Old Students Music Program - Jan 1 & 2

[Guest guest]

height:78.0pt">

font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold">

height:1.5in">

10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#F38108;font-weight:bold"> January 07,

2005

 

color:#F38108;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;color:#FD9B32;font-weight:bold">http://www.SaiBhajans.net

font-family:Verdana;color:#F38108;font-weight:bold">

font-weight:bold">

 

 

border-collapse:collapse;border:none" id="table18">

10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold">Sairam,

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Here is an update from an eyewitness old

student on the events that took place on the 1st and 2nd of January

with the Old Students of SSSIHL.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">1/1/05

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Morning Session :

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">We could reach mandir only around 8:00 a.m.

and there was Choir going on at that time. This was an American

Orchestra performing in front of Bhagawan.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">I understand, prior to this an Indian

Orchestra performed ( 6 songs ). While this was going on, Swamy asked

the boys to distribute Prasadam to all ( including devotees ).

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Then around 8:40 a.m., A group of youngsters

from South California sang Bhajans (

both English and Sanskrit ). Swamy sat through this session for about

45 minutes until 9:30 a.m. or so, then He took Aarthi. Before getting

into the car, he went up to the cakes and cut all the New Year cakes (

made by Old Students, Current students, Mandir Students etc. ).

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Swamy made Mr. Anil Kumar announce that there

would be a Music Program by the Old Students of SSSIHL at 3 p.m. in Sai

Kulwant Hall.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Then Swamy retired for the session.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Evening Session :

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Swamy came in to the hall around 3:15 p.m. He

sat down in the Chair and looked at the front row ( where all the old

boys' / singers sat ) and motioned to the Vice Chancellor to make the

announcement ( Old students' music program ). After him, V. Kumar went

up to Swamy praying Swamy to Inaugurate the "Bridge Across Time -

Vol 5 and 6 ". A couple of others went up offering a prayer card (

specially made for the occasion ), another boy went up offering cloves

to swamy. When they returned, Swamy motioned us to start and we started

singing the songs...one after the other…..and went on

presenting 15 songs, with some commentary, both in Telugu and English

in between. They were all, kind of, slow songs and it seemed as if

Swamy was tired. After 15th song Swamy asked V. Kumar if we were done,

at this point we still had 3 more songs to present and we immediately

cut 2 of them and presented the last one which was a group song. We

thought, it was a little dragging and too many songs too.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Then, the Band Master ( current student )

prayed to swamy if they could present their songs. Swamy agreed to it.

Then they have presented some 6-7 songs. That was really awesome and

Swamy liked it too and immediately called the Band Master, created a

Golden bracelet for him. After this, Swamy called Mr. Poppat from UK and

asked him to speak and he has spoken very well. He has asked all of us

to make a New Year Resolution that we would really behave like Swamy's

devotees hereafter…

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Then, it was about 6:40 p.m. or so and Swamy

took Aarthi and left for the session.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">2nd Jan. 2005

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Morning Session :

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Swamy came out around 7:30 a.m. and gave a

normal darshan in the car. He has gone up to the portico and received

Mr. Y. S. Raja Shekhara Reddy ( Chief Minister of A.P.) who was already

waiting for Swamy there. Then, Swamy spent time with him and his team

till about 9 a.m. When the bhajans started Swamy came into the Bhajan

hall, enjoyed the Bhajans and took Aarthi around 9:35 a.m. Yes !

Verdana;font-weight:bold">we had a bonus of 5 minutes extra !! Then

swamy left for the session.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Evening

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Sometime in the afternoon we prayed to swamy

for a chance to sing Bhajans and swamy gladly agreed for the same. So

we were all seated in the Sai kulwant Hall accordingly. As soon as Swamy

came into the hall around 3:15 p.m. he has looked at some of us, and

asked us to get ready for the bhajans.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Once we were ready, Swamy asked us to start.

Santosh pai started with the Bhajan " Gauri Ganesha Vinayaka"

and during this, Swamy called Sriram and said that we should sing

Devotional Songs. Then the scramble started……We

were all sitting only some 3-4 feet away from Swamy and we really did

not have the luxury of even looking into each other's eyes to

communicate as to which song should be presented. I took the lead and

started asking the singers - one after the other - to present the

songs. The singer would choose ( think of a song ) and tell me and

Sonum ( who was playing the Harmonium ) the Sruthi and then, we would

start off. As many boys left, we did not even have a lot

instrumentalists too….just Harmonum, Flute and Tabla, that is

all. It was a great session and we had so many wonderful songs

presented by the singers straight from their hearts…as these

were not really "practiced to present" but were the numbers

"close to the singers' hearts" and of course, they were all

instant hits. Everyone, including V. Kumar, Vishal Vaidya, Sonum,

Kote, Vijaya Sai, Ashwini Jayadev, Sai Kishore, Sriram, Shyam Sunder,

Santosh Pai, Anand….so on presented their best songs and

every song was received very well by the devotees toowith loud clapping

keeping the rhythm to the song. Swamy too seemed to have enjoyed this

session very much. The time went so fast that before realized, we had

already presented more than

Verdana;font-weight:bold">12 songs…!!!!. Then we started off

with Bhajans. Of course, the special ones with Aalaap ( like V.Kumar's

'Gopaalam', Kote's 'Oh Baba' and so on ) and Swamy seemed to have

enjoyed each and everyone of them too as he was nodding His head and

putting Talam to all of them.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">I would say, it was wonderful evening that

Swamy had planned for Himself and, ALL of us were really fortunate to

have partaken that bliss. It was an evening of performance by the Old

Students - perfectly planned by Bhagawan - and every Song / Bhajan

presented was surely the best as the entire Kulwant Hall rose to huge

clapping and applause for every number presented.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Then as the Bhajans were going on, Swamy made

the VC to distribute watches to all the music boys and some non-music

old students too. Then HE got the Prasaadam distributed to everyone,

including the devotees, again.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Ah, our hearts were filled to the brim as we

all wept in tears of Joy ! What more can we ask for ! God is really

great.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Swamy retired for the session around 6:30

p.m. after harathi.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Thank You, Dearest Swamy.

Verdana;font-weight:bold">

Verdana;font-weight:bold">Sairam.

Verdana;color:windowtext;font-weight:bold">

font-weight:bold">In Sai's Service,

SBN.Admin (AT) SaiBhajans (DOT) net

font-weight:bold">

font-weight:bold">

 

Attachment: (image/gif) image001.gif [not stored]

Attachment: (image/gif) image002.gif [not stored]