Prasanthi Bulletin , Friday, January 11, 2008

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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.

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