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Index of earlier Bulletins
Thursday, January 31, 2008
This evening, the XI class boys of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary school put up their drama, "Bhakt Mira". Swami came into the Bhajan Hall after His darshan round, and had a ten minute interaction with the students in costumes there. Then He moved to the stage and the drama got underway. The sets and costumes were eye-catching, and the acting of the boy who played the role of Meerabai was also commendable. Bhagawan moved to the interview room twice during the drama, pausing it for a few minutes each time. At the end of the drama, Swami Blessed "Meera" with a chain and all the other participants with group photographs. He moved down from the stage to take a group photo in front of the set, too. It was 6.50 when He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
The Book Trust site has pictures of the drama.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
This evening, Bhagawan came for darshan at 4.30 pm. Coming to the Bhajan Hall, He enquired about the drama by the XI class students. Yesterday, the XI had offered a card praying that they be given a chance to present a drama. Some of the students of the XI class came up to Swami and He interacted with them for a few minutes before moving down the aisle and out to the verandah. From the verandah, He moved to the stage area and sat there for a while with the Vedam going on. The Bhajans began at five past five when Swami returned from the stage. As the Bhajans went on, He accepted letters from several students in the Bhajan Hall and spoke to them. Arati was at 5.45 pm.
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Delhi youth presented a musical programme this evening. Swami came onstage at 5.15 pm and the singing began. The concluding song was "Aana hi padega....", praying that Bhagawan visit Delhi. After Blessing the participants, Bhajans by the women members of the group began. Twenty minutes of their Bhajan was followed by twenty minutes of bhajans with alaps by students, and Arati was offered at around seven o'clock.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
This evening, the youth group from Delhi presented their drama. Depicting the various seva activities done by the youth like arranging for Blood Donation and so on, the 45 minute presentation got underway with Bhagawan coming onstage after His darshan round at 5.40 pm. After the drama, Swami asked for clothes to be distributed to them, and then Blessed them with group photographs. Ten minutes of Bhajans by the youth preceded Arati as Swami left for His residence just before seven o'clock.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
For the last few days there have been no special programmes in Sai Kulwant Hall. On most days, Bhagawan was coming for darshan as the Bhajans went on. On a few occasions, He went on a second round of darshan in His chair in front of the students' blocks. This evening, Bhagawan accepted Arati at 5.30 from the Bhajan Hall and went into the interview room. A few minutes later, He emerged and sat outside on the stage, Blessing the Computer Science and Accounts project reports brought up to Him by the XII class students. He also Blessed their teacher with a chain. Interacting with the students for a few minutes, He asked them to sing. The students enthusiastically sang Bhajans for another ten minutes before Swami accepted Arati once again. He continued to sit onstage talking to the boys nearby till He left for His residence at 6.30 pm.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
This evening, Bhagawan came to Sai Kulwant Hall just before the five o'clock Bhajans commenced. After a brief visit to the interview room, He emerged on His chair and took a round of the Verandah and the student blocks. He Blessed a professor of the University with a chain and accepted many letters from students. After accepting Arati at six o'clock, He went back to His residence, pausing on the way to interact with some devotees.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
This morning, the Valedictory function of the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet of the Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions got underway with Bhagawan arriving in the Sai Kulwant Hall in a procession led by the University Brass Band. He commenced the proceedings by lighting a lamp and blessing the trophies and shields on display. After introductory remarks by the Vice-Chancellor, a student of the II year post-graduate class of the Prasanthi Nilayam campus gave a brief talk on the Sports Meet experience. Bhagawan then delivered His Divine Discourse at 8.50 am.
At the end of His Discourse, Swami asked the Wardens and the Principals of the respective campuses to come onstage and recieve the campus trophies from His hands. He then Blessed the medals and the captains of all the campuses. The University Brass Band then played a few tunes before Bhagawan accepted Arati and returned to His residence at 10.15.
