National President's Welcome |
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Sai Ram dear devotees
I pray that you and your families are all keeping safe and well.
The month of July started with Guru Poornima celebrations across the country. This is a sacred day when we pay homage and gratitude to our beloved Guru Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Your true guru is God alone. He is the only one who can dispel the darkness of ignorance and light the lamp of wisdom.
It is also a day when we reflect upon the profound teachings imparted by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and strive to incorporate these teachings into our daily lives, so we are able to recognise the divinity inherent within us.
I, amongst several devotees from the UK, was fortunate enough to be celebrating Guru Poornima in Prasanthi Nilayam – the Abode of Supreme Peace. It was truly a wonderful and blissful experience as it was followed by the Sri Sathya Sai Global Council’s Centre Leaders Conference. The day’s events included the graduation ceremony for the many Young Adults who had successfully completed the Young Adult Leadership programme. I am proud to say that nine of our Young Adults were part of the programme. More details about the Conference are to be found below.
We now look forward to our forthcoming pilgrimage and we are grateful to Swami for this wonderful opportunity. We have around 300 devotees who have registered for the pilgrimage. We have our final prayer meeting on Saturday 15th July which is open to all devotees. Please kindly ensure you register to attend the meeting.
My sincere prayers to Swami to shower His Grace upon one and all.
Lovingly In Sai Service
Pratap Thakkar
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Final National meeting before pilgrimage |
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UK National Pilgrimage update |
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We are looking forward to welcoming you
all to the final face-to-face National Pilgrimage Meeting which will be taking
place on Saturday 15th July at Oxhey Wood Primary School from
10.30am to 3.30pm. This
will primarily be a prayer meeting consisting mainly of Vedam and bhajans, but
there will also be a final Q&A and a talk.
In addition to the above, there will be
some important information that we will be sharing and therefore attendance is mandatory for all pilgrims, especially as this will be our final meeting. It is important that all members of a family participating in the pilgrimage attend the meeting.
The prayer meeting is open to all (including those not participating in the pilgrimage); however we ask all those attending to register for this meeting
by completing the Google form via the link below, so that we also have information for
catering.
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Popular event returns this September |
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Sai Smaran 2023 |
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The Scriptures lay down Bhajan (group devotional singing), Naamasmaran (remembering God's Name) and Sankeertan (devotional music) as the Saadhanas (spiritual practices) of this Age. Bhajan is the process of singing your prayers to God, praising His glory and compassion, and pleading that He may fill you with His Grace.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 11, Ch. 37
With the Grace of Bhagawan, we are delighted that we will once again be holding this wonderful event of singing His Divine Name at Sai Smaran bhajans. A day filled by singing, listening, remembering and contemplating on His Glory and Majesty.
Let us all join together on Saturday 2nd September with family and friends in Watford, to share the joy of offering our deep gratitude and love in the form of bhajans (devotional singing) to our Beloved Bhagawan, so that we are all recipients of His Love and Blessings.
- Date: Saturday 2nd September
- Time: 10am - 4pm
- Venue: Oxhey Wood Primary School, South Oxhey, WD19 7SL
If you wish to sing (and are a regular lead bhajan singer at your Centre or Group) or play an instrument at this year’s Sai Smaran, please submit your recordings by 12th August to your Regional Spiritual Coordinator, who will collate and pass on the recordings to the Sai Smaran team. Please note that submission of recordings does not automatically mean that the singer/musician will be selected.
For singers, please submit 2-3 bhajans with only the sound of the pitch in the background. If you are an instrumentalist, please send a recording from a live session you have played at.
We look forward to seeing you on the day.
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Vibrant worldwide gathering attended by UK delegates |
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Global Centre Leaders Conference |
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The Centre Leaders Conference on 4th and 5th July was well-attended by devotees from across the globe including the UK. The event was meticulously organised, and the first day started with a global flag procession with devotees representing their home countries.
