Lord Subramaniam-Thaipusam & SAI LOVE in Action

[Guest guest]

My Dear Sai family,

 

THAIPUSAM is one of the great events for Lord Subramaniam, that

took place on the 10th and 11th Feb at the world famous (virtually

for all who have active interest in Gods world events) Batu Caves

near K.L.

 

By the way Lord Subramaniam is considered in Vedic Records as the

Kali Yuga Avathar and for many South Indian Sai devotees, Bhagavan

Baba is the Physical Manifestation of this Divine Consciousness.

 

Over the years the SAI Council has organized blood donation and

Bhajan sessions at this event. But this Year, something spectacular

took place.

 

The SAI Council organized a huge festival of devotional songs with

some of the top Malaysian Indian Professional singing talents,

singing non stop for 36 hours, in conjuntion with a "Donation of

liquid love" programme, where devotees were urged to offer! 'LIQUID

LOVE" TO SAVE LIVES AS THEY PRAY TO LORD MURUGA.

 

The Malaysian Blood Bank had put up MORE than 80 odd beds.

 

The target was 2006 pints (i.e bottles... they call it pints but

they mean this plastic bolltle, which i think is less than a pint) of

blood and, if we achieve this, the Blood Bank say this will enter the

MALAYSIAN BOOK OF RECORDS AS THE LONGEST NON STOP BLOOD DONATION

DRIVE (33 HOURS) In a single event by one NGO and definitly the

largest single Blood Donation offfering by any NGO in a one event.

 

By the way there is a new expression going around i.e. FAITH BASED

ORGANIZATIONS (FBO), but that is another story.

 

Some of our Youth and adults were there for more than 48 hours. As

for old guys like me, I went to the caves at about 3.30 pm on

10th and came back home at 5am on 11th and collapsed in sleep.

 

Similar Liquid Love events were undertaken by SAI groups in 3 other

cities, Ipoh, Penang and Johore Bharu where major Thaipusam festivals

dedicated to Lord Subramaniam were being held.

 

A leading Radio station that was a cosponsor of the event, linked

all 4 Centers with a running commentary of events as they unfolded.

 

Malaysia has just come through 5 days of Holidays where Chinese New

Year was celebrated at the same time as a Major Islamic festival.

Every body goes on leave and road accidents go through the roof

with many deaths and hundreds of injuries that need blood

transfusion. During these periods the Blood Banks run dry and there

is a desperate need for blood at all hospitals and the majority in

need will be the Muslims and Chinese who form 90% of Malaysai's

population. This desperate need is what prompted the National Blood

Bank of the General Hospital, with majority Muslim staff, to come to

one of the Biggest Hindu events outside of India and to set up their

beds with teams of doctors and nurses and work in shifts collecting

the Liquid Love offerd for close to 35 hours.

 

It was fascinating to see Muslim nurses, and doctors amidst a sea

of Hindus, all hot and tired and queing up to offer blood as

devotional songs were sung urging the highest form of Charity...to

save lives. It was an extraordinary sight of UNITY, PURITY AND

DIVINITY in this location, at a time in the world, when the Musim

community all over the world, is "in arms" and angered by many events

and seen so negatively by some.

 

And here is a SAI Vision of long ago being fulfilled, by uniting 2

great Religous Traditions (which, on the face of it, have totally

contradictory practices) in a SEVA OF LOVE. Here there is this

throbbing mass of Humanity, carrying Kavadi (Penance), beat of drums,

crowds! pushing and moving froward in a mass of uncontrolled

humanity, yet controlled by a divine will so that no untoward events

took place.

 

The media quoted 1.3 million people having come...but I did not

count and thus cannot verify the figure. There amidst this seething

mass of moving Humanity was a huge stage, with a huge picture of

Bhgavan Baba with Malaysia's leading Tamil singers offering their

service through Devotional songs. There was one blind singer (also

well known) who sat on the stage with his Keyboard and sang

devotional songs for close to 8 or more hours, without getting up to

go to toilet or food and all he had was the One cup of MILO which I

had to persuade him to take and sips of water. He brought many to

tears by the poignancy of the songs he sang to God, pleading for

Grace.

 

For me this whole event reminded me of the extarordinary events at

Sai's Hill View Stadium with thousands of devotees yearning for

Darshan of the Kali Yuga Avathar and Indias Top singers offering

devotional songs. The only difference was the total discpline among

the masses of devotees and the magificient "PHYSICAL presence" of the

Kali Yuga Avathar at Hill View.

