Darshan News: 28th - 27th March - Prasanthi Nilayam

March 28, 2007

March 28, 2007 Photos: Sri Rama Navami Celebrations, 27th March 2007, - The final year undergraduate students were ready with their gratitude programme this evening. After His darshan round, Bhagawan went into the interview room, and later came onstage at

4.15 pm. The students presented many songs interspersed with brief talks in their various mother-tongues expressing their love and gratitude. At around 4.30, Bhagawan went into the interview room and the programme paused. He returned after five minutes, and the programme continued aptly with the song "Rava Swami....", which has lyrics meaning "Will you not come, Swami, to protect me..." At 5.15, when the presentation concluded, Swami asked for Bhajans to be sung in the Sai Kulwant Hall itself. After a few Bhajans, He accepted Arati and retired to His residence. Sri Rama Navami Celebrations March 27, 2007 In the morning, the Mandir did not have any special decorations. Rama Navami began on that quiet note. Bhagawan arrived, and

finishing His darshan round, went into the interview room just before nine o'clock. The Bhajans began, since there was no indication about any programme. Swami came into the Bhajan Hall, and it seemed that everything would go on like any other day. But at 9.45, Bhagawan called up some students and gave them some instructions. The ladies' side was galvanized: Swami wanted to present something to the elderly ladies who resided in the Ashram. The ladies were called into the Bhajan Hall, and Swami moved to the centre of the Hall from where He started distributing boxed idol sets of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita to all the ladies, as they came up to Him and took padanamaskar. The distribution went on for a full forty-five minutes, while Rama bhajans continued. At 10.30, Swami accepted Arati and went to Yajur Mandiram as Prof. Anil Kumar was asked to announce the Rama Navami celebrations in the evening. By afternoon, the standard Sai Kulwant Hall festival decorations were up.

After Darshan at 3.30, Swami came onstage at 4.15, and sat towards the Western side of the stage instead of at the centre. Prof. Venkataraman, the former Vice-Chancellor, was called, and Swami asked him to speak first. After his talk, in which he highlighted Bhagawan's compassion, Sri S. V. Giri, again former Vice-Chancellor, was asked to speak. Sri Giri quoted verses from the Valmiki Ramayana and brought out similarities to our Sai Rama. Then Swami called up a student as a surprise speaker, who spoke briefly on Swami's love in keeping us with Him through the ages. Finally, Bhagawan rose to deliver His Divine Message, just after five o'clock. Swami stressed on the greatness of Rama, whose name continues to enthrall Bharathiyas in spite of the passage of eons. Bhagawan narrated the stories of Sita picking up the bow of Shiva and the great festivities at the time of the Divine Wedding of Rama with Sita. Near the end of the Discourse, Swami chanted the lines of the

song "Rama Kodanda Rama..." line by line, asking all to follow after Him, and finally breaking out into the song. Concluding with the message that God is always with us, in us, around and below us, that we are in fact embodiments of God, Swami asked for Bhajans to commence. After a few Bhajans, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence at 6.20. source

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