Prashanthi Bulletin - August 8th to 12th, 2005

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Prashanthi Bulletin

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August 12th, 2005 This Friday witnessed the Varalakshmi Vratam - a ritual

performed by married women on the Friday immediately following the full moon

day in the Indian month of Shraavan. The Sai Kulwant Hall was beautifully

bedecked with floral decorations. Floral arches adorned the gate leading to

Bhagawan's residence, and even the ganesh gate was decorated. In the middle of

the stage area of the Hall was a dark stone idol of Goddess Lakshmi. The

innermost four pillars of the Hall were draped with twenty foot high images of

Bhagawan and Mahalakshmi. The nearly thousand ladies doing the puja had

assembled there by 5 o'clock in the morning. They were seated in orderly rows

60 abreast in the front part of the Hall, occupying the part of the Hall where

the students of the School and College usually sit. Nadaswaram music played by

the village band induced a festive air. Bhagwan arrived at 7.30 am to Vedic

chants and the

Nadaswaram music. Taking a round of the Hall, Swami's car came onstage and Swami

came to the centre of the stage in the retractable chair. At 7.45, He gave the

signal for the proceedings to begin and the priests seated onstage started with

a brief introductory talk in Telugu conveying gratitude at the chance for doing

this puja. The ritual worship continued till 8.30 am, concluding with the

priest narrating the Puranic story of the origin of this Varalakshmi Vratam,

the story of Charumati the Pativrata to whom the Goddess granted the boon of

this ritual. Thereafter, Vedam chanting continued with Bhagawan sitting onstage

till just after nine. A special announcement was made, that prasadam had been

arranged for all the participants. Bhagawan then decided to give a closer

darshan to the participants, and asked for His chair to be pushed around. For

nearly ten minutes, Bhagawan went all around the Hall, going up to the very end

of the group of participants, giving an unexpected Darshan

to all. A few minutes afterwards, blessing the priests and their wives with

clothes, Bhagawan left for His abode as Arati was sung. In the afternoon, we

were regaled with devotionals by Smt. Nithyashree Mahadevan, the eminent

vocalist. Bhagawan sat onstage in His car from 3.15 to 4.00 pm while the Vedam

chanting went on. At one point, He asked for the chant related to Lakshmi Devi

to be chanted. At 4 o'clock, He moved to the centre of the stage, and the

musicians took their places to His left. Bhagawan was very pleased with the

hour long performance, and blessed the artiste with a medallion, asking her to

sing another song on the Mother Goddess after that. Then Bhagawan went to the

interview room. From there, He instructed that bhajans be sung in the Bhajan

Hall, so the students started the Bhajans there at 5.15 pm. Bhagawan sat in the

Bhajan Hall till 5.45, when He returned to the Poornachandra. Arati was offered

ten minutes later. August

8th to 11th, 2005 From the 8th to the 11th, there were no programmes in Sai

Kulwant Hall. Swami came to the Hall every day, both in the morning and in the

evening. On the 8th, He came to the Sai Kulwant at 7.30 am, and directly went

out for a drive - upto the college and back. On His return, He called in one of

the delegates to the Economics conference (mentioned in our previous update) for

an interview. In the evening, the priests from Mookambika temple in Karnataka

state came for Swami's darshan. These were the priests who had officiated at

the Homam at Brindavan in May. Bhagawan came to the Hall at 3.10 and called the

priests for an audience. 'Bobbattu' sweets were distributed to all as prasadam.

Bhagawan returned to His abode at 5.10 while bhajans were going on. On

Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, that is, on the 10th and 11th, Bhagawan

spent quite a long while inside His car parked on the Mandir verandah near the

interview room, without

alighting. On Thursday evening, He asked for the car to be manoevered onstage,

entering from the gents' side of the stage area and exiting from the ladies'

side.

You can see an illustrated version of happenings at Prashanthi Nilayam in the

Prashanthi Diary of our monthly e-Journal Heart to Heart. The previous issue of

Prashanthi Bulletin is available here. The Photo album contains photos of events

of past Prashanthi Bulletins. Index of past Prashanthi Bulletins... Source:

Radio Sai WebsiteAugust. 12th, 2005http://radiosai.org/pages/PB.htm