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October 26 2008

The evening darshan of 25th 'began' at about 5:10 pm as Swami came in the chair. By then, the bhajans had already begun and Swami slowly moved around the ladies and then the gents side. He passed through the students before coming to the stage. He came to the stage via the portico and moved through the teachers section collecting letters and speaking to many of them. Then smiling and granting an Abhayahastha, He came to the stage. As He sat tapping rhythmically to the bhajans, He called one of the members of the Vedam tutorial team and asked whether everyone had given up Vedam practice and chanting. With a surprised smile he replied to Swami that all were still learning and practising.

Swami then began collecting letters from various students. He spoke to many of them too. As one student gave Him a letter, he prayed, "Swami let me keep you in my heart forever and pray to you." Swami said, "Keep me in your heart, that is enough." The student agreed, "As you say Swami." He then bent down to take paadanamaskar and unknown to him, Swami materialized a chain for him. Blissfully unaware, the boy was returning to his place when Swami called him and placed the chain lovingly around his neck. That being done, Swami seemed to move towards the bhajan hall after sitting for a while. But changing the route, He came out again and sat, this time far deep towards the gents side of the stage almost where the teachers are seated. He accepted another letter and asked a student as to where the "tall American boy" was? Apparently, that boy had gone to the hospital for some dental checkups.

Swami then said that the bhajans going on be halted and the Veda chanting begin. He sent word for the Iranian Primary School student Sathya. He also called out one of the post graduate students and asked him to come over to the stage. The standing mikes were brought. Meanwhile Sathya arrived. The Rudram chanting that was on had reached the last anuvaka when Swami told all to cease chanting and the two boys, one standing talll, the other small; to begin chanting. They did so in tandem and wonderful synchronisation. After that was complete, Swami asked them to restart the chanting and they both did that too confidently. Swami then called Prof. Anil Kumar and made him announce that Sathya was the first one from Iran to have so masterfully learnt the Vedas. There was a huge applause of celebration and congratulation.

After that, the little boy asked Swami about something and also gave him a letter. Swami blessed him and then asked for Aarthi.

The 26th also saw Swami in a highly "pro-Veda" mood if we are permitted to express it that way. Swami completed His darshan rounds in the car and came onstage at 4.30 pm. The students from the music college had some proogramme which they wanted to present before Swami. Swami seemed to be in a hurry and all watching knew for sure that He had something planned in mind. He blessed the card which had the details of the music programme and also the students carrying it. But then, if yesterday it was the chance of the Iranian student to chant Vedam onstage, today it was the turn of the two American brothers, one in the school and one in the college. He asked Prof. Anil Kumar to announce that the Vedic hymns are not limited to any country or religion, and then called up the two American boys to chant onstage. They chanted the first two anuvakas as an amazed crowd watched on at the ease and perfection which they delivered in a tongue that was

figuratively, "Greek and Latin" for them! After their chanting, Swami sat for a few more minutes while everyone chanted together, and then moved to the Bhajan Hall and then to the interview room.

During the Bhajans which began at five o'clock in the Bhajan Hall, Swami asked for the two bhajans with Alap to be sung - 'Sri Raghavam' and 'Allah ho Akbar'. At 5.45, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.

October 24 2008

The north eastern states of Assam and Manipur had been blessed today to put up a programme in Swami's presence. A backdrop had arisen as always when programmes are scheduled and boys and girls in costumes sat waiting for the Lord. At about 4:00 pm, Swami came out in the car! Turning to His right immediately after the Yajur mandir, Swami moved towards the Vidyagiri stadium where the construction of a massive stage for the Yajna coming up is on. Quite a lot of progress seems to be happening there. The whole stage was filled with a scaffolding and the sides had been completed. The initial coats of painting too had been applied to the front face. A constant challenge is on for the workers and engineers - if they want Swami to visit the site they must present something new for Him to see! That in itself gifts enthusiasm and energy surges to toil hard. Swami also had a look at the dining complex and the bathroom complexes being built

specially for the priests arriving for the Yajna. Then Swami returned to the Yajur Mandir.

A short time later, Swami came for the darshan round in the chair this time. He looked at the painted backdrop as He neared the centre. Moving to the gents side, He completed the full round. He came on stage and for a while sat listening to the Veda chanting going on. Then asking for it to stop, Swami asked for the prgramme to begin. The respective State presidents offered roses to Swami and representatives of the participants also came to Swami with roses. The first presentation was from Assam - the Sattriya dance. Sattriya, or Sattriya Nritya, is one among eight principal classical Indian dance traditions. Whereas some of the other traditions have been revived in the recent past, Sattriya has remained a living tradition since its creation by the Assamese Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in 15th century Assam. Sankardeva created Sattriya Nritya as an accompaniment to the Ankiya Naat (a form of Assamese one-act plays devised by him),

which were usually performed in the sattras, as Assam's monasteries are called. As the tradition developed and grew within the sattras, the dance form came to be called Sattriya Nritya. Today, although Sattriya Nritya has emerged from within the confines of the sattras to a much wider recognition, the sattras continue to use the dance form for ritualistic and other purposes for which it was originally created circa 500 years ago.