Following the morning prayers, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the newly built Sai Hira Convention Centre. During his address, PM Modi emphasised that the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre would serve as a hub for spiritual conferences and academic programmes. He further expressed his hope that this Centre would contribute to the empowerment and enlightenment of the youth of the nation.
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Various workshops were also held for all the delegates on key topics. The week ended with a networking event, for which each zone had displays on the various activities undertaken by devotees from each of the countries within it. This event provided a fantastic opportunity to interact with devotees from various parts of the world, and one where we could learn from each other and share ideas as to how we can further develop the Organisation for the benefit of our devotees.
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Continuing the series of articles by UK Young Adults |
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The spirit of service |
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For the welfare of the country and of the entire world, the spirit of service, vital enthusiasm, constructive imagination, pure motivation, and unselfish alertness are all needed urgently.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 15, Ch. 31, 19 November 1981
The purpose of the Young Adults Wing is to serve the whole Organisation whilst supporting the spiritual journey of the next generation. Thus, it is the duty of the Young Adults to be of service, not only to their fellow brothers and sisters across the nation, but also to the world from which they merely borrow. This series of articles captures a snippet of the service activities supported by Young Adults across the United Kingdom, in the hope of inspiring others.
In this month's issue, we hear from Sister Sravika Nadella from Region 6.
For the progress of humanity, work alone is not adequate, but work should be associated with love, compassion, right conduct, truthfulness and sympathy. Without the above qualities, selfless service cannot be performed.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Swami alerts us that service should be performed with these qualities. Be it giving food to the needy on the streets; helping the needy in every possible way; feeding the birds and animals; or simply cooking and serving to our family members at home; all acts of service are a way of serving the Divine Himself, as He resides in every living being and in everything around us. In my daily life, I constantly try to live by this message of selfless service.
Food Bank Seva
Food bank seva involves sorting and serving fruits, vegetables, canned food, cereals, pastas, many other provisions including body wash, shampoos and sanitary napkins, to about 170 Narayanas, once every two weeks.
Since my childhood, I have somehow been convinced that Swami is more pleased with Narayana Seva and that naturally made me crave it more. Being an active participant of Narayana Seva back in my home country, India, I have felt a void from not being able to be part of it since coming to the UK. I had heard about food bank seva and Strand seva (feeding the homeless in Central London), but somehow was not able to be involved in these activities. For a while, I was asking for an opportunity to serve and suddenly, the other day, there was a message on a WhatsApp group chat asking for volunteers to sort food bank items the following day at Burnt Oak community centre. I immediately contacted the organiser and hurriedly made my way to the venue, feeling the divine vibrations as soon as I entered the warehouse there.
At the venue, a bustling atmosphere awaited me, offering opportunities to sort various food items into crates. Fruits, vegetables, tea bags, and general groceries needed meticulous organisation. Besides, we were aware that Swami appreciates quality and not quantity and were carefully binning any spoiled or rotten vegetables and other essentials. Simultaneously, crates were being loaded, packed ones unloaded, and the sorting process repeated. To immerse myself in Swami's divine presence, I played the Gayatri Mantra on my phone, allowing the sacred chants to guide and uplift my spirit. Under the guidance of sevadal aunties, I was engaged in my assigned tasks effortlessly.
As the food bank seva drew to a close, an auntie approached me with joyful news. She informed me that the following day, there would be distribution of those groceries and essentials to the homeless and other disadvantaged individuals, and that I could be a part of that seva too. My heart overflowed with happiness and gratitude, as I eagerly anticipated it.
Thursday arrived, and with enthusiasm and love in my heart, I joined the team in setting up the food stations as instructed. This service involved distributing the sorted food items to those in need. It was a unique experience for me, as I had primarily been involved in serving cooked meals back in my home country. Positioned near the vegetable food section, I took joy in handing over fresh produce to the Narayanas, carefully placing them in their bags, while being cautious of the quantity and quality of prasadam being served. There were Narayanas from all backgrounds and religions. With a constant smile on my face, I got immersed in serving, thinking about Swami and completely without any other thoughts.
