This morning marked the beginning of the 10 day Dasara celebrations
with the students embarking on the Grama Seva programme. The village
service will continue for these ten days, covering more than 150
villages in the neighbouring mandals, distributing food and clothes to
every household at their doorstep for a population of more than
250,000. Swami came for darshan at 10.15 am as the morning bhajans
went on. When He completed His darshan round and sat onstage, the
students began their circumambulation of the Mandir before proceeding
out through the main gate to board the vehicles parked there for
today's Grama seva. Bhagavan accepted arati at 10.40 and then moved to
the bhajan hall where the Kalasa puja for the Navarathri was to begin.
Blessing the puja, He returned to His residence in the car at 11
o'clock. In the evening, Swami came to Sai Kulwant Hall just after
half-past five and sat onstage as the bhajans went on till 6.15. He
then moved to the Bhajan Hall where He blessed the Kalasa puja again
before returning onstage to accept Arati after prasadam distribution.
This evening, Bhagavan came for darshan at ten minutes to five and came into the bhajan hall after His darshan round. T-shirts and caps for the men students and sarees for the women students were kept there, for use during the village service programme starting tomorrow. Inspecting the clothes, Swami gave instructions for the distribution. In the next hour, as the bhajans went on, all the materials were distributed to the students and teachers by the Registrar and former Vice-chancellor Sri S. V. Giri before Swami accepted Arati at six o'clock.
After the evening bhajans yesterday, Swami had asked Prof Anil Kumar to announce that this evening, there would be a Burrakatha by the students. Accordingly, the costumed performers were not ready in the bhajan when Bhagavan came for darshan just before five o'clock. He came to the bhajan hall, and after a couple of minutes of interaction with the group, came onstage to begin their performance. The hour-long Burrakatha concluded with Swami interacting with all the artistes and accompanists, blessing them with clothes, with Prof Anil Kumar announcing that they represented a "Bharat darshan" with students from all parts of India. Swami then asked for a bhajan with alap following which He accepted Arati at half-past six. He moved to the interview room, and after ten minutes returned to His residence in the car.
This morning, the preliminary worship for the Kalyanotsavam was held. As on the last two days, the worship included the chanting of the thousand names, and today it was the Lalita Sahasranamam. When the worship of the deities onstage reached the point of closing the curtain at 9.20 am, the lady singers of the Brindavan bhajan group started leading bhajans. Just after 10 o'clock, the curtains were opened again and more Vedic hymns were chanted before Maha mangala Arati at 10.20 am.
In the evening, Bhagavan arrived by 4.10 pm. He was preceded into the Sai Kulwant Hall by the priests waving Chamaras bringing the idols in a procession for the marriage ceremony onstage. The hour-long ceremony began soon after. Swami moved around the verandah and bhajan hall and from the stage, moved down to sit facing the stage while the rituals went on. After the Aandal Kalyanam concluded, Swami asked the students to sing bhajans at 5.40 pm. A couple of bhajans later, He permitted the group of devotees to sing some songs relating to the Aandal Kalyanotsavam. After half an hour of songs, Swami accepted Arati. Prasadam was then distributed to everyone in the hall - tamarind rice, sweet rice, laddoo and obbattu.
Today, the morning rituals proceeded like yesterday, with the Sathya Sai Sahasranamam being chanted for the worship. Bhagavan came for darshan at 5.10 pm and sat onstage listening to the Vedic chants after His darshan round. At 5.50 pm, the speeches for the evening commenced. Sri Mylavaram Srinivasa Rao spoke on today's verses of the Thiruppavai in Telugu for 50 minutes. Swami then accepted Arati as prasadam was distributed.
The three day Thiruppavai celebrations got underway at Prasanthi
Nilayam this morning. The idols of Ranganatha, Bhoodevi (Andal) and
Garuda were installed onstage and the worship began in Sai Kulwant
hall just after seven o'clock. Yesterday, Swami had blessed the people
conducting the rituals with ceremonial clothes which they wore today.