Monday, January 14, 2008
This morning, Bhagawan came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 10 o'clock as the Bhajans went on, and proceeded to distribute rugs to the elderly devotees there, moving in His chair all over the Hall. After distributing a few hundred rugs, Swami came to the Bhajan Hall were the Bhajans were continuing, and took a round of the hall moving down the aisle. The Bhajans lasted nearly two hours as He accepted Arati past 10.50. While returning to His residence, Swami stopped near the Primary School students in His car for nearly 15 minutes.
The Anantapur campus students presented a musical programme in the evening. The songs got underway as Swami came onstage after His darshan round at 5.10 pm. The audience was treated to an ensemble of semi-classical and East-West fusion songs for the next forty minutes, after which they began singing Bhajans. Bhagawan called the Principal of the Campus and Blessed her with a chain. After twenty minutes of Bhajans by the Anantapur students, Bhagawan asked the regular Bhajan singers of Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan to go into the Bhajan Hall and start Bhajans there with aalaaps. After fifteen minutes of their Bhajans, Bhagawan asked Prof Anil Kumar to announce that the Valedictory function of the Sports Festival would be held tomorrow. He then accepted Arati and returned to His residence at 6.40 pm.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
This morning, Bhagawan had an announcement made that the Brindavan students' drama would be presented in the evening. Swami came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 4.45 pm in the Porte car and after a darshan round, alighted at the Verandah, calling up the respective Wardens to begin distribution of watches to all the students of Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan. He sat on the Verandah while the distribution went on, and then started giving some watches Himself to some of the doctors and others seated nearby. Moving down the verandah, Swami started giving watches to teachers and other staff members, and kept giving till all of them had come and accepted the watches from His hands. The drama on Kabirdas then got underway at 5.15 pm.
The story of Kabirdas was presented in an elegant way by the Brindavan students, interspersed with many songs and dohas which reflected Bhagawan's teachings. The sets and costumes were outstanding. Bhagawan Blessed the student who played the role of Kabir with a ring and a chain. Bhagawan returned to His residence at 6.45 pm after Arati.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Last evening, Bhagawan had an announcement made in the stadium that the drama by the Prasanthi Nilayam campus students would be this evening at 5 pm. The students were earlier given a date of 15th January, so this announcement was a surprise. The set-making and costumes students pulled yet another all-nighter and continued preparations till the drama got underway in the evening. Bhagawan arrived at 5 pm in His chair and directly went and sat near the bronze lion next to the Lotus gate of Sai Kulwant Hall. The drama stage faced North as per Swami's instructions. The cast had not yet arrived from the Hostel with their makeup! The teachers and authorities prayed to Bhagawan to excuse the delay, and finally the drama got underway at 5.20 pm.
The drama "Ramayana Ratnahara Veeranjaneya" depicted various scenes in the Ramayana where Hanuman shines as an example for all mankind. The hour long presentation included stanzas of poems in Telugu, songs and dances, and soul-stirring dialogues. Bhagawan was very pleased with the presentation and Blessed the script-writer, a II year MSc. student, with a chain. He then Blessed all the participants with group photographs scene by scene, including the hard-working set and costume group, before accepting Arati at 6.50 pm and returning to His residence.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Today was the colourful Sports Meet function for which Swami's students were practising for the last few weeks. You can read an illustrated account of last year's function in last year's Prasanthi Diary. This year, Bhagawan arrived at the Vidyagiri stadium in His white Saab convertible resplendent in a yellow robe at 7.45 am. Motorcycle escorts and marching bands of the students welcomed their Chancellor to the dais and the marchpast began at 8 o'clock. When all the students had marched into the ground, the flag-hoisting, oath and torch-lighting ceremonies were a prelude to the display events by the different campuses. The Anantapur Womens' Campus of the University and the Brindavan undergraduates presented in the morning, the Primary School and the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus performed in the evening.
