Report on Onam Celebrations 2003 - September 8, 2003

September 9, 2003

Source:

Prashanti Nilayam

8 September 2003

Onam Celebrations 2003 Report

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The Onam festivities at Prasanthi Nilayam have a unique charm of

their own. The entire Sai Family from the state of Kerala gathers at

Prasanti Nilayam to celebrate the festival in the presence of their

Divine Master, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The sacred day marks

the occasion when the mighty Emperor Bali performed the supreme act

of surrender to Lord Vamana, the Avatar of Lord Vishnu. The legend

goes that Lord Vamana, disguised as a Brahmin, asked Bali for just

three paces of land. His first two paces covered the earth and the

heavens. And Bali, who would never go back on his word, offered his

own head for the Lord to place His Feet on, and thus attained

liberation. However, he prayed to Vamana for one last boon - once

every year Emperor Bali wished to see his beloved subjects. This

day, when Emperor Mahabali comes to visit his people, is celebrated

as Onam by the people of Kerala.

This year, around ten thousand devotees from Kerala arrived in

Prasanthi Nilayam to attend the three-day celebrations that

commenced on the 6th of September. The richly decorated Kulwanth

Hall reverberated to the sounds of the Panchavadyam, a traditional

form of music played in the temples of Kerala. Music programmes by

various artistes from Kerala were arranged on all three days. Apart

from the celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam, there was also a two-day

medical camp organized by the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organsiations,

Kerala. About 14,000 patients from around 100 villages around

Puttaparthi were treated during the course of the camp.

The festivities concluded on the evening of 8th, September with a

Carnatic Music recital in Bhagawan's Divine presence by four

students from the Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music, Prasanthi

Nilayam. The students delighted the audience with their impressive

rendering of kirtanas, and also devotional songs in Malayalam.

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