| National President's Welcome |
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Sai Ram dear devotees,
I pray that, with Bhagawan’s Grace, you and your families are all keeping safe and well.
On Saturday 4th May, we celebrated National Easwaramma Day at Bushey Academy, to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of a saintly lady who was blessed to be the mother of the Avatar of the Kali age. This day is a celebration of the sacred ideal of Motherhood and a day when our Bal Vikas children offer their gratitude by their various presentations.
We were very fortunate to have had the presence of Mr Naganand and his wife at the event, who took time out from their personal visit to the UK to be with us. He further spared time to have a satsang with devotees kindly hosted by Region 2 at Harrow West Sai Centre. We are sincerely thankful to both Mr and Mrs Naganand for having graced both occasions.
I am also privileged to confirm that, after 7 years, the UK is due to hold a medical camp in 3 separate villages surrounding Puttaparthi. We have nearly 35 healthcare professionals who have given up their valuable time to offer their services, and we have an equal number of volunteers who will be supporting this service. The Medical Camp will take place from 15th to 17th July, which follows the Global Young Adult Conference taking place from 12th to 14th July in Prasanthi Nilayam. We are very proud that we shall have many of our Young Adults attending this conference.
With the blessing of our beloved Swami, we have also launched the registration for this year's National Retreat, to take place over the weekend of 31st August and 1st September. Please see below for details, but as places are limited, early registration is required to secure your place.
We thank Swami for the opportunities he provides us so we can progress in our spiritual journey and please keep a look out for more events planned for later in the year.
Lovingly, in Sai service
Pratap Thakkar
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| Keep your diaries free! |
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| Upcoming National events |
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By the Divine Blessings of Swami, we have the pleasure of inviting you to the UK National Sai Retreat on the theme of SAI: Sai Always Inside.
- Dates: Saturday 31st August & Sunday 1st September (two days)
- Time: Saturday 8.30am – Sunday 4pm
- Venue: Soar Valley College, Gleneagles Avenue, Leicester LE4 7GY
The event promises to be a spiritually uplifting and thrilling experience, given its engaging theme and the high calibre of our guest speakers including Dr Amey Deshpande (Prasanthi Bhajan Group) and Mr Antoni Griera Aragones (National Country President of Spain).
Highlights of the Retreat include:
• Inspirational Talks
• Workshops and Activities
• Guided Meditations
• Nature Walks
• Community and Fellowship
The cost for attending the Retreat is £27.50 per person. There is limited capacity so it is important that you register as early as possible, and places will only be guaranteed upon receipt of payment. Please note that the Retreat is not suitable for children under 14 years old.
Please complete the registration form by clicking on the button below.
Registration will be on a first come first served basis and will close as soon as the venue reached its full capacity. The payments details will be sent once this form has been completed. Information on nearby hotels is available from your Centre/Group Presidents.
We look forward to welcoming you to the event!
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Whenever there is a need for blood donation, you should come forward to donate your blood. Thereby fulfil your obligation to your parents and society.
Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 37, Ch. 1, 1st January 2004
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As an offering for Swami’s centenary year, let us come together as a nation and give Liquid Love through blood donations at local blood donation centres. There is nothing more precious than life, and so saving someone’s life must be the ultimate seva! Give someone the gift of life by participating in a blood donation - one unit of our blood could treat up to 3 different patients. Thank you very much to all who are already giving blood.
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| Global Sri Sathya Sai Prema Tharu project takes root in the UK |
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| Answering the Call of the Earth |
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In February 2023, during that year's National Office Bearers and Active Workers Conference, an extraordinary initiative was launched in the UK: the Global Sri Sathya Sai Prema Tharu project, with the ambitious goal of planting 10,080 trees. This initiative was not just about environmental conservation: it was a heartfelt response to the call of Sri Sathya Sai Baba to safeguard our planet.
This was an amazing opportunity for everyone to get involved, including all devotees from across the UK, their families, friends and children. It was a tangible opportunity to combat the escalating impacts of climate change, by heeding Swami's message, delivered on 21st January 1993:
"Because there is deforestation to an alarming extent, the extent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has considerably increased. Therefore, the remedy for this situation is intensive afforestation, growing more trees everywhere and protecting the existing trees without destroying them for other purposes."
