Ladies’ Day in Prasanthi Nilayam
Saturday, November 19th, 2011
November 19 is International Ladies’ Day in Prasanthi Nilayam and for Sai Fraternity all over the world. Ever since its inception in the year 1995, calling for greater women participation in social and spiritual revolution in their role as feminine energy, November 19 has been the dotted day in Prasanthi Calendar when womenfolk comes active celebrating the day in His Divine presence.
This year the Prasanthi Nilayam witnessed a glittering Ladies’ Day with thousands of women devotees from all over the globe participating, repledging their lives living an ideal life as professed by Bhagawan.
On the 19th morning, programme began at 0830 hrs. with Vedam by the women students of Anantapur Campus chanting Rudram, Mantrapushpam and Durga Suktam for half- an-hour. Anantapur Band followed playing soulful tunes as students from the campus followed by senior ladies’ paid tributes at Beloved Bhagawan at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Introducing the speakers for the session, Ms. Chetana Raju spoke of the persona of Sri Sathya Sai, reminding the audience that nothing could ever fill the vacuum created by Bhagawan’s physical passing on…Swami always Was…Swami always Is…Swami always Will Be…Bhagawan is past, present and future stressed the speaker recapitulating the most wonderous time Bhagawan had given to mankind, walking talking and living among humanity.
There were three speakers for the morning session. The first speaker, Dr. Malathi Srinivasan, a former student of Anantapur Campus and currently Principle Scientist, CSIR, Bangalore shared some interesting incidents during her tenure as a student at Anantapur Campus. Staying away, for the first time in life, the speaker was infested with nostalgia and thus had a tough time. Praying hard, she asked Bhagawan to show His omniscience, a conditional prayer, asking for a particular prasadam. Ominipresent Mother Sai responded to her sincere prayer, giving in to the devotee’s demand, sending His student her ‘chosen prasadam’ while the rest of the lot got regular laddu prasadam. This was a ‘visiting card’ from Mother Sai instilling greater faith in His omniscience, came at the appropriate time. Women, in Bhagawan’s words, are supposedly blessed with seven qualities, Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, Ahimsa, Tolerance and Spirituality, said Dr. Malathi mentioning on the inception of Anantapur Campus in 1969, crediting the same to Mother Easwaramma’s wishful desire.
The second speaker, Mrs. Madhuri Naganand, spoke of her first darshan of Bhagawan in Bangalore. A Shirdi Sai devotee originally, she had a prayer to Baba to grant her ‘Pratyaksha Darshan’ and as an answer to her prayer she was guided to Bhagawan in Bangalore, resulting in her first ever darshan of Sri Sathya Sai. Referring to the Taitireeya Upanishadic dictum, “Mathru Devo Bhava”, Mrs. Naganand called upon the attention to Bhagawan’ s own life, treating His physical mother with great reverence, reminding the audience of the role and importance of women in society.
The final speaker was Mrs. Phyllis Krystal, a nonegenarian, veteran devotee from the US, author of many popular books of Sai literature. Narrating her first ever meeting with Bhagawan, a soft spoken Mrs. Krystal shared with the audience highlights of many a councelling she has been fortunate to receive over the years. Omnipresent Sai is ‘everywhere’ and it is our duty to take His mission onward; what we need to do is to love Him by all means, said the spirited speaker, reminiscing her precious moments with Beloved Bhagawan.
Sai Kulwant Hall bore colourful decorations and the Seat of Bhagawan, the Sacntum Sanctorum, was a riot of colours, bedecked with flowers and buntings of varied hues.
Bhajans by Anatapur students continued and special Italian Prasadam was distributed before Mangala Arathi offering at 1015 hrs.
In the evening, the session commenced at 1630 hrs. with Vedic chanting by higher secondary girls from Sri Sathya Sai “Primary School”, followed by love offerings at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
First programme in the evening was an address by Ms. Mallika Srinivasan, CEO, Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd., TAFE, and a senior official of Easwaramma Women’s Welfare Trust.
Beginning with a recollection of the days with Beloved Bhagawan, Mrs. Srinivasan highlighted on the role of women in society, quoting Bhagawan from His Divine discourses. Living a life following the path of Righteousness, practising human values is what women should follow, said Mrs. Srinivasasn.
Speaking on women welfare, the speaker stressed on the need to initiate service activities aimed at women upliftment. With Bhagawan physically absent, we must ensure that we are worthy of His love by strictly adhering to His teachings, said the speaker before ending her speech with a pledge that “we” would be ever with Sai.
The second programme for the session was “Prayer of Gratitude”, a colourful dance skit by the tiny tots from Primary School.
The programme was a collective offering of gratitude for all that Bhagawan has been for them, for the humanity. Attributeless Divine He Was…He Is…incarnated in human form that, these tiny tots offered tears of gratitude, calling various attributes of their attributeless Divine. The prayer was to listen to their heartfelt prayer.
An interesting scene at Kailash, with Bhagawan conversing to Sage Narada evinced greater enthusiasm in the assembly. Answering to Narada’s prayer, to accede to the prayer of humanity granting them darshan, Bhagawan enlightened the sage, in poetic telugu, that His body belonged to humanity and He would ever respond to heartfelt prayer of love. An audio clip of Bhagawan’s discourse airing this message was also relayed.
A Carnatic vocal concert by Ms. Bhagyalakshmi Suresh followed. Beginning with an invocatory piece, “Mahaganapathim…” Ms. Bhagyalakshmi burst into four more compositions treating the audience with a perfect Ladies’ Day feast.
She sang like enjoying a direct audience with The Lord, with the soul of her music bursting directly at Bhagawan at the Sanctum Sanctorum and dispersing into each and every heart present in the hall enveloping the entire audience. As she burst into singing solos one after one, without any interludes of commentary, it turned out to be a rare Carnatic treat for the twilight’s assembly.
A short video presentation titled “a snapshot of progress…” on the evolution of Easwaramma Women’s Welfare Trust followed.
Bhajans by Higher Secondary girls continued for the next fifteen minutes. Bringing curtains close they sang their hearts out, ”Aao Pyaare Nayan Hamaare…”, an invocatory bhajan calling out Beloved Swami.
Artistes, accompanists and the Primary School children were felicitated before Mangala Arathi offering at 1900 hrs. Prasadam was distributed to the entire assembly.
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