Archive for August, 2012

Shimoga Parthi Yatra…

Over 1700 devotees from Shimoga district of Karnataka are arriving this evening on a three-day ‘Prema Yatra’ starting from tomorrow. Coinciding the occasion there will be a music programme entitled Sri Sai Sankirtan by Sringeri Nagaraj tomorrow evening in Sai Kulwant Hall.

Onam 2012

The Guest speaker Hon’ble Justice Sri Radhakrishnan’s beginning sentence addressing devotees from Kerala, “all the efforts that we have taken to assemble here is worth as you do not have Onam in Kerala as it is here” rightly reflected the holistic approach the festivity brings in to God’s Very Own Prasanthi Nilayam. Onam has always been a different experience in Prasanthi Nilayam compared to the ‘home’ experience. Where, in modern times, culture, traditions and the legends connected to festivities take a back-seat owing to unhealthy culture of commercialism and excess materialism, Prasanthi Nilayam often welcomes the holistic side of all festivities, embracing and disseminating true purport of each festivity.

This year too, as has been over the years, thousand from the state along with hundreds from different parts of India joined Prasanthi Nilayam, the holy hamlet that has witnessed a metamorphosis of the festivity over decades, celebrating the festivity for three days, from August 27 to the final Thiruvonam Day on August 29. read more »

Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Reaching New Milestone…

Bhagawan’s pet project announced during the 85th Birthday celebrations, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini, that aims at integrating values in an innovative way into the school curriculum, got a big fillip last week as its newly developed comprehensive web application was offered at Bhagawan’s Lotus Feet on August 25, 2012 in Prasanthi Nilayam.
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Gloves and Grace…

“I am a 14 year old Grade 9 student at the Highland Junior High School in Toronto, Canada. Recently, I had, I hope, the good fortune of experiencing Bhagawan’s Grace. I told it to my parents. They were very pleased. They shared it with some of their friends at Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre of Toronto. One of them suggested that I should share the episode with the readers of ‘Sanathana Sarathi’,” wrote little Priya Kumar from Canada, sharing his own experience of Bhagawan’s Divinity…. From Sanathana Sarathi, August 1987.

On Sunday mornings I deliver 35-40 newspapers in my neighbourhood. These are morning papers, so I have to deliver them before 8 a.m. But Sunday, February 15, 1987, was an extremely cold morning. The temperature was 23 degree Celsius. There was also a chill wind, which made the temperature seem even worse. As usual, I started out with my load of newspapers in a shopping cart accompanied by my pet dog, Snowball. Snowball is fluffy, white Samoyed, an Arctic breed. But the weather was so cruel that I thought even my Arctic companion was not enjoying the walk. His breath was freezing on his whiskers and I had some fun breaking them off. read more »

A Colourful Thiruvonam Evening in Prasanthi Nilayam…

After the massive cultural procession in the morning, along the main road in Puttaparthi, this evening, it was the turn of the Balvikas Children from Calicut (Kozhikode) District of the state to bring colour to the Mandir precincts presenting a Dance Drama entitled Parvathi Parinayam here in Prasanthi Nilayam. read more »

Grand Kerala Cultural Ensemble in Prasanthi Nilayam…

Thousands from God’s Own Country marched in the streets of God’s Very Own Puttaparthi in what could be termed as a ‘Cultural-Devotional-Parade’ depicting rich cultural ensemble of Kerala, this morning in Prasanthi Nilayam. read more »

Gratitude Offering and Musical Presentation…

Offering heartfelt gratitude to Bhagawan, a group of over 700, all Cardiac operated patients, assembled in the Sai Kulwant Hall this evening on the second day of the ongoing Onam 2012 celebrations here in Prasanthi Nilayam. read more »

Scintillating Mridangam Recital…

Onam 2012 got off to an auspicious start with Mridangam maestro of Guiness Book fame Sri Kuzhalmandam Ramakrishnan presenting a scintillating Mridangam Recital, entitled Vadya Sangeetam this evening here in Prasanthi Nilayam. read more »

His First Speech on Baba

After coming to Baba in the Fifties, Prof Kasturi was for many decades the most entertaining and edifying exponent of Bhagawan’s life and message. But the first speech he had to give on Baba in 1951 was quite an ordeal. The following account of the incident, related in Prof Kasturi’s own inimitable humorous style, is reproduced from his autobiography, “Loving God”.

1951, December I received in the day’s mail a letter from Baba, in the Kannada language, but in Anglo Saxon script. I could neither read nor write the Telugu script and my understanding of the language was halting and inchoate. So, Baba had to devise this devious dualistic method of correspondence to communicate His orders. The letter made me both proud and penitent. It was a command clothed as a request. I was to unveil Bhagawan’s portrait at the School Day Function of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba District Board High School, Bukkapatnam! As a measure of abundant caution, Baba had written that my being given this golden chance was a precious piece of good fortune. read more »

Unto Sai a witness

Prof N. Kasturi was undoubtedly the most familiar name in Sai fraternity who lived an astounding forty years in close proximity to the Avatar of the Age, serving Him in His mission in various capacities. The Professor whose genius had many pens in his pocket was His ‘charge d’affaires’  and when the right time for Prasanthi’s premier publishing enterprise arrived it was Prof Kasturi who was ordained to take mission ahead, the mission of Sanathana Sarathi. Remembering the legend, on this occasion of quarter century of His ascent, who was the first Editor of Sanathana Sarathi and the first Convener of Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, we reproduce what his successor Sri VK Narasimhan had written for Sanathana Sarathi announcing the ascent of the doyen, merging at His Lotus Feet!

“Death is the denouement of the drama of life,” wrote Prof Kasturi in 1981. That denouement came to him on August 14 at noon, a few minutes after Bhagawan Baba saw him in the Sathya Sai Hospital at Prasanthi Nilayam. He was 90. read more »