Tuesday,Mar 30, 2010

Last night, the stage area of the Sai Kulwant Hall was raised by one foot by a wooden platform covered by red carpet. This evening, Bhagavan came for darshan at 4.30 pm and directly moved onto the stage as the devotees clapped. He sat there as the Vedam chanting went on and blessed the Birthday boys. The bhajans began just before five o'clock and Swami called up Sri S. V. Giri and the Delhi Sai Organisation President for some discussions. Bhagavan accepted Arati at ten to six. Before returning to His residence, He blessed the teachers of the School of Business Management here who were to embark on factory visits with the students as part of the MBA curriculum.

Sunday,Mar 28, 2010

Last evening, the room leaders from the Senior Students Hostel gathered in the bhajan hall. Swami came in to bless them after accepting Arati at a quarter to six. Moving among them and listening to a song sung by them, Bhagavan returned to His residence fifteen minutes later. This evening, Swami came for darshan at half-past four. The next batch of staff and family members from the Super Speciality Hospital here were gathered in the bhajan hall, as also the students in costumes for a Burrakatha programme. Swami moved among them for a short while before moving to the stage and asking for the Burrakatha to commence at ten to five. After the forty-five minute Telugu presentation entitled 'Yugavatar', Bhagavan asked for the bhajans to commence. Half an hour later, He accepted Arati and moved to the interview room. After a round of interviews, He came into the bhajan hall once again and blessed the rest of the group seated there by moving among them and blessing prasadam for them. Swami once again moved to the interview room before returning to His residence at a quarter to seven.

Wednesday,Mar 24, 2010Click here for the full article

This morning, the bhajans began at nine o'clock and went on till 11.40 am, with Rama bhajans being sung throughout. Bhagavan arrived for darshan at 10.40 am and sat onstage for around half an hour, blessing prasadam for distribution. He then moved to the interview room, from where He emerged to come onstage and accept Arati twenty minutes later. In the evening, Swami arrived for darshan by half-past four and granted an audience to Sri Riturajji and his accompanists. An hour later, they emerged and Swami allowed them to sing a few songs while He was seated onstage. The students then sang a couple of songs before Bhagavan accepted Arati and returned to His residence at a quarter past six.

Tuesday,Mar 23, 2010Click here for the full article

The Bhagavata Saptaham concluded today. Bhagavan came for darshan as the morning session went on, and after around half an hour in the interview room, came to the stage to accept Arati at 11.10 am. The evening session also began as on previous days after the summary presentation in English, and Swami arrived during the talk just after five o'clock. The episodes of Sri Krishna Tulabharam and Parikshit's moksha were presented today, along with some instances of the mahima of the Sai Avatar. As the narration concluded at 5.50 pm, Swami asked the students to present their music programme. Fifteen minutes of songs was followed by Arati as prasadam was distributed. Bhagavan blessed the students as well as the accompanists of Sri Rituraj Maharaj before returning to His residence.

Monday,Mar 22, 2010Click here for the full article

This morning, the Saptaham began at 8.30 am, and Swami came to Sai Kulwant hall at 10.30. The narration continued until Bhagavan accepted Arati at 11.20. He then moved to the interview room and then to the bhajan hall and after a short interaction there, returned to His residence at a quarter to noon. In the afternoon, Bhagavan arrived as soon as the summaries concluded and the narration began at 4.30 pm. Today's narration included the stories of Lord Krishna from His move to Mathura to His wedding with Rukmini. The students presented a music programme from 5.30 to six o'clock, following which Swami accepted Arati. He granted padanamaskar to the participants and then to the accompanists of Sri Rituraj Maharaj before returning to His residence fifteen minutes later.

Sunday,Mar 21, 2010Click here for the full article

This morning's Bhagavatha Saptaha narration was on the childhood leelas of Lord Krishna. Swami arrived at 10.30 am as the talk went on and sat onstage for another hour before accepting Arati. He then moved to the interview room before returning to His residence at 12.10 pm. The summary presentations began the evening session at 4 pm. Swami arrived during the narration of Sri Rituraj Maharaj at half-past five and the narration concluded at 6.30 pm. Bhagavan then asked the students to sing some devotional songs. Forty minutes of songs in Hindi and Telugu was followed by Arati. It was 7.30 pm when Bhagavan returned to His residence after a brief visit to the interview room.

saturday,Mar 20, 2010Click here for the full article

This morning's Bhagavatha Saptaham session followed a similar pattern to that of last morning. The morning session had the narration of the stories of Prahlada, Gajendra, Vamana and Ambareesa and concluded after fifteen minutes of bhajans at 10.45 am. The afternoon session began after the summary presentations at four o'clock and consisted of the story of the Rama Avatar and concluded at 6.10 pm with the birth of Sri Krishna. Swami had come during the narration and asked for the programme by the students to begin. This evening they presented Swami's poems and songs on the theme of Radha's devotion, with introductory speeches in English. The fifty minute programme concluded with Arati at seven o'clock. Bhagavan moved to the interview room for a few minutes before returning to His residence.

