Puttaparthi - 18th July 2008 Guru Poornima Celebrations

July 18, 2008

Puttaparthi

July 18thNewsGuru Poornima morning celebrations in Puttaparthi

Mandir was beautifully decorated for the event. This morning Swami¢s elephant came to mandir for Guru Poornima morning celebrations. Swami arrived into Sai Kulwant Hall in a Yellow dress. It was like seeing a beautiful sunrise as Swami entered into Sai Kulwant Hall. After giving all the devotees in Sai Kulwant Hall a nice darshan. Swami also gave a discourse this morning on the occasion of Guru Poorniam. Guests like Home minister of India Shiv Raj Patel were here for the

event. Morning events ended at 11:00 am.

Update about Music Program in Sai Kulwant Hall

There was a mobile medicare van parked in front of

Yajur Mandir at about 8:30am. It was part of the ongoing efforts by the Mumbai Sai organisation to provide better medical facilities to inaccessible places. The van is part of a team of ten vans which will serve as a mobile dispensary and a preliminary diagnostic 'vehicle'! A novel idea, first initiated by the Sathya Sai Organisations, Tamil Nadu had been implemented by Maharashtra too. About 4-5 hospitals had agreed to give treatment free of cost to the tune of 1 hospital bed to the SSSO, Mumbai as a philanthropic measure and the medical vans would find the suffering needy to benefit from that gesture. The organisation would pay for the post operative care! A very good example of society serving society.

At about 9:10am, Swami came out of Yajur mandir. He seemed to be a little surprised at the vehicle standing to the left! He went close to it and the poeple there explained to Him about the concept and utility of the vehicle. The vehicles had been given away by the Maharashtra CM in a special ceremony held a few weeks back. The van has all the items and utilities required for the doctor to engage in primary health care. Swami saw the vehicle through the front door and then again went to the rear and peered through that door too. He inquired about the procedure in which it would be operated. Blessing everyone who had assembled there in connection with the van, Swami proceeded to Kulwant hall for the darshan and bhajans that had already begun. At 9:30 am, He received Aarthi and then moved back to Yajur Mandir.

In the evening there was a concert scheduled to be performed by Falguni Mitra. A foremost exponent of Dhrupad, the authentic and respected form of Hindusthani Classical music, Pandit Falguni Mitra was initiated into music by his father, Sangeetacharya Pandit. Shib Mitra at the tender age of four and a half. Swami arrived for darshan and after taking a detour after the ladies side, moved to the portico. He then took a round in the bhajans hall and after a visit to the interview room, Swami came onstge for the programme.

All the artistes bowed down to Swami and sought His blessings. The programme today was in an entirely different flavour compared to the one yesterday. While the previous one thrilled with its pace and pitch, today's was a unique blend of power and profundity! The concert began with Ganesha Vandana and was follwed by a wonderful piece in the raag Bhimpalas. Gifted with a deep, melodious voice, Falguni Mitra has inspired a reformation to the unique art-form of Dhrupad singing through successful innovations in its melodic structure and rhythmic variations. True to his reputation, he sang a song on the "colour-play",as he put it, of the gopikas and gopalas of Brindavan with Krishna, in that famed style. He slowly weaved his melodies and one really needed a highly refined and cultured mind to appreciate this high form of music. He sang a song on the victorious return of Rama to Ayodhya and capped up the performance with an

excellent rendering of the song, "Chalo Man Ganga Jamuna Teer." Swami too sang along with him for parts of the song.

At the end of it, Swami materialised a ring for the pandit and girted him a shawl. His wife, who was on the harmonium, received a saree from Swami. The other members of the team too were similarly blessed either with a shawl. Finally, Swami posed with them for group photos and after that was over, HE lovingly blessed panditji and His wife by placing His hand on their heads. Aarthi was then performed after which Swami retired. Written by Eswarachandra Vidyasagar, Sent by Saikrishna Bharadwaj