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Index of earlier Bulletins
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Bhagawan was at Sai Kulwant hall for more than six hours on this final day of the Ramayana Saptaha festival at Prasanthi Nilayam. He arrived in the Hall a few minutes after the Vedic chanting commenced at 9 am, when the priests seated onstage commenced the preparatory pujas for the Coronation ceremony for Sri Rama. Swami indicated that the procession of Sri Rama should take place only after Rahukalam, that is, after 10.30 am. The priests completed the rituals onstage while Bhagawan sat there. Swami also went for a round of the front part of the Hall in His chair. The palanquin with the idols of Sri Rama and Mother Sita came up from the main gate of the Sai Kulwant Hall, reaching the stage in 15 minutes after taking a round of the gents' side of the hall. The final Coronation ceremony was then concluded by 11.10 am. Bhagawan blessed two of the priests with chains - these were the ones who were doing the daily worship for all seven days. After the puja came to an end, Bhagawan asked for the Bhajans to begin, and the prasadam of sweet rice, tamarind rice and rava laddoo was distributed to all the devotees in pressed leaf plates while the Bhajans went on. Bhagawan watched till the devotees were all served, then accepted Arati at 11.30 am and returned to His residence.
The evening Vedam chanting began by 4.10 pm, and Bhagawan arrived in the Hall shortly thereafter. When Swami came onstage, the musical programme for the evening got underway after the priests did their daily puja. Sri Venkataraghavan and party presented devotional vocals for an hour while the Sri Rama idol was rocked in a jhoola onstage. At 5.45, Swami asked one of the students to sing, and he sang a song on the Sun God, "Karya Karana Swaroopane". songs by students continued for half an hour, then Swami asked them to sing Bhajans. While the Bhajans went on for half an hour, prasadam was distributed to all.
The time was now 6.45, and Swami asked for His mic to be brought. He began by praising the organisers of the function and commended all the speakers. He then led the entire congregation in singing some Rama Bhajans for fifteen minutes, following which He spoke for 45 minutes more, narrating incidents from the Ramayana. After His Discourse, Swami accepted Arati and returned to His residence at 8 pm.
Friday, June 27, 2008
This Friday's concluding Laksharchana was with the chanting of Sri Lalitha Sahasranama. All the devotees chanted "Aum Sri Matre Namah" as the Sahasranama went on from 7.30 to 8.25 am. The scholar who chanted the Sahasranama spoke a few words extolling the compassion of the mother, then concluded the morning session for the Bhajans to begin as usual at 9 o'clock in the Bhajan Hall.
The afternoon session began with Bhagawan arriving in His chair at 3.45 pm. Moving to the interview room after a few minutes onstage, He emerged at 4.15 and moving to the verandah, distributed special clothes for the priests to wear for tomorrow's function. Then He came onstage and sat for a while with the Vedam chanting going on. Swami called up two American brothers from among the students to chant Vedam onstage, then an Iranian boy from the Primary School. The programme of speeches commenced at five o'clock. The Yuddha Kandam was narrated with aplomb in Telugu by Sahasravadhani Garikipati Narasimha Rao garu till six o'clock, and with that the programme of speeches concluded. Bhajans were sung by the students as prasadam was distributed, till Swami accepted Arati at 6.15 and returned to His residence.
The Book Trust website has pictures of the Ramayana Saptaham.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The laksharchana by the devotees gathered in Sai Kulwant began at 7.30 am, with the chant of the Sri Sathya Sai Ashtothara Sahasranamavali. Bhagawan arrived at 8.40 am while the chanting was in progress and sat onstage for a while. He then moved to the Bhajan Hall and then to the interview room. The chanting concluded at 9.10 am and Bhagawan arrived in the Bhajan Hall for the Bhajans to start. He moved to the interview room for a few minutes, then returned to the Bhajan Hall, sat there for half an hour and accepted Arati at 10 am before returning to His residence.
