SUNDARAM - A PRASANTHI NILAYAM IN CHENNAI - I

[Guest guest]

of Chennai and an ardent devotee of Baba, says with a beatific smile on her

face. Sundaram - The Abode of Bhagawan Baba in Chennai Yes,

Sundaram, the

beautiful adobe of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the city of Chennai, the

capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, India, is truly a ‘Prashanthi Nilayam away

from Prashanthi Nilayam’ for thousands of Sai devotees. “Sundaram fills us with

peace and strength,” says another devotee, Sri A K Kumar. “Once I started

coming to Sundaram,” he continues, “my life has totally changed! It’s a

university, a temple, a rehabilitation center - it’s everything! Once you are

inside Sundaram, you evolve, you forget everything! You are in total bliss,

it’s so refreshing! You are filled with so much strength.” This is the

experience of every Mona and every Kumar who has stepped into the holy

precincts of this hallowed abode of their Lord Sai in Chennai. Thousands throng

into this heavenly abode on every Thursday and Sunday and if you are around

after the evening bhajan session in Sundaram

you can see that by the time they leave the holy precincts of this

‘heaven-in-Chennai’, their faces are red with emotion and radiating a rare kind

of serenity and joy…it is as if they had had an audience with their Lord and all

the travails and trials of life have just melted away… they are revitalized and

invigorated with the power of the divine! They have been touched by His

presence. Why is Sundaram Special? Sundaram, the magnificent edifice, which

literally means “Divine Beauty” is special, indeed very special. But what is it

that makes it so special? Why is it that all - from slum dwellers to sitting

judges of the Madras High

Courts, from street hawkers to top industrialists - make a beeline to Sundaram

for the Sunday bhajans? Why do Sai devotees from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,

Australia, etc. make it a point to visit Sundaram when they stopover in Chennai

en route to Puttaparthi? Why is it that it is often hailed as “heaven in

Chennai” and “a beacon of light” by social workers and statesmen as well as by

agnostics? It is to unravel and reveal the glory of Sundaram to our readers

and also equally important, to celebrate the completion of 25 years of its

existence, that we have this cover story. Sundaram is special simply because it

is an indelible part of Swami’s glorious mission. It has not only housed the

Lord whenever Swami visited the city after its existence, but also provided

comfort and care to thousands of troubled hearts and mangled minds over the

last two and a half decades. Miracles have happened at Sundaram.

Minds have been moulded and the Lord’s presence felt every moment. We will tell

you stories of all this and more as you journey along with us on this spiritual

voyage of experiencing the sublimity that is Sundaram. Let’s start with the very

beginning - how did it actually come about? THE SUNDARAM STORY The Beginning

- Swami First Came To Chennai in 1945! Not many will know that Swami’s

physical association with Chennai dates back more than six decades now! Swami

first stepped in Chennai, then known as Madras, as a nineteen year old young

charismatic boy in 1945. Since then He has blessed the city of Chennai with any

number of visits,

sometimes staying for months together - as in 1950 when He stayed from January

to March, or in 1954 when He was there from January to April. Between 1945 and

1997, Swami blessed Chennai with more than sixty-five visits, touched the lives

of thousands and gave the opportunity of being His host to many ardent devotees

like Mr. Hanumantha Rao, the Raja of Venkatagiri and Sri Venkatamuni, in whose

residences Baba stayed in 1950’s. Early visits of Swami to

Chennai... In fact, Chennai had become His temporary headquarters while

visiting other places. Be it His visit to Rishikesh and Hardwar in July 1957,

or to Tirupati in March 1960 or to Badrinath in June 1961, Chennai was the take

off and return station. Even the first All India Conference of Sai Organizations

was held in Chennai on 20 th and 21 st April 1967. While all this was

happening, Swami inaugurated “Sathyadeep” – His abode in Mumbai in 1968 and

this was followed by the unveiling of “Shivam” in Hyderabad in April 1973.

The Longing of the Devotees for Sundaram The devotees in Tamil Nadu longed for

Swami’s blessings to complete the trilogy [of Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram – the

title of Baba’s biography] by having “Sundaram” in Chennai. This fervent desire

to build an abode for their Lord was there actually even before Shivam was

inaugurated. In 1970 itself, a little over six grounds of site became

available, but the devotees felt it was not enough to erect an imposing

structure. In 1971, by divine design, another six grounds of the very adjacent

site along with a building became part of the ‘Sundaram site’. But no

construction actually began. Years rolled by. Though there was clear

indication from Baba that

“Sundaram” was certain to come, nobody knew when. In 1976, during Summer School

in Ooty, when Swami materialized a medallion marking all the future Sai

Centres, devotees could easily spot Chennai. Their happiness was tinged with

sadness - happiness that it was sure to happen, but sadness over it not yet

getting started. The impatience of the devotees got the better of them and

they renovated an existing building in April 1976 and even did a

“Gruhapravesham” (house warming ceremony). This became the centre of the

organization’s work but the building was not to be Swami’s abode during His

visits. “Sundaram” had not yet arrived. Swami even remarked, “It is not

Sundaram” with gentle irony! But after that Bhagavan took over. The

Blossoming of Sundaram Those who were fortunate enough to be present in those

days know how Swami’s involvement with the design and construction of the new

edifice was comprehensive and complete. As the old timers say, “Swami shaped

Sundaram brick by brick. He was in fact the architect, the engineer and the

builder. Every detail – be it the doors, the imposing gopurams, the frescoes,

the statue of Shiva-Parvati at the entrance, the lotus shaped Darshan balcony

or even the gates and the visitors’ lounges – are all what He fashioned.” And

Sundaram, true to its name, blossomed with beauty and splendour! And why should

it not, with the Loving Lord blessing it with His constant loving gaze and

caring touch! Swami giving Darshan during construction of Sundaram

(left) and guiding the devotees during construction... The much awaited day

finally dawned. On the 18th of Jan 1981, the “Kalasha Puja” (preliminary

worship before inauguration) was done. Scenes of Kalasa Puja one

day prior to the inauguration day The Kalasa being mounted....

