Gujarati New Year in Prasanthi Nilayam…

Hundreds of devotees from the State of Gujarat assembled in the holy precincts of Sai Kulwant Hall last evening celebrating Gujarati New Year in the immediate Divine ‘omnipresence’ of Beloved Bhagawan. This is the 11th year in succession the State is celebrating the New Year in Prasanthi Nilayam.

The programme commenced at 1700 hrs. after half-an-hour Veda chanting with an introductory speech by the State President of SSSSO. Wishing “Happy New Year” to Gujaratis all over the world, the State President then introduced the programme to the august assembly.

Beginning with a speech by Sri Yazdi Karanjia, the programme had an array of cultural programmes by the Balvikas Children and Youth of Gujarat. Sri Yazdi Karanjia of Parsi Theatre, Surat, a well-known actor cum director, spoke first entertaining the audience for the next half-an-hour with his great sense of humour. Speaking about Zoroastrianism and the community’s connection with the State, the speaker said, by religion he is a Parsi, by culture he is a Gujarati and by nationality he is an Indian. Bringing in comparisons between Hinduism and Zorostrianism the speaker later continued quoting Bhagawan extensively exploiting the present day world that is marred with hypocrisy. The speaker concluded his enlightening speech with a remark on Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam, the marked place on earth, for humans to turn their attention,  to watch…to learn and to grow.

A musical piece followed next, Sai Sathyam, a fervent prayer to Bhagawan by the Youth girls followed by a couple of dance items ‘Shiv Shakti Upasana’ by Balvikas girls and Youth of Ahmedabad and Raas dance entitled “Mari Mahisagar” by the students of Sri Sathya Sai School, Surat.

The highlight of the evening was a Dance Drama entitled “Apostle of Love” by the Youth & Students of Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Niketan, Navsari.

Depicting the story of “Prem”, a fictional character, who came to planet Earth from the heavens to experience the beauty of Earth but was left to face the oddities of herein much to his distaste, even as the story evolved, Prem gets to know of the other side of Earthly life, wherein he finds the White Army of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai relentlessly trying to practise His teachings to the best of their effort to appease God. After meeting messengers of Sathya Sai and experiencing their selfless love and compassion, Prem understood that, in Kaliyuga, Bhagawan has chosen His weapon of “Love” and “Compassion” to transform men to take them unto Godhood. The drama ended with the message of the youth that, taking the lesson from Bhagawan’s own life and message “My Life Is My Message”, they are resolved to make it, as Bhagawan desired, “Our Life Is His Message” accepting the greater responsibility to make themselves Divine and the world a heaven.

Bhajans continued and ended at 1900 hrs. with Mangala Arathi to Bhagawan.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II