THE KODAI FESTIVAL 2009

Day Four

Puttaparthi is where the Lord was born and where He continues to stay for almost the entire year conferring love, support and solace to devotees day in and day out who throng in thousands to this sacred town. However, when summer arrives on most occasions, the Lord generally decides to move to His ashram in Bangalore or often to ‘Sai Shruti’ in Kodai Kanal so that the devotees are saved from the dry and zapping heat of Puttaparthi. For the devotees who now collect in Brindavan or in Kodai Kanal it is the coming of the special ‘Sai Season’ which brings with it so many beautiful blessings.

The Kodai sojourn especially is very unique and fascinating, and it is for this reason that Kodai Kanal is often described as the Lord’s playground. Though Swami has skipped visiting this holy hill station on a few summers, He did visit there in 2009. And we carried the first part of this “Kodai Festival 2009” in July 2009 of H2H. The second part in April 2010 issue had an account of the proceedings of Day Two of this visit along with many interesting anecdotes from earlier such trips. The May 2010 issue had the third part of this series. And now the current article gives you the story of Day four.

The main highlight of day three of Kodai 2009 as we saw in the earlier article was the Burra Katha presentation by three of Swami’s Boys in the Divine Presence and during the evening bhajan session.

Day four also was dominated by a Burra Katha presentation, the theme this time being the life of Shirdi Baba. This topic came as a bit of a surprise since it was given to them by Swami just the previous evening, during a private blessing following the evening bhajan session. Not an easy task with such little notice, but when Swami sets a tough task, He also makes it happen, provided we put in the right effort and sincerity from our side.

The Burra Katha trio singing for their Lord with devotion and perfection

Before we get to the evening session, which by the way, has its own charm and sweetness, let us first fill you in with some interesting anecdotes about Swami’s Kodai visits, drawing mostly from earlier trips.

Devotees of old often describe how intimate Swami became once He took the blessed ones inside the interview room, especially the inner room. But that experience is nothing compared to the intimacy that boys enjoy when they are with Swami in Kodai. Here is a wonderful description of that from Mr. Narasimha Murthy:

“One great fortune of the boys and teachers who go to Kodai with Swami is that they live next door to Swami. It is an exhilarating experience! Those days, I was the only elder to be allowed to go up and sit with the boys, waiting for Swami to open the door into the hall.

"There were a very small number of bathrooms, so boys would start getting up by 2:00 a.m. and have bath so that all of them are ready by 5:45 a.m. waiting in the hall for Swami to open the door. It is dawn and you can see the water lilies in the lake all fresh, and everybody in the hall is waiting for Swami to emerge from the room.

“Swami would come out and stand looking at everyone for 5 to 6 minutes. Everybody is surely happy, blissful and smiling. Swami would acknowledge the smile of each one present there. Also, to make them comfortable, sometimes He would also crack some jokes. One morning, He asked one boy, ‘How was your sleep?’

The boy replied, ‘Swami, I slept quite well’. Swami said, ‘I know, you slept under the dining table’. Because he was the last to go to bed, there was no place for him, so he unrolled his bed under the table and slept off there. Swami said, ‘Oh it is quite chilling! I think it was quite warm for you under the table.’

“The students who experienced this saw both Swami’s majesty and intimacy. He pointed out to another boy who was suffering with an upset stomach and did not sleep at all as he had to make 10 visits to the toilet. It is the best chance for a student to live as a close member in Swami’s family. In Puttaparthi, this intimacy is not possible, maybe that’s why it is referred to as ‘Swami’s office’.

In Brindavan it is slightly better as Swami is more intimate with boys. But living with Swami is possible only in Kodaikanal. In the late 90’s Swami wanted to send out all the boys to the other available lodging which was on the first floor of the Bhajan Hall. Boys started to plead and some even cried against going there and thus till date boys live next door to Swami.”

Kodai is also famous for the amazing miracles or materialisations that Swami used to perform there in earlier years. Lately of course they have reduced, but while that phase was on, it was a breath-taking experience for those blessed to be present. Let us hear Prof. Anil Kumar give us a flavour of those matchless days! This is an excerpt of a conversation with him in 2003.

Prof. Anil Kumar(AK): Bhagavan crosses all time barriers when He materialises certain things. Once He created the ring worn by Lord Rama that was presented to Him by His father Dasaratha. It was a diamond ring, and Swami was smiling. As He looked around, He created another – this time a sapphire ring that was presented to Lord Rama by His father-in-law, Emperor Janaka.

Prof. G. Venkataraman (GV): I am told these rings are very big?