The Anantapur display began at 8.45 with graceful group dancing followed by a Far-Eastern group item with parasols and hand-fans. A sports medley followed, presenting hockey, tennis and volleyball movements in formation. Motorbike stunts was the next item, including criss-crosses, various poses on bikes, a breath-taking ramp-jump over 20 girls and a human pyramid of 38 girls on 9 bikes. The Anantapur students concluded their half-hour presentation forming the words "We Love U" in a group formation as their concluding song was played.
The Brindavan students then began with an equestrian show-jumping demonstration. A marching band presentation brought up a display of rolling in steel hoops and an aerobics exhibition. Timber-drill was the next item, with planks of wood being used in imaginative ways to aid acrobatic feats. The Celestial Rhythms then spelt out "We Love You" in a grid of students suspended by a crane nearly 80 feet above the ground. As the Brindavan presentation concluded, Bhagawan accepted Arati onstage and returned to the Mandir at 10 o'clock while an announcement was made about the afternoon presentations. Swami graciously granted group photographs for the Band groups of Anantapur and Prasanthi Nilayam and also the motorcycle escorts before He went into Yajur Mandir.
Bhagawan arrived at 3.25 pm in the afternoon in a maroon robe riding in His Mercedes sports convertible. As He reached the stage, tiny tots from the Primary School brought up bouquets to Him and began the afternoon's presentation. The hour-long Primary School presentation was a joyful riot of colour as usual, beginning with a "Ganesa" group dance by small boys. A classical mass-dance, hand-fans and flowers formations, gymnastics, mass flower-dance, dance by small girls with white wings and Mexican poncho dance followed in quick succession. Children dressed as deer, tigers, bunnies and monkeys performed various gymnastic feats on mats, ropes and poles. Their elder brothers and sisters may do motobike stunts, but the bicycle stunts by the Primary School boys were just as eye-catching. Unicycle stunts, even a basketball match played on unicycles, and then a rainbow dance led to their final dance balancing items on their heads, paying tribute to Bhagawan, the Light of Lights.
The students of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of Sri Sathya Sai University began their hour-long performance at 4.30 pm with a striking mass item with classical dancers in the foreground and patterns made from colourful foldable discs forming a context for Krishna's beautiful Leelas - "Adharam Madhuram...". Gymnasts on moving trucks then presented balancing feats with giant flags fifty feet high. Gymnastic feats including jumps over vehicles and acrobatics on moving trucks led to a breathtaking display on ropes including a spectacular spin on a rope suspended more than 20 feet above the ground. The rope structure was also used as a trapeze stage, as roller-bladers scintillated on the ground below, ending their dramatic show with a series of jumps over a van. A precision gun drill was followed by a karate display which featured breaking tiles and pots and also mass nan-chak and stick displays. As the Prasanthi Nilayam campus came together for their final song, Bhagawan expressed how pleased He was at His students' performance and profusely Blessed them before leaving for His residence.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
This morning, Bhagawan arrived at the Sai Kulwant Hall as the Bhajans went on, and made rounds of the verandah and the Hall in His chair before leaving for the Vidyagiri Stadium. There, He watched the practice sessions of the students till nearly 10.45 while Arati was offered at the Mandir after 10.15. In the evening, once again Bhagawan moved about in His chair during Bhajans before driving out, this time to the College Auditorium to watch the drama rehearsal by the Prasanthi Nilayam students. Arati was offered at the Mandir at 6 pm and announcement was made about the Sports Meet programme tomorrow in the Vidyagiri stadium. Bhagawan returned to His residence after the drama rehearsal at half-past six.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Yesterday and the day before, Swami went in the mornings to the Vidyagiri stadium to watch the practice sessions by the students for the Annual Sports and Cultural meet on January 11th. Today He went in the evening at around 4.30 pm making an anti-clockwise round of Sai Kulwant Hall in the car before exiting through the Gopuram Gate. Returning at 5.45 pm to the Mandir, He accepted Arati from the car itself and returned to His residence after another anti-clockwise round of Sai Kulwant Hall.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sai Youth from Maharashtra presented a drama on Chhatrapati Shivaji this evening in the Sai Kulwant Hall. Swami finished His darshan round in the car and arrived onstage after speaking for a few minutes to the Warden of the Brindavan campus of the Sri Sathya Sai University. The forty-five minute drama began at 5.30 pm and presented Shivaji as an ideal youth leader, depicting his love of Mother, Motherland and cultural values. Swami came down from the stage to grant group photos for the participants after He Blessed one of the participants with a chain while prasadam was distributed before moving to the interview room. A few minutes later, He came out of the interview room and accepted Arati onstage before returning to His residence.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
This evening had three programmes, presented by the North Eastern region of the United States, the Mahila youth wing of Maharashtra and Goa, and singers from Mumbai respectively. Swami came onstage just before five o'clock and started by Blessing some of the US devotees. Their musical presentation on Unity of Faiths got underway in five minutes. After listening to them for twenty minutes, Bhagawan asked for the next programme to commence. Meerabai's story was narrated in songs by the Maharashtra youth for half an hour. Bhagawan went into the interview room and returned, asking them to sing one more song. Sri Raviraj Nasery and party then presented a couple of songs before Bhagawan accepted Arati ten minutes past six.
Friday, January 4, 2008
This evening, the Sai Youth from Maharashtra and Goa presented a programme of songs and dances. Bhagawan came onstage at 4.45 pm after His darshan round in the car, and the group songs got underway. Next was a dance by tribal folk from Gadchiroli District. Various types of Aratis from Goa wound up the day's programmes, with the Bhajan "Ham Sab Milakar Mangal Gayein" leading to ten minutes of Bhajans and then Arati to Bhagawan at six o'clock.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
This morning, the Sai Students were seated in the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall. Bhagawan came after the Bhajans began and asked for chocolates and oranges to be distributed to the alumni while He sat onstage. In the evening also, Bhagawan arrived after the Bhajans had begun. He went around the Bhajan Hall and the Sai Kulwant Hall, accepting letters from many alumni and interacting with a few of them. He retired to His residence after accepting Arati at six o'clock.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Sai Students, alumni of the colleges at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan, ushered in the New Year at Prasanthi Nilayam as they have been doing for the last few years. The Sai Kulwant Hall was full of devotees, and was tastefully decorated with flowers. Bhagawan came to Sai Kulwant Hall in His chair at 8.45 am in a procession led by the Sai Students chanting Vedam, with traditional fans and an umbrella to worship the Lord. After Swami came onstage, the Vedam continued for a few minutes, the University Brass Band played a few pieces, then Prof. G. Venkataraman was asked to speak. He welcomed the alumni and described them as the hope for a troubled world. Sri A. V. Gokak, the current Vice-Chancellor was the next to speak. His talk also centred around the transformational work done by the Sai Students.
As the speeches concluded at 10.10, Bhagawan asked the students to commence their music programme. After a few songs, the alumni presented a song taught to them by Swami for Ugadi in 1985. It was already nearing eleven o'clock, so Bhagawan accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
In the afternoon, Bhagawan arrived in His car at 4.45 pm. Coming onstage after a round of the Hall, He first called up the Bhangra dance group of the Sai Students and had their ten minute performance. The Orchestra prepared by the alumni was the next item, performing from the centre of the Hall with loudspeakers facing Bhagawan who was seated onstage. Short speeches followed, recollecting the golden years they had spent with their Lord. Swami then asked for the microphone and prepared to get up to speak, but listening to the pleas of the Sai Students, He remained seated and spoke for an hour.
Bhagawan's message was on the principle of Reaction, Reflection and Resound. He reminded us that the world will appear bad if our vision is bad, not otherwise. He noted that the coming year, 2008, is to have an ample share of change, conflicts, splinter groups and parties. He exhorted the Sai Students to be ideal role-models wherever they went and concluded with "Hari Bhajan Bina...", accepting Arati soon after.
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