Sai News: Friday, January 11, 2008

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Prasanthi Bulletin Index of earlier Bulletins Friday, January 11, 2008 Today was the colourful Sports Meet function for which Swami's students were practising for the last few weeks. You can read an illustrated account of last year's function in last year's Prasanthi Diary. This year, Bhagawan arrived at the Vidyagiri stadium in His white Saab convertible resplendent in a yellow robe at 7.45 am. Motorcycle escorts and marching bands of the students welcomed

their Chancellor to the dais and the marchpast began at 8 o'clock. When all the students had marched into the ground, the flag-hoisting, oath and torch-lighting ceremonies were a prelude to the display events by the different campuses. The Anantapur Womens' Campus of the University and the Brindavan undergraduates presented in the morning, the Primary School and the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus performed in the evening. The Anantapur display began at 8.45 with graceful group dancing followed by a Far-Eastern group item with parasols and hand-fans. A sports medley followed, presenting hockey, tennis and volleyball movements in formation. Motorbike stunts was the next item, including criss-crosses, various poses on bikes, a breath-taking ramp-jump over 20 girls and a human pyramid of 38 girls on 9 bikes. The Anantapur students concluded their half-hour presentation forming the words "We Love U" in a group formation as their concluding song was played. The

Brindavan students then began with an equestrian show-jumping demonstration. A marching band presentation brought up a display of rolling in steel hoops and an aerobics exhibition. Timber-drill was the next item, with planks of wood being used in imaginative ways to aid acrobatic feats. The Celestial Rhythms then spelt out "We Love You" in a grid of students suspended by a crane nearly 80 feet above the ground. As the Brindavan presentation concluded, Bhagawan accepted Arati onstage and returned to the Mandir at 10 o'clock while an announcement was made about the afternoon presentations. Swami graciously granted group photographs for the Band groups of Anantapur and Prasanthi Nilayam and also the motorcycle escorts before He went into Yajur Mandir. Bhagawan arrived at 3.25 pm in the afternoon in a maroon robe riding in His Mercedes sports convertible. As He reached the stage, tiny tots from the Primary School brought up bouquets to Him and began the afternoon's

presentation. The hour-long Primary School presentation was a joyful riot of colour as usual, beginning with a "Ganesa" group dance by small boys. A classical mass-dance, hand-fans and flowers formations, gymnastics, mass flower-dance, dance by small girls with white wings and Mexican poncho dance followed in quick succession. Children dressed as deer, tigers, bunnies and monkeys performed various gymnastic feats on mats, ropes and poles. Their elder brothers and sisters may do motobike stunts, but the bicycle stunts by the Primary School boys were just as eye-catching. Unicycle stunts, even a basketball match played on unicycles, and then a rainbow dance led to their final dance balancing items on their heads, paying tribute to Bhagawan, the Light of Lights. The students of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of Sri Sathya Sai University began their hour-long performance at 4.30 pm with a striking mass item with classical

dancers in the foreground and patterns made from colourful foldable discs forming a context for Krishna's beautiful Leelas - "Adharam Madhuram...". Gymnasts on moving trucks then presented balancing feats with giant flags fifty feet high. Gymnastic feats including jumps over vehicles and acrobatics on moving trucks led to a breathtaking display on ropes including a spectacular spin on a rope suspended more than 20 feet above the ground. The rope structure was also used as a trapeze stage, as roller-bladers scintillated on the ground below, ending their dramatic show with a series of jumps over a van. A precision gun drill was followed by a karate display which featured breaking tiles and pots and also mass nan-chak and stick displays. As the Prasanthi Nilayam campus came together for their final song, Bhagawan expressed how pleased He was at His students' performance and profusely Blessed them before leaving for His residence. Thursday,

January 10, 2008 This morning, Bhagawan arrived at the Sai Kulwant Hall as the Bhajans went on, and made rounds of the verandah and the Hall in His chair before leaving for the Vidyagiri Stadium. There, He watched the practice sessions of the students till nearly 10.45 while Arati was offered at the Mandir after 10.15. In the evening, once again Bhagawan moved about in His chair during Bhajans before driving out, this time to the College Auditorium to watch the drama rehearsal by the Prasanthi Nilayam students. Arati was offered at the Mandir at 6 pm and announcement was made about the Sports Meet programme tomorrow in the Vidyagiri stadium. Bhagawan returned to His residence after the drama rehearsal at half-past six. You can see an illustrated version of happenings at Prasanthi Nilayam in the Prasanthi Diary of our monthly e-Journal Heart to Heart. The previous issue of Prasanthi Bulletin is available here. Index of past Prasanthi Bulletins... Source: http://www.radiosai.org/pages/PB.htm