Sathya Sai Baba News: Krishnashtami At Prasanthi Nilayam

SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI - PRASANTHI NILAYAM - AUG 14th, 2009

Sathya Sai Baba News: The Sai Kulwant hall was decked for Sri Krishna Janmashtami from last evening with blue cloth decorations and a Krishna statue onstage. Bhagavan had come for darshan at 6.15 pm yesterday and had accepted Arati after more than 90 minutes of bhajans at 6.35 pm.

This morning, students from all three campuses of the University were present for darshan, along with a contingent from the institutions at Muddenahalli and Alike and a group of devotees from Maharashtra. Swami gave Janmashtami darshan clad in a yellow robe seated on the special white chair at 9.20 am.

After His darshan round, He moved to the interview room and emerged after nearly an hour to accept Arati onstage at a quarter past ten. He went to the interview room again briefly before returning to His residence in the car.



In the evening, the procession of cows from the Gokulam led by Swami's baby elephant arrived in Sai Kulwant hall at five o'clock as the bhajans began. Swami came in 15 mins later came onstage after blessing the quadrupeds during His darshan round. Krishnashtami songs were being sung as Swami gave darshan.

Once He sat onstage for a few minutes, He asked for bhajans to be sung, and prasadam was distributed. At 6.20, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.

A meeting of the "thyagajeevi"s of the institutions at Muddenahalli and Alike along with many of those working at Bhagavan's institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan was arranged over the weekend at the hall in the building adjacent to Swami's residence. This evening after bhajan, there was an orientation lecture session there after the evening bhajan for an hour.

The falling week with three consecutive holidays ensured a quite a capacity crowd in Prasanthi Nilayam. In the morning, Bhagawan came out of His Abode after 9:20, donned in Yellow Robe blessing the vast concourse of devotees filled every available space in the spacious Sai Kulwant Hall.

Adding to this chunk of devotees joined the students from the three campuses along with a contingent from the Muddenahalli and Alike institutions and a group of devotees from Aksa village Maharasthtra.

The evening proceedings began at four with regular Veda chanting for an hour followed by Bhajans. By five o’ clock, the “Gokulam Procession” of cows and other quadrupeds, led by Little Sathya Geeta arrived at the mandir joining the devotees awaiting the Lord.

As the Lord made His grand entry, Bhajans gave way to Bhajagovindam followed by other keertanams and special songs. Bhagawan, enroute, blessed the Gokulam Procession of animals and birds, a traditional affair every year during the occasion, symbolizing the Dwapara’s age old tradition derived out of Lord Krishna’s greater affinity towards the quadruped…

Bhagawan Sri Krishna’s story is all about love principle and the students, including the tiny tots from the primary school make it a point to express their greater love for the Lord in physical and this was very much evident on the auspicious evening wherein students from all campuses vied to get a Divine Glimpse, a Divine Touch, a glance from the Lord to their “handiwork” greetings marking the special occasion. Sitting onstage Bhagawan asked for Bhajans to continue for some time before calling for Mangala Arathi.

A convention of ‘Thyagajeevi’’s of Muddenahalli and Alike Institutions and Brahmachari’s of Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan institutions was held, as a prelude to the a symbosium scheduled for 15th August, at the adjacent building to Bhagawan’s residence. Mr. Narasimhamurthy, Warden, Brindavan Campus addressed the gathering of 240 evincing details of the 15th August proceedings followed by a peptalk on the greater significance of the institution of Brahmacharya.

Quoting Bhagawan, he announced that, You have made the sacred decision in your life; hold on to it; you could not have done anything better… The symposium would continue on the 15th August with a morning session followed by another session after the lunch wherein eminent speakers from the all the campuses including Muddenahalli and Alike institutions would address the aspirants.