On completing the rituals, a short introduction to the three day
programme was made in Telugu. Collective worship with sacred rice
grains on the plates supplied to all the devotees chanting the Vishnu
sahasranamam completed the morning rituals. The proceedings concluded
after morning bhajans with Arati at 9.35 as Bhagavan did not emerge
from His residence. Later, He went for a drive at half-past eleven.
In the evening also, Swami came from Yajur Mandir in the car at 4.15
and went for a drive to the Indoor Stadium before returning to Sai
Kulwant hall after an hour. From the interview room Swami came onstage
10 minutes later to begin the proceedings. Sri. N. Srikanta Rao
delivered a half-hour address in Telugu about Aandal (Godhaa devi)
and her devotion. Bhajans then commenced at 6 o'clock and prasadam was
distributed before Swami accepted Arati and returned to His residence
at half-past six.
This evening, the idols for the Thiruppavai Mahotsavam and Aandal Kalyanotsavam to be held at Prasanthi Nilayam from 9 to 11 September were arranged in the Bhajan hall. Swami came for darshan ten minutes after the bhajans commenced at five o'clock and completing His darshan round, sat onstage. At six o'clock, He accepted Arati and then came into the Bhajan hall. He saw the idols and later interacted with some of the teachers there before returning to His residence in the car.
This evening, Swami's students who are working in His institutions were gathered in the Bhajan Hall, praying to Him to bless them with an interaction. This 'Sai Sannidhi' group is now 175 strong and has been meeting on the Sunday near September 2, which is the anniversary of the establishment of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Swami came for darshan just after five o'clock and after His darshan round, came to the Bhajan hall where the gathering welcomed Him with group songs. As the songs went on, Bhagavan went around the hall, interacting with many of them. After a couple of songs, Swami spent 45 minutes speaking informally to many of His former students, who are now teachers and administrators. Sending clothes for all of them, Swami moved to the stage as the bhajans began after the session just after six o'clock. After half an hour of bhajans with prasadam being distributed, Swami accepted Arati and returned to His residence, blessing all with both hands.
Thiru Onam dawned at Prasanthi Nilayam with Sai Kulwant hall and Yajur Mandir decked in festoons and floral decorations. Swami was welcomed into the hall with resounding Panchavadyam by the students and devotees and the girls' brass band of the Srisailam school as the bhajans went on at 9.30 am. Small girls with traditional lamp plates lined Bhagavan's route. Once He sat onstage after His darshan round, He listened to the bhajans for half an hour more before asking Prof. Anil Kumar to announce that He would address everyone in the evening. Accepting Arati, Swami went to the interview room for a few minutes before returning to His residence at half-past ten.
In the evening, Bhagavan arrived for darshan at 4.20 pm and after His darshan round went into the interview room. A few minutes later, He came onstage and began the programme. The Kerala state President introduced the speaker for the evening, Sri Jayakumar IAS, in-charge of arrangements at the Sabarimala shrine. After his short speech, Swami commenced His Divine Discourse at 4.45 pm. Reminding all of the story of Mahabali, He exhorted the people of Kerala to follow Emperor Bali's example in upholding values. The 45-minute Discourse was followed by a drama on Bhaktha Nandanar by the children of Sri Sai Vidya Vihar, Aluva. As the drama came to a close at half-past six, Swami blessed one of the participants with a chain. Prasadam was distributed after Bhagavan blessed the children with a group photograph. He then asked them to sing a bhajan, following which He accepted Arati and returned to His residence at 6.45 pm.
This morning, Bhagavan came for darshan at ten minutes to nine, and in the evening at ten minutes to five. He came directly to the stage and asked for the drama of the evening to begin. The children from Sri Sathya Sai Vidyapeeth of Srisailam, Kerala, presented a half-hour play on the saint Tukaram. After their play, the famous playback singer Padmashree K. S. Chithra presented a 45 minute programme of songs. After her programme, she brought up her child also for Bhagavan's blessings. Swami created a chain for the child and put it on her neck. Swami had a group photo with the singer and accompanists and Arati was then offered while prasadam was distributed. Bhagavan then asked the students to sing a couple of songs with Alap after which He left for His residence just before seven o'clock.