AK: Very big indeed. I said, ‘Swami, it is almost the size of my wrist. How come this ring is so big?’ Swami replied, ‘Lord Rama was an aajanubahu, meaning one of very tall stature.

GV: Eight feet or so?

AK: Yes, Swami then materialised the mangalasutra or sacred wedding medallion, complete with the sacred thread that holds the medallion. This was worn by Mother Sita at the time of the wedding. I have also seen Swami creating the chain worn by Ravana.

GV: Ravana?

AK: Yes, complete with 365 shivalingas and a pendant at the bottom made up of three large shivalingas, one yellow, one green and the other blue. All the 365 were made of gold while the three in the pendant at the centre were made of crystal. This was the chain that Ravana wore.

GV: What happens to these jewels afterwards?

AK: They go back to ‘Sai Stores’ (laughter). Swami also materialised a golden replica of the deer that captivated Sita, later landing her in trouble.

GV: Are you allowed to touch these objects?

AK: Yes. On one occasion, Swami said, ‘Tomorrow is the wedding function of Balarama [brother of Krishna] and Revathi. All of you are invited for lunch!’ Sure enough, on the following day, there was a fabulous lunch and in the afternoon Swami spoke about this marriage. And at the end He materialised a magnificent diamond-studded necklace with three or four rows of diamonds.

GV: My God! How big was the necklace?

AK: About 15 cms. At the centre of the arch-like necklace there was a swan suspended by a gold chain. The swan was clear and you could look through its eyes, beak, stomach, and so on. Every body started looking at it.

Swami came to me and said, ‘Look, look deep’.I did so and there in the middle of the stomach of that bird I could see Bhagavan Baba in a reclining posture - the classic reclining posture of Lord Narayana, reclining on His Thousand-hooded snake Adisesha. That is what I saw. It was absolutely fantastic.

Swami also materialised the choodamani or the ornament that Sita used to wear on her head. This is exactly what Hanuman brought back as proof of having met Sita, when he reported back to the Lord Rama.

GV: How do the boys feel on such occasions? They must be transported to a different world!

AK: That is right, into a totally different world. They had come so close that they even took the liberty of almost pestering Swami saying, ‘Swami, let us see, let us see!’ Swami gave ample opportunities for all to see these manifested objects at close quarters. He would keep them on the table so that everybody could later see at leisure. Photographs would be taken and some of them are here in our museum too.

GV: Fantastic! Can you recall some really moving or heart-warming incidences? I am sure there must certainly have been a few of these.

AK: Well, there was an incident involving a student from the State of Kerala.

GV: How long ago did this incident take place?

AK: About six to eight years ago (1996-97). Swami was showing special concern for this boy and we were wondering why? Swami materialised for him a ring, a chain, a watch and so on, and it seemed as if the whole trip was meant just for this boy! After a few days Swami materialised a pair of ear rings for that boy.

GV: Ear rings?

AK: Yes, ear rings that only girls wear. Why did He do it for this boy? We just couldn’t understand. The next day, Swami materialised another set of ear rings for the same boy. I thought to myself, ‘Swami I have three daughters, You can give me one too (laughter), why only to that boy, an unmarried fellow?’

Then after a week, while delivering a discourse, Swami said, ‘Many are wondering why Swami showed special concern to one particular boy. Some are specially curious to know why I gave ear rings to that boy. That boy lost his mother long ago.

I have been watching him crying and sitting in a corner. I called him close to Me and asked him about the reason. He then told Me about the death of his mother and how his mother wanted to present ear rings to her two daughters, that is, the two sisters of this boy.

Before his mother could do that, she died. Now, I am his Mother and also of those girls. Who else is there to care of them? That is why I materialised many things for that boy. You will seldom understand what I do.

Whatever I do and say has got a deeper significance and inner meaning. Out of frustration, the boy’s father wanted to commit suicide. I ensured that the boy’s father came here and took a promise from him that he would not make any attempt to take his life. I am now taking care of the family. From that day onwards, the boy has started smiling.’

That story really touched my heart. I said, ‘Swami you are the Mother of Mothers, more dear and near than the physical mother. You truly care for them’. I am sure none of us can really experience the depth, and the full intensity of Swami’s Love.

There is of course no limit to such stories of Swami’s love and infinite compassion, but we have to get back to the proceedings of day four the highlight of which was the second Burra Katha presentation by Swami’s boys, the theme being the story of Shirdi Sai Baba.

Well, it was another memorable day, topped with a moving presentation of the story of Shirdi Baba in Burra Katha form, in the presence of the Avatar who, as promised came exactly eight years later to save humanity! With that, day four ended, formally at least!

The next episode will offer you the story of how day five unfolded in this divine trip – Kodai 2009.

(To be continued)