Swami reminds us, You have no reason to feel proud when you are able to help another, for, your skill or wealth or strength or courage or official position that gave you the chance to serve was the gift of God - whether you recognise it or not. You are only offering this God's gift to another God's gift, namely the poor, the illiterate, the weak, the diseased, the grieving, the broken-hearted, who seek your help. (Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 10, Ch. 35, 22 November 1970)
I am filled with immense gratitude to Swami for granting me this opportunity to serve and find a sense of completeness. I pray that He continues to guide me on this path of selfless service, and keep giving me opportunities to render service on a regular basis.
"Love all, Serve all; Help ever, Hurt never." May these teachings of Swami inspire us to serve with selflessness, love, and compassion, recognising the divine presence in every soul we encounter. Through prayer, dedication, and an open heart, we can embrace the divine call to selfless service, making a meaningful impact on the lives of others and nurturing the divine within ourselves.
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Region 1 (London South East & South West)
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On 24th June, I was lucky enough to help in the Region 1 annual Sports and Family Values Day, held at Malmesbury School (Wimbledon Sai Centre). This included an obstacle race, sprinting and many more events, with over 120 people attending this event and all the regional Centres coming together for some great fun outside. There were a lot of fun carnival activities and face-painting for all ages. After lunch, there were family activities such as musical chairs, the tug of love, football, and cricket. Each event was fun and competitive, and I enjoyed every minute. I loved being a part of the team and working together to score goals and runs. Overall, it was a fantastic day with sportsmanship, teamwork, and fun. We ended the day with children discussing their experiences over the day and the certificate ceremony. I can't wait to do it again next year! (From a R1 Young Adult)
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The Region 1 Guru Poornima celebrations on 2nd July were lovingly hosted by Bromley Sai Centre. The opening prayers, welcome speech and lighting of the lamp reminded us of the significance of Guru Poornima and dispelling the darkness by illuminating our hearts and minds with light. The theme continued with the Bal Vikas play, 'Bhasmasura 2.0'; with a modern twist the play was both warm, funny and so engaging with the audience. Next came the compères with a ‘Guru Poornima Quiz’ which we all passed with good marks!
This was followed by our guest speaker, Brother Sai Siranjeevi, a former student of Swami. Fondly known as ‘Salem Boy’ by Swami, Brother Sai shared his personal experiences with great enthusiasm. He reminded us that Swami will reach you either through dreams or in reality; He is always there, the Eternal Friend & Mother.
The programme continued with a Qawali that was shaped into its final version by Swami Himself, Sai Bin Rahaa Na Jaye. (There is no life without Swami). Its message is, whenever you feel a lack of love or emptiness in your heart, do not despair: just look within and you will find Sai there. The music continued with Region 1 Young Adults, who filled the hall with beautiful bhajans.
After the vote of thanks, Aarti was offered at our Lord's lotus feet, followed by Maha Prashadam. A beautiful event, full of Love and Light. Thank you Swami.
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Tooting Sai Centre hosted a party for Age Link on 18th June. All the guests had a great time as well as the the volunteers and children who helped entertain everyone.
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Tooting Sai Centre served 71 meals, fruit bags and water to the homes on 24th June.
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Region 2 (London North West and nearby Home Counties)
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Bal Vikas (SSE) students from Slough Sai Centre led a service activity to collect aid for the people in Ukraine and Moldova, as an offering to Swami for Guru Poornima. They were able to reach out to devotees and friends within their community and managed to collect a substantial amount of aid for the people in need. All of these contributions will be donated to the people in Ukraine and Moldova through Region 2's external charity partner.
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Alperton Sai Centre celebrated Guru Poornima on Saturday 1st July with Paduka Pooja. All elderly members sang Guru bhajans.
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Slough Sai Centre had their Guru Poornima celebrations on Sunday 2nd July. The event started with opening prayers followed by Vedic chanting and then devotees had the opportunity to perform pooja to Swami's Padukas and/or photos. It was an opportunity for all the devotees to rededicate themselves to living the teachings of Swami every day. Our Bal Vikas children had the opportunity to honour and felicitate their gurus and seek their blessings after the pooja. The Aarti was performed by our Bal Vikas Gurus.
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Harrow West Sai Centre celebrated Guru Poornima on 2nd July which included Nagar Sankirtan, Paduka Pooja, a devotional offering by Bal Vikas children and a garland of melodious bhajans in admiration of our supreme Guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Delicious Mahaprashad was served at the end of the programme, which was enjoyed by all devotees.
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With the grace of Swami, on 2nd July Harrow East Sai Centre came together to celebrate Guru Poornima. The programme began with an uplifting round of Nagarsankeertan. We continued this Namasmarana with a laksharchan and bhajans. The programme was concluded by a speech by Brother Sudhir Shetty, who spoke about overcoming suffering through the four Fs: “Follow the master, Face the devil, Fight to the end, Finish the race.” He spoke about how we have to keep our likes and dislikes to one side in order to be able to follow the master. Detachment will help us to face the devil. We can fight to the end through sadhana, which is a continuous process to help us overcome the ups and downs of life and experience steadiness and equanimity. He reminded us that we should be “full-time devotees”, constantly chanting the Lord’s name. Our thanks to our dear Swami for allowing this programme to take place and to the congregation for helping it all come together smoothly for all to enjoy.
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Region 3 (London North, East & Central and nearby Home Counties)
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On Saturday 1st July, around 200 devotees from around Region 3 converged upon Mulberry Academy in Wood Green for Guru Poornima celebrations. Edmonton Sai Centre were our hosts for the day, who reverentially assembled a beautiful altar. Supported by Bal Vikas gurus, children from around the region performed an array of offerings from a beautiful dance, video presentations, songs and a speech. Attendees were also given the opportunity to worship the Feet of our Dear Lord in the form of Paduka Pooja, led by Prof. Vickneswaran. Then our guest speaker, Sister Christine, told us the enchanting story of how Swami beckoned her onto this Sai path, despite His having already transcended the physical form. Bhajans from every centre formed our conclusive offering at the end. Needless to say, our dedicated Service team ensured we enjoyed a wonderful tea break and a delectable takeaway meal at the end. We are ever grateful to our Guru for allowing us the time and resources to assemble together and for being the inner guiding light in our lives.
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On Sunday 7th May, Central London Sai Centre celebrated both Easwaramma Day and Buddha Jayanti. Glorious bhajans with full devotion and energy were sung, with around 35 devotees present. A loving photo of Easwaramma was placed, and the Thought of the Day read to celebrate Mother Easwaramma. To conclude, there was a special talk by Sister Christine on the teachings of Buddha. The YouTube link is here: https://www.youtube.com/live/G...
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On Sunday 11th June, we had a bhajan workshop at Thurrock Sai Centre, whereby we were reminded
of the guidelines and the practices that are necessary
to sing bhajans as advised by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai
Baba. It was delivered by our
bhajan coordinator Sister Amrita and our Young Adult Sisters Ayesha
and Anisha, followed by an offering of bhajans. We were lovingly
reminded about the emphasis on bhajan singing from the
Raag (melody), Taal (rhythm) and Bhava (feeling) points
of view. Swami has emphasised repeatedly these all need to
be in harmony with each other to render
a beautiful bhajan. We should continue practising not just until we get it
right but until we cannot get the bhajan wrong. We
were reminded that we must continue to practise until we reach a point
where we are no longer concentrating on keeping to the raag (melody) and remembering the next line of the
bhajan, but are wholeheartedly pouring our love to Swami
through our rendition of the bhajan.
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Cambridge Sai Centre celebrated Guru Poornima on
Saturday 1st July at Mayfield Primary School in Cambridge. It was attended by
23 devotees, some travelling from as far as Norwich City! The programme consisted of Vedam, Narayana Upanishad, multi-faith prayers, Guru bhajans and
Aarti performed by Bal Vikas children. Swami's presence and divine vibrations
filled the room!
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Bedford Sai Centre celebrated Guru Poornima with prayers discussions and bhajans followed by Maha Prashad. There were 17 devotees in attendance, including a 3-week-old baby, who was presented to Swami's feet. The baby was appropriately named Maya.
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On 5th June, Leicester Central Sai Centre organised a free eye check clinic for the homeless at The Bridge Homelessness to Hope charity in Leicester. With the assistance of a team comprising 5 optometrists, 3 dispensing opticians, 8 general volunteers, and The Bridge staff, the clinic successfully operated from 9.30am to 2.30pm, serving a total of 30 guests, and 24 of them required new spectacles to improve their vision.
These guests were provided with a selection of frames from which to choose, and the frames were sent for prescription lens fitting. The team plans to return in a few weeks to fit the frames and make necessary adjustments. The eye checks, spectacles, and the services provided by the eye care professionals and volunteers, who were mostly from Specsavers, were all given free of charge. Homeless individuals often encounter significant barriers to accessing healthcare, making such clinics crucial in addressing the specific eye care needs of this vulnerable section of our community.
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On Sunday 18th June, Father’s Day was celebrated at Leicester Central Sai Centre. The programme consisted of various activities and the event began with soulful bhajans performed by Bal Vikas children, parents, and Gurus. Following this, there was a presentation by the Group 3 Year 2 Bal Vikas children. Attendees also had the opportunity to watch a video message from Baba. To celebrate Father's Day, the children offered heartfelt gifts to their fathers and grandfathers. The event continued with enjoyable sports activities for everyone to participate in, and light refreshments were served afterwards.
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On Sunday 25th June, a ‘Back To Basics: Using a Mobile Phone’ workshop was held for all devotees by Leicester Central Sai Centre. The aim of the workshop was to help devotees with any issue that had with their devices, to learn something and to share our technical know-how with each other.
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Region 5 (North England and Northern Ireland)
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On 17th June, all the Bal Vikas children of Leeds Sai Centre got together for a Bal Vikas Workshop day. The day began with 3 Omkars and shloka chanting. The students were then divided into 3 groups based on their ages for a day of activities. Group 1 were our nursery kids, who spent the morning playing games, doing beautiful colouring of various Gods and listening to lots of stories. Group 2 started with a word search puzzle and followed with a story-building activity, where they build a story from scratch from a skeleton theme. The Group 3 children were given various themes to discuss like Ambition vs Obsession, coming up with pros and cons for each topic and which they would pick and why. After lunch, the kids worked within their groups and came up with their presentations. All the parents then joined later in the afternoon and were given a presentation from each group summarizing their activities and learnings for the day. The day came to a close with Aarti offered to Swami by all the children and Gurus. The session was an eye opener for the parents as to how wonderfully Bal Vikas transforms the thinking process and moulds children into the wonderful people they are.
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Greater Manchester Sai Centre marked the auspicious day of Guru Poornima by holding special bhajans over and above our monthly schedule. We were blessed with over 40 devotees who attended on this holy day, and included devotees who had moved out of the area. This made it truly feel like a Sai family reunion, not to mention the uplifting bhajans sung to glorify our Guru and Bhagawan, Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
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Guru Poornima was celebrated by Leeds Sai Centre on Sunday 2nd July. The event commenced with Gayatri Mantra and Mantra Pushpam. This was followed by rice and floral archana to Baba’s Paduka, accompanied by chanting of the Sri Sathya Sai Ashotram (108 names). Everyone joined in singing the Guru Paduka Stotram, followed by Baba’s divine discourse beautifully elucidating who is a true guru. Guru bhajans were then offered by the devotees with the programme coming to a close with Aarti being offered to Swami.
