DARSHAN - 23.11.2010 Y NOTICIAS DEL CUMPLEAÑOS - EL DESPERTAR SAI

from Deepak Arjandas Bharwani included below]

Tue, Nov 23, 2010: When the big day arrived there was a festive ambiance prevailing at the Sri Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium with men and women in thousands turning up occupying every inch of space in the stadium. With many Gods watching from the hill top, mortals on earth were making merry of the opportunity bestowed upon, anticipating the grand arrival of “The Lord of 85 Years.

With time ticking past inching towards the anticipated hours, there was heavy jostling of huge turnout of crowd, expected of such a mammoth festivity. Yes, the Hill View Stadium was anticipating the moment of her life to embrace The Lord and with her there were thousands upon thousands of mortals awaiting seeking to win a glance of The Lord on the auspicious day!

Earlier, in the morning when all the roads were expected to open towards the main venue, the Hill View Stadium was calm and quiet, warmly welcoming the inflow of devotees. Devotees vying for a vantage spot in the unreserved area started filing past in the early hours, well before the sun rise, and with the clock ticking away the stadium was gathering momentum.

Watch and ward sevadals coupled with senior students were in full swing action, providing guidance with reference to seating arrangement. Refreshments were given in the form of tea, coffee, snacks along with drinking water.

Proceedings began with the usual one hour Vedam at 0800 hrs. and bhajans commenced at 0900 that continued till 0945 hrs. when a group of boys took over the stage coming up with commentary in English, Telugu and Hindi. Prof. Anil Kumar as well joined the boys and the show continued up to 1030 hrs. Bhajans continued beyond 1030 hrs. till the Divine arrival.

View Photo Slideshow:

http://www.sssbpt.org/images/birthday20101.swf

Long enduring wait did not seem to be a façade any more for the awaiting audience nor the sun that turned scorching beating down the earth mercilessly did deter the assembly, for every soul present has only one intention, to win His Grace of Love!

At 1120 hrs. Prof. Anil Kumar's voice echoed the spacious stadium, announcing the imminent arrival of the Lord. With it began the minutes countdown. At 1125 hrs., when all eyes were fixed at the western end of the Hill View Stadium, there He appeared, shining in creamish-white, enthroned on the Golden Chariot! Yes, the Lord of all lords began His Birthday Journey, casting the highest benedictions. Bhagawan was ushered into the venue by Vedam group followed by the Institute Band of boys and girls.

The procession took fifteen minutes to reach the venue, Shanti Vedika. Throughout the procession, the theme song, “parithranaya sadhunam” with groundbreaking beat music rendered the air, echoing the entire stadium, with the Lord making His ‘strides’ towards the Shanti Vedika.

The Shanti Vedika resembled a royal court of yore with a silver throne awaiting the Lord at the centre. Upon reaching on stage, Bhagawan assumed the Seat of The Divine, presenting Himself to the multitudes present before Him.

A host of VIPs were also present on the stage. Hon’ble External Affairs Minister, SM Krishna, Union Ministers, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Pubjab, Shivraj Patil, Dy.CM Tamilnadu, Stallin, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Minister from Andhra Pradesh, Dr. J. Geeta Reddy, Industrialist Sri Ratan Tata were among the host of dignitaries present on the occasion.

Proceedings began with Bollywood singers of fame Hariharan, Suresh Wadkar, Shankar Mahadevan along with famous South Indian singer P. Unnikrishn and Simeet Tappu presented Birthday Anthem, singing the glory of the Lord, wishing Him “Happy Birthday”. Shankar Mahadevan presented a solo, Mahaprana Deepam, regaling with excellence, enticing the vast audience.

All India President of SSSS Organisations, Sri V. Srinivasan compeered the programme for the rest of the session. There were a host of speakers including Minister SM Krishna, Governor ESL Narasimhan, Worshipful Mayor of Chennai, Dr. Subramaniam etc.

The occasion also witnessed the launching of the much talked about Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Project, an open ended project extending modern education facilities through the medium of internet based web based tools. Sri SV Giri spoke on the subject elaborating the salient features of the project. Tata Consultancy Services that has been playing a key role in the project providing Management skills in the areas required came for reference. A short video presentation on the same followed after which Sri Ratan Tata , Chairman Tata Sons Ltd. and Sri Chandrasekhar, CEO, TCS Ltd. officially handed over the TCS Software for the project in presence of Bhagawan. The Vidya Vahini Project was subsequently launched by the Divine hands, marked by fire works as an act of merriment. An announcement followed, informing the Vidya Vahini Project is Bhagawan's 85th Birthday gift to the nation.

