This evening, a backdrop at the centre of Sai Kulwant hall announced the beginning of the Onam programmes by devotees from Kerala. Bhagavan arrived for darshan at 4.30 pm and came onstage after His darshan round to begin the programme ten minutes later. The hour-long drama by Balvikas children 'Shankara Digvijayam' portrayed the story of Adi Shankara. Swami blessed "Shankara" with a chain and sent clothes for all the participants as bhajans by the devotees began. Prasadam was distributed and Swami accepted Arati just before six o'clock before returning to His residence.
The National Conference on Ethics in the World of Finance ended today. The delegates came to the Sai Kulwant Hall and were seated there when Swami came for darshan just before five o'clock. The bhajans began at five and Swami was seated onstage for half an hour after His darshan round. He then asked for the microphones to be brought - He was going to address the gathering. In His hour-long Divine Discourse, Bhagavan quoted the Mahabharata stories of Dharmaraja losing his kingdom by gambling and Draupadi's insistence on saving Ashwatthama's life after he killed the sons of the Pandavas. Exhorting the students to always serve society wherever they may be, Swami ended His Discourse with two bhajans Bhajan bina and Subrahmanyam. While returning to His residence after Arati at a quarter to seven, He blessed prasadam for the delegates.
Prasanthi Nilayam is hosting a two-day National Conference on Ethics and the World of Finance. Chief Executives from more than twenty top banks in India are attending. The inaugural session of the conference was in the college auditorium of the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of the Sri Sathya Sai University. Bhagavan arrived there at around 10 o'clock as the morning bhajans went on in the Mandir and the proceedings got underway soon after. Prof. Vishwanath Pundit, the Vice-Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University gave the welcome address and introduced the speakers - the Reserve Bank of India Governor Dr. D. Subba Rao to give the keynote address and the former RBI Governor Dr. Y. V. Reddy to give the first invited talk. Sri S. V. Giri, former Vice-Chancellor of the University and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India gave the next talk, following which Bhagavan left for the Mandir and the first session came to a close. Swami granted an audience to the RBI governor at the Mandir before accepting Arati at 12.10 pm and returning to His residence in the chair.
In the evening, the stage was set with more than twenty chairs on either side of Bhagavan onstage at Sai Kulwant Hall. Swami came at five o'clock and after His darshan round, came onstage. After a few minutes, He asked for the programme to begin. The Chief Executives were announced one by one and they came up to present a rose to Swami before being seated onstage. Several bankers were invited to speak, beginning with Sri K. V. Kamath of ICICI Bank, Sri Guneet Chaddha of Deutsche Bank, and then Sri Ramamurthy of the ING Vysya Bank, Sri V. S. Das, Executive Director of RBI and Sri Jagdish Kapoor of HDFC Bank. Prof. G. Venkataraman, former VC of the Sai University was asked to speak next, and after his talk, Swami asked for a bhajan to be sung before accepting Arati at 6.40 pm as prasadam was distributed before returning to His residence after a short visit to the interview room.
This evening, the Orissa youth were ready with their programme. Bhagavan came for darshan at 5.30 pm and after His darshan round, came onstage and sat for a few minutes listening to the Vedic chants. The drama by the Orissa youth commenced just before six o'clock. The forty-minute presentation brought out the true story of the establishment of an orphanage by Sai youth directly inspired by Bhagavan. The children from the orphanage also took part in the drama. Swami interacted with the youth after the programme and blessed the participants with a group photograph. He then asked the children to sing a couple of bhajans. The youth then presented a song, following which Swami accepted Arati and returned to His residence just before seven o'clock.