There was the Guru Vandana and Krishna Vandana. The dance was performed by gracefully moving girls and it was a flowing slow dance. The next dance was presented by the youth of the Dakhinpat Satra in Majuli. It is interesting indeed to note that Majuli is the largest fresh water mid-river deltaic island in the world. It is situated in the upper reaches of the river Brahmaputra in Assam. This landmass, with a population of 1.6 Lakhs, majority being tribals, has a very rich heritage and has been the abode of Assamese Vashnavite culture with tremendous potential for spiritual and Eco-tourism. The island is a bio-diversity hotspot and has rich ecology with rare breeds of flora and fauna. Majuli has been the cultural capital and the cradle of Assamese civilization for the past five hundred years. The satras set up preserve antiques like weapons, utensils, jewellery and other items of cultural significance.

Such a diversity exists in India and in the world. And every people from every race and place rush to the abode of highest peace in Love for God! The youth performed the famous Govardhana lifting episode from Lord Krishna's life. Beating drums and dancing vigourously, they seemed to transport the onlookers to their native Assam and it felt so lively. This dance was performed by boys and had two tiers of dancers - those wielding the drums and those dressed in multicolours dancing in the front. Swami seemed so happy with the performance that as soon as it was completed, He clapped continously for 10-12 seconds!

The final presentation was by the youth from Manipur. They were to perform the "Thougal Jagoi" which means the dance to please the Gods and Goddesses. It is a composite dance form performed at the Lai Haraouba festival at Manipur. There is a great tradition behind this. Lai Haraoba is the festival of the recollection of the creation stories played by all these deities with the first origin of this universe and evolution of the plants and animals through the will of Atiya Shidaba. The origin of the festival is that the gods held the first Lai Haraoba on the Koubru hill, so that their descendants should imitate them and perform the same as it had been done by the deities so that they will never forget the secret and sacred story of the creation of this universe and the birth of the different lives on this earth.

Youth clad in colourful clothes with peacock feathers adorning their heads performed on stage. With more than 30 youth, the stage was filled and the dance brought so much of movement and fullness to the stage. The postures and poses were so delicate that they seemed to melt into the other in rhythm and grace. Once their programme of about 15 minutes concluded, Swami asked for safari cloth pieces to be brought and distributed to all the performers. He got sarees for the girls. Meanwhile, the youth began bhajans and all the participants sat face to face with the Lord singing their hearts out. As an act of special Grace, He told the lady who was distributing the sarees to the girls also to keep one for herself. The lady broke down in tears of joy and seeing it, the meaning of "No reason for Love, no season for Love" got ingrained into greater understanding. Having done all that, Swami asked for the participants to sit in three neat groups

and then gifted them with the ultimate blessing - a group photograph to carry home the wonderful memories and cherish them for a lifetime! Swami moved down and after the pictures were taken, everyone lucky enough to be near Him took the opportunity to touch His feet. Blessing them thus, Swami received Aarthi and then blessed prasadam to be distributed to all.

Click here to see photos of the event.

October 21 2008

Today Swami had permitted the youth from Kerala to put up a programme they had come ready with as part of their Parthi pilgrimage. There was to be dance and music programmes and everyone sat in readiness. Swami came onstage after His darshan round by 4.30 pm, and in ten minutes, asked the Kerala State President Prof. Mukundan to introduce the programme. He offered the programme with Love and gratitude at Swami's Lotus Feet.

The first programme was a dance performance and it began with the lead dancer offering a rose to Swami. The performance was by boys and men clad in white kurta pyjamas decked with a saffron sash around the waist and on their shoulders too. It was a semi-classical type of dance and all the participants seemed to form a moving human backdrop for the lead dancer. The lead dancer was agile and swift in his movements and was the highlight of the twenty minute long dance.

Swami conferred His abhayahastha on all the dancers as they concluded and then the singers from the gents and ladies sides respectively went up to Swami and offered roses. They sang alternating with each other and what followed next was a lovely session of Carnatic and Hindustani songs. While the male singer seemed intent on exploring various ragas, the lady singer explored possibilities in different languages. As the singing went on, Swami went briefly into the interview room but returned soon and sat for the remaining songs. Swami then asked for bhajans and the students, ever ready that they are, began singing.

As the Bhajans were on, Swami proceeded to the Act-1 of "Love my uncertainty" play! It seemed more like a "You will love my uncertainty" play! First Swami called all the birthday and tray boys and blessed them. Then Swami called the lead dancer and materialized a beautiful gold ring which had 11 diamonds in it and was shaped like a cross. The lad was overjoyed and was fully prostrate at His feet. Swami conferred him with all the smiles and love one would aspire for.

And then began Act-2 Swami called all the participants - both the dancers and singers - and began to distribute white safari pieces to all of them. He specially asked for sarees to be brought and distributed them to the ladies. As each participant recieved the clothes, he/she bowed down and took the special privilege of the padanamaskar. Meanwhile the Bhajans ended with Aarthi. Swami was saying that He was very happy and then He performed the Act-3 of the play! Swami called all the participants and personally distributed vibhuti packets to them. The proverbial cups of joy of the participants would have definitely overflowed and just seeing the sight was like the overflow filling up the audience's cups of joy too! Swami then moved to the car and then to Yajur mandir.