Swami returned in His chair to Sai Kulwant Hall at 4.10 pm and moved to the interview room. After a round of the Bhajan Hall and the verandah after a few minutes, He came onstage at 4.45 pm and sat there for 45 minutes while the Vedam went on, calling up a few students with letters and interacting with them. The speech for the day was on the Sundara Kandam by Dr. Mylavaram Srinivasa Rao garu in Telugu, and he held the audience spell-bound for 90 minutes. Swami accepted Arati immediately after the talk at seven o'clock while prasadam was distributed to all.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
This morning's Laksharchana chanting was performed with the Sri Rama Sahasranama at 7.30 am. Bhagawan came in His chair in the evening at 3.45 and went into the interview room. After interacting with a few devotees, Swami came onstage at 4.45 to start the proceedings. Today's talk on the Kishkinda Kandam was in Telugu by Sri Venkata Subbarao garu. After the 45 minute talk, the Bhajans commenced at 5.40 pm. Prasadam was distributed while the students sang Hanuman bhajans. Bhagawan accepted Arati a few minutes before six o'clock and returned to His residence.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
On this third day of the Ramayana Saptaham, the proceedings began in the morning with Vishu Sahasranama chanting by the entire congregation at 7.50 am, forming a laksharchana. Bhagawan arrived when the morning Bhajans commenced after the laksharchana. In the evening, Bhagawan once again sat for a few minutes onstage after His darshan round in the chair and returned to the stage from the interview room to start the proceedings at 5.15 pm. Today's speaker was Sri S. Ranganath garu from Bangalore, who spoke in English about the Aranya Kandam for 45 minutes, noting various points of interest in Valmiki's poetry. Bhajans commenced at 6 pm, and Bhagawan accepted Arati at 6.30 pm.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Today was the second day of the Ramayana Saptaham being held at Prasanthi Nilayam, and today's talk was on the Ayodhya Kandam. Bhagawan arrived for evening darshan at 4 pm, and after sitting onstage for a few minutes, moved to the interview room. He emerged after half an hour to move around the stage area and the verandah, going back onstage and starting the proceedings at 5 pm. After the stirring hour long Telugu speech by Mallapragada Srimannarayana Murthy garu, bhajans commenced at 6 pm. After half an hour of Rama bhajans, Bhagawan accepted Arati and returned to His residence.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The seven-day Ramayana Saptaha Mahotsava got underway today. In the morning, the priests assembled for the occasion did Abhishekam to Lord Rama's idol at the altar readied on the Mandir Stage. The Bhajans did not start since the puja was scheduled. Bhagawan did not come for darshan, so the devotees in Sai Kulwant hall dispersed by 11.30 am.
In the evening, the Rama-Sita-Lakshmana idols were brought to Sai Kulwant Hall in procession with traditional paraphernalia from Bhagawan's residence just before 4.30 pm, and Swami followed soon after. At 4.45, Bhagawan was seated onstage and asked for the programme to commence. A learned scholar spoke in Telugu for 45 minutes, introducing the Ramayana Saptaham, stating that each day, one Kandam of the Ramayanam would be expounded by a scholar, till the last day, which would be dedicated to the Pattabhishekam or Coronation ceremony. The scholar then spoke about the first part of the Ramayanam, the Bala Kandam and the inner significance of many events narrated there. Bhajans commenced after the speech and prasadam was distributed while the students sang Rama Bhajans. Bhagawan accepted Arati at 6.10 pm before returning to His residence.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Union Home Minister was at Prasanthi Nilayam over the weekend. Bhagawan went all around the Sai Kulwant Hall accepting letters from many and speaking to some devotees yesterday in His chair after going into the interview room for a brief while at 4 pm. This morning He arrived as the Bhajans went on at 10.10 in His chair. During His darshan round, He Blessed the newly joined students of the I standard of the Primary School. He went into the Bhajan Hall and accepted Arati at 10.20 am, then entered His car. But after the car moved forward a few steps, He asked the car to reverse, alighted again near the interview room, and came onstage. There, He sat for five minutes, interacting briefly with one of the students and the Senior Hostel warden before again moving to the verandah. There, He called a couple for an interview, and after that returned to His residence at 11.10 am.
In the evening, Bhagawan had permitted the students to present a Bhangra dance programme, for which they were praying for the last two days. At 4 pm, when Swami came for darshan in His car, He moved out of Sai Kulwant Hall for a drive and returned at around 4.40 via the Western Gate of the Ashram. He moved to the Bhajan Hall in His chair and saw the students there in costumes and interacted with them for five minutes before asking them to move to the Hall and start their programme. When their 20 minute programme concluded at 5.15 pm, Swami stood up and walked down from the stage to take group photos with them. Bhajans began in the Bhajan Hall just after 5.30 and Bhagawan accepted Arati there after half an hour.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Bhagawan left Brindavan at 7.30 this morning in His car and arrived at Prasanthi Nilayam at 11.30. Entering the Sai Kulwant Hall to a colourful welcome with Bhangra dancers and a welcome song, Swami accepted Arati on the verandah from the car itself and then moved to His residence. On the way from Brindavan, He had stopped for a few minutes at the Sai schools at Muddenahalli and Bagepalli. In the evening, He arrived in the chair at 5.20 pm and made a full darshan round of Sai Kulwant Hall. As the Bhajans began at 5.30, Swami sat onstage for fifteen minutes before moving to the Bhajan Hall. He accepted Arati at 6.10 and returned to His residence.
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