Personalities visiting Sri Sathya Sai Baba

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Personalities visiting Sri Sathya Sai Baba

>From Sanathana Sarathi, July 1994 Click to enlarge

The president of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma visited Brindavan topay his

respects to Bhagavan on June 5th of 1994. Bhagavan entered the Santhi Vedikain

Sai Ramesh Mandap together with Dr. Sharma. The President, in his address,

hailed Bhagavan as the great Acharya, who is ashining example of the term

Acharya. Acharya, he said, means not only one whoteaches but one who practices

the teachings.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, Nov. - Dec. 1995 Click to enlarge

In the morning of November 18th, 1995 at Poornachandra Auditorium, the Prime

Minister of India, Sr i P .V . Narashimha Rao, inaugurated the supply of

puredrinking water to Ananthapur town, by pressing a button, when the pumps in

townwere activated by remote control and water started flowing in the taps at

Ananthapur. A message was received on the telephone, which was amplified on the

public addresssystem, so that thousands of people gathered could hear. There was

a working model ofthe water project on the stage. A report on the Drinking Water

Project was given by SriK. Chakravarthy. Technical details of the project were

spelt out by Sri Kondal Rao, Engineering Consultant of the Andhra Pradesh

Government, who expressed hisgratitude to Bhagavan, but for whose sustained

interest, the work could not have beencompleted in such record time. The Chief

Minister of Andhra Pradesh spoke expressinghis gratitude to Bhagavan. The

Prime

Minister then spoke in Telug, on the magnitude of the project whichhad been

carried out by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust to provide drinking water

tolakhs of villagers. Bhagavan then addressed the gathering and made special

mention of the co-operation extended by the State and Central Governments in

executing the project. Hemade a powerful plea for making rivers national

property controlled by the Centre, soas to eliminate inter-state dispute. On

November 22nd at 3:30 p.m. at the occasion of Fourteenth Convocation of theSri

Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning Bhagavan Baba, the Chancellor of

theInstitute, The Chief Guest, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister, Government

of India, Sri S.B . Chavan, Union Home Minister, The Vice -Chancellor, Dr. K.

Hanumanthappa, Members of the Governig Body of the Institute and Members of the

Academic council, arrived at the Vidyagiri Stadium and went in ceremonial

procession to the Santhi

Vedika. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister, Government of India, stated in

his address "In our own time, Bhagavan Baba with his emphasis on Dharma, right

moralconduct, and the fundamental unity of human relationship is preparing

humankind forthe new universal civilization of love and brotherhood. The lamp

lit by Bhagavan is noordinary lamp. I am confident that the light it emits is

powerful enough to reach everynook and corner of the world". Click to

enlarge

On 23rd November, even from the early hours of the morning people

weretrekking in their thousands to the Stadium to witness the historic

celebration of the 70thBirthday of the Avatar. Precisely at 7:30 A.M. Bhagavan

came in a gaily decoratedgleaming silver chariot, dressed in a white robe.

Large hatches of folk dance performersmarched ahead. Seven hundred devotees

dressed in yellow dhotis, marched inprocession carrying Kavadis. Sai Gita,

draped in richly embroidered silken robe, headedthe procession, with

Veda-chanting boys following her. It was a magnificent spectaclefor the vast

gathering of devotees. A glider was circling over the stadium droppingflowers

and confetti over the Santhi Vedika.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, January 1996 Click to enlarge

The third International Symposium of Cardio-Vascular Diseases was held

inSathya Sai Institute Auditorium at Prasanthi Nilayam on December 16, 1995.

Thethree-day symposium was formally inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh, former

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. The keynote address was delivered

by Dr. J.S. Bajaj, Member, Planning Commission and President, National Board

Examinations. Arrangements had been made for the symposium, which was

attended by 201 delegates, including 48 delegates from overseas countries, and

107 special invitees. Among the foreign delegates were many outstanding

specialists in their respectivefields, including Dr. Ronald Ross from U.K., Dr.

