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You are Watching Live Video Broadcast of The Annual Sports and
Cultural Meet from Prasanthi Nilayam |
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Annual Sports and Cultural Meet
2011
Day 1
&
Day 2
Report, Photos & Video
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Text & photo source - copyrights: Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust -
sssbpt.org - Radiosai.org Prasanthi Diary -
Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation - h2hsai.org . | Web layout - Photo
graphic design : saibabaofindia.com
"SBOI"
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We gratefully acknowledge the publishers
Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust & Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation |
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Tue, Jan 11, 2011:
Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2011 of SSSIHL and Sri Sathya Sai Institutions
got underway this evening at Sri Sathya Sai Vidyagiri Hill View Stadium in the
immediate presence of the Divine Chancellor. Deviating from the existing practice of single day programme,
this year's meet is conducted in the evenings alone, spreading over two days,
11th and 12th January. At the venue, in the evening, after month-long hectic
training schedules and preparations, students from all the campuses along with
staff members were ready and upbeat, welcoming the Divine Chancellor.
Bhagawan, clad in white, was ushered into the the stadium at
the stroke of 1700 hrs.; The Divine Chancellor was escorted by a host of
procession led by the Institute Band. A column of motorcyclists, Anantapur Band
and flag bearers representing various houses followed the Institute Band from
Prasanthi Nilayam escorting the Chancellor.
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Source & credits: copyrights-Sri
Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust,sssbpt.org
Picture graphic layout - Saibabaofindia.com "SBOI" |
At the Shanti Vedika Bhagawan was received by the Vice
Chancellor and representatives from all the three campuses and other educational
institutions. Upon ascending the dais, Bhagawan lit the lamp officially
inaugurating the meet. top
Even as He assumed His seat on the dais flanked by a host of
dignitaries, student representatives from various campuses along with other
institutions made a beeline unto Bhagawan greeting Him on the occasion. March-Past followed as various contingents of the three
campuses and other educational institutions marched sprightly to the tune of the
Institute Brass Band. This year, two more institutions, College of Nursing and
Allied Health Sciences, SSSIHMS, Whitefield and Smt. Easwaramma English Medium
School, Prasanthi Nilayam are also participating in the meet.
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Source & credits: copyrights-Sri
Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust,sssbpt.org
Picture graphic layout - Saibabaofindia.com "SBOI" |
The march-past was followed by the hoisting of the Institute
Flag. This was followed by administering the oath of fair participation by the
Institute Captain.
As Bhagawan lit the Games Torch, a special squad of athletes
carried the same in turns, rounding the stadium moving up to the urn at the
Hanuman Hill. Simultaneously, the mascot for the year’s meet, Multi Coloured
Tropical Parrot, moved up in the rope, finally lighting the urn atop the Hanuman
hill. Symbolising Peace and Unity, Bhagawan set free a set of three white doves
and balloons went flying in the air marking the rejoice on the occasion.
top
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enlarge |
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Source & credits: copyrights-Sri
Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust,sssbpt.org
Picture graphic layout - Saibabaofindia.com "SBOI" |
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This evening was reserved for Anantapur and Brindavan
Campuses to perform. Anantpur Campus presented a twenty minute programme titled
"Aim High Soar High". Beginning with daredevilry on Motor Bikes, they had
interesting formations coupled with exercises on the poles at heights delighting
the audience. A short presentation by the students of College of Nursing and
Allied Health Sciences, SSSIHMS, Whitefield, Bangalore followed. The nursing
students presented a thematic dance programme entitled HEALING, depicting the
art of healing. top
The final presentation was by the Brindavan Campus. Beginning
with the melodies of nascent Brindavan Band, students from the campus had
chinese martial arts, drum music, colourful dance cum floor exercises with the
theme "Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu..." to end up with a delectable display of aerial
gymnastics with the theme WE LOVE SAI. Mangala Arathi was offered at 1845 hrs. and Bhagawan retired
to Yajur Mandiram just after 1900 hrs.
Dignitaries present during the occasion included Dr. (Mrs.)
J. Geeta Reedy, Minister for Commerce, Andhra Pradesh, Palley Raghunatha Reddy,
MLA, Puttaparthi, Ms. Charu Sinha, DIG, Anantapur etc. Tomorrow's concluding session of the meet will have the tiny
tots from Primary School and Easwaramma English Medium School taking their slots
before seniors along with higher secondary children from Prasanthi Nilayam
Campus ringing the curtain down.
