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With the abundant love and blessings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the 1st year anniversary of the Sri Sathya Sai Vaatsalyam and Makara Sankranthi was celebrated on the 14th and 15th of January with great spiritual fervour. Sacred vedic chants, homa and abhishekam, soul stirring instrumental and musical offerings, heartfelt speeches, and a string of new launches marked the two-day celebrations.
Over the course of two days, everyone came together with renewed motivation and prayers to reminisce and celebrate the most wonderful year that had gone by.
Sahasra Modaka Homa for the Inauguration Anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Vaatsalyam
The morning of the inauguration anniversary celebrations began with the majestic Sahasra Modaka Homa and Mahabhishekam for Sathyaatmathva Mahaganapathy. Soulful Nadaswaram music played as the preparations for the homa began.
The priests initiated the Homa with a Kalasha and Vaasthu pooja, and sisters were invited to light the divine fire for the Sahasra Modaka Homa. With divine vedic chants on Lord Ganesha including chants from the Atharvashirsha Mantra and the Ganesha Gayatri Mantra, the priests offered 1000 modakas to Sathyaatmathva Mahaganapathy.
During the homa, a vibrant and divine mahabhishekam was offered to Ganesha. Each Dravyam from milk and curd to honey and fruits, and the aromatics- turmeric, kumkuma, vibhuti and chandana, was offered with love and prayers for the welfare of the world. The homa concluded with a divine Poornahuti and Kalasha abhishekam for SathyaatmathvaMahaganapathy. Bhajans were sung as the Lord was beautifully adorned with yellow silks and colorful garlands, and prasadam was offered with reverence to Him.
Musical offering by the Geetha Sudha Ensemble
The evening of the first day of the inauguration anniversary celebrations was a treat to the ears as the Geetha Sudha ensemble offered a soulful music programme paying gratitude to Bhagawan. Beautiful Nadaswaram music and vedic chants filled the air as the evening’s programme began.
The first musical offering of the Geetha Sudha ensemble was a carnatic composition, Gam Ganapathe Namo Namo, paying salutations to lord Ganesha. The next song Namo Sathya Sai Baba was a celebration of Bhagawan’s unconditional love. An instrumental melody, Madhava Mamava was offered next, blending the flute, violin and percussion – tabla, mridangam, and ghatam. The next three musical offerings celebrated the love of three great devotees – Tamburi Meetidava by Sri Purandara Dasa, Pag Gunguroo on Meera Bai and Bramhamokate by Sri Annamacarya. The songs Kurai Ondrum Illai and qawwali Sai Bin Raha Na Jaye left everyone in bliss.
Celebrating Sankranti with new launches for the Kshema Dayini and Prema Dayini Programmes
The festivities in the morning of 15th January began grandly with the launch of the new logo for Sri Sathya Sai Vaidyalayam, the primary nerve centre for the Sri Sathya Sai Kshema Dayini. Dr Gajanan Sabhahit, Administrator, Sri Sathya Sai Vaidyalayam spoke about the inner significance of the logo. He explained that the heart and cardiogram serve as a representation of the biological heart and life, indicating the healing of the physical body. They rest on the spiritual hridaya kamalam, representing the unconditional love that all of the Foundation’s service initiatives aim to spread. Aprons with the Vaidyalayam’s new logo were then presented to all the hospital staff.
Sister Nuthana Gouda and sister Nayana Naik, lab technicians at Sri Sathya Sai Vaidyalayam, spoke about their experience over the past year at Sri Sathya Sai Vaatsalyam. Their speeches stirred everyone’s hearts as they spoke how they learnt about and experienced the love of Bhagawan through the many service offerings of the Sri Sathya Sai Premaarpitham Foundation.
A nutrition booklet, outlining the Sri Sathya Sai Prema Dayini’s weekly breakfast service for rural school children was also launched in the morning. Sister Sarada Giri, nutritionist, Sri Sathya Sai Prema Dayini and sister Vidya Keshav, Incharge, Sri Sathya Sai Svedanika offered the booklet at Bhagawan’s feet. The book details the process behind the freshly prepared nutritious breakfasts and the testimonials from teachers and student beneficiaries.
The morning’s function also included the launch of a video series, SAI- Sai Answers Internally, where Bhagawan’s teachings will be presented as simple spiritual truths – easy to comprehend and integrate – on the Foundation’s YouTube channel, Aatma Nivedanam.
The morning concluded with a prayer that we all surrender our minds and hearts to the divine, purify our thoughts, words and deeds, and dedicate every action to carry forward Bhagawan’s message of unconditional love and selfless service.
An evening of soulful music by Vidushi CS Chinmayee and group
The grand celebrations concluded with an exquisite and soulful music performance by Vidushi CS Chinmayee, Chennai-based violinist of the Lalgudi G Jayaraman school. She was accompanied by Vidwan Kaushik Sridhar on the mridangam and Vidwan Sunil Kumar on the Kanjira.
Her music captivated everyone’s hearts as she played a string of carnatic music compositions. Her offering began with the soulful varnam in ragam Nalinakanti. She then played three timeless classics of Saint Thyagaraja– JagadaanandaKaaraka, Banturiti Kolu and Rama Nee Samanamevaru. The main song of the evening was Sri Rama Saraswati, which was enriched with exquisite Swara Alaapna on the violin and Thani Avarthanam by the percussionists. The last compositions got everyone in the audience clapping along as she played Kanaka Dasa’s famous Baaro Krishnayya, the Sai bhajan Jaya Panduranga Prabhho Vittala, and her Paramaguru Lalgudi G Jayaranam’s Desh Thillana. Villagers from across Shivagiri Kshetra had come eagerly for the programme in the evening. Each song left the audience wishing for more as the instrumentalists captivated all with their divine music, making a perfect conclusion for the first inaugural anniversary celebration of Sri Sathya Sai Vaatsalyam.
The inauguration and sankranthi celebration concluded with the Mangala Arathi for Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