George Reed, U.S.A., Dr. Lawrence I. Bonchek, U.S.A., Dr. Bruce Davis,

Australia, Dr. Carlos Mestres, Spain, and Dr. H.S. Saw, Singapore. Several

distinguished Indian doctors wereamong the overseas delegates. The Indian

participation was also at a high

level. The valedictory function on December 18thwas presided over by Sri A.R.

Antulllay, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, who commended

theunique service rendered by Bhagavan’s Super Speciality Hospital, which had

no parallelanywhere in the world. The inaugural function began precisely at 8

a.m. when Bhagavan Baba arrivedat the Auditorium accompanied by Dr. Karan Singh

and Dr. Bajaj. After they had takentheir seats on the exquisitely decorated

stage, there was invocation by students. Dr. Karan Singh lighted the sacred

lamps on the stage to mark the inaugurationof the symposium.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, April 1996 Click to enlarge

On the occasion of Yugaadi, the lunar new year day, of March 20, 1996,

Bhagavan at the Sai Ramesh Mandap in Brindavan, whitefield with Sri Shivraj

Patil,Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Sri S.B. Chavan, Union Home Minister, Mr.

Khurshe Alam Khan, Governor of Karnataka, Sri H.D. Deve Gowda, Chief Minister

of Karnataka, and Dr. Somaiya, Vice - President of the Somaiya Trust.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, June 1996 Click to enlarge

The summer school for the students of the Sathya Sai Institute of

HigherLearning conducted at the Brindavan Campus was inaugurated by Bhagavan

Baba onthe morning of 20thMay, 1995 at the Institute Auditorium. The Chief

Minister of Karnataka Shri Deve Gowda, in his inauguraladdress on that

occasion, paid glowing tributes to Bhagavan Baba for the great serviceto

mankind that He is doing apart from restoration of the sacred Indian Culture

andhuman values correcting the damage done in the recent past. He cite the

establishmentof the Institute of Higher Learning providing education of the

highest standard totallyfree of cost from K.G. to P.G., a parallel to which

could be found nowhere in the world.The Superspeciality Hospital established by

Bhagavan is another example of Hiscompassion and interest in provision of

medical aid of the highest standard free of cost to the people without

distinction on any sort. He extolled the recent

scheme of Bhagavan for providing supply of pure drinking water to villages in

backward areas at acost of several hundred crores, which is being executed at a

fast pace.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, December 1997 Click to enlarge

The Six-teenth Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learnig

washeld on 22nd November, 1997 in Poornachandra Auditorium by the presence of

theChancellor, Bhagavan Baba, the Chief Guest, Sri Krishna Kant, Vice-President

of India, and the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. G. Venkataraman. Sri Krishna Kant,

Vice-President of India, stated while delivering hisConvocation Address "The

very presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba ensures the Institute’sunique place, which

will remain unparalleled. It is under His guiding hand that thestudents of this

Institute are preparing for life, not merely with tools of academicexcellence,

but with reserves of morality and values which will mark them out as

futureleaders of society".

>From Sanathana Sarathi, January 1998 Click to enlarge

December 30, 1997 has become yet another Red-Letter-Day in the annals of the

Sathya Sai Era. On that day, a one day cricket match of a kind never witnessed

beforein history of cricket was played in the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Cricket

Stadium in thepresence of Bhagavan Baba by an India XI and an International XI

witnessed by animmense gathering of enthusiastic devotees, with the inspiring

figures of saints andgods watching the scene from Vidyagiri Hill. It was truly

a unique event in cricket history. In the opening ceremony, the flag was

hoisted by Sri I .K. Gujral, Prime Minister of India, amidst loud cheering and

clapping. Apart from the Prime Minister, among the special invitees present

on the daiswere Sri Chandra Babu Naidu and Sri J.H. Patel, Chief Ministers of

Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Sri Lakshman Khadirgamar, Foreign Minister of

Sri Lanka.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, December 1998 Click to enlarge

On 22nd November of 1998, the 17th Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of

Higher Learning was held in Sai Kulwant Hall by the presence of the guests,

Prime Minister, Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Sri

N. Chandrababu Naidu. Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India stated

whiledelivering his Convocation Address "The Indian tradition believes that

Truth or Sathyais God. As the Sai model of education affirms, the students of

this university are not juststudents, but seekers of Truth. The divine guidance

of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babahas, thus, elevated even education to the level

of worship of God".

