First time in Puttaparthi

[Guest guest]

This is the first time in Puttaparthi, swami celebrated Independence day in

Mandir. Never we had chance to celebrate when we were students.

Sai Ram

India Matrimony: Find your life partner

online.

Wed, 25 Aug 2004 09:15:17 -0700 (PDT)

Sreedhar Cheekoori cheekoori

Fwd: [sssihl99] Fwd: [saichemalumni] Parthi Update

sreedharsiddu

Note: forwarded message attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail is new and improved - Check it out!

 

sssihl99

In-20040824133041.92712.qmail

Omprasad Narla omprasad

Mailing-List: list sssihl99; contact sssihl99-owner

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 20:53:57 -0500

[sssihl99] Fwd: [saichemalumni] Parthi Update

---------- Forwarded message ----------

sai sathish <saisathish1981 (AT) (DOT) co.in>

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 14:30:41 +0100 (BST)

[saichemalumni] Parthi Update

saichemalumni (AT) (DOT) co.in

Dear Brother

Sairam. For the first time, Independence Day at Prasanthinilayam was

celebrated at the Mandir in the Divine Presence. The II PG boys were

preparing for this mega event since a week. The programme was slotted

for the evening on the 15th of August. Divinely sensing the mega

preparations going on, our dear Lord enquired about the programme from

the Warden. Not satisfied with his details, Bhagawan called the two

main student coordinators from the II PG class into the interview room

on the 15th morning, when we went to the Mandir after the flag

hoisting ceremony at the Institute.

The two students very excitedly went into the Interview room. Swami

asked them about the programme. Being unprepared for such a query,

they were thinking about how to put forth the entire details. Before

they could say anything, our dear Lord revealed His Omniscience by

giving detailed descriptions about the entire programme. He mentioned

the various modules of the programme, the number of characters and the

roles being played by them. The two students sat dumbfounded!! They

kept nodding their heads in awe and wonder!!

Swami told them that He would like to talk to these main actors before

the programme. The students had some doubts regarding certain events

to be portrayed. For e.g. they were not very sure whether Swami would

like them showing the hanging of Bhagat Singh. Another concern they

had was whether we should have the National Anthem being sung at the

end of the programme for they did not want to inconvenience Swami in

any way. Taking this wonderful opportunity, they directly prayed to

Swami about these two points. Bhagawan said, "Yes, you must show

Bhagat Singh's life. People should know. You must also have the

National Anthem. Why only students must stand? Even the devotees must

stand and participate in singing the National Anthem".

Subsequently, Swami talked to them about various freedom fighters and

the sacrifices they had made for the country. Bhagawan asked them not

to forget mentioning the names of Lal (Lala Lajpat Rai), Bal (Bal

Gangadar Tilak) and Pal (Bipin Chandra Pal). When the students prayed

to Swami for putting up the programme in the morning, as by evening,

people's spirit of patriotism would come down; Bhagawan told them to

put up such a wonderful show that our Independence Day must begin in

the afternoon and must inspire all the people.

Bhagawan was so involved with the show, that at around 1.30 p.m. in

the noon, He came out in the golf cart to see the boys practicing in

the Mandir. Unfortunately, the boys had just wound up the practice and

very few were in the Mandir. Bhagawan took a round and returned. In

the evening, He came out at around 3.10 p.m. and went straight to the

Bhajan Hall where a large number of students were dressing up with

their different costumes. There were a number of policemen, a number

of English soldiers, Freedom fighters, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.

Swami was especially interested in Netaji. He called him close and

inspected his dress which was specially prepared for the occasion. He

gave His approval but made a few remarks about the way the cap was

worn. He described how exactly Netaji wore the cap. Bhagawan

appreciated Netaji Subash Chandra Bose a lot. Bhagwan said he was a

great man and had true love for the country.

Swami spent almost close to twenty minutes or more inside the Bhajan

Hall. The middle portion of the Kulwant Hall was left open for the

show. The backdrop was a huge velvet covered board that almost reached

one third towards the ceiling, and had a big map of India. The map was

coloured with the tricolours of the flag in such a way that it

depicted our Mother India wrapped in the tricolours. When I send you

the photos you will be able to appreciate this wonderful piece of

art!! There was a white cloth that covered this map, which was

unfolded manually just as Swami's golf cart passed in front of it!

Bhagawan came and sat outside. The programme began with a solo dance

by a wonderful dancer student – to the musical verse sung by Bhagawan

about Mother India – "Khand Khandantara Khyati….". After the dance,

began the story. In brief, the story was about a father and a son. The

son having finished his studies wishes to go to the West for settling

down. This shocks the father who was a great patriotic and was himself

the son of a very great freedom fighter who had given his life for the

country. The father and his colleague are shocked to see this young

lad drowned in the dreams of the foreign lands. The rest of the story

is their dialogue with the son, wherein they make him realize the

greatness of this sacred land and also the countless sacrifices made

by thousands of Indians for the sake of freedom. Scenes from the life

of Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and other freedom fighters

were shown. The impact was great. There were sets of a Jail, the

Hanging Noose. The boys very tactfully depicted the hanging of Bhagat

Singh. He is taken to the noose and then as he stands over there a

curtain rolls down in front of the entire set depicting the hanging of

this great son of India. It was like a movie going on in front of our

eyes. It was very rich in costumes, very powerful in dialogues and

saturated with feelings!! From where I was sitting, I could see many a

people wiping the tears from their eyes. By the time the programme

ended at 4.30 p.m. and the National Anthem was sung, many of us were

choked with an inexplicable love for our Motherland. As all of us got

up to sing the National Anthem one could see Bhagawan's face full of

Love for the Bharatmaata!!