This evening, Swami came for darshan at 5.30 pm as the bhajans went on. After His darshan round, He came to the Bhajan Hall where some cartons of clothes had been arranged, and asked the Headmistress of the Primary School to distribute them to the children at the school. After Swami went onstage just after a quarter to six, He asked for the microphones to be brought. Bhagavan spoke for forty minutes about Lord Ganesha and the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival. He expressed happiness in the way the immersion ceremony was conducted yesterday and said that all festivals should be conducted in full knowledge of the inner significance of the rituals. Once He concluded, He asked the students to sing a couple of Vinayaka bhajans, following which He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
Today was the day designated for the immersion ceremony after Ganesha Chaturthi. The Ganesha idols worshipped over the last three days in the various institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam were brought in richly decorated imaginatively designed "chariots" to the Sai Kulwant Hall in a procession at 4.15 pm. Bhagavan arrived half an hour later in the special white chair, escorted from His residence by a procession of students chanting Vedic hymns led by the "Poorna Kumbham". Swami went around all the Ganesha chariots arrayed along His darshan route, pausing in front of each one. When He came onstage, the students presented a couple of short group dances paying obeisance to Ganeshji and then brought up their chariots to Bhagavan one by one before leaving the Hall for immersing the idols in a nearby lake. Swami asked for bhajans to begin after the procession left the Mandir at 5.45. He accepted Arati at seven o'clock after receiving the news of the completion of the immersion ceremony after prasadam was distributed. Blessing the congregation with both hands, He left for His residence in the car.
This evening, the students were ready with a Burrakatha as instructed by Bhagavan yesterday. After His darshan round at 4.45 pm, Swami came into the Bhajan Hall and interacted with the lead performers who were costumed and seated there. He then came onstage and started the performance just after five o'clock. The hour-long Burrakatha was based on the Ramayana story and incorporated many songs and poems sung by Swami in His Discourses. Bhagavan interacted with the performers after their presentation and had a group photograph with the accompanists. A couple of bhajans were sung and Swami accepted Arati before returning to His residence at half-past six.
Bhagavan gave Ganesh Chaturthi darshan seated on the special white chair just after five o'clock this evening. The vedam chanting went on till He reached the stage at 5.30 pm. After His darshan round, Swami went to the Bhajan Hall where He blessed the Ganesha installed there before moving down the verandah to the stage. The students then presented a music programme beginning with stotrams and ending with semi-classical songs. Bhagavan went to the interview room briefly and when He returned asked for a couple of tillanas to be sung. It was 6.30 pm when He accepted Arati while prasadam was distributed.
Ganesh Chaturthi was to be celebrated the next day. So, this evening after Swami emerged from His residence, He first gifted Ganesha idols to all the institutions. After He earmarked each idol for the allotted institution, He blessed the research scholars standing next to these idols by sprinkling akshatha on them. Later, Bhagavan arrived to Sai Kulwant Hall for regular darshan and bhajans.
The centre of Sai Kulwant hall was filled with items for distribution this evening by devotees from Anantapur district. Swami came for darshan at 5.45 pm and came directly to the stage. He blessed the items brought to Him by the students and faculty of the Management school, today being the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the MBA programme here. A short speech by the Anantapur district leader was followed by the announcement of the items being distributed today to around 170 recipients by Prof Anil Kumar. The items were cleared away and a dance drama "Dharmodharaka Sri Sathya Sai" was introduced by 4 small children coming up for Bhagavan's blessings. Swami blessed the participants in the 45 minute presentation by going down from the stage for group photographs with them before returning to the stage and accepting Arati as prasadam was distributed.
This evening, youth from Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh were to present their programme. Bhagavan came for darshan at 5.30 pm and then moved to the interview room. He emerged at 6.25 pm and the programme began shortly. A half-hour Hindi drama 'Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam' was the first presentation, incorporating Swami's declaration in 1940, the story of Dakshinamurthy and the episode of Janaka and Ashtavakra. Then there were a couple of songs by Kum. Geetika Manjrekar and Sai youth before Swami accepted Arati at 7.20 pm as prasadam was distributed.
This evening the final year post graduate students of the Sri Sathya Sai University were ready with the drama “Bharatha Bhagya Vidhata”. This was originally made for the Independence Day (August 15) but since there was convention of Tyagajeevis on the previous day at Yajur Mandir and they received permission to perform their presentation today. After His darshan round, Swami went into the Bhajan Hall to see the actors in their costumes and after a brief interaction, blessed them to go ahead and start the play in the Sai Kulwant Hall. The play was centered largely on the life of Sri Aurobindo and was presented with a lot of passion. After their performance, Swami accepted arathi and then blessed the actors with group photographs.