>From Sanathana Sarathi, March 1999 Click to enlarge

The King and the Queen of Nepal with Bhagavan.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, April 1999 Click to enlarge

Prime Minister, Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee and other dignitaries withBhagavan

during His visit to Delhi from 11th to 14th March 1999. The first major

eventduring the Delhi visit was the inauguration of Sri Sathya Sai

International Center.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, September 2000 Click to enlarge

The Prime Minister of Nepal and his daughter with Bhagavan Baba duringtheir

visit to Prasanthi Nilayam on 5th August 2000.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, December 2000 Click to enlarge

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher

Learning, delivering His Benedictory Address on the 19th Convocation of the

Institute dated November 22, 2000. Also seen in the picture (sitting left to

right) are former Union Minister, Sri S.B. Chavan, Chief guest, Union Minister

for Human Resource Department, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Vice Chancellor, Sri

S.V. Giri and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Sri Chandrababu Naidu.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, September 2001 Click to enlarge

The Vice-President of India Sri Krishna Kant with Bhagavan Baba on Krishna

Janmashtami Day (11th August, 2001) in Sai Kulwant Hall.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, February 2002 Click to enlarge

"Sai Health Meet 2002" was held on the occation of the 1st anniversary of

SriSathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Science, Whilefield (Bangalore) on

19th January2002 by the presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Union Minister for

Health, Dr. C.P. Thakur, Karnataka Chief Minister, Sri S.M. Krishna and

Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sri Vilasrao Deshmukh.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, December 2002 Click to enlarge

The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam delivered the

ConvocationAddress at the 21st Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of

Higher Learning held inSai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 22nd November

2002. Appreciating the valuable role played by Sri Sathya Sai Institute of

Higher Learning in imparting value based education to its students under the

divine direction of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the President of India, Dr.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam observed that this system of education would give to the

country great leaders to make it a developed nation. He said, "As the vision

for Independence Movement created somany leaders, I am sure Sri Sathya Sai

Institute of Higher Learning, with its value basededucation in this divine

environment, will generate great leaders who will excel invarious fields and

actively participate in the mission to transfer India into a developed nation."

>From Sanathana Sarathi, July 2003 Click to enlarge

Chief Minister of Karnataka Sri S.M. Krishna and Governor Sri T.N. Chaturvedi

with Bhagawan Baba on Doctor’s day at Brindavan on July 5th 2003.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, November 2003 Click to enlarge

The seminar of vice chancellors on value education and ethics was held

onOctober 28, 2003. The inaugural function was addressed by Dr. Arun Nigavekar,

Chairman, University Grants Commission, Sri S.V. Giri, Vice Chancellor, SSSIHL,

Dr. G. Venkataraman, former Vice Chancellor, SSSIHL and Justice Ranganath

Mishra, former Chief Justice of India.

>From Sanathana Sarathi, December 2003 Click to enlarge

Sri Bhairon Singh Shekawat, Vice President of India, attended to the 22nd

Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning on 22nd November

2003 as Chief Guest of the Convocation with the Revered Chancellor of the

Institute,Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

See also: Vice President appreciates Sathya Sai System of Education

>From Sanathana Sarathi, March 2004 Click to enlarge

Prime Minister Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Sri

N. Chandrababu Naidu with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba when they visited

Prasanthi Milayam to have His Darshan on 12 the Februay 2004.

SOURCE: http://www.saibaba.ws/articles1/personalities.htm

COLLECTION: PREETHAM SAI P.V.

MANGALORE,INDIA.