The occasion also witnessed launching of a dedicated 'sainetwork', a connecting link for the millions of Sai devotees. Sri Sathya Sai Digital Archival System, a mission that takes care of entire Sai related archivals, was also launched by the Divine hands. Both the projects are initiatives by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations.

'Testimonies of Gratitude' by direct recipients of His Love and Grace followed, wherein selected beneficiaries coming under various humanitarian projects initiated by Bhagawan echoed their voice in His divine presence. Covering Anantapur Water Project, East Godavari Water Project, Gujarat Earth Quake Project, Tsunami Relief Project in Tamil Nadu, Flood Relief Project in Orissa, Super Speciality Hospital Project and Medicare Mobile Hospital Project in Anantapur, six persons shared the stage speaking their hearts out in their own language, with touch of innocence.

Soon came an important announcement. Free Food was declared by Bhagawan to all the villages around Puttaparthi that are covered under the Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Medicare Project that came as a Birthday Gift from the compassionate Lord!

It was 1310 hrs. and Bhagawan accepted Mangala Arathi. Ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde, Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Former CM, Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan along with Dy. CM Tamil Nadu Stallin went to Bhagawan offering Pranams at His Lotus Feet.

At 1320 hrs. Bhagawan moved down the dais retiring for the session.

In the evening:

HILL VIEW STADIUM WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A WONDERLAND OF LOVE & LIGHT!

Heaven does not need to come down to Earth; where Lord is walking the Earth, it is verily heaven on Earth. And Prasanthi aptly holds the title; the huge turn out of multitudes, notwithstanding the possibilities of hardships expected of a carnival of this magnitude, stands a testimony to this fact! Verily Prasanthi has the highest ever turnout of devotees during the months leading unto this very day.

In a sharp contrast to the morning where scorching sun dominated the proceedings, evening was as cool as a moonlit night, with glitter n' shine all over!

Vibrant stadium was the scene of frenzy of actions with multitudes barring religious, ethnic, lingual, economic and social barriers gathered under one roof, identified as children of One God, to pay homage to the Great Teacher commemorating 85th Year of His earthly advent!

With three gigantic monumental architectural marvel shining with brilliance from the top of the hill, Gods in varied forms watching over from the hill led by Lord Hanuman, huge welcome arches shining with golden glitter, the centre-stage, the Shanti Vedika shining in golden hue filled with 'His Properties', the stadium was a sight to see - a carnival ground where Gods would ever prefer to come and watch the melee involving God waking the Earth!

Expecting Bhagawan to come out en route stadium, hundreds and thousands have gathered behind the Mandir, ever ready to steal a glance while He is passing by.

Bhagawan arrived at 1940 hrs. donned in yellow. Welcoming The Lord laser beams flashed around the stadium making dancing greenish waves all around.

As Bhagawan assumed His special throne the stage was being set for the proceedings for the evening. "Prema Pravaham" - a loving offering of musical bouquet by a bunch of talented musical boys working with varous institutions in Prasanthi was the schedule for the evening.

Seeking blessings, after a brief introduction, the session got underway with music weaving magic, love echoing in the air, singing all about Bhagawan and His mission. "Preama Pravaham" was an essay of songs portraying His Divine Love, Compassion towards humanity, structured through a series of seven songs, ably assisted by visuals, showcasing His mission in a nutshel.

As the presentation was peaking to its climax laser beams revisited the stadium again flashing all over, dancing with waves around.

All the songs, except the final one were introduced for the first time, all selected from Bhagawan's collections. The one hour show concluded with the song "Tuu Pyaar Ka Sagar Hey..." sung by the troupe en masse, with special music scoring, done with added effort. As the song progressed students sitting in the front held aloft lit lamps symbolically representing the song being rendered.

The one hour presentation came to an end at 2050 hrs. and Bhagawan asked for Mangala Arathi.

23rd Nov 2010 wanted to sign off in style, and so was the Hill View Stadium as they have earned the privilege to celebrate the mammoth festivity in His Divine presence. Pyrotechnic - the grand finale for such unique carnivals - followed as hills around the Hill View shot skyward with a barrage of pyrotechnics yielding multi-colour showers from the heavens. These were the final moments of the grand 85th year of Birthday celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam.

It was time for Bhagawan to leave. With tens and thousands watching, Bhagawan came down the dais to get into His car, moving off the stadium, bringing the curtain down for the Festival of Divine Love!

sourced:

Sathya Sai Baba Birthday Celebrations

The 85th birthday celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba commenced amidst devotees and much splendour.