The 63rd Independence Day of India was marked with the flag hoisting ceremony at the various educational institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam as in the rest of the country. After the morning bhajans, the meeting of thyagajeevis and brahmacharis got underway again at the hall next to Swami's residence and continued till the special lunch arranged for them at the Canteen by Bhagavan at one o'clock. In the evening, Swami came for darshan to Sai Kulwant Hall at 5.40 p.m. as the bhajans went on and after His darshan round, sat onstage for nearly half an hour before accepting arati. After the three times 'Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu' chant, He asked the boys to chant the mantra again, so they chanted 'Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu' thrice, and then again 'Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu' thrice. Swami interacted some more with a couple of students before He moved towards Yajur Mandir. He came to the hall where the thyagajeevis were assembled, and came to the stage there as Mr. B. N. Narasimhamurthy, Warden of the Brindavan Hostel, made a brief emotionally charged speech. Swami then accepted arati there as well before returning to His residence at 6.45 p.m.
The Sai Kulwant hall was decked for Krishnashtami from last evening
with blue cloth decorations and a Krishna statue onstage. Bhagavan had
come for darshan at 6.15 pm yesterday and had accepted Arati after
more than 90 minutes of bhajans at 6.35 pm. This morning, students
from all three campuses of the University were present for darshan,
along with a contingent from the institutions at Muddenahalli and
Alike and a group of devotees from Maharashtra. Swami gave Janmashtami
darshan clad in a yellow robe seated on the special white chair at
9.20 am. After His darshan round, He moved to the interview room and
emerged after nearly an hour to accept Arati onstage at a quarter past
ten. He went to the interview room again briefly before returning to
His residence in the car.
In the evening, the procession of cows from the Gokulam led by Swami's
baby elephant arrived in Sai Kulwant hall at five o'clock as the
bhajans began. Swami came fifteen minutes later came onstage after
blessing the quadrupeds during His darshan round. Krishnashtami songs
were being sung as Swami gave darshan. Once He sat onstage for a few
minutes, He asked for bhajans to be sung, and prasadam was
distributed. At 6.20, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
A meeting of the "thyagajeevi"s of the institutions at Muddenahalli
and Alike along with many of those working at Bhagavan's institutions
at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan was arranged over the weekend at
the hall in the building adjacent to Swami's residence. This evening
after bhajan, there was an orientation lecture session there after the
evening bhajan for an hour.
This evening, the devotees from Srikakulam district were to present a drama. Swami went for a drive at 11 am this morning, and came for evening darshan at a quarter past five. Once He came onstage, He asked for the programme to commence. The Telugu drama 'Sai Bharati' brought out the glory of Mother India as narrated by Max Mueller, Rabindranath Tagore and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The inspiring 45 minute presentation was filled with quotes and poems from Bhagavan's Discourses. Swami called up 'Max Mueller' and blessed him with a chain even as the drama was going on. At the end of the drama, Bhagavan went to the interview room and emerged with clothes for the participants. He went down among them for group photographs and once back onstage, blessed many items brought up to Him as prasadam was distributed before accepting Arati at 6.45 pm.
The Sai youth from Gujarat got permission to stage their programme at a quarter to six while the bhajans were going on. The centre of Sai Kulwant hall was cleared for them as the bhajans continued. Bhagavan arrived for darshan five minutes later and after His darshan round, sat onstage for half an hour more of bhajans. He then asked for the Gujarat programme. After accepting Arati, Swami asked for the drama by the youth to begin at 6.40 pm. The drama presented some of the experiences of Sai sevaks while engaged in village service. After watching the drama for twenty minutes, Bhagavan returned to His residence in the car.
This evening, the UK group got permission to present their music programme at 4.30 pm while the Vedam went on and the students cleared the centre of Sai Kulwant hall for them. Bhagavan arrived at 6.15 pm and the presentation began at 6.30 after His darshan round. The energetic programme was for just over half an hour, with a sitar solo and group songs. Swami then asked them to sing bhajans. After 10 minutes of bhajans while prasadam was distributed, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence at 7.20 pm.
This evening, Sai youth from Himachal Pradesh were seated in the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall to present a musical programme. Bhagavan came for darshan and sat onstage for twenty minutes as the Vedam chanting went on. At six o'clock, He asked for the music programme to begin. After 25 minutes of singing by the gents, He started moving towards the interview room. The ladies were asked to begin their singing. Once they began, Swami came onstage and a few minutes later accepted Arati at 6.40 as prasadam was distributed.
