Prashanthi Bulletin - June 8th to 12th, 2005

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Prashanthi Bulletin

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June 12th, 2005 "Samoohika Upanayana Mahotsava" declared the banners adorning

the Sai Ramesh Hall and the Gokulam entrance. Brindavan was hosting a

thread-ceremony for more than 500 young boys. The vatus and their parents lined

up at the Gokulam and started from there in a procession by 6.30 am. The young

initiates were dressed in bright yellow, flanked by their parents, all in

clothes provided by Bhagawan the previous day. The entire hall was filled with

the vatus with their parents on either side; other devotees could sit only in

the extension of the hall. The places for the vatus had been marked with

beautiful pink lotuses - real flowers, not paintings! They had all the

necessary puja implements also laid out in front of each vatu. The program

commenced at 7.15 am in the Sai Ramesh Hall. The main priest stood on a raised

platform just below the stage of the Hall, and addressed the gathering. He

welcomed all the participants

and announced the commencement of the proceedings, first in Kannada and then in

English. The priests then began their sonorous chants, starting with prayer to

Lord Ganesha. By 7.30, just as the initial prayers were being completed, the

traditional band instruments and nadaswaram players started playing, and

started entering the hall - Bhagawan was arriving. Bhagawan came to the centre

of the stage from backstage in the wheeled sofa, and the auspicious music rose

to a crescendo. Then the music stopped, and the puja got underway again.

Bhagawan remained onstage till 9.15 am. The priest was explaining the rituals

in Kannada and English and giving instructions to be followed by the parents

and the vatus. Interestingly, special gayatri mantras relating to Sita,

Hanuman, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna were also chanted. Along with the

pujas, a homa was also being performed, with oblations being offered into the

sacred fire at the altar just below the stage. The Gayatri

Mantra and the Sai Gayatri were chanted by the entire congregation led by the

priests, filling the hall with divine vibrations. During the Gayatri chanting,

the sacred fire rose up, reaching more than 6 feet high. At the end, just

before the Brahmopadesa, or the initiation of the vatu into the Gayatri Mantra,

Bhagawan left the stage. For a while, the organisers waited to see if Bhagawan

was returning for the Brahmopadesa, and finally at 9.30, was the wearing of the

sacred thread along with the Maha Sankalpa, or "Statement of Purpose" as

explained by the main priest. The Arati brought the Upanayanam ceremony to a

close, with the nadaswaram players also playing the Arati tune! An announcement

was made for all to collect prasadam from the counters set up all around Sai

Ramesh Hall. A leaf-container of tamarind rice and kesari bhat was distributed

to all, while the vatus and their parents went in procession around Bhagawan's

Trayee Brindavan residence chanting the Sai

Gayatri. There, they were all blessed when Bhagawan came out on the balcony and

gave them darshan. After that treat to their hearts, they proceeded to the

Kalyanamantapam for a treat for their stomachs too! A sumptuous lunch had been

arranged for them by Bhagawan. There were 22 items, starting with mango rice

and ending with sago payasam. In the evening, bhajans by the Sevadals began at

4.20 pm when Swami came out of Trayee, and Swami soon came onstage. Bhagawan

appeared fresh and glowing as ever. The energetic bhajans continued till 5.10,

and then Swami gave the indication for Arati. But a concert had been arranged,

and Sri C. Srinivas and Sri Gangadhar Shetty requested Bhagawan for permission

to have the concert. So, Swami sat onstage, and after the Arati, blessed the

artistes who came onstage. The Hindustani vocal concert was by Uma Shankar -

she had accompanists on the tabla and the harmonium. After 20 minutes of the

concert, Swami again blessed the vocalist who came

onstage, this time deciding to stand up... And then He sat again in the sofa and

retired for the day. June 8th to 11th, 2005 This was quite an eventful week at

Brindavan, with the students putting up four programs in the evenings. On the

8th, after the evening bhajans, they presented a program highlighting the

significance of the Vedas, and their chanting. On the 9th was a musical

program, interspersed with speeches. On the 10th was a Kavi Sammelan, or

meeting of poets, with students reading out poems in eleven languages. And on

the 11th, there was a program on the significance of the Upanayanam ceremony

which was to be held the next day.

You can see an illustrated version of happenings at Prashanthi Nilayam in the

Prashanthi Diary of our monthly e-Journal Heart to Heart. The previous issue of

Prashanthi Bulletin is available here. Source:

http://radiosai.org/pages/PB.htmDo

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