Reflecting on the above message, some members of the National Service Team stepped up to lead and drive the initiative. Regional meetings were held in all regions, involving office bearers and active workers from various Wings and Sai Centres. To facilitate communication and coordination, materials such as presentations, scripts, instructions, videos, and web pages were created, emphasising the importance of Sri Sathya Sai Baba's message on the care and love of our Mother Earth.
In the UK, tree planting season is from October to April. Initial progress was modest, with only 1,133 trees planted. Questions arose about meeting the ambitious target within the current season. Nevertheless, the message to focus on duty over outcome echoed Swami's teachings: "Work is Worship, Duty is God”.
Regional Service Coordinators and their teams continued to inspire, encourage, and motivate others after being examples in this act of service themselves - "First Be, Next Do, Then Tell," as Swami says. Some were inspired by their passion to make a difference to nature and our planet. Some considered the importance of planting trees for the future of our children and grandchildren. Some were inspired by the impact it created on them, and many were inspired by Swami's quote mentioned above. This inspiration accelerated the drive of the project.
Our Organisation forged partnerships with Bedford Borough Council to create Sai "HisTree," marking our inaugural Sri Sathya Sai Forest. Additionally, we partnered with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to cultivate another woodland area. In both cases, a signboard will be featured bearing our Organisation's logo alongside Swami's message emphasising the harmony between human life and nature. In this way, we collaborated with a number of such organisations.
With the grace of our beloved Bhagawan, 21st April was a memorable day for the Organisation. On this day, we were joined by Councillor Ramji Chauhan, Mayor of Harrow, in North-West London, together with Bal Vikas (SSE) children to plant trees in Headstone Manor Park and put up our first sign with our Organisation's name and logo.
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On that same day, thanks to the dedication of all the volunteers who have engaged in the Prema Tharu service throughout the UK, along with the planting in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, we exceeded our pledge of planting 10,080 trees in the UK, having planted 10,656 trees with 19 months still remaining to the centenary! The symbolic significance of the total, a multiple of the divine number 9, reaffirmed Swami's guiding hand.
We express our love and gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the Prema Tharu initiative, recognising that Swami is the One who gives us the opportunities, inspires us, sets the goals, and accomplishes them.
The Global Prema Tharu Project serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to care for our planet. By nurturing trees, we honour Mother Earth and contribute to a sustainable future.
At the National Easwaramma Day celebrations, Mr SS Naganand, Trustee of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, congratulated the UK for reaching the target well before time and advised that we should not rest on our laurels, saying we should double our target!
So, beloved volunteers, let's continue our effort and make Swami happy. We have a lot more work to do as we approach Swami's 100th birthday and beyond. Our training is finished and we can now move forward and plant many more trees and create many more "Sri Sathya Sai Forests" in the UK.
Let us continue to heed Swami’s call and work in unity towards a greener, healthier world.
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| SSS GYAC UK Satsang: registration open |
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Join us for our final Sadhana meeting, "Rejoice with Sai", followed by Sports Day!
- Date: Saturday 29th June
- Time: 10am–1pm (Sadhana meeting); 1pm–5pm (Sports Day)
- Venue: Malmesbury Primary School, Malmesbury Road, Morden, SM4 6HG
- Dress Code: Prasanthi attire for the Sadhana meeting and bring a spare change of clothes if you wish to participate in the Sports Day
- Deadline for registration: Monday 24th June
This final session is a perfect way for us to reflect on our sadhana journey, share experiences/thoughts, and energise ourselves before we head to Swami's abode in Prasanthi Nilayam.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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“Prasanthi Nilayam is just like an automobile where all parts of a car are repaired, reconditioned and returned to the owner with new tyres, new parts and new painting. You, who come here, should shed your evil habits and thoughts like untruth, etc., and go back with a fresh outlook so that your friends and others should find you to be a transformed person. They should feel happy from your better behaviour. Thus, you will contribute to the progress of your nation also.” (Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 30, Ch. 16, 18th July 1997)
With 55 days to go until the commencement of the 2024 Global Young Adults Conference (GYAC), Young Adults (YAs) from across the United Kingdom eagerly got together for their second sadhana meeting, on the theme of “Recharge”.