23rd Nov, 2010: Thousands of people from across the country including delegates from 226 countries gathered at Puttaparthi to take part in the 85th birthday celebrations of Sathya Sai Baba in Anantapur district.

The Sai devotees made a beeline to Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium where the official celebrations would be held.

With students of the Sathya Sai Seva Trust chanting of Vedas amidst devotional music, Sai Baba came to Hill View Stadium in a golden chariot, and blessed the surging crowd, even as helicopters hovered above, showering rose petals.

The program will conclude in the evening with Prema Pravaham, a special concert by Swami's students glorifying his mission and message for humanity.

The devotees sang songs and performed bhajans praising the Baba's humanity and glorified his mission.

Meanwhile, the RTC was operating special buses to meet the huge rush of pilgrims.

The police have made tight security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident to mark the commemoration of Sai Baba's birthday.

The police erected barricades at Prashanthi Nilayam to ensure smooth passage of devotees. To regulate traffic, the police stopped vehicles 2 kilometers away from ashram.

sourced:
http://www.fullhyderabad.com/hyderabad-news/sathya-sai-baba-birthday-celebrations-begin-in-puttaparthi-2613

Thousands attend Sai Baba's birthday celebrations

Puttaparthi (Andhra Pradesh), Nov 23 (IANS) Thousands of devotees attended the 85th birthday celebrations of spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba in this pilgrim town of Anantapur district Tuesday.

Devotees from India and abroad thronged Sai Hill View stadium to seek the spiritual leader's blessings as a helicopter flying overhead showered petals on them.

Baba's birthday was celebrated on a grand scale with the authorities and the Sathya Sai Seva Trust making elaborate arrangements for the devotees.

An estimated 300,000 people attended the celebrations, which concluded with a huge congregation at Prashanti Nilayam, the abode of Baba.

The celebrations came to an end with Prema Pravaham, a special concert by students glorifying the Baba's mission and message for humanity.

Earlier, the spiritual head reached the stadium in a special car. The frail-looking Baba sat on a golden chariot, carried by his disciples. He blessed the gathering by raising his hand.

Baba then reached the stage with the help of a specially arranged lift. The devotees and students chanted vedas amidst devotional music.

Police made massive security arrangements in the town especially at Prashanti Nilayam and the stadium. The local administration also made arrangements to provide amenities to the devotees.

The trust arranged free meals for thousands of devotees at Prashanti Nilayam. Annadanam or feeding of the poor has been going on since Nov 16, when the spiritual leader's birthday celebrations started.

The transport authorities from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and other neighbouring states operated more than 800 special buses for the devotees. The railways also operated special trains from Hyderabad and coastal Andhra Pradesh to this town.

President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, governors of several states, ministers from central government and states, industrialist Ratan Tata and other prominent personalities attended various programmes organized as part of the week-long birthday celebrations.

Sathyanarayana Raju or Sathya Sai Baba was born Nov 23, 1926 at Puttaparthi. In 1940, he claimed that he is a reincarnation of God.

He became famous with his miracles but stopped performing the same in 1990s after rationalists accused him of fraud. Since then Sai Baba has been focusing only on social and charitable work.

The trust runs a state-of-the-art hospital, university and several other institutions to serve the poor.

His devotees are spread across the world and they include heads of states and governments, politicians, film and sports personalities, judges and army officials.

sourced:
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=209024

Sathya Sai Baba's 85th Birthday-At Prasanti Nilayam

By: Priya Devi R

Nov 23rd 2010, sees Sathya Sai Baba's 85th birthday celebration at Prasanti Nilayam. The Swamy who is known for His miraculous powers and adored by his devotees, has turned eighty five.

With numerous celebrations that was spread across the week, in 'Prasanthi Nilayam', in Puttaparthi for the past ten days, the climax of the week long celebrations reaches its heights at the 'Sathya Sai Hill View Stadium' on Swamy's birthday.

It can be termed as an affirmed anticipation, to find a long train of devotees, who will gather to take the blessings of Sathya Sai Baba on His 85th birthday at Prasanti Nilayam. It is also anticipatd that the President Pratibha Patil and PM Mr.Manmohan Singh would attend the celebrations.

The celebration will also see a special concert called 'Prema Pravaham', by Swamy's students, unleashing their creativity, as a mark of their contribution to the 85th birthday of Sathya Sai Baba.

The 85th birthday of Sathya Sai Baba is definitely a celebration for His devotees, for even those who may not be able to attend, will engage in poojas at home.

sourced:

http://living.oneindia.in/yoga-spirituality/sri-satya-sai-baba/2010/sathya-sai-baba-85-birthday-231110.html