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Posted on: Sept 22, 2015
SAI STREE SHAKTI SERIES - 07
Part 03
Experienced, Mellow and Infinitely Wise
Our Warden Aunty, Superwoman Mrs. Prem Bahl
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A picture of composure, grace and beauty, her enormous heart is ever open to address the concerns of small children, tweens and teenagers milling past her on their way to the dining hall, classrooms, dormitories or playground. She is at the centre of a busy, bustling family of over a thousand students, teachers and helpers. She is the heart that keeps the beat and the rhythm flowing. Her instant conflict resolution abilities come from her incisive thinking and mental clarity. She is always on top of news headlines - be it the hourly update from the sick children's dormitory, or the latest cricket score, Warden Aunty knows it all. Every meal time, with help, she walks over to a stool in the dining hall, where she sits to personally serve chapattis to rows and rows of a thousand hungry children who come in batches for lunch and dinner. Without a trace of repeat-action-fatigue, she loves them as a grandmother, a warden, a mentor, a teacher and a friend.
Defying the challenges of an aging body which is in the late 80s, every morning Mrs. Prem Bahl is up early and punctually, to report for her duties, 7 days a week. This is a schedule she has followed with discipline for the past 37 years. She is not known to take a day off or let her acute knee problem hold her back.
Wearing a plain white saree, wavy silver hair neatly combed into a bun, face radiating a divine glow and a vibhuti mark on her forehead, Mrs. Prem Bahl is the dependable cornerstone a bustling community where a thousand students are in residence.
An epitome of superhuman dedication, she has a reputation of placing her duty to her thousand children above herself. Thirty six batches of her graduating students attest to her being a no-nonsense person of undying devotion to Bhagawan Baba, who rises early every morning, ready to repeat the same schedule and the same set of tasks with refreshing motivation, as though she is doing it for the very first time and giving personalised attention to every child.
For decades she has slept in the old prayer hall between the two boys' dormitories and in the mornings she would personally supervise all early morning dormitory duties for the girls' wing, including braiding several hundred girl students' hair, in an assembly line manner.
These days, after she comes down and assumes her strategic spot in the lobby of the school every morning, she sets up her mobile office on a small table besides her. It holds her Shirdi Sai Satcharitra, mobile phone, reading light, newspaper, register, reading glasses, memo pad, a pen and such and then she is ready to direct the flow of life in the day of the school that has consistently ranked in the top ten schools of India as a centre of academic excellence, as well as one of the top ten residential schools in the country, and the only one in a rural area.
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Many of the current students in her care are the children of the school alumni, who have more faith in her parenting skills to raise the second generation from the same family.
Just being herself, Warden Aunty teaches life lessons that no educational degree ever can. Ms. SathyaSree Goswami (1985-1990) a Psychotherapist, Social Development Professional, in New Delhi says, “My biggest professional asset is to be non-judgmental and I learned it so easily from none other than our Warden Aunty.
“Around 1988, a nationally renowned singer was sitting quietly in the mandir and we the students were a bit surprised that Swami did not ask him to sing. When I came back from Darshan, in my immaturity, I told Warden Aunty that it was good Swami ignored him instead of boosting his ego by giving him attention.
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SathyaSree Goswami |
“She was aghast at my statement and gave me that ‘jagrata’ look, and then she explained to me that it is not for us human beings to judge the relation between anyone and God, because we do not know the inside of anyone, nor their life journey.
“That mantra is an important life asset today, as I am able listen to people without being judgmental, since we are all a part of the same universe.
“She also taught me the beauty of perfection by giving attention to details – how to affix postal stamps with appropriate margins for a neat look, sewing buttons with 3 criss and 3 cross stitches over for that neat look or the importance of working on the back of the embroidery with clean knots, or making tidy entries in the laundry ledger with columns and rows. And she also explained why such attention to detail mattered when we dedicate everything to Swami.
“Warden Aunty's training draws appreciation in my professional and personal life even now, which I dedicate to the Lord as she taught us to, with such ease. I remember her leading the bhajan mrityunjayaya namah om when Swami visited school... what a blessing from heaven she is to me!”
For Mallika Chandrashekhar, the time she entered the school as a confused Grade 8 student was critical. She felt lost and lonely after experiencing a devastating family breakup which she believes no child at that age should witness. "I clearly remember when I stood in front of beautiful hearted lady in white…who stole my heart and in return gave me a renewed one over the next 5 years I was with her. She truly lives up to her name Prem."
