| Prasanthi Events | |
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Christmas Day, Brindavan 25 December 2000 As
a significant departure from earlier years, Christmas On Christmas Eve December 24th, Bhagawan arrived at the decorated Sai Ramesh Hall at 3.00 p.m. Overseas devotees, both adults and children, presented a soul stirring programme of choir singing. Moved by the performance, Bhagawan went near where the children sat and blessed them with special darshan and vibhuti prasadam. |
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Christmas Day began with a candle-lit Nagar Sankirtan at 5 in the morning. Brindavan woke up to a day surcharged with divine vibrations. At 8.00 a.m., Bhagawan arrived at the Sai Ramesh Hall in a procession led by the brass band of Bhagawan’s Institute Campus at Brindavan. Thousands of people had gathered from all around the world to experience this great festival. Bhagawan lit an array of Christmas candles to symbolically inaugurate the day’s function. The morning session belonged to the Institute students who sang their hearts out to their Lord in yet another programme of carol singing. By 8.50 a.m., the programme was over. All the assembled devotees received prasadam. In the afternoon, the Alumni association of the girls college at Anantapur, had its annual meeting in the Divine Presence. The deliberations of the Meeting of this association, called Messengers of Sathya Sai, commenced with prayers, offerings and presentation of a couple of devotional songs. The ladies themselves sang the Vedic invocation. There were talks by the President of the Association, two members and the secretary who presented the annual report of service activities of this association. Bhagawan then blessed the devotees with His Divine Discourse. A little later, the Messengers presented a play entitled ‘The Divine Light of Compassion.’ Staged in the Sai Ramesh Krishan Kalyana Mantapam, the play depicted the life story of Buddha — from birth to his attaining Nirvana. |
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Bhagawan Arrives At Prasanthi Nilayam 28 December 2000 |
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| Bhagawan was accorded a festive welcome when He arrived at Prasanthi Nilayam on the morning of December 28. Ceremonial arches were erected all along the route to Puttaparthi. Villagers in festive attire lined, on the road in large numbers to welcome their Lord. Prasanthi Nilayam, too, was ready in all grandeur to welcome Bhagawan. The divine motorcade slowly cruised through the joyous milieu as men, women and children shouted ‘Jai’ . | |
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New Year Celebrations — Prasanthi Nilayam 1 January 2001 |
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| Devotees on the morning of the turn of the New Year were blessed to have Bhagawan’s darshan at seven in the morning. Students from the Institute presented an excellent orchestra programme, song offerings and bhajans. Bhagawan then blessed the devotees with His New Year’s Message. | |
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Prasanthi Sports — Prasanthi Nilayam 11 January 2001 |
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Prasanthi Nilayam bore a youthful look as Bhagawan, the Revered Chancellor, arrived at the Hill View Stadium on the morning of January 11 to preside over the Annual Sports and Cultural Day of all Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions. Arriving in an open convertible in a procession that included the bedecked Sai Geeta, the Institute band (both men and women students), motorcycle outriders and a slow march squad, Bhagawan blessed the assembled devotees all along the way. |
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After the contingents of students of all the participating institutions had marched past the ceremonial dais, Bhagawan hoisted the Institute flag, lit the sports torch and released pigeons and balloons. The torch was carried up the hill with the help of a mechanical contraption in the shape of a tiger, to light the Sports Meet Urn. What followed was a grand and festive display of sports and cultural events — acrobatics, gymnastics, daredevil show, dances and theme presentations. Men students presented daredevil stunts on motorcycles going through numerous exciting routines. Gymnastics and martial arts demonstrated rhythm, balance, skill and grace. Giant puppets and men on stilts added colour and hilarity to the programme. The ability to produce a percussion programme using material from everyday life was innovative. |
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The para-sailing display caught the attention of
all including Bhagawan. Another interesting programme was a callesthenics
display on a 40feet grid structure. The dance ballet ‘Harmony’ demonstrated
how the five elements of Nature conform to cosmic rhythm. Another dance brought
out the journey through the Trigunas (three attibutes) to Nirguna (God).
Women students dramatised the 75 glorious years of the Sai Avatarhood. The programme entitled ‘Journey to Sai’ depicted how the Advent of Bhagawan had transformed the anthill - |
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filled village of Puttaparthi into a global spiritual centre. The life story of Bhagawan was also enacted. Feats on wheels, ladders and bicycles, tight rope walking and rope cycling made the performance complete. In the afternoon, Bhagawan graced the sports events of men staff of the Institute. With age and fitness being no bar, the vigour and enthusiasm of the participants added excitement to this programme. As usual, children of the Primary School, who were the last to take the ground, stole the show. Tremendous innovation, a right mix of colour and skill marked their elaborate programme of rhythmic dances, gymnastics, acrobatics, bicycle events. Stunts on a scooter by a tiny tot was a hightlight of the show. What, however, stood out from the rest was a ballet on the theme of the creation of the universe and the five elements. The long and yet eventful day at the Stadium came to an end at 4.45 p.m., when after Arathi, Bhagawan returned to the ashram. |
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