A Diary of Mrs. and Prof. Anil Kumar's 2009 USA Visit

[Guest guest]

A Diary of Mrs. and Prof. Anil Kumar's 2009 USA Visit

 

Sai Ram to All!

 

Mrs. Vijayalakshmi and Prof. Anil Kumar left USA via Chicago today, June 2, 2009, at 4.00pm after 94 days of hectic schedule. Their visit to the USA was initially planned as a personal family visit. But, “man proposes, and God disposes.†So, this family trip turned into quite another event!

 

In today’s economic turmoil and problems connected to that, Prof. Anil Kumar’s satsang and talks were ear-soothening to many devotees and other participants. Every one felt that it was Swami’s will and blessing that the devotees of USA participated in such Divine and wonderful programs. Prof. Anil Kumar not only inspired participants everywhere, but also insisted on the importance of staying focused on unsullied and pure devotion. His Sai experiences were no doubt inspiring, motivating, energizing, and recharging as usual.

 

The journey started in a very small fashion at Milwaukee, where the host Sai center, although small in size, did a phenomenal job in hosting the first youth panel discussion from the region. It was well supported by Prof. Anil Kumar, who moderated the entire session, concluding it with his valuable remarks. The gathering of around 200 people from Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis basked in spiritual bliss. Looking back, this satsang was nothing but an appetizer, which led the way to a full course royal dinner, and finished up with a grand eloquent dessert, as icing-on-the-cake!

After this first Milwaukee event, Mrs. Vijayalakshmi and Prof. Anil Kumar visited Orlando, Florida, for a satsang which was attended by a large number of devotees. Everywhere both of them addressed the gathering, and invariably all the programs concluded with a Question and Answer session. Wherever they went, there was a Prashanti atmosphere, both due to the bhajans and due to the discipline exhibited, giving everyone a feeling that they had spent their time in Prashanti Nilayam.

The journey continued to St. Thomas Virgin Islands, also known as the Land of Kailash, in Prof. Anil Kumar’s own words. Swami blessed this developing Sai center, set amidst the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean, with Prof. Anil Kumar’s unexpected visit. Needless to say, the devotees of the Virgin Islands were given the proper direction and necessary guidelines to bring about quality in every Sai activity. His enchanting talk to the devotees filled everyone with love.

There was a two week Sai-lence period for Milwaukee, where the devotees were still basking in the sun of the first satsang. Then Swami blessed the Milwaukee Sai center with yet another satsang, which was very intimate for the devotees who gathered, as they were able to interact with Mrs. and Prof. Anil Kumar in a personal manner. There was also a Question and Answer session at the end.

By this time, the news started spreading, like the California wildfires, about Prof. Anil Kumar’s visit to the USA and his satsangs. Every region in the USA started to plan on inviting Prof. Anil Kumar to their area, and thus their journey began to expand beyond Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

It was Rama-Navami time, and just as Hanuman in Kishkinda, Rochester devotees awaited the arrival of Prof. Anil Kumar! They had a wonderful Rama-Navami satsang. The following day it was the turn of devotees from Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey. They had to change the venue due to the over-whelming response from the devotees of this entire region! The day-long, electrifying satsang was attended by nearly 1000 devotees, who were excited and reinspired, and whose spirits were taken for a roller-coaster ride! At the same time, a popular TV station within the area also interviewed Prof. Anil Kumar and few devotees, and this program was subsequently aired. By this time, various Sai centers across the country were bubbling with enthusiasm and planning their schedules for Prof. Anil Kumar’s visit.

 

Next, it was the turn of Dallas, which resembled Parthi in terms of the temperature and the atmosphere. It was a day-long workshop. The theme was: “A Practical Approach to Living Swami’s Ideals in Today’s Society.†Both of the Anil Kumar’s addressed the gathering and stressed the importance of the topic and its relevance in modern living. Prof. Anil Kumar had a separate session for the youth from the region, where he brought an enthusiasm to the active young adults, bringing them up to a new level.

