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NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM Issue # 10 1
NASSTA
NEWSLETTER
Om Sai Ram
10th Issue
December 2013
OM SAI RAM IN THIS ISSUE
This is our tenth NAASTA newsletter with
the list of upcoming events, temple
pictures, stories and future temple
projects. With our devotee’s participation,
we would like to publish more monthly
newsletters.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“God is not so far away. He is
not in the heavens above, nor
in hell below. He is always near
you.”
DECEMBER EVENTS AT NASSTA
1. Sai Vrath - Saturday, December
14th, 2013
NASSTA is scheduling Sai Vrath on
Saturday December 14th at 3 PM.
Sponsorship is $51 per couple.
2. Dhanurmasam Begins
Sunday, December 15th, 2013
3. Bhajan - Sunday, December
15th , 2013
NASSTA is scheduling a Bhajan on
Sunday December 15th from 4 PM to
5.45 PM.
Everyone is cordially invited to
attend.
4. Sri Dattatreya Jayanthi
(Purnima) Monday, December
16th , 2013
NASSTA is celebrating Sri
Dattajayanthi on Monday, December
16th 2013
9.00 AM Sri Dattatreya
Abhishekam $51.00
11.00 AM Sri Dattatreya
Ashtottara Sahasranamarchana
$31.00
(Temple will be opened from 5.45 am
to 9.00 pm)
5. Sai Satyanarayana Vrath -
Saturday, December 28th,
2013
NASSTA is scheduling Sri
Satyanarayana Vrath on Saturday
December 28th at 3 PM.
Sponsorship is $51 per couple.
ARATI TIME - EVERYDAY
Kakad Arati –6:00 am
Abhishekham - 6:30 am
Madhyana Arathi –12:00 pm
Dhoop Arati –6 pm
Shej Arati – 8:30 pm
FREE BHAJAN CLASSES
Friday 7.30 pm Children and Adults are
welcome to attend. Look forward to your
participation!
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 10 2
Sunday, November 17, 2013. The
crowds were settling in at Georgia
Tech’s Robert Ferst Center for the
Arts. The welcome and
introductions from Venkat Maddi,
President of Shirdi Sai Baba
Temple, were well received.
Mahesh Kommajosula aptly put it,
“It is a blessing to do Ramayana
under the watchful guidance from
Sai Baba.”
Every gaze was fixed on the stage
as the curtains slowly rose to
music. After months of pondering
over scenes and backdrops, after
hours of grinding rehearsals and
fine-tuning the timing of the music,
lighting and actors, the moment
had finally come to cut loose the
epic production, Ramayana.
The spotlight beamed down to the
center of the stage. Reclined in
his characteristic pose under the
hood of Sesh Naag ,
MahaLakshmi by his side, Lord
Vishnu smiled. After listening to
the woes of Gods and tales of
Ravana’s domination and terror,
Vishnu finally rose to his feet. And
made an announcement aimed at
wiping out all misery: to destroy
Ravana and his evil, He and
Lakshmi would take the human
form of Rama and Sita, and grace
Earth, thus marking the birth of
Ramayana, the grand epic.
The tremendous production
efforts came into view as various
events unfolded, each scene
embellished with color, costumes,
intricate make-up, and authentic
props and settings. From
Dasharatha’s Putra-kameshti
yagna, the rewarding appearance
of Yagna Purush, the birth of
Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and
Shatrughna, the calming Vashisht
gurukul, to the striking
Ramayana – An epic comes alive on stage
by Ajay Vishwanathan
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 10 3
transformation of the young
brothers into strapping men
armed majestically with bow and
arrows. The appearance of the
scions of the Sun dynasty on
stage was greeted with applause
and set the tone for the rest of the
show.
“Rama’s name will remain forever
etched as the indestructible
symbol of dharm,” said Vasisht as
he convinced Dasaratha to offer
his sons to Vishwamitra for
protection of his yagna. As the
play progressed, with backdrops
riding heavily on many moving
parts, with scenes requiring
precise coordination, there were
high-points that will remain etched
forever in people’s minds. The
Vishwamitra ashram, breaking of
Shiva’s bow, Sita-Rama
Kalyanam, squashing of
Parashuram’s ego, crossing of
Ganga in a boat, Panchavati,
severing of Soorpanakha’s nose,
Ravana’s entry, playing Veena to
Mandodari’s moves, Sita’s
abduction and Pushpak viman
journey to Ashok Vatika, the Vali-
Sugreev combat, the elaborate
design of Rama and Ravana’s
chariots as they engaged in the
final battle, and of course the
picture-perfect Rajya Abhishek
where the finery, color and
grandeur of the costumes lit up
the stage.
“When I consider previous plays
that I have been part of, the
production aspects of this one
probably rank as some of the
most complex,” said Lakshmi
Vedala, one of the key backstage
support hands for Ramayana who
was also instrumental in helping
boost ticket sales. “A show like
this is immensely valuable for
adults and children alike,” said
Navin Tyagi, a dedicated devotee
and an ardent fan of music.
