Saturday, 1 December 2012

Construction and Birthday Updates- Sai Krushna Mandir



With the Divine Blessings and grace of our Beloved Swami, the ground floor of Phase 1 of the children’s home – Sai Krushna Mandir – was inaugurated on 23rd November, 2012. Swami's  birthday celebrations were held on 23rd November morning at Phase 1 of Sai Krushna Mandir amidst much grandeur.
It was wonderful to have students, devotees and their families participate in the simple but satisfying function.
The great take away from this function was the amount that can be achieved when dedicated families and individuals come together for Swami's work keeping Him as the center and reason of their lives. As Swami says, when like minded people unite for a noble purpose, wonders can be achieved. Currently, the plumbing, masonry and electrical works are all being taken up for the first floor also. The entire building would be finished by February/ March. It is expected that Sai Krushna Mandir will be functional as a children’s home from April/May 2013. That way, the children who will be coming will also be able to join during the change of academic session. We also invite applications for suitable volunteer families who will be willing to live with and take care of the children. 

Here is a brief of the events on 23rd November morning:

The Ganesha temple in the school and the ground floor of the semi finished children's home were all decorated beautifully. The day started off with Vedam chanting (Rudram) by Shrikanth and Satyanarayana Raju. The children too chanted some soulful prayers.
This was followed by some fast bhajans by Prakash S which the Primary school children followed with lot of 'josh'. Aithal Sir spoke about the significance of the occasion and emphasised Swami's message of living one's words through the famous story: "Cheppinatu Chesthara."

There was a session of Dumb-charades which the children enjoyed involving the enacting out of Kannada personalities/ places. The best part of the function involved the procession of the construction workers who were given a standing ovation amidst loud cheering as they entered Sai Krushna Mandir.
The construction workers and children joined all the volunteers in singing birthday songs during the cake cutting function. Arathi was sung and the Brahmarpanam mantram chanted before lunch was served for all the construction workers and volunteers. The workers also individually introduced themselves and their contributions to the project, while blankets were distributed for all of them as tokens of gratitude and appreciation for their outstanding work. Their contribution in terms of helping to build a home for under-privileged children was also applauded even as it was highlighted that their efforts were not restricted to putting bricks and cement together;   rather it was their offering to Swami in building a Divine home and shaping a brighter future for the children who would stay there.
All the workers were very happy and touched by the appreciation. Prasadam ( chocolates/ mixture, sweets, and  Vibhuthi)  was also distributed for all the children.
All those involved left the place with a deep sense of joy and satisfaction.
We thank Swami for allowing us to celebrate His birthday in Phase 1 of Sai Krushna Mandir.

We look forward to all your active involvement and participation in this God given opportunity. We also welcome you to come and visit the site and witness the making of Sai Krushna Mandir. From our side, we will keep you updated through Venugaanam and the website. You are free to contact us directly for any further information. We are confident that, just as Swami’s bounteous blessings ensured the procurement of excellent drinking water and land, Swami’s grace will crown our genuine intentions and He will continue to guide and bless the entire effort.

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