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Day 2 |
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Wed, Jan 12, 2011:
This evening, on the second and concluding day of the Sports and
Cultural Festival, Bhagawan arrived at the stadium at 1715 hrs. The
Divine Chancellor was accorded a rousing reception at His arrival
with the Brindavan Band along with Little Lions from Prasanthi
joining the motorbike escorters from all the three campuses.
The evening presentation was earmarked for
Primary School, Easwaramma English Medium School followed by
Prasanthi Nilayam Campus. Colourful pageantry of the little hearts from the
Primary School ruled the stadium for the next one hour with
intermissions coming in the form of little gymnasts performing
acrobatic feats on the floor and on a mounted structure. There was
dance to the tune of background music while the entire session
promised a riot of colours.
With the sundown at the eastern horizon,
floodlights turned on and the little hearts, exhibiting graceful
movements, formed into various colourful combinations often
receiving round of applause from the packed audience. Little Lions
of Prasanthi also made an impressive outing in the evening regaling
one and all. top
Easwaramma English Medium School, in its maiden
outing, made an impressive beginning with a thematic presentation
depicting man's monkey mind. Dance and formations followed to the
accompaniment of musical score. They ended the session with a
formation showing WE LOVE YOU SAI declaring loudly to Bhagawan that,
YOU ARE OUR EVERYTHING.
The final programme was by the Prasanthi Nilayam
Campus that included Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School.
Presenting a huge indigenous plaster of paris structure of Lord
Krishna, that was wheeled unto His presence, the hosts began their
display with floor gymnastics by Higher Secondary Wing. Trained by
Olympian Dimosthenis Tampakos from Greece children from Higher
Secondary exhibited great dexterity and skill flexing their muscles
showing various feats.
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Reminiscing the Unity Cup Cricket Match held in
Prasanthi in 1997 cricketing actions were brought to live with a
mock India vs. Rest of the World match. Following the higher
secondary wing, seniors continued the gymnastic feats with
perfection, once again trained by the same Dimosthenis Tampakos of
Greece. Star Wars, Angels and Devils etc. were some of
the other items that lit the stadium before Prasanthi Lions went on
prowl bringing the curtains down for the Annual Sports and Cultural
Festival 2011.
Bhagawan accepted Mangala Arathi at 1910 hrs. and
returned to Yajur Mandiram just after 1930 hrs.
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Text & photo source - copyrights: Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust -
sssbpt.org - Radiosai.org Prasanthi Diary -
Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation - h2hsai.org . | Web layout - Photo
graphic design : saibabaofindia.com
"SBOI"
| -
We gratefully acknowledge the publishers
Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust & Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation |
|
Report
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ANNUAL SPORTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL 2011 - Day 1 & Day 2
Day 1
The Annual Sports and Cultural Festival occupies a prominent place
in the calendar of events of the students’ curriculum in the
hallowed Sri Sathya Sai Educational institutions. Students from
colleges and schools and people from far and near come in large
numbers to witness this grand spectacle of the students. This event
is entirely organised and choreographed by the students and staff of
the educational institutions. Showcasing of sports events is usually
done on the 11th of every year with dramatic presentations on
succeeding days and ends with the prize distribution function on the
Sankranti festival. This year the sports events will be spanned over
a period of two days and would be an evening affair. On the 11th
evening, all the campuses marched sprightly to lilting tunes of the
Institute’s brass band followed by an exhibition of daredevilry and
rhythm by the Anantapur and Brindavan campuses with a short
programme by the students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Medical Sciences, College of Nursing & Allied Health Sciences. This
was the maiden performance by the College of Nursing students.
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Bhagawan arrived at the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium at 5 p.m.
in an immaculate white robe through the northern end of the stadium
overlooking the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School. A motorbike escort of
students drove in regally welcoming Bhagawan into the stadium. The
Anantapur campus band, slow march squad bearing flags and the
Institute brass band formed part of this grand procession. After
Bhagawan ascended the dais, He lighted the ceremonial lamp to mark
the beginning of the proceedings. At the outset, more than 1,600
students from Bhagawan’s educational institutions marched past the
dais saluting Bhagawan. The first contingent was the tiny tots from
Sri Sathya Sai Primary School followed by Smt. Easwaramma High
School – English Medium (again a first performance by the school),
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus, Sri
Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (College of Nursing
and Allied Health Sciences), Sri Sathya Sai Junior College for
Women, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Sri Sathya
Sai Mirpuri College of Music, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning, Brindavan Campus and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus. The Revered Chancellor of the
Institute, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba then hoisted the Institute
flag and the Institute Captain administered the oath to take part in
the sports events in the Annual Sports and Cultural Festival in the
true spirit of sportsmanship, for the honour of the country and the
glory of Mother Sai. After the ceremonial lighting of the sports
torch by Bhagawan, the athletes of the Institute in pairs carried
the torch aloft to a point in the hill near the Chaitanya Jyoti
museum from where the torch-bearer of the sports meet, a tropical
multicoloured parrot took it to its destination, an urn at the
Hanuman hilltop. The urn was lit to a thunderous applause from the
audience. Bhagawan released doves symbolising peace as bunches of
balloons soared in the sky. The Anantapur Campus band and the
Institute Brass Band marched past the dais saluting Bhagawan. This
marked the conclusion of the march past event.
