Ugadi celebrations in sai kulwant hall - 30 Mar'06

[Guest guest]

UGADI CELEBRATIONS IN SAI KULWANT HALL

 

Ugadi marks the beginning of the New Year in the Southern States of Andhra and

Karnataka. It also brings happiness with the onset of Vasanth or the Spring

season. Varahamihira, a saint who lived in the sixth century, started this new

method of marking the passage of a year basing his calculations with the onset

of spring.

The name Ugadi is derived from Yuga Aadi (Yuga + Aadi means beginning of New

Age). Thus Ugadi heralds not only the beginning of the New Year but also

signals the beginning of a new regeneration with plants acquiring new life,

shoots and leaves; animals and birds bestir themselves and the sweet fragrance

of budding flowers is in the air.

The decorated arch at the poornachandra entrance

 

 

Preparations for the festival begin many days prior with houses being cleaned

thoroughly. People go shopping and buy themselves new clothes to wear on this

special day. People also splash fresh cow dung water on the ground in front of

their house and draw intricate floral designs, using multi-coloured powder,

called rangoli.

 

A view of the decorated Sai Kulwant Hall

The facade covered with flowersAnd on the dawn of the New Year, people wake up

early and take a traditional “oil bath” before putting on new clothes. The

entrance to their houses is decorated with mango buntings as it is an omen of

good luck and prosperity.

The Lord takes care of all as we are all His family. Some weeks prior, Swami had

distributed clothes to all the students and staff. Everyone had the clothes

stitched and all assembled in the Hall were looking resplendent and grand in

their new clothes not only on the Ladies’ side but even on the gents!

 

The flowers on the steps

 

The poorna Khumbam at the back of the hall

 

March 30, 2006 dawned bright and early to a richly decorated Sai Kulwant Hall.

The entire façade was done up with flowers and even the steps were laid out as

a flower garden. An oversized arch richly adorned the entrance on the

Poornachandra auditorium side of the hall through which the Lord enters Sai

Kulwant Hall.

An oversized poorna khumbam (an ornate vessel used in prayer rituals) was

erected at the back of the hall with an idol of Lord Ganesha inside and this

lent an air of grandeur to the entire Hall. The pathway through which the Lord

was to pass was also decorated with villaku (lamps) and either a coconut or a

raw mango in a bed of leaves.

On this auspicious day, people go to the nearest temple early in the morning or

else offer pooja (prayer) to God in their own home, invoking His blessings for

the New Year. The day itself is considered auspicious, so people start new

ventures on this day. And this Ugadi day not only fell on a Thursday, the most

auspicious day of the week, but was rendered even more so by the fact that the

Lord was moving into His new residence on this day.

Early morning view of the decorated entrance to the new residence

 

Swami entered Sai Kulwant Hall looking radiantly beautiful in His yellow robe

and even more so, with His enthusiasm reflecting the mood and feelings of the

crowd assembled that day to usher in this special day with the precious darshan

of the Lord and a prayer to Him to bless them in all their undertakings in the

New Year.

 

Nadaswaram music was played early in the morning

The Ugadi darshanAfter giving His New Year darshan to the assembled multitudes,

Swami took His throne and then asked the Institute Marching band to play. They

played a couple of renditions like La Bamba and O when the saints go marching

in…

Swami then took arathi and got onto His specially modified open one-seater

vehicle to give the unrestricted bliss of His darshan to all as He returned

back to His residence to proceed with the rituals connected with moving in into

His new house. After all, when the divine takes human form, He abides by the

customary social customs and norms, and thus sets an ideal for humanity to

emulate.

 

Swami was escorted back into His residence complex by the marching bands of all

His educational institutions. After He entered into His new house, the

ceremonies got underway. Only a select few guests were allowed into the house

for this part of the prayer ceremony and other rituals connected with graha

pravesham or the ceremonial entry into a new abode.

After the rituals were over, Swami came out of the abode and was looking radiant

as ever, for He was going to do what is closest to His heart – taking care of

all the guests, as He had promised the day prior at the end of the High School

drama.

While the prayer ceremony was going on, the students of all the 3 campuses as

well as the staff were seated in Poornachandra Auditorium.

Going in procession to the new residence

 

About 300 tables were laid out for the purpose and special food service tents

were set up on either side of the central aisle way for quick service to both

the Gents as well as the Ladies side.

 

Professors, Heads of the departments as well as doctors and other special guests

were seated inside the annex building to the new house, where on the ground

floor there is a huge open hall.

Swami first entered this annex and blessed everyone and supervised the serving

of the food there before He proceeded to the Poornachandra auditorium. The boys

had prepared a cake for Him which He cut and made all of them happy.

Inside Poornachandra auditorium, He went up and down the aisle raising His hands

many times to bless one and all, before He retired to His abode.

Early morning view of the decorated entranceto the new residence (source: radiosai.org)