Alumna Geethanjali Gokarn is in awe of her Warden aunty. “She is someone we look upto to take the most practical decisions. She loves to know and keep herself updated on everything. The best thing about her is her multi-tasking. She could be talking to you but is aware of the water not having been delivered to the dormitories, the dress that was not given to a particular child. She is the kind of person who we can talk to without hesitation and come back with a different perspective. More importantly, she was always action-oriented and got on with work that had to be done. An incident that I remember to date is, once when the drains in one of our bathrooms had choked. The ammas who were supposed to clean up were either delaying or were just not getting up to that job. When it reached her ears, she came and without any hesitation whatsoever pushed her hand in and pulled out the mass of dirt which had choked the drain. And all this with bare hands!!The drain got cleared but so did our hearts as we realized that she did not hesitate or even wince at having to do such so called menial work. We were in great awe of her and even now all I can think of when I see her is bend and bow to this great person” she says.
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Bangalore based alumna Richa Churamani owes several of her life mantras to Warden Aunty, Mrs. Prem Bahl, which have had a life altering impact. She admits that “some of the things Aunty may have mentioned rather casually during my stay in the school, yet they are my guiding principles even today.”
These include:
• If your conscience is clear, then stand up and face it.
• Think more than twice before giving anything in writing and if you do, then live up to it.
• Sickness is all in the mind.
• Be firm and yet polite.
• By giving an earnest listening ear, half the problems may be solved. Try not to be judgmental.
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“Every time I return to school, I look forward to having an interesting and thoughtful conversation with my Warden Aunty. She is so up-to-date with the times” says journalist Aarti Nagaraj.
Warden Aunty is a role model who defies even the generation gap. Toronto based teacher Bhavani Munshi admits “As a child, I was in awe of Warden Aunty. As an adult, I am even more so. Warden Aunty has always symbolised dignity, coolness, and an otherworldly sense of power.
“When I was in the school, for some reason, my bed always ended up right at the front of the dormitory by her massive silver trunk, from where I got to see her unfailing work ethic morning after morning. Warden Aunty is indisputably, my platinum standard for professionalism. When confronted with the challenges of work life, I conjure up my memories of Warden Aunty, pick myself up to stand tall like her, wish my hair looked half as good in a bun as hers, and speak up.”
“Warden aunty is dignity personified” says Shalini Krishnan. “I loved her relationship with Swami. Whatever she needed for the school she would directly approach Swami and He would happily oblige. There was no intermediary. When we studied late into the night or helped her with her chores, she would offer us her coffee from her flask which made us feel all grown up.”
Warden Aunty's superhuman memory in her late 80's is awe-inspiring. Says Hema Bhupathy “years later, Warden Aunty remembers not just our names but also our hostel roll numbers including my Ooty roll number after several years. That is the level of attention and care warden aunty took for each of us.
“She woke up every morning early and gave bath to at least 30 of us, then she combed our hair, and served us breakfast. Once when she was asked how she was able to give bath to so many children as it is a back breaking job, she explained that while bathing the children, she thinks that she is offering 'abhishek' to Swami. That is the level of her sincerity.”
“Warden aunty is a very stable, steady, sincere, loving and practical person with a great sense of humour. Early in the morning she would be putting paste on the little girls brushes much the same way that headmistress aunty would be putting it for the long line of little boys. Warden aunty would look after so many things in the background silently... I remember how she spent the whole morning searching for a kurta of mine misplaced among the huge pile of linen. Even at this age you will find her serving in the dining hall” recall Ushaina and Sashaina Fanibunda (1994-1996 XI and XII stds)
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| Fanibunda twins Ushaina and Sashiana |
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For Sai Amrita Kaul, Warden Aunty is no short of a Goddess who protects and inspires. A particular gesture of Warden Aunty touched her young heart deeply when Aunty stood up for her. She says “my relationship with Warden Aunty is a very special one. One day I was faced with a troubling situation in school. Some people I had met in the ashram showed up, asking to meet me. I was immediately hesitant because I did not know them very well, but I also did not know how to deal with the situation. In that moment, the only person I saw nearby was Warden Aunty, and though I was terrified that I would get into trouble, I braced myself and explained the situation. “What do you want to do?” Warden Aunty asked me. I was taken aback. I didn’t expect that my preference mattered at all. “What do you want to do?” Warden Aunty asked me again. “I don’t want to see them.” I said. Then, with that gloriously firm voice, Warden Aunty replied, “I will deal with them. Don’t be afraid.” And just like that, I watched in awe as Warden Aunty stood up for me and fought off my fears. I distinctly remember wanting to say thank you, but I couldn’t find the words, and I didn’t even have to. Aunty gave me a huge hug and assured me that everything was fine. After that, I vowed to find the same level of conviction and confidence in myself and never hesitated again to seek advice or support from Warden Aunty whenever I needed to boost my morale in the face of a challenge. Warden Aunty’s no-nonsense attitude was ultimately what gave me the courage to stand up for what I believe in, while also knowing that there is always a benevolent force protecting me along the way.