 

But here in Batu Caves, the "Physical presence" was not there, but

the Divine Invisible presence of Lord Muruga, the Kali Yuga Avathar

and His Manifestaion as Sathya SAI Avathra was felt by all and

darshan was received by all through their pictures and images.

 

I have received an sms message from the Sai Organizing team, saying

that the donations of LOVE were as follows:

 

Batu Caves: 2330 pints of liquid love.

Ipoh: 56

Johore Bharu : 66

Penang : 242.

Total Malaysia for Thaipusam Sai Seva of Love for the

Nation:...2694.

This event is so vast and moving it is unimaginable.

 

The Radio station, the professional singers all kept talking about

what the SAI Baba people are doing to save lives of all communities.

Our Sai Young adults have taken this to an incredible level, since

the days in early 1980s when I had to go there with about 5 or 6

youth (may be 10), and my car was the only transport vehicle, build

our own shed, sold Sai Bhajan tapes sang songs, slept in the car when

exhausted etc... for 3 days. (and let me not talk of Toilet

Facilities.)

 

Now the event has gone to supramental proportions with support

coming from all sides. The Municipal Authorities who rent the space

gave us a vast concourse of area free of charge. Many VIPs came and

went back amazed and asking how they could support our effort.

 

The event was co-sponsored by a local news station, that kept news

going about this eve! nt all the time. I came home after 13 hours and

nursing a very painful knee but many of our totally exhausted Youth,

Young adults and adults dedicating themselves to a point beyond

exhaustion, spent many, many more hours from beginning to end.

 

As usual I am sure I will receive some "reflected glory" on the

human level as some may attribute the success of this event, quite

"undeservedly", to me. However on a Divine Level, God will know who

did what and will reward accordingly.

 

ON SUNDAY1! 12th the Leading Malaysian English Newspaper the STAR

had a full page on this Thaipusam festival. Many NGOs ( FGOs?) were

doing all sorts of Seva during this festival, however the only one

that got special mention read as follows:

 

The HEADLINE:

"2,330 blood donations collected in just a day"

The first para of the article read as follows:

 

"Kuala Lumpur: The National Blood Bank and the Sathya Sai Council

of Malaysia could have achieved a record by collecting 2330 blood

donations in a single day at the Thaipusam Celebrations in Batu

Caves"....and thus the story goes on.

 

I am sure the details will be eventually forwarded officially

through the proper channels. However I wanted to share the THRILL &

JOY and Pride that I felt for the SAI Sevaks and all who took part in

this mammoth event of selfless Service and where once again the SAI

name became recognised in this nation as synonymous with LOVE ALL

SERVE ALL.

 

It would have been a great thrill for all those who were at

Thaipusam to have seen our Brother Billy Fong, the SAI Council

President officiating at the closing ceremony of the event. This

event manifested an ideal of SAI.

 

Here was Sai Seva in a totally HINDU event, manifesting Unity of

Faiths (Chinese Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus), for the common goal

of helping humanity by saving lives.

 

Many who came and donated were first time doners who were so

moved by the amazing confluence of Prayers, Devotional Songs and

Service that they offered Liquid Love as their Service to God and

Man. They were moved by the devotion invoked to save lives. They came

forth and gave with Devotion and LOVE and as the blood drained from

their bodies to save a life, they were being re-charged by the

Devotional songs being sung continuously.

 

I share this event with you as a SAI brother, a devotee (or

aspirant for devotion) of the LORD, sharing some joy.

 

LOVE

JEGA

 

CC: For the Malaysians who are receiving this and where names may

mean something, there were too many to mention, who dedicated

themselves to a point beyond duty, bu! t within bonds of Divine

Love. But among those who led the programme from before it began

till the end would include:

 

Our Dr.Ganesh (aka Ramesh), Bro. Sugu, Bro.Saravanan (Coordinator),

Bro. Ravi (Bangsar Centre chairman), Bro Muthu and others, (youth &

Adults) whose names must be now on the 2nd list of the angel who

spoke to Abu Bin Adam. None expect their names to be mentioned, but

on behalf of all Malaysian SAI devotees, i thank them all for this

great Seva of LOVE.

- Bro. J Jagadeesan (sai)

Official: Dato' J.Jegathesan

24 Jalan Abdullah, Bangsar

59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel:®603-2282 5558 (O)603-6201 2220

Fax:(O)603-6201 2223

e-mail: jegaj