This evening, devotees from the United States presented a musical programme. Bhagavan emerged from His residence just after half-past six and after His darshan round, sat onstage for a while as the Vedic chants went on. At a quarter to seven, He asked for the programme of songs to begin. The 45 minute music presentation was followed by bhajans by the devotees for fifteen minutes before Swami accepted Arati. Blessing the gathering with both hands, Bhagavan returned to His residence at a quarter past eight.
Today, Bhagavan came for darshan at 7.45 both in the morning as well as in the evening! In the morning, He moved to the bhajan hall after His round of the hall, and after the daily puja was concluded by the priest, went into the interview room. Emerging after an hour just after the nine o'clock bhajans began, Swami sat onstage till Arati half an hour later. In the evening, the bhajan session lasted just over three hours. Bhagavan emerged from His residence at a quarter to eight and sat onstage after His darshan round in the chair. Arati was after 8.30 pm, and it was 8.45 when Swami reached His residence. The Governor of Tripura Dr. D. Y. Patil and former Union Minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi were among the congregation at Prasanthi Nilayam over the last three days.
After devotees missed darshan on Monday, Bhagavan has come for both morning and evening darshan for the next three days. Last morning, He blessed one of the Music college students with a chain. This morning and this evening also, two other students were blessed with chains. This morning, He had come for darshan at a quarter-past eight, and had sat onstage while the Vedam chanting went on. The bhajans began just after nine, and Swami accepted Arati after twenty minutes before returning to His residence. In the evening, He arrived for darshan at half-past six as the bhajans went on and sat onstage after His round of the hall. Arati was at half-past seven. Swami then went into the interview room for a while before returning to His residence at eight o'clock.
This evening, the centre of Sai Kulwant hall was readied for a dance-drama by children from Hyderabad. Bhagavan arrived for darshan just before half-past six and completed His round of the hall. He then moved along the Southern aisle of the ladies' side as has been His wont over the last few days. Once He reached the stage, devotees brought up many items for blessing and then began their programme at seven o'clock. The fifty minute dance-drama featured the vocational training programme undertaken by the Sai youth for the uplift of the village poor, packaged in a number of dances and songs. The devotees sang the Aditya hridayam mantram while Swami went down from the stage and had group photographs with the participants. Accepting Arati at eight o'clock, Swami returned to His residence ten minutes later.
Bhagavan has been coming for darshan after six o'clock on most evenings now. Over the last weekend, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh and the Minister of State for Railways made visits to Prasanthi Nilayam. This evening, Swami came for darshan at 6.20 pm and after His round of Sai Kulwant hall, went near the young children studying in the newly inaugurated English medium section of the Smt. Eswaramma High School. After a second round of the ladies' side, Bhagavan came to the verandah and thence to the stage, interacting with many on the way. He accepted Arati at 7.20 pm and returned to His residence after ten minutes, once again interacting with many on His way back.
The Sri Sathya Sai University got a new Vice-Chancellor today. Prof. Vishwanath Pandit, the eighth VC of the University, handed over charge to Prof. Shashidhara Prasad at a function held in the college auditorium of the Prasanthi Nilayam campus. Bhagavan had come for darshan this morning at a quarter to ten and had returned after Arati in twenty minutes, blessing many on the way. In the evening, Bhagavan arrived at the college auditorium for the function there just after half-past five. Speeches by research scholars, two former Vice-Chancellors and the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, and a speech by the new VC were the highlights of the evening. Bhagavan blessed the incoming VC with a bracelet and the outgoing VC with clothes. He also blessed both their spouses with sarees. It was 7.20 pm when Swami blessed prasadam and accepted Arati at the auditorium to return to the Sai Kulwant hall where the bhajans were still going on. He accepted Arati there from the car and moved out to the stage as the Arati went on, returning to His residence in the chair.
Bhagavan did not come for darshan on Tuesday. Yesterday, He emerged from His residence at six o'clock and after His darshan round, moved around the ladies a second time before spending some time on the verandah and coming onstage at 6.45 pm. Blessing prasadam for distribution, He accepted Arati at seven and moved to His residence in fifteen minutes, pausing to interact with many devotees on the way. This morning He went for a drive to the Super Speciality Hospital at 11.45 am, returning via the rear gate of the Ashram before one o'clock. Evening darshan was just before six, as the bhajans went on. Swami paused on the verandah for more than ten minutes today also, discussing some matters before coming to the stage. In a short while, He moved to the interview room. Returning onstage half an hour later, He accepted Arati at 7.15 pm and returned to His residence after some more interactions with students and devotees.