London based Partish Kumar Dubey was in Warden Aunty's care since his Ooty School days. Even today, a mere mention of Warden Aunty's name evokes his awe and admiration. He explains why. “Warden Aunty was strict but extremely fair. I have always believed, Warden Aunty would have made an excellent judge. Indian judiciary's loss was Sri Sathya Sai Institution's gain. Warden Aunty is a fine blend of deep spirituality and rational pragmatism.
“I recall one particular Sunday morning, when Swami had called us Primary School boys to sit on the verandah. During the Bhajans, we would turn towards Swami's chair and face Him. That morning, one of my classmates happened to do something which disturbed Bhagawan. From His chair in the Mandir, Swami indicated to the boy to concentrate on the Bhajans and stop whatever was distracting Him. Somehow this boy was unable to understand Swami's indications to him. After the Bhajans, we saw the "Durga" form of Bhagawan. Swami was visibly upset at being distracted by this boy during the Bhajans. As He came out after the Arati, He made this boy stand up and instructed the authorities (Headmistress Aunty and Warden Aunty) to expel him from the School. It was quiet a frightening sight.
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“On our return to the School, Headmistress Aunty and Warden Aunty made enquiries from the boy and understood what had happened. Warden Aunty and Headmistress Aunty decided that this student would not go for Darshan the following Thursday. As Swami came in front of the Primary School block that Thursday morning, He enquired if the boy had been expelled.
“That is when we witnessed a rare and celestial event. Only a true devotee can stand up to face the Lord, look straight Him in the eye and disagree with Him. Warden Aunty, informed Swami, that the event had been investigated and they were extremely sorry for the boy's behaviour and he would be taken to task. Then Warden Aunty went on to plead for forgiveness on behalf of the boy. She further 'informed' Him that the boy in question, was one of the most well behaved boys in the School.
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“Swami insisted he be expelled and Aunty refused to expel the boy while she continued to pray for forgiveness on his behalf. This discussion continued for a while after which Swami caved in and accepted Warden Aunty's decision as final in this matter!”
“Needless to say, this classmate of mine continued his studies until he completed his graduation from the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of our University without any problems.
“Another incident that has made a deep impact on me happened during Grade 7. One day I had an argument and fight with one of my classmates. In spite of me warning him a few times to stop irritating me, he continued. I soon lost my patience and slapped him leaving an impression on his cheeks. This boy started crying and rushed to Warden Aunty in the dormitory. I followed him because I was confident that Warden Aunty would be very fair in her judgement. This boy went and complained to Warden Aunty and was crying before her. I stood outside the dormitory. As he finished, Warden Aunty asked him, "Tell me what you did to evoke this response from him. Surely, you must have done something. He did not just get up and slap you. I can see for myself what he has done." The boy went silent because he knew that I had been warned him before reacting.
“Warden Aunty then asked this boy to stop crying and said she would speak to me but he should also reflect on his behaviour. Aunty then came out and saw me standing outside the dormitory. She knew, I had heard her conversation with that student. Aunty did not say a word to me. Later on, Aunty informed me that I could not go for Darshan until the marks on his cheeks had disappeared. I missed two Darshans. Staying back together in the School ensured that we both regretted our mistakes, decided not to repeat them and also became good friends and remain so till today.
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“This incident has left a deep impression on my mind. I have used it several times during my working career. I do not generally make up my mind unless I have heard both sides of the story.
“Even when she was upset, Aunty was able to keep her balance and I always remember Warden Aunty to be highly balanced and fair in her views.
“To say "Thank You" is simply not enough for what I have learnt from Warden Aunty. I am privileged and greatly honoured to have known and interacted with such a great and noble person. I can only express my gratitude to Swami for choosing this "Sai Ratna" to shape me during my formative years. For that blessing and many more, I shall remain eternally grateful" says Partish.
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Alumni, Sai School, Ooty & Prasanthi Nilayam
Radio Sai Team
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