Puttaparthi -14th July 2008 Updated News

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Puttaparthi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 14thNewsAshadhi Ekadashi morning celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam

 

 

 

This morning there was drama about Ramayana by the bala vikas from Maharashtra. Ramayana was beautiful shown with some wonderful costumes and props. After the drama Swami came down the veranda walking and blessed the performing children. Then Swami presented the boy who played the role of Lord Rama with a golden chain and walked back to veranda with that child. There Swami took photos with the performers. Swami called both the boys who played the roles of Lord Rama and took pictures with them. After the drama, Swami went inside mandir and bhajans began. Swami was giving interview to some devotees so the bhajans continued. After Swami came back to veranda, Aarthi began and bhajans ended at 11:00 am and prasadam was distributed to all the devotees. This evening at 6:00 pm there will another program by the devotees from Maharashtra.Yesterdays Cultural programs by devotees

from Maharashtra

 

 

 

Yesterday evening there were cultural programs by devotees from Maharashtra as part of Ashadi celebrations. There was a beautiful music program too. After the program Swami presented one of the performers with a ring.

After the event prasadam was distributed and after Aarthi with Swami¢s blessing an announcement was made by Anil kumar about today¢s programs by the devotees from Maharashtra. This morning there is musical program about Ramayana at 9:00 am and later in the evening at 6:00 pm there will be another program.

There was also a pada yatra by devotees from Maharashtra. More than 1000 devotees took part in the pada yatra and they reached Puttaparthi yesterday and entered mandir just in time for Ashadi celebrations.

Update on Swami's visit to inaugurates new facilities at hospital A new Gastro-intestinal (GI) endoscopy department had been furnished and kept ready for opening with Swami's blessings today. Swami too had graciously consented to inaugurate the new department blessing the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences with His divine presence! Everyone thought that Swami would go to the hospital in the morning, but that did not materialize. At about 2:45pm, message from Swami came that HE would be blessing the SSSIHMS at 3:30pm. Everyone immediately swung into action and in a matter of minutes, everything was readied for the divine visit.

Escorted by flag bearing bike riders, Swami arrived to the south entrance of the hospital at about 3:40pm. He had send a delegation of 6 guests too as an advance party and they were also waiting in readiness for Him. As soon as He descended from the car, many roses exchanged hands and Swami blessed all the heads of the various offices. The Veda chanting began and lead the procession of which Swami formed the "completion" at the end! The central corridor of the SSSIHMS had been lined by nurses, ward boys and helpers in the hospital. Swami moved through the corridor and He seemed so happy looking at all the people who were serving Him so lovingly and selflessly. What followed next were Abhayahastas galore as Swami kept glancing to His right and left blessing everyone seated reverentially there. The GI exhibition was on the way and as Swami

passed by it, He displayed a lot of interest in visiting it. That would materialize very soon anyway.

He entered the new GI endoscopy department and the bhajans began there. He spoke to and blessed the doctors and devotees who had been directly responsible in setting up the department. Then moving inside to the area of the main altar, He lit the lamp. Each and every wick in the lamp received its share of attention and Swami lit up each one. Then He was taken into the upper GI endoscopy room where the doctors had thoughtfully and creatively arranged a demonstration of the capabilities of the department. A small flower bud with its stem had been placed in a long roll of white cloth to simulate a cyst/tumour in the digestive system. As Swami sat seeing the demonstration, the doctors inserted the endoscopic camera tube and showed the proceedings on the TV screen. They then literally nipped the makeshift cyst "in the bud"! Swami saw that and as

the flower bud was put in a jar and presented to Him, He asked whether the tumours would be that size. The doctor replied that these outgrowths vary in size from a minute dot to the size of a ball also sometimes! Swami blessed the doctors and seemed impressed! The same thing happened in the next lower GI endoscopy room too. The equipment had been connected not only to the TV screen but to a computer too so that the processor gave the doctors far greater diagnosis and analysis ability. This was shown to Swami and there too He asked a few practical questions. The doctors found great joy in answering them and said, "Swami this department is a fruition of your Grace on us."

Whenever Swami listens to either the doctors or students or the scientists or primary school children, it brings to mind the mother and child analogy. The mother knows everything that the child knows and in fact much more too. Inspite of that, whenever the child gurgles or recites its little rhymes, the mother listens with all appreciation and wonder. That is not an indication of the mother's ignorance, but a powerful reminder of Her great love for the child!

Swami was next taken to the GI-endoscopy ICU room. The various facilities there and the conveniences for the patients were shown to Swami. Swami was very happy with all that and said that there was no need to show him all the little details and that they should proceed and make the patients comfortable and happy. He trusts His doctors. His faith and Trust in man is so much more than man's faith and Trust in either Him or himself too! And thats what makes Swami so special and divine. Blessing everyone who had gathered, Swami moved out of the department. On the way out, He passed by Veda chanting staff and He pored over each and every face that was flexing with the twirls and turns of the Vedic hymns. Outside the department, a very warm and devoted assemblage of devotees formed a reception for Swami. Swami then went to the GI exhibition that

He had noticed during His entry.

In the beginning, there was a small video presentation on how endoscopy actually worked. After that, Swami was given a "guided" tour of the various afflictions that tormented the human digestive tract and Swami listened with all interest. At one point when the explaining lady spoke of some problems, Swami said," That comes due to hurry and more importantly - Worry. If worry is avoided, many problems will disappear!" A wonderful banquet had also been kept ready for Swami. When Swami was requested to have something, He said, "No! Not now. The devotees will be waiting there!" Though He was in the heart of the SSSIHMS, He had not forgotten the devotees squatting in the Kulwant hall. He completed a full round in the exhibition. At the end of it, many of the doctors took padanamaskar. He was then requested to bless the ongoing orthopedic

conference with His presence. He agreed and the conference hall was on the way itself.

Swami's entrance into the conference room was in the middle of a presentation. But when the Lord arrives, everything comes to a standstill. He lit up the conference, literally and figuratively, when He went to the lamp placed in the corner and lit all the wicks. A few distinguished doctors were to receive citations and they were indeed fortunate to receive them from the divine hands. Swami was literally surrounded by the doctors and in midst of that too, He materialised a ring for one of the doctors. At this point, the whole assembly came down to its knees in humble prayer. All the delegates came to the aisle and knelt down on either sides with a prayer that Swami traverse that path. Swami obliged happily and very soon all the discipline seemed to vanish as devotion took the driver's seat. Swami moved gently through the eager beavers and

blessed them all. All were thrilled at this act of Grace. As Swami exited the hall, there was an orthopedic endoscopy device too. As Dr.Sundareshan demonstrated with a dummy bone in a cast as to how the instrument could be used, Swami looked on. But by now, the people around Swami were swarming and the mass of devotees around Him was swelling to huge proportions. Swami started moving a little quicker now. As Swami moved out to the main corridor and back towards the side door, people took all the vantage points available to have a glimpse of Him. By now, news of the Lord's presence in the hospital had spread all around and doctors, nurses, helpers, patients and relatives alike gathered in a hurry to see their sweet Lord. Swami was all smiles and blessings as He moved out. Some of the sisters from the dietary services had books and cards blessed. They tried to invite Swami to the dietary department too. Swami very sweetly told them that He had to rush

back to the mandir too as devotees were waiting there. Aarthi was taken as Swami came out and entered the car. Before leaving, Swami waved out to all who had gathered around the car and it was such a wonderful and poignant moment for everyone. Swami was then escorted back to the mandir. Written by Eswarachandra Vidyasagar, Sent by Saikrishna Bharadwaj