Towards the end of the play, the students touched upon Bhagawan's

definition of independence. They explained that true independence is

Svaarajya and Svaatantrataa – which means rule of the heart, freedom

of the spirit. Therefore, they urged all Indians to rise beyond the

body and the mind and fly into the world of the spirit, for if India

had to win true freedom, it would be not through the power of the

physical might or mental strength but through the power of the

spirit!! Ultimately true freedom meant that each one must act

according to the dictates of one's conscience for conscience is the

voice of the Lord within! They also gave the correct definition of

Bhaarat. Bhaarat according to Bhagawan is not a land defined by

geographical boundaries but it is defined by her people and the way of

their life. Anybody who lives the Indian Way of life (a life with

Human Values, a life of sacrifice and love for God) is a Bharatiya and

such a land is Bhaarat!

They explained that it is towards this end that the National Anthem

had been truly composed. The Anthem does not talk about the nation but

it is a humble prayer to the Bhaarata Bhaagya Vidhaata – the Lord in

whose hands lies the destiny of this great Nation. It is to this Lord

that the states of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha etc. bow down.

The Vindyachala and the Himalayas, the Yamuna and the Ganga pay their

obeisance to this almighty Lord of our Nation. With these feelings

they finally offered their efforts to Bhagawan – the Bhaagya Vidhaata

of not only India but the entire world!!

As the National Anthem concluded, there was a loud applause. Bhagawan

got up from His chair and came forward; got down the steps and moved

towards the actors. He blessed them all and gave them several

photographs. He again sat down on the sofa and permitted them to sit

around him for group photographs. He spoke to many of them and

materialized not one, but four rings for four of them!! The next few

minutes were moments of joy for all of us as we saw Him showering

boundless Love on them. He started telling them the story of Subash

Chandra Bose. He called the boy who acted as Subash Chandra Bose and

told him all about Bose's life.

Bhagawan retired by 5.00 p.m. Before the National Anthem, there was a

song, "Saare Jahaan Se Achaa. When this song was sung, all students

started waving the tricolour flag which was distributed to all of us.

Mr. Padmanabhan, (Bhagawan's Chauffer) very thoughtfully placed four

of these flags on the side of Bhagawan's golf cart. As Swami glided

back in the cart towards Poornachandra, the flags waved a loving

goodbye in synch with the cool breeze, to all of us!!

Well, that was not the end of the celebrations for we students. There

was a gala dinner and another grand programme awaiting us at the

Hostel. These programmes were to be put up by the I PG and UG

students. After a sumptuous dinner we all settled down for the show.

The concept was totally novel and very creative and fantastic!! Never

attempted before. There was no stage where the performance would go

on. The entire Hostel was to be the stage. As the focus lights would

go on, we would turn ourselves in that direction to witness the new

item coming up. We had some music pieces and a beautiful orchestra of

the National Anthem played on the B-Floor terrace. It looked great, as

though a programme is going on up in heaven!!

There were few skits that were enacted all over the quadrangle!! The

Gymnastics team put up a beautiful gymnastics show. There was a very

meaningful discussion where few students discuss among themselves the

true meaning of patriotism. One boy asks the question as to why one

should actually love one's country and even if he loves why should he

make any contribution to his motherland. The other boys though

irritated at this question keep their calm and decide to analyze the

point deeply. Through the discussion they communicated the need for

having patriotic feelings. It is this motherland that has given birth

to us, that has fed us, given us water and clothes to wear, it is this

motherland that has educated us and given us a respectable position in

society. What then do we give back to her? Bloodshed, poverty,

illiteracy, terrorism, violence, leave her and settle down in foreign

lands…??? We must give back to her our heart felt Love. There is no

reason to love our Motherland. Is there any reason required to love

our Mother? Concluding the thought provoking discussion the students

said that the relationship between the motherland and her citizens is

like that between a flower and its fragrance!! They can never be

separated.

The programme ended with a wonderful video show made by our multimedia

department. It could beat any Hollywood documentary!! Then behind us

was a light spectacle!! An array of paper lamps tied together like the

Indian flag as wide as our Hostel was slowly being raised from the

ground floor to the roof of the Hostel. It was pitch dark with just

these lamps illuminating the hearts of each one of us. It is difficult

to express the feelings that we all had at the end of the day. Had

Bhagawan given us a glimpse into the true meaning of patriotism and

patriotic feeling? Possibly!! We concluded with an oath that was

administered by the President of India Abdul Kalaam. We went to bed

soaked with Love for our Mother Land. Our only prayer was – let this

Love not diminish. Give us the strength Swami, to lay down our life

for the cause of this sacred land!!

Sairam.

India Matrimony: Find your life partner online.

________________________________

http://in.saichemalumni/

 

saichemalumni- (AT) (DOT) co.in

 

________________________________

http://in.saichemalumni/

 

saichemalumni- (AT) (DOT) co.in

 

Make love Not war - HELL with it, do both - GET MARRIED ;D

Attachment: (image/pjpeg) image002.jpg [not stored]

Attachment: (image/pjpeg) image004.jpg [not stored]

Attachment: (image/pjpeg) image006.jpg [not stored]