Inauguration of Sundaram On the 19th Jan morning, there was a grand welcome

for Swami. Devotees had gathered since early morning and Sundaram was all decked

up for the occasion. Swami arriving for the inauguration of

Sundaram on 19th Jan 1981 Swami on the Sundaram lotus-shaped balcony

and (on the right) a view of Sundaram on the inauguration day Bhagavan

consecrated Sundaram as His

“Mandir” on that glorious day when He made it His abode. It was a red-letter day

in the history of Chennai and Sai devotees celebrated it in the grandest way

possible. Sweets were distributed, clothes were given away, all the workers

were handsomely felicitated and there was joy all around. On the 55th year of

His advent, the 55ft “Sundaram” paid her obeisance to her Lord with gratitude

and reverence. The divine rays emanating from Sundaram since then have

attracted many spiritual seekers to this holy abode. If we have to describe

Sundaram in one phrase, it is ‘Beauty with Sublimity’. Literally ‘Sundaram’

– Every Detail is Beautiful Once you cross the threshold of the two gates at

Sundaram (one for gents and one for ladies) what welcomes you is a large

expanse of sand just like it used to be in Puttaparthi years ago. This is the

Darshan ground where the Lord moves among the crowd during His stay in

Sundaram. What was once a sprawling area of 30,700 square feet is now a trifle

too small to hold the overwhelming crowd that throng on special festival days

like Baba’s Birthday, Shivarathri, New Year, Christmas, etc. or during everyday

Darshan sessions when Swami is physically present in Sundaram. Be it the

captivating idols of Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramaniam at the frontal corners

of the building, or the beautiful statue of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati to

the left of the entrance to the small prayer hall facing east, or the ornate

and exquisite teak wood doors at the Main Darshan Hall with intricate wooden

carvings of various deities and religious symbols, or even the aesthetically

sculptured two “Yelis” (celestial beings) on the outer entrance to the Main

door - every detail of Sundaram is beautiful. Sundaram is ‘vibrant’, yet

‘still’ and ‘silent’ in the serene peace that pervades. "We Know Swami Is

Always There in Sundaram" - Mrs. Mona Desuja Anyone who has entered the

rectangular-shaped main Darshan Hall, knows why it is compared to the

mythological “Vaikunta” - the serene abode of Lord Vishnu. As one devotee says,

“A sense of peace engulfs you and you can feel the mysterious hand waiting to

come to your rescue as you enter the Hall. One look at the breathtaking photo

of Swami standing in a background of greenery with a gentle smile on His face

and a fully blossomed rose clasped in His hands …combined with the stage décor

becomes such an overwhelming experience! It is as is if Swami is beckoning you!

It provides immediate relief.” “Even though I am tied up with 3 children and

take care of home needs, still I find time to go to Sundaram. Because I know my

problems are solved in Sundaram,” says

Mrs. Mona Desuja. “My Swami is always there in Sundaram”, she continues and

says, “And when I sit there and start chanting His 108 Names, I can feel that

He responds immediately. I will know instantaneously that my problems would get

solved as I see Swami smiling at me. We see to it that any good thing we do or

any property or car we buy, we go to Sundaram first, even if it is very late in

the night. If anything adverse happens then too we rush to Sundaram, be it

related to our business, or our children’s health. We know Swami is there to

help us. Sundaram has given me so many things in life.” It is not uncommon to

find devotees’ cheeks wet with tears of joy and bliss during Bhajan sessions in

Sundaram which happen every Thursday and Sunday evenings and also on special

festival days. More than the

quality of bhajans per se it is the sublime ambience of Sundaram radiating

positive energy which touches the core of every devotee’s heart. “It’s Like

Stepping into a Temple of Peace.” – Dr. Mohan As Dr. V Mohan, a diabetologist

by profession, who has been visiting Sundaram for more than a decade and a half

now, says, “Many times when I have gone to Sundaram with a disturbed state of

mind, the moment I enter Sundaram, it is like going into a temple of peace. In

fact to be honest, I prefer Sundaram and Puttaparthi to regular temples (even

though I may be biased in my opinion being a devotee of Swami) because I think

the way things are conducted here is so unique! Everything happens smoothly

without much noise, without much paraphernalia,

without much fuss in doings things. You go there and sit in meditation and

observe the rules and discipline and take part in the Bhajans and read the

Thought for the Day and peace comes to you automatically! You are filled with

positive vibrations. You feel like doing something more, your feel recharged

completely after listening to bhajans and satsang. This has been a great source

of inspiration to me. In fact, when we were deciding to move our house, we chose

a house which was relatively near to Sundaram.” TO BE CONTINUED...

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