'Vishu' celebrated in Prashanti Nilayam - [The Hindu, April 16, 2007]

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Article published in: The Hindu, India April 16, 2007 URL: http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/16/stories/2007041607260200.htm `Vishu' celebrated in Prashanti Nilayam Staff Reporter ANANTAPUR: Malayali new year `Vishu' was celebrated with fervour and gaiety in Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi in the district on Sunday, as a large number of Saibaba devotees gathered there for the occasion. The celebrations began with the welcome of Satya Saibaba into Sai Kulwanth Hall amid vedic chantings by students of Sai Bala Vikas from Kerala. Classical singers K. Sreekumar and T. Radhakrishnan rendered devotional songs on the occasion. In the evening, students of Bala Vikas enacted a play, `Satyameva Jayate', based on the mythological epic of `Satya Harishchandra'. On Saturday, Tamil new year was celebrated with enthusiasm by a large number of Sai devotees gathered from Tamil Nadu. The devotees thanked Saibaba for his help in the lining of Kandaleru-Poondi canal

for carrying drinking water to Chennai. When they pointed out that the work still requires Rs. 40 crores to plug leakages, Saibaba announced to spend as much amount required to complete the work. Saibaba also presented a gold chain to a visually-challenged boy, Sai Hari, a Sai devotee from Tamil Nadu, after watching his harmonium performance. Meanwhile, father of actress Aishwarya Rai, Krishnaraja Rai, sought blessings of Saibaba for his daughter's marriage with Abhishek Bachchan by presenting a wedding invitation card in Sai Kulwanth Hall on Sunday. 2007, The Hindu.