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Urmilaben Patel held the first Bolton Sai Centre bhajans on 1st January 1972, having been directly instructed to do so by Bhagawan on 29th November 1971. The Sai Centre grew from strength to strength, and over the last 50 years has hosted numerous celebrations, including national programmes in its early days; seen hundreds of Bal Vikas children and held the first Bal Vikas camp; and provided a variety of seva activities to the Bolton community.
To mark this special milestone, a virtual Tapovanam Parayan was held for 7 consecutive evenings, from 29th June, led by readers representing all decades of the centre. The Parayan was inaugurated by Bro. Pratap Thakkar, our National President. Day 1 of the Parayan coincided with Ashadi Ekadashi and Eid; further, the second paragraph of Tapovanam describes how Bhagawan established the meditation tree on 29th June (1959)! On Day 5, Guru Poornima, a short discourse from Bhagawan preceded the readings, which were followed by Guru Paduka Stotram and the Old Mandir Aarti. The Parayan ended with Dr Ketan Parmar, the Centre President, summarising the programme and sharing a loving message from Aunty Urmila. Readers and listeners alike revelled in the mahimas of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Our gratitude to Baba for allowing the Centre’s golden jubilee to be marked so auspiciously.
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Region 6 (South & South East England)
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On 24th June, Tunbridge Wells Sai Group had a family day out at West Wittering beach where 70 people came together, having lots of fun bathed in the five elements, communing with nature and recharging after all their exam efforts.
On the evening of 2nd July, on the auspicious occasion of Guru Poornima, the devotees were all blessed by Swami with His Padukas and photos from Puttaparthi. The programme included Vedam chanting, Guru Paduka Stotram, pooja to the padukas and photos, followed by beautifully rendered bhajans which purified the hearts of all attendees.
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It was a bittersweet moment for Rochester Sai Centre on 1st July, as it was the last meeting of the Centre at its current premises after two decades of memories and gatherings, before relocating to a more convenient venue. Guru Poornima was celebrated with a lovely evening programme, with 20 devotees, including children and adults. After the invocation of Swami with beautiful bhajans, powerful chanting and inspirational talks, the celebrations concluded with thank-you notes to the elders who had started the Sai Centre and laid the foundations for the devotees to thrive and progress. Finally, Mangala Aarti was performed to Swami, and the programme ended with delicious Maha Prashadam.
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Farnborough Sai Centre held both Family Values Day and Guru Poornima on 2nd July, with 17 children and 45 adults in attendance. There were outdoor activities and games such as the three-legged race, hula hoop relays and the tug of love for the Bal Vikas (SSE) children and adults. A beautiful traditional Indian dance was also performed by the SSE students.
SSE students were given certificates for attending Bal Vikas classes and all the SSE gurus were given little gifts as tokens of appreciation. The programme concluded with bhajans and Mangala Aarti.
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Guru Poornima bhajans were held on Sunday 2nd July by Basingstoke Sai Group.
Upcoming event:
- Tunbridge Wells Sai Group
- Sunday 16th July, 4pm: Family Values Day at Paddock Wood Primary Academy, Old Kent Road, Tonbridge TN12 6JE
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Region 7 (West & South West England and Wales)
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Region 7 celebrated Guru Poornima on 2nd July 2023 at the Park South Community Hall in Swindon. Devotees gathered together to celebrate Swami by singing bhajans, listening to Carnatic music offerings and hearing from Brother Karthik Prashanth, who shared insights from his time with Swami at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. The Bal Vikas (SSE) children also showcased a play titled, “Bliss is one's union with God”. A musical item and bhajan were also led by the SSE children and the Young Adults hosted a quiz. The event concluded with aarti followed by Maha prashadam prepared by Swindon devotees.
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Glasgow Sai Centre celebrated Guru Poornima on Monday 3rd July at Sister Divya’s house at Newton Mearns. The bhajans lasted for one-and-a-half hours. Around 30 people attended. This was followed by aarti and prashadam.
Edinburgh Sai Centre also celebrated Guru Poornima that same day, at their venue at 2 Granton Road. There were bhajans from 6.45 to 8pm, followed by aarti and prashadam.
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