Valedictory Function Of Sports & Cultural Meet…
Tuesday, January 14th, 2014
On this auspicious Makara Sankranthi, 14 January, Prasanthi witnessed a glittering Valedictory Function of Annual Sports & Cultural Festival 2013-14 attended by students from all the four campuses along with that of Higher Seconday and Primary levels, joined by thousands of devotees.
The morning proceedings began with a regal procession led by the Brass Band from Prasanthi Nilayam, from the Divine Abode, Yajur Mandiram to the venue in Sai Kulwant Hall. Flag Bearing Squad of the Institute and Vedam Group followed the procession escorting The Divine Chancellor.
The venue was bedecked with colourful floral buntings and a special dais with a special Seat For The Divine Chancellor was erected in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum, with winners trophies and cups on either side.
Master Of Ceremonies for the occasion Sri Sanjay Sahni, Principal, SSSIHL Brindavan Campus, commenced the proceedings with greeting to the august assembly on the auspicious festive occasion. Delivering an introductory speech speaking about the auspiciousness of the festive day with a reference to the just concluded Sports & Cultural games, Sri Sahni then introduced the five speakers for the session, one faculty member, followed by four speakers representing the four campuses and one from the higher secondary school.
Dr (Miss) Kiran Bala Arora, Associate Professor with Dept of Hindi at the Anantapur Campus, was the first speaker. Commencing her speech with the Inaugural-Sports Meet story, way back in 1986, when Anantapur Campus offered an hour-long programme involving bicycle stunts, Dr Kiran further drawn interesting parallels from the Sports & Cultural Games with man’s sojourn on earth.
The royal reception to Bhagawan at the Stadium on the Sports day, with gun salute, bike cum band and vedam escort, the decorated special seat of the Divine at the Shanti Vedika, the march-past with diligent steps, the salutation turning towards the right, hoisting the flag coupled with releasing white doves etc. have parallels to our own lives, said the Warden of Anantapur Campus, comparing each of the above steps with the royal hearty welcome within we owe to our Beloved Bhagawan, regulating our steps moving closer and closer to Bhagawan, installing Him at the centre of the heart, giving focal attention to The Lord of the heart, holding aloft Truth and Righteousness as we move along with life spreading Love and Peace respectively. Sports Meet in the external sense should help us to reach the Sports Meet within the recesses of our hearts, said the speaker concluding her interesting and inspiring speech.
The four students who shared the podium were Amrit Prasuthas, Sai Abhinav Mudaliar, Padma Lalitha, Vijay Sai and Lakshmikanth Sharma from Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, SSSIHL Muddenahalli Campus, SSSIHL Anantapur Campus, SSSIHL Brindavan Campus and SSSIHL Prasanthi Nilayam Campus respectively. These student speeches bore testimony to their unflinching faith in Bhagawan, ever ready to do anything to make Bhagawan happy. Speaking about the fortune to be able to offer things directly to the Lord incarnated, Lakshmikanth Sharma posed a question to the audience of students as to how many have the opportunity to offer something directly to Bhagawan…leaving all to introspect.
Next, Chancellor’s Prizes, Trophies, were given away by the Vice Chancellor to the participating Institutions. Representatives from Sri Sathya Sai Primary School, Smt. Easwaramma English Medium High School, Anantapur Campus, Nursing College – Whitefield, SSS Higher Secondary School, Mirpuri College of Music, Muddenahalli Campus, Brindavan Campus and Prasanthi Nilayam Campus received trophies from the Vice Chancellor.
Next in the proceedings, lists of winners were offered at Bhagawan’s Lotus Feet. Subsequently, Championship Trophies were given away to various representatives, under various categories, for all the campuses and Higher Secondary School, where intra-campus competitions on various disciplines were held.
Audio excerpts from Bhagawan’s Divine Discourse followed next, that was listened with rapt attention. Bhagawan’s discourse was on the greater relevance of Makara Sankranthi.
Brass Band from Anantapur Campus played a couple of tunes before bhajans took over for the next fifteen minutes. Mangala Arathi was offered at 1000 hrs. Prasadam was distributed to the entire assemblage.
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