Descend of an Avatar is the moment of celebration and reverence to human kind. To mark this occasion, Nepal celebrated Bhagavan’s 90th birthday in a grandeur scale. All 207 centers of Sathya Sai International Organization Nepal (SSION) plunged into deep festive mood for five days with various Devotional and Service activities. Aumkaram, Suprabhatam, Nagarsankirtan, Vedas Chanting, Lakshya Archana, Chanting of Bhagavan’s 108 names, Special Bhajans and Deepavali were conducted as Sadhana at various centres.
As for Service activities, Old Age Home Service and Cleaning up the Community Temples, distributing Sewing Machines and Foodcart to single lady for her livelihood, awareness programme, public meeting, posthumous eye donation, competition on wick making were some of the major service activities undertaken on the Ladies Day. On this day foundation stone of 34 houses for the earthquake victims in Lalitpur district was laid and 34 blankets were distributed to them. The Youth day was filled with Service activities like Blood Donation (337 pints), Tree Plantation (100) and Sweeping Roads, Dusting Public Places, etc. The major highlights of the Education day were distribution of Clothes and Stationary, Scholarships to the needy students, Bal Vikas Cultural Programs, Spiritual Quiz Contests and Service Activities in community schools. On the Service day, major events conducted were, Orphanage Service, Narayan Seva (9722 Narayans), Distribution of Clothes, Food Packets and the Blankets (2141).
On the eve of Bhagavan’s 90h birthday, concurrently at various parts of the country at a pre-fixed time, Sai Youth sprang into action distributing blankets to the shivering street dwellers in the chilling night. Altogether 410 blankets were distributed in that single night. One of the beneficiaries, after receiving blanket, remarked thus: “Oh! I was certain Sai Baba would send us blankets to protect us from frigid cold”.
An important event of the birthday celebrations in Nepal includes grand procession of chariot. Main highlights of a typical procession include display of a beautiful large size altar of Bhagavan amidst garlands of flowers on aesthetically decorated chariot. The procession is laid by a large banner followed by Veda chanting, Panche Baja (traditional musical instrument played on the auspicious occasion), bhajan singing group, and Bhagavan’s Chariot. Altogether 13,469 devotees and other people took part in the rallies organized at different Sai centers. Devotees dressed in their colorful cultural costumes displaying various folk arts, dances and songs, and a large number of devotees clad in white dress holding the play card with Bhagavan’s messages, added to the devotional exuberance of the procession. Huge crowds of spectators witnessed the grand procession with great reverence. At several places people were witnessed pouring Chandan, Akshatas (consecrated rice) and flowers on the altar of Bhagavan with great devotion. The festivity and the divine fervor marked as a gratitude to the lord who transformed our lives by his single instrument of love.