Friday,Mar 19, 2010Click here for the full article

Today also the Bhagavata narration began at 8.30 am after half an hour of Vedam chanting, and at 4.25 in the afternoon. The stories of the ancestors of Parikshit were covered in the morning, and that of Ajamila and Vatrasura were conveyed in the evening. There were bhajans from 10.30 to 11 in the morning, following which the session concluded with Arati. The evening session began at four o'clock with English summaries, following which Sri Riturajji took the stage. Bhagavan arrived in Sai Kulwant hall as the narration went on, and after it concluded at 5.45, asked for the cultural programme for the evening to be brought to the stage. This evening, Swami's poems and songs on the theme of the Bhagavatha were presented in musical form by the students. After the 35 minute programme, Bhagavan asked them to sing some devotional songs till He accepted Arati at 6.45 pm. He interacted some more with the students before returning to His residence.

Thursday,Mar 18, 2010Click here for the full article


This morning's narration began at 8.30 am after half an hour of Vedam chanting, and at 4.25 in the afternoon. Sri Rituraj Maharaj narrated the story of the Kurma avatar in the morning, and the story of Dhruva in the evening. Bhagavan arrived a few minutes after ten o'clock while the narration went on and sat onstage till the conclusion with Arati at 11.30 am. He then called up a Primary School boy from Iran and asked him to chant some Vedic hymns. Prasadam was sent for the Primary school children and Swami moved to the Bhajan hall where He gave sarees to His family members before returning to His residence at 12.15.

In the evening, the session began by four o'clock with summaries in English of the previous two sessions. The narration began after the summaries, and Bhagavan arrived after five o'clock. After the narration for the day concluded at 5.45, Swami asked the students to sing some devotional songs. A couple of Meera bhajans were followed by other songs till Arati at 6.40 pm. 

Wednesday,Mar 17, 2010Click here for the full article

The seven day Hindi narration of the stories of the Lord from the Shrimad  Bhagavatam began this morning. The narrator Sri Rituraj Maharaj along with his accompanists arrived in procession to the Sai Kulwant hall at 8.15 as the Vedam chanting went on, after completing their preliminary rituals at the Old Hostel. Bhagavan came for darshan at 9.30 and once He came onstage, the proceedings got underway. The morning session was dedicated to the importance and greatness of the stories of the Lord and concluded at 11.15 with Arati.

The afternoon session began at 4.50 pm with a ten minute English summary of the morning proceedings after the normal Vedam chanting at 4 o'clock. Sri Rituraj Maharaj then began his pravachan. Forty-five minutes later, Swami came to Sai Kulwant hall and sat onstage. The narration for the day concluded at six o'clock with the episode of the Pandavas' ascent to heaven. Bhagavan asked the students to sing bhajans, and fifty minutes later, He accepted Arati after blessing prasadam for distribution. After Arati, He interacted some more with some of the students and with Sri Riturajji before returning to His residence after seven o'clock.

Tuesday,Mar 16, 2010Click here for the full article

This Yugadi morning, Bhagavan came for darshan clad in a deep red gown at half-past nine as the bhajans went on. He moved to the interview room for half an hour and then came onstage to sit there flanked by Sri Indulal Shah and Justice Bhagwati. Sri V. Srinivasan introduced them and they gave brief speeches about the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and some administrative committees formed for the smooth functioning of the Trust. Sri V. Srinivasan spoke about Yugadi and at 10.40 am, Swami asked for His microphones to be brought. In His Yugadi message lasting just over half an hour, Swami stressed on the need to see Divinity in all and narrated the story of King Harishchandra. Prof. Anil Kumar then gave a brief talk in Telugu quoting many poems in praise of Swami. The morning session drew to a close with Arati after half-past eleven. It was 11.45 when Bhagavan returned to His residence.

In the evening, the students and staff of the Music college were ready with a musical presentation. Swami came at 5.30 pm and after some time on the verandah, came onstage to begin the performance at ten to six. Their 75 minute presentation had vocal music from the Hindustani and Carnatic styles, along with Veena and Sitar recitals and a tani aavartanam on percussion instruments. Swami sent them clothes and prasadam and had group photos with them. He accepted Arati at 7.10, following which Prof. Anil Kumar made an announcement about the 7-day Bhagavata recital which is to begin tomorrow.

