra. The Vision of the “Sai Institute” is to grant the youth of rural and tribal India, which constitute almost 70 per cent of our population, the message and practice of Human Values of Bhagawan by imparting proper training which will help transform their overall personality.
The students from Brindavan and Anantapur campuses had been to Prasanthi Nilayam for the Krishnashtami and Independence Day celebrations and have returned to the respective campuses on Sunday evening.
From the Sri Sathya Sai University, the Department of Chemistry had organized a three day seminar on Emerging Trends in Catalysis and Bio-Catalysis. Eminent faculties attended the seminar were, Prof. V. Chandrashekar (IIT, Kanpur), Prof. Govind Rao, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA, Dr. Praveen Vadlani, Kansas State University, USA, Prof. Somenath Mitra, Department of chemistry and Evironmental Science, NJIT, Newark. US, Dr. Mukesh Doble, IIT Madras, Chennai, Dr Vijayalakshmi V, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, Prof. V.Lakshminarayan, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, Prof. K.B.Ramachandran, IIT, Chennai, T. K. Chandrashekar, Director National Institute of Science Education and Reasearch, Bhubaneshwar, Pravaeen vadlanni, Kansas state university, USA, Dr. Nanduri Srinivas, Aurigene Discovery Technology Limited, Bangalore, Dr. S. Sai Satish, Post Doctoral Fellow, UMBC, Baltimore, USA, Dr. Dinesh, Bangalore etc. The conference that was sponsored by three academies, namely, the India Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, The National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad had extensive deliberation on the subject that had the representation of post graduate students from the University.
The week’s Rose Beneficiaries were, Mr. Narasaiah, Mr. Roja Rao, both from the Maintenance Dept., Mr. Appa Rao from the Double Decker Auditorium, Mr. N.P.Vittal from the Sri Sathya Sai Deena Janoddharana Pathakam, Mr. Satish Naik, Ashram Engineer-in-charge, Mr. Raja Reddy, Mandir Incharge (Gents’ Wing), Mr. Appa Rao from the Central Trust Office etc.
A group of 130 Youth (ladies) from Dharwad, Karnataka and a big contingent comprising 2150 Youth from Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have come on Parthi Yatra and are currently camping in Prasanthi Nilayam.
His subtle moves, if one could call it so, on the 15th August evening after the Bhajans, Bhagawan called one of the singers and asked him something about the “old-fashioned” Universal Prayer, “Lokaha Samasthaha…” and the students chanted the same thrice followed by the revised prayer that has been in practice for almost an year, “Samastha Lokaha Sukhino Bhavanthu…”
The week that gone past “passed the baton” to the fresh one, passing the beauteous, mellifluous voice that heard echoing, often heard humming intertwined in the drama presentation, the song of “Divine Romance” that enchanted the minds, hearts and souls… “Shyamala Komala Hey Gopalana Tumho Mere Bhagawan… Shraddha Bhakthi Deejo Dayakari Sreedhara Kripaa Nidaan….”