In Dallas, they also held a “Walk for Values†program, which attracted not only the devotees, but also the community members. The Mayor of Dallas was one of the participants, and Prof. Anil Kumar highlighted the application of values and the importance of their implementation, which could influence the budding generation for a better tomorrow. The other centers wanted to organize the same program, and interestingly Prof. Anil Kumar commented, “I would like to do this event in India too. This event is phenomenal.â€

From “Living Swami’s Ideals†in Dallas to “The Art of Self-Discovery†in Atlanta: the day-long event was something Prof. Anil Kumar kept extolling about everywhere he visited and with whomever he spoke. The quality of the youth program, in particular the music program, was commendable. Swami blessed the Atlanta Sai Center by Prof. Anil Kumar’s enthralling satsang on “The Art of Self-Discovery.â€

By this time, the youth from Region 4 and Region 7 grabbed the next opportunity. Prof. Anil Kumar addressed them via a video conference, as he could not physically be in their midst; but the program was very lively. His clarity, purposefulness and focus made the program like a live event because Prof. Anil Kumar’s explanations were all so relevant and meaningful.

Easwaramma Day was around the corner, and Seattle was blessed to host a day-long event entitled, “Sai’s Solutions for the 21st Century: A Human Values Based Approach.†Mrs. Vijayalakshmi and Prof. Anil Kumar created a dynamic interaction and a new spirit among the devotees from Washington, California, and Canada.

“The Need for Spirituality in Modern Society†was the theme of the satsang at Cleveland, Ohio. The youth panel discussion brought out some vital points on the need for spirituality in modern society, and Prof. Anil Kumar added the spiritual essence by his jovial address to the gathering.

Prof. Anil Kumar made a brief visit to Rockford, Illinois Sai center to address the devotees in and around Rockford. Prof. Anil Kumar’s satsang was attended by over 100 devotees. For many, it was a new experience and a golden opportunity.

It was nothing but Swami’s miracle that Prof. Anil Kumar could visit Chicago. There was absolutely no plan at all for it. It just so happened that Swami heard their prayers, and thus Prof. Anil Kumar made an unexpected visit. Despite the short notice, nearly 150 devotees awaited to receive Mrs. Vijayalakshmi and Prof. Anil Kumar. The program lasted about two hours, and Prof. Anil Kumar presented a classic program, certainly admired and appreciated by each and every participant. Thanks to the technology, we are happy that we could broadcast the program live on the Internet, enjoyed by viewers from Puttaparthi, Bangalore, Chicago, and other places. The program ended with vibrating bhajans, where one could see Prof. Anil Kumar dance with joy!

The use of technology continued, and the devotees of Cincinnati and Dayton held a video conference satsang with Mrs. Vijayalakshmi and Prof. Anil Kumar. Devotees from both cities could watch the program from Milwaukee and interact with Mrs. and Prof. Anil Kumar via audio and video. Prof. Anil Kumar was ecstatic to see the devotees from two different cities at the same time. The session began with Prof. Anil Kumar addressing Group 1, 2 and 3 kids, answering their questions, and then addressing the devotees. This was, followed by a Question and Answer session.

Swami says, “Love My Uncertainty.†The planning was complete for the first Sai National Youth Conference in USA, scheduled from May 29 to May31. It is certainly Swami’s blessing that Prof. Anil Kumar could extend his stay and thereby participate in and address the Youth Conference. The joy of the youth knew no bounds! The first Sai Youth Conference in USA brought around 500 youth from all over the country to Chicago. All present were bubbling with high energy! This was the icing-on-the-cake.

Last but not least, all devotees would like to thank Prof. Anil Kumar’s daughters, Mrs. Sailaja and Mrs. Sarojini and their families, for sacrificing their own family time and sharing their parents’ most valuable time with all the devotees across the USA.

We all knew that Prof. Anil Kumar had to go back to Prashanti Nilayam because of his commitments there. His presence in USA, in many cities, in many centers, giving his wonderful satsangs, was nothing but the blessings of Bhagavan. We are all blessed! At the same time, we are all looking forward to receiving him again in the near future, and we pray to Swami for that to happen.

We thank You, Swami, for sending this great couple to the USA, and we also thank Mrs. and Prof. Anil Kumar for their great contributions to all during their visit, spreading Swami’s message and glory.

Jai Sai Ram!

Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan