Posts Tagged ‘Festivals’

Guru Purnima Evening Programme

The programme for the evening started with Veda chanting at 4.30. After Veda chanting, two programmes were slated for this session. The first was by famous Carnatic classical music exponent Smt. Aruna Sairam. Aruna Sairam received vocal training from her mother Rajalakshmi Sethuraman, who was a disciple of the Alathur Brothers and Thanjavur Sankara Iyer. She later received training from prominent vocalists, Madurai Somasundaram and T. Brinda. She also learnt the art of Pallavi singing from T. R. Subramaniam.

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Unveiling of Mahasamadhi

At the stroke of 8.00 in the morning, the Mahasamadhi of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was unveiled with the offer of Maha Mangala Arati. The sepulchre, if one can call it presented a beautiful sight, the whole structure including the pillars on both sides was draped in white colour. The first programme for the morning was Guru Vandana (salutations to the Guru) by the students of Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions. This presentation was a collection of melodious songs and Stotras (verses) interspersed with beautiful incidents, experiences, interactions that the students had with Bhagawan. With the chanting of Sai Gayatri, the students offered their salutations at the Lotus Feet of Sadguru, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima. Twameva Mathacha Pitha Twameva, Twameva Bandhuscha Sakha Twameva, Twameva Vidya Dravinam Twameva, Twameva Sarvam Mama Devadeva. read more »

Guru Purnima Eve 2011

Morning Programme
As part of Guru Purnima celebrations, a series of programmes were held at Prasanthi Nilayam. The Sri Sathya Sai World Youth Conference on the lofty topic “Ideal Sai Leadership” was conducted in Poornachandra Auditorium on 13th and 14th July 2011.

As a curtain raiser to the Guru Purnima festival, on the morning of 14th July, the programme commenced with Veda chanting at 8.00 a.m. Sai Kulwant Hall was filled to capacity. The Hall was tastefully decorated with Chinese lanterns and buntings which added aesthetic value to the ambience. The altar with Bhagawan’s photographs was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers. Malladi brothers, Sriram Prasad and Sri Ravi Kumar, the famous Carnatic music duo enthralled the audience with their performance for the sixth time. read more »

Ashadi Ekadashi 2011

Prasanthi woke up this morning to a festive ambience and who better to add colour to an occasion than Maharashtra. The Varkaris continued their grand tradition of Palkhi Seva. Every year they carry a Paduka for Bhagawan in a pada-yatra ( through walk) from Dharamavaram to Puttaparthi. Sri Nimish Pandya (District President of Mumbai), who played the master of ceremony today, recollected how Bhagawan used to always enquire about the welfare of these simple devotees from him again and again over the years.

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Easwaramma Day and Maha Narayana Seva

This day (6th May 2011) being Easwaramma Day and the 13th day after Bhagawan shed His mortal coil and stayed established as the all-pervading Universal Consciousness, a special function was arranged in the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium to serve the special guests who had assembled in tens of thousands from the nearby villages. These guests who provide us the opportunity to serve are no less than Narayana Himself and hence this function is rightly named as Maha Narayana Seva. On this auspicious day this activity was also carried out in many centres of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations around the world.

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Maha Shivarathri 2011

2nd and 3rd March 2011: Shivarathri , the religious festival that signifies the fulfillment of spiritual efforts, has been one of the dotted days in the festive calendar of Prasanthi Nilayam over the years.

This year, Shivarathri was celebrated on the 2nd March with great devotional fervour, attended by thousands of devotees. read more »

Makara Sankranthi: Valedictory Function of Sports & Cultural Festival 2011

15th Jan 2010: After two days of Annual Sporting and Cultural extravaganza, Prasanthi witnessed the valedictory function honouring the heroics of students, on the 15th January evening in the immediate Divine presence of Bhagawan.

In the evening, Sai Kulwant Hall, the venue, had colour and glitter around, reflecting the celebrating mood of the twin occasion, the valedictory function and the auspicious Makara Sankranthi. Weekend ensured a capacity audience and additional venue, Poornachandra Auditorium, had its shutters up for the devotees. read more »

Bhagavatha Saaramu, a drama by Bhagawan’s Students

13th Jan 2011: After two days of hectic sporting and cultural activities at the Vidyagiri Hill View Stadium, action shifted back to Sai Kulwant Hall on the 13th Jan evening with Prasanthi Nilayam Campus presenting a dance drama in the immediate Divine presence.

The dance drama entitled "Bhagavatha Saaramu" was a portrayal on the true essence of the epic Bhagavatham, as explained by Bhagawan in many of His Divine Discourses.

The presentation, in the form of dialogue between Lord Vishnu and Sage Narada opens with Devarish’s Narada’s visit to Lord Vishnu at Vaikunta. To an eager Narada, who showed great enthusiasm to know the true meaning of the epic, Lord explains that the epic is more a story of how God descends so that man can ascend. The Lord further elaborates that Bhagavatam stands for Bhakti, Jnana, Vairagya, Tatva, and Mukti. Clarifying thus, Lord Vishnu takes Narada on a journey through these different stages. read more »

Second Day’s proceedings of The Annual Sports and Cultural Festival 2011

12th Jan 2011: The second day of the Sports Festival belonged to the students of Prasanthi Nilayam. It was a carnival of colour from the students of Sri Sathya Sai Primary School and Easwaramma High School while the students of Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning presented a programme of gymnastics and roller skating with interludes of dances with lights.

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First Day’s proceedings of The Annual Sports and Cultural Festival 2011

11th Jan 2011: The Annual Sports and Cultural Festival occupies a prominent place in the calendar of events of the students’ curriculum in the hallowed Sri Sathya Sai Educational institutions. Students from colleges and schools and people from far and near come in large numbers to witness this grand spectacle of the students. This event is entirely organised and choreographed by the students and staff of the educational institutions. Showcasing of sports events is usually done on the 11th of every year with dramatic presentations on succeeding days and ends with the prize distribution function on the Sankranti festival. read more »