Monday,Mar 15, 2010

This evening, devotees from all districts of Andhra Pradesh were ready with a music programme on the eve of the Telugu New Year. Bhagavan came for darshan at a quarter past six in the car and directly came onstage to begin their presentation. Some of the members of the group came up for blessings and the programme began at 6.30 pm. Once the lively selection of Telugu songs was complete, Swami blessed the participants with clothes and group photos at 7.30 pm. Ten minutes later, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.

Sunday,Mar 14, 2010Click here for the full article

The University brass band was celebrating their 25th year and were ready with a programme this evening. Bhagavan came for darshan at six o'clock and cut across the hall to move directly onstage and begin the programme after throwing some sweets to the boys sitting nearby. The half-hour programme was themed on Bhagavan's life with short speeches tying together band and instrumental pieces. Swami blessed them with clothes and chocolates and had photos with them holding instruments onstage and later with the entire group. Accepting Arati just before seven o'clock, Bhagavan returned to His residence.

Saturday,Mar 13, 2010Click here for the full article

Yesterday, Swami had come for morning darshan, but not in the evening. This evening, Bhagavan came for darshan as the bhajans went on. He sat onstage for more than half an hour after His round of the hall and blessed prasadam for distribution. A few minutes past six, He moved to the interview room. Half an hour later, He asked for the Vedam chanting group of Karnataka youth to come into the bhajan hall. This group of around a hundred young men had been regularly chanting the Rudram as a sadhana and Swami had called them to confer His blessings. Moving through the group up and down the hall twice as they chanted Rudram full-throated, He also listened to a song by them before blessing them and moving out. The bhajan session concluded with Arati at 7.20 pm and Swami then moved to His residence.

Thursday,Mar 11, 2010

This morning Bhagavan went for a drive, moving through the Primary school at ten o'clock. In the evening, the outgoing batch of students of the Sathya Sai Mirpuri college of music presented their gratitude programme. Bhagavan arrived for darshan at five o'clock and sat onstage listening to the full-throated Vedic chants for  a few minutes before asking for the programme to commence. Songs, short speeches and a piece on Veenas comprised their hour-long musical tribute which concluded at half-past six. Swami had group photos with them and sent clothes for them after their presentation. Accepting Arati just before seven o'clock, Swami moved to the interview room for a few minutes before returning to Yajur Mandir.

Sunday,Mar 07, 2010Click here for the full article

Bhagavan came for morning darshan on Thursday and Saturday this week, as mentioned at the Books and Publications website. On Thursday evening He did not come for darshan and the bhajans concluded with Arati just after six o'clock. On Friday, Bhagavan came for evening darshan at half-past five. Once He came to the verandah after His round of Sai Kulwant hall, He interacted for nearly fifteen minutes with representatives from the various institutions here who were formerly His students, making preparations for cultural programmes during a Bhagavatha Sapthaham to be held here between Yugadi and Ramanavami this month.

This morning, Bhagavan went for a drive beyond the Super Speciality Hospital and returned at half-past eight to the Mandir. Sitting onstage with the Vedam chanting going on, Swami asked for the Arati at nine o'clock and then returned to His residence. The outgoing batch of students of the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of the Sri Sathya Sai University were ready with their gratitude programme in the evening. Bhagavan arrived for darshan at a quarter to six and came to the bhajan hall to interact briefly with the students in costumes there. He came onstage to begin their performance just after six o'clock. The 70 minute presentation had songs, short speeches and skits presenting their love and gratitude to Swami. Bhagavan blessed them with group photographs in small batches and sent prasadam for all. It was half-past seven when He returned to His residence after Arati.

Tuesday,Mar 02, 2010Click here for the full article

Devotees from Bihar and Jharkhand presented their cultural programme on the occasion of Holi celebrations today. Bhagavan had come for morning darshan yesterday and today, but had not come last evening - instructions were received to have half an hour of bhajans from six o'clock and then to offer arati. This evening, Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant hall at half-past six welcomed by young girls with lamps and traditional wind instruments. He came directly to the stage from the centre of the hall and began the programme at a quarter to seven. Half an hour of songs and dances on the theme of Holi were followed by a half-hour drama on Sita Kalyanam presented by Balvikas children from Mithila, the birthplace of Mother Sita. Bhagavan moved to the interview room during the last five minutes of the drama and came onstage at a quarter to eight. He asked for the Sita Kalyanam to be staged with Vedic chants by the students. Swami sent directions for the actors to be arranged appropriately and even sent a chain for the "wedding", asking for Rama bhajans to be sung by the students. Later, He moved down for group photos with the Sita Kalyanam group and also with the groups who presented the earlier dances and songs. Once He returned to the stage, He again asked the drama group to be arranged for one more group photograph after Arati at half-past eight. Clothes were sent for the performers, and Bhagavan returned to His residence at ten to nine.

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