After a customary though contentious icebreaker caused by biased refereeing that even VAR wouldn’t have been able to fix, the meeting commenced with two YAs recounting their experiences on prior pilgrimages to the ashram. It was heartwarming to hear their stories of how they had unknowingly been called to Prasanthi, with one of them being in the middle of booking a ticket to Rome before receiving a phone call inviting them to India instead! They recalled their good fortune in being able to perform in front of the Divine Master and despite not knowing how or when it would happen, the opportunity presented itself at the most opportune time - a reminder that we should love His uncertainty.
The afternoon progressed with the YAs splitting into groups and tasked with discussing topics around recharging spiritually, before presenting back to the wider group. Each sub-group presented their thoughts, ranging from using a digital counter to keep a tally of their Gayatri chants to making sure that they allocated a small portion of time to reflect on spiritual matters every day. It was clear that everyone had various methods to recharge their spirituality however, like a battery - it’s important to maintain a minimum level of spiritual ‘charge’ in your life in order to live a healthy and meaningful life.
A short tea break was followed by a “secret” speaker, a much-loved and revered Alumnus. He touched on the definition of a pilgrimage, reminding the YAs that the pilgrimage does not end when they leave the ashram and that as per Swami’s words “there is bliss here (Prasanthi Nilayam), enjoy it, take it with you and make others happy.” He then imparted the reason for undertaking a pilgrimage which Swami has explained as “when the road ends and the goal is gained, the pilgrim finds that he has only travelled from himself to himself” - thus, the purpose of making the outward journey to the ashram is to also make the inward journey. He concluded by reminding us about the sanctity of Prasanthi Nilayam and the importance of recharging in a holy place where bhajans and mantras have been sung/chanted daily for decades uninterrupted - resulting in every brick/stone vibrating with God’s name!
The final segment of the meeting was used to decide on group sadhana. Whilst this had been a topic of conversation in the prior month’s meeting, the YAs decided that, with 55 days to go until the commencement of the pilgrimage, now was the time to undertake a collective effort in order to ‘recharge’ their spiritual batteries. After a lengthy discussion, it was agreed that the YAs would commit to chanting the Gayatri Mantra 9 times at 9pm every day, in addition to individually chanting it 108 times every day in the run up to the conference. Since then, the UK pilgrims have been ‘gathering’ on a WhatsApp call each evening to chant together.
The event concluded with Mangala Aarti, followed by prashadam (delicious pasta). As the YAs departed, they left feeling recharged and their thoughts focused on the final instalment of these sadhana meetings, under the theme of ‘rejoice.’
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| Opportunities to be involved |
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Join our Decoration Seva team and be a part of creating a beautiful atmosphere at Sai Kulwant Hall and other venues in Prasanthi Nilayam for SSS GYAC 2024!
If you have a creative flair and a passion for service, we'd love to have you on board! Let's work together to make SSS GYAC truly special. Interested? Fill in the form via the link below to get involved.
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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 UK, in the hope of inspiring others.
In this issue, Sister Krina from Region 4 reflects on the impact of food bank donations.
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Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches us selfless service and how it has the power to transform hearts, awaken souls, and usher in compassion and unity. Service is an expression of love in its purest form. By serving others selflessly, individuals embody the divine principle of love and contribute to the collective upliftment of humanity.
Our Centre has worked closely with The Well food bank for several years. The Well are a local Christian community project, which runs Wolverhampton's main food bank. They help families and single people in severe financial difficulties by delivering free food parcels to where they live. As a Centre, we are fortunate enough to donate around 70-140kg of food, toiletries, sanitary products and nappies each month, with special collections for Easter (140 chocolate eggs) and Christmas (puddings, chocolates and gifts).
As a contributor to the food bank, I am privileged to witness the transformative power of collective generosity. The sight of individuals from diverse backgrounds coming