Parthi Update - Ugadi Celebrations

[Guest guest]

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 flowers And 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 darshan After 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 residenceA Anantha VijayaH.No.247Nizarapar RoadChandmari

ColonyGUWAHATI - 781 003Mob: 9954206469 / 9954037252