Instead of being among the
unknowing audience, if you had
stood offstage in the sidelines,
you would have realized how
formidable and involved the
planning and logistics were – the
switching of microphones from
actor to actor, constant rewiring of
equipment, costume changes
between scenes, impressive
cosmetic transformation of artists
by volunteers who waited with
their make-up kits and immense
patience, the swapping of
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 10 4
backdrops and shifting of props.
You would have also noticed
great chemistry, selflessness, and
teamwork with one goal in mind:
the successful rendering of an
epic that took months in the
making. All the qualities that Shri
Shirdi Sai Baba would have been
proud of.
Preparations for Ramayana had
taken epic proportions over the
last nine months, from the script
to the onstage performance.
There were about 55 onstage
roles and more than 30 backstage
production crew members who
breathed life into this classic
production. Adults and children
were equally enamored by the
show and seemed to have taken
great interest in the play. Many
are now reading Ramayana with
renewed interest.
The evening before the play,
when the boat - on which Rama,
Sita, Lakshmana and Sailor cross
the Ganga - refused to move on
the stage as planned, everyone
was concerned; alternate plans
were being developed. That night,
Syam was still deliberating the
fate of the equipment as he stood
quietly at the Home Depot
checkout counter. Handing him
the receipt, the cashier said, “Now
your boat will roll smoothly,” and
winked at a stunned Syam who
would ponder over the fellow’s
remark for a long time. Could it
be some kind of a divine blessing
for the team?
As the artists took the final bow to
standing ovation on the night of
the performance, many a heart on
stage was filled with gratification
for having been part of a
wonderfully executed venture, a
joyous odyssey. Some had tears
in their eyes. And more than one
person wondered how an
unconnected, unaware Home
Depot worker was so sure that
Rama’s boat would indeed roll
along, one more time.
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 10 5
The masses of this country must
get more and more imbued with
the spirit of Sai in order that they
may achieve not only their higher
spiritual interests but also their
political and social interests. In
point of fact Baba's teachings and
conduct afford the best material
for framing a common course of
practice and faith and a common
system of morals and religion for
binding together the various
people of this country in one
harmonious, fraternal religious
bond, affording the least chance
of mutual religious conflicts or
hatred. This is exactly what
Baba has done and this could
be safely pursued for the best
advantage in the faith of God
and Sai spirit for our common
good."
Hindus mostly worship Sri Rama
or Sri Krishna or various
manifestations of God like Lord
Shiva or Vishnu which are all
accepted as normal practice. In
this modern times of complexity
and problems where one has to
continuously run after his worldly
possessions and keep moving
fast, one gets hardly any time to
think about God unless he lands
himself with a catastrophes or
mishap or misfortune or suffering
of one kind or other. Now his
religious spectrum changes
depending upon his need. His
enquiring mind often asks as to
why he or she should follow as
what his parents taught or did.
The modern life does not permit
leisure for lengthy rituals and
worship with the result one needs
not only an easy way of achieving
his objective of realization of God
and also at the same time get his
both spiritual and worldly
requirements. To ensure that
mankind receives the Blessings of
His and thus help him to achieve
the salvaton and lead him in the
path of righteousness, Sri Sai
Baba took his Avatar in the holy
place of Shirdi to be universally
accepted by all religious faiths.
Sri Sai Baba's teachings and
philosophy were so simple and
logical that it never contradicted
any particular religious sect or
faith. Universal love and
brotherhood, demand of His two
offerings "Shraddha and Saburi"
(Patience & Perseverance) and
surrender totally to the supreme
power, were His basic teachings.
Baba in his own words used to
say "If you spread your palms with
devotion before Me, I am
immediately with you day and
night. My abode is in your heart
and I am within you Worship Me
always who is seated in your
heart as well as in the hearts of all
beings. Blessed and fortunate
indeed is he who knows Me thus."
All these are easily practicable in
our day to day routine with some
discipline and busy life of
Samsara.
Sai - The Saviour in Kali Yuga
by SAI PREMA – MARCH 1986
NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 10 6
The Sai namasmarana—chanting the name Sai Sai
and repeating it at every conceivable opportunity will
be the only Bliss and accumulated Sai Bank deposit
we will be carrying with us and not the various
worldly materialistic possessions in which we are so
deeply involved and attached.
In this Kaliyuga, Sai Nath is the only unifying force,
unfailing friend, philosopher, guide, support, father
and mother —and everything who can extend
compassion and love and the only Supreme Guru
..... –
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheswara
Guru Saskshat Parabrahma Tasmai Sri Gurave
Namaha. Guru Shri Samratha Sadguru Sainathaya
Namaha-''
I salute the Sainath—the great Master of our limes.
Shri Sat Chit Anand Para Brahma Yogiraj Sad Guru
Sainath Ma ha raj Ki Jai.
"Simple living, high thinking—this alone is the
pathway for peace.
OM SRI SAI
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