Letters from India

93. Grand Dasara - Oct 1988

Grand Dasara

October 21, 1988

Prasanthi Nilayam

Sai Ram!

Dasara went off in truly grand style this year! I'm having a wonderful time. Except it’s a bit chilly!

The grand opening was October 14th. Swami actually gave morning Darshan! Then all rushed to the Poornachandra. The procession came – without Swami! Sai decided to come separately on the stage, in the normal way (instead of in through the gent’s side door with procession). He lit the fires, and stood behind the main sacrificial fire, flames leaping up in front of Him, as if He was a Divine Being suddenly arising out of the fire, accepting the offerings being made. He stood there a longtime – Divine Vision! All were immersed in the Divine Sight.

In the evening there were two talks in Telugu and then Swami’s discourse. Swami talked a lot mostly of the sacredness of mother: women should be considered as Devi and it is a huge sin to ever make any woman cry. Swami was staring hard at the gent’s side and shouting long on this subject, that ladies are not playthings and should be revered & worshipped.

The day before the function started, I was sitting far from the crowd for bhajan, on Kasturi’s old room stairs. Suddenly Venkamma came and sat next to me, being very affectionate (she sat so near that she was half on my sitting mat!), stroking my arms, etc. She must’ve known that in the coming days all would be in the Poornachandra, and I wouldn’t have time to see her much; also it was an answer, I think, for what happened a couple of days back. Then, I had overstepped my position, and was talking back to her in a disrespectful way (I consider here a goddess but feel she's like my mother - what to do!). Then she got seemingly angry with me. The next day I crawled back to her and apologized for my shouting – but she only laughed and said it was nothing. Everything is sure like passing clouds for her! A good lesson! She was treating me very affectionately afterwards.

On the first day after the morning function I was heading towards Ganesha for pranams, and also to see if I could catch a glimpse of Venkamma. Just as I came near her room, she came out and also headed towards Ganesh! She talked to me, escorted me there, watched as I did three rounds of Ganesh, then went about her business.

The next day also, I headed towards Ganesh via South Prasanthi. I was wondering, I wonder if Lakshmi has accepted my worship? If she has, surely Venkamma will appear and look at me! Suddenly Venkamma came out of her room! She looked at some plants across from her room, then started back to the door. I was approaching but she didn’t look my way. I thought, “If she doesn’t look, the worship hasn't been accepted!” (I had just been sitting in one place in the Poornachandra for four full hours, listening to the yagna). Just as she stepped her foot to go inside, she turned suddenly in my direction and gave a huge smile! Then she went inside – I continued on but a moment later I heard “Shhhhht!” from behind – she was calling me back! I went and guess what, she had laid a leaf-plate of food for me by her puja, and told me to sit and eat! I thought, this is a bit suspiciously coincidental.... could it be Lakshmi has really heard my prayer....???

As far as mini-dramas go, on the day before the Poornachandra pujas began (October 13th), that morning the devotee Don Heath died in Bangalore. Swami had given him an interview a few days before, gave a lingam, scolded him for his lifestyle, and said his illness was only diabetes (he had been very, very ill). Next day or the day after, he left for Bangalore hospital, where he died. I got all the talk in my ears because roommate Carol Goodpasture knew him, and had to run off to Bangalore to take care of things. She missed the opening day of Dasara, but returned on 17th with Don Heath’s ashes.

(Note in 2004: I remember at that time someone told me that he had died of AIDS, but in my innocent way I insisted it was definitely only from pneumonia. It was only much later that I learnt how AIDS brings on other illnesses.)

Meanwhile, Swami ordered Al Drucker to either go to a convalescent hospital in Bangalore or return to USA, because he wasn’t recovering from the jaundice/hepatitis. He went to the same hospital as Don Health, but flew off to USA before Don Health died (in an interview several years back, Swami had said Don Health and Al Drucker were soul-mates!).

Swami spent a lot less time for the pujas than last year. He’s only coming for a few minutes then going. Anyway, it’s wonderful being immersed in the sakthi of pujas - from 7 AM till 11 AM and again, the night program from 5 PM to 7 PM. Again after the night program, a few of us (about 20 ladies) gather for a small, unannounced puja in the Poornachandra, after the evening function from about 7 to 8:30 PM. The pundits do one puja, arathi, then they sit around and give spiritual talks, or share their special mantras or songs with one another. Then they laugh and informally chant. The social hour of pundits!

One nice thing, I decided to stay out on the 6th day morning Darshan, to watch the annual “car puja” that Swami does. (I hadn’t seen it before.) I watched along with a big crowd of ladies, on B-floor of East Prasanthi. They had all the cars out and decorated with flowers, with one lime under each of the tires. For every car Swami broke a coconut in front of it (first time I’ve had a good view of Him breaking coconuts!), then got inside and the driver drove a short distance, then Swami went on to the next car. At the end of it all, He decided to take a picture with each car & driver, so went back to each car! I felt the cars were full of emotion and yearning for Him to return! It was really nice when He rode in the huge chariot, especially! Also He rode in one VW van - He sat in the back seat and requested them to leave the sliding door open for the ride.

After it all, they gave out tiny crackers as prasad, then Swami threw red balls to the small children. They were really delighted and I heard stories afterwards, how they were threatening to bash the heads of their older brothers & sisters with the new balls! Kids will be kids!!

The last day was breathtaking of course. :-) Swami came in procession. He sat behind the fire, threw rice in the fire and on the pundit’s heads; blessed articles that were thrown in the fire, then materialized the nine gems and put them in the fire. Through all this there were bhajans, college boys chanting Vedas, and the pundits chanting their mantras. Finally all did pradakshina of Swami and the fire.

Afterwards Sai did the grand ceremony of sprinkling the holy water. I really got a bath by Sai! First in one area some drops splashed across my wrists - then across my forehead and face, then a big splash over my face, sari, nose & ears! Again He came and I had sprinkles on hands and sari (I had sat on the chair-peoples aisle).

I forgot to mention that going into the hall, I actually got knocked down flat, the first time ever! I was thrown due to the pressure behind me, onto four old Indian ladies who had just been knocked down. Some strong gent Seva Dals were frantically called in to help us. One guy screamed and pushed back the crowd, allowing time for me to get up. Unfortunately though, by that time all the pleats to my sari had come out and the sari ends were wrapped around my feet, holding me firmly flat on the ground. Finally I managed to grasp the sari ends and get up, meanwhile the old ladies couldn’t. I escaped and re-did the sari after I threw my mat in the first chair-aisle place in foreigner’s section. Rama!

In the evening of the last day was Jhoola! Swami came in white robe and swung for 45 minutes, while His boys sang Rama and Sai songs. I was sooo happy when He put His feet up and reclined on the swing – first time He’s done it since 1984 Birthday! (He did do it during 1986 Dasara, but I wasn’t here then.) Soo happy!

So this ends Dasara 1988. Now all is getting back to normal. Because Venkamma has been giving food, I'm used to food again and am getting back my normal “strength” (as Indians call ‘weight’!). Just yesterday I inherited milk powder, coconut powder, tea and – forgot name, that dark salty spread made with yeast and full of Vitamin B (oh yah, Marmite).

A few Indians have started to introduce me thus: “She’s been here since she was a small child, see how well she knows Telugu!” Ha, ha!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu!

Love,

Divya