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The evening’s sports performance began with the sports and cultural
events by the Anantapur campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning. The first item was showcasing of stunts on Apache 160 RTR
motorbikes. The presentation was christened “Aim High, Soar High”.
The feats included crisscrossing on bikes, balancing acts – some of
them were truly stunning. An awe-inspiring stunt was jumping across
girls lying on the ground after getting the elevation from a ramp,
and smashing an obstacle with consummate ease. After the bike stunts
was a cultural event featuring different formations with colourful
bands of cloth.
The next presentation was Yogasanas on a structure designed like a
ship. Students performed various postures on the ship’s mast. The
formations and balancing acts were eye-catching and inspiring. The
theme of this presentation was “Sai is the anchor, Sai is the
lighthouse and Sai is the destination”. The last item, “Imagination
is the highest kite” was an innovative performance with kites.
Sankranti is the season for kite flying. Taking this cue, the
students made formations with kites. After this, the students
converged for the final formation releasing colourful balloons.
The next presentation was a short one from the students of Sri
Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (College of Nursing
and Allied Health Sciences). Dressed as nurses, they brought out the
nobility of the nursing profession through various formations and
dances.
The last presentation for the evening was from the students of
Brindavan Campus. The first performance was from the brass band of
the campus, which played a few pieces. The next item was a dance
with balance and dexterity – the flavour and fragrance of Lord
Jagannath of Puri. A beautiful backdrop of a peacock in full bloom
with lights was an added attraction. They made various yogic
postures and beautiful balances, one on the other. Dragon dance in
typical Chinese style was performed by the students which gave the
aura of the Chinese ambience. This performance was marked by rhythm
and harmony on huge drums. A discerning viewer got a feel of the
Chinese culture with martial artistes performing with the ferocity
of a tiger. Shifting over to the ancient Indian style of martial
arts, students showed combat formations and styles with swords and
sticks followed by a demonstration of actual combat with sticks and
swords.
The last performance for the evening was on a huge suspended
structure. Students made beautiful formations beginning with 85
Years of Love. It was a treat to watch students joining each other’s
legs and hands to make these formations. Calling themselves aerial
acrobats, these messengers of love performed with skill, dexterity
and balance. Their feats ended with the beautiful formation, “We
Love You Sai – Yours Forever”. Arathi was offered to Bhagawan at
6.45 p.m. Thus ended, the first day of Sports and Cultural Festival
of the Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions.
The second day’s performance will be by the students from Bhagawan’s
educational institutions in Prasanthi Nilayam including the
institute, the higher secondary school, the primary school and the
new entrant Smt. Easwaramma English Medium High School.
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ANNUAL SPORTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL 2011 - Day 2
The second day of the Sports Festival belonged to the students of
Prasanthi Nilayam. It was a carnival of colour from the students of
Sri Sathya Sai Primary School and Easwaramma High School while the
students of Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and Sri Sathya
Sai Institute of Higher Learning presented a programme of gymnastics
and roller skating with interludes of dances with lights.
On this evening, Bhagawan came to Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium
at 1715 hrs. preceded by a motorbike escort squad. The procession
also had the pageantry of lion dance from the Institute, dragon
dance from the Primary School and the brass band of Brindavan
students. The first to perform in this session were the students
from Sri Sathya Sai Primary School. “Universe is a Divine Play in
His Safe Hands” was the backdrop for their programme.
It conveyed that Bhagawan’s outstretched, all-embracing hands
were protecting the universe. As in the previous years, there was a
riot of colours in the performance of Sri Sathya Sai Primary School
with a mix of gymnastics. The first presentation was a dance by the
students from the girls section to a song which conveyed that they
are unable to comprehend what merit they have done in their previous
birth to be in the Divine Presence, to have the invaluable Darshan
of the Lord in human form.
The next performance was floor exercises typically performed by
gymnasts. The students somersaulted and crossed human hurdles after
getting elevation from a ramp. Gymnastic feats on a structure was
their next performance. The balancing acts performed head downwards,
one holding the other and Dhanur Asana (Asana in the pattern of a
bow) were performed with dexterity and skill. There was also a
display of dragon dance and lion dance.
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Girls dressed as Gopikas with Lord Krishna in their midst was the
next performance. This dance transported the audience to the Vraj
Brindavan days of Dwapara. A colourful dance with kites by the tiny
tots, a Kavadi dance – traditionally performed by Lord Muruga
devotees in Tamil Nadu and a peacock dance by the tiny tots won the
hearts of the audience. A dance by girls with flowers arranged in a
semicircular pattern; the speciality of this dance was the colours
of flowers kept changing in a trice just by swaying to and fro. This
spectacle won the plaudits of the audience. With this performance,
the presentation of Primary School students came to a close. All the
students converged for the final formation with placards displaying
“We are Yours”.
Smt. Easwaramma English Medium School, the new entrant to this
Sports and Cultural Festival, gave a good account of themselves with
a short performance of dances and floor exercises choreographed to
perfection. They ended the session with a formation showing WE LOVE
YOU SAI declaring loudly to Bhagawan that, YOU ARE OUR EVERYTHING.
The last performance for the evening session was the students from
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Sri Sathya Sai Higher
Secondary School and Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music. At the
outset, a few students wheeled in a huge monolith idol of Lord
Krishna playing flute towards the dais for their Lord to see and
behold the efforts they had put in over a number of days to create
this masterpiece.
The performances of the Prasanthi Nilayam students was a healthy mix
of sinew and skill. The first item was gymnastics on vaulting horse,
parallel bars and balancing acts on a structure. All these were done
with agility, dexterity and skill. Events like parallel bars and
vaulting horse require a lot of practice to perform even by
professionals. The students exhibited these skills quite adeptly.
Roller skating, another event displayed by the students exhibited
their raw power. The speed of skaters moving in tandem, crossing
hurdles, ramp jump over six students, jumping over a wall and
jumping over a wall of fire is worth mentioning here.
top
Unity Cup 2011, an exhibition of cricket strokes and catching skills
was the next presentation. One may recall a cricket match was
conducted at Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium in the year 1997 and
Unity Cup was presented to the then captain of Indian cricket team
Sachin Tendulkar. Cricketers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan and England participated in the match. The students on this
occasion made an attempt to bring back those memories with a live
cricket match between India and the Rest of the World which ended in
a tie. There was also a live practice session with the bowling
machine delivering balls at 200 km/hr.
The next item was a display of harmony in lights, titled ‘star
wars’. Students made various formations like the wave formation with
wands of light. The final item of the Prasanth Nilayam campus was
lion dance by the Prasanthi Lions. The lions danced gleefully
glittering with lights making the grand stand balancing on one leg
and climbing a structure with ease to the delight of everyone.
All the students converged for the final formation. A display of
fireworks followed. Arati was offered to Bhagawan at 1910 hrs. Thus
ended the Annual Sports and Cultural Festival of Sri Sathya Sai
Educational Institutions at Prasanthi Nilayam. |
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VALEDICTORY FUNCTION OF THE
SPORTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL -
15th Jan.2011
After two days of Annual Sporting and Cultural extravaganza,
Prasanthi witnessed the valedictory function honouring the heroics
of students, on the 15th January evening in the immediate Divine
presence of Bhagawan.
In the evening, Sai Kulwant Hall, the venue, had colour and glitter
around, reflecting the celebrating mood of the twin occasion, the
valedictory function and the auspicious Makara Sankranthi. Weekend
ensured a capacity audience and additional venue, Poornachandra
Auditorium, had its shutters up for the devotees.
In the evening, emerging at the stroke of 1800 hrs., Bhagawan went
straight into the Poornachandra Auditorium to bless the convergence
before coming into the Sai Kulwant Hall. Entering into the Sai
Kulwant Hall at 1820 hrs., Bhagawan's caravan had the Institute Band
and Flag Bearing Squad, preceding Him, marching gracefully escorting
The Chancellor.
The dais in the Sai Kulwant wore a special decorative costume,
adorned with trophies and shields on both sides, meant for
distribution. As Bhagawan arrived on the dais, He blessed the
trophies and shields before lighting the lamp on the stage
sanctifying the occasion.
Proceedings began with Sri Sanjay Sahni, Principal, Brindavan Campus
of SSSIHL addressing the gathering , introducing the occasion to the
audience. Sun's northward journey is an occasion to remind man of
His Godward journey, said the speaker greeting one and all on the
auspicious occasion. Referring to the symbolic incident in
Shankaracharya’s life, wherein little shankara was caught by a
crocodile compelling his mother to allow him to pursue the line of a
renunciate, the speaker said man should disentangle himself from
worldly entanglements by turning his vision inward and the easiest
way to achieve this is to dedicate each and every action unto God,
and thus the significance of Sports and Cultural Festival.
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In Prasanthi, education ensures a balanced, integrated personality.
Referring to a question by the NAAC team of the UGC that visited the
Institute sometime last year, as to why can’t we develop national
sports champions, he said, the thrust is not to produce sporting
heroes, but is to bring out personalities with developed body, mind
and spirit. More than anything else what takes precedence is the
feeling with which every student is performing his or her task,
offering everything unto Him to make Him happy. Sri Sahni concluded
his speech offering gratitude to Bhagawan reiterating that Bhagawan
alone has been our inspiration.
The second speaker for the occasion was Ms. Suma Rao, a former
student with double post graduation, erstwhile all-rounder gold
medallist, currently a faculty in the Dept. of Commerce at Anantapur
Campus, pursuing Doctoral Research in “Women Executives in Corporate
India”.
Highlighting the speciality of Sathya Sai Educational System, that
according to the speaker brings out the 'soul quality', Ms. Suma
narrated some interesting instances, giving a micro view with her
observations on the entire exercise called Sports Festival.
Basic tenet of Sathya Sai Education is that Education is for life
and not for a living. Education with Bhagawan often helps to bring
the spiritual quality of the soul to surface. Life on the other hand
finds its true meaning with sacrifice and self-giving. With
spiritual qualities surface, Godly or Spiritual life is no more a
choice, but an inevitable happening, said the speaker stressing that
sporting preparations and presentations help us to bring the
‘soul-quality’ out.
Sports is all about physical courage; courage in Sai students’
parlance is neither absence of fear nor a complete ‘self-belief’,
but something special and that is the belief that GOD IS THERE FOR
ME, which adds a new dimension. Children when get hurt during their
preparations are eager and concerned to get fit soon to participate
in the events and this indicates the positive trend of shifting
focus unto God. The speaker, a veteran of over twenty-sports
festivals reasserted her own experience over the years, she claims
to have learnt and re-learnt after every sporting festival, that
‘God alone is the doer and we are mere instruments’. God’s Grace
acts as a catalyst.
The Sports Festival is fully saturated with God's Love where it gets
value, worth and meaning, asserted the speaker. Concluding her
insightful speech Ms. Suma chose offer a prayer against thanking
Him, as the speaker was taught by Bhagawan Himself not to thank God
who is our own.
…You are The One Love that lasts through life and transforms living
…You are The Essence of everything, the substance of being,
Can there be any worth without you? So, how does one deserve You?
When You come, virtues come with You!
So, Lord! Storm into our hearts, storm into our homes to be the
essence of our lives…come Please Lord, please come", concluded the
speaker.
Prize distribution for the participating institutions followed next.
As the names were announced, representatives from various
institutions, namely, Sri Sathya Sai Primary School, SSSIHL -
Brindavan Campus, Mirpuri College of Music, SSSIHL - Anantapur
Campus, SSSIHL - Prasanthi Nilayam Campus, Sri Sathya Sai Higher
Secondary School - Prasanthi Nilayam, all came in the order to
receive trophies from the Divine hands. Subsequently Bhagawan
blessed certificates and medals to be distributed among the winners
from all the institutions.
Conveying His immense blessings, Bhagawan asked Sri Sanjay Sahni to
announce that He felt immense joy at the performance of the students
during the festival. Special mention was made on the drama
presentation held on 13th Jan evening.
Special benedictions were sent to the Muddenahalli Campus and Smt.
Easwaramma English Medium School along with College of Nursing and
Allied Health Sciences, SSSIHMS, Whitefield, Bangalore and Sri
Sathya Sai Junior College, Anantapur. As Bhagawan sat on the stage,
there was a flurry of greetings from students related to the Sports
theme. Bhagawan blessed all of them.
Blessed Prasadam was distributed to the entire assemblage. As the
distribution went on Institute Band played some soulful tunes that
included bhajans.
Bhagawan accepted Mangala Arathi at 1950 hrs. and retired to Yajur
Mandiram at 2000 hrs. As His car slowly moved past, Institute Band
and Flag Bearing Squad joined Him forming the caravan.
top |
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Text & photo source - copyrights: Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust -
sssbpt.org - Radiosai.org Prasanthi Diary -
Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation - h2hsai.org . | Web layout - Photo
graphic design : saibabaofindia.com
"SBOI"
| -
We gratefully acknowledge the publishers
Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust & Sri Sathya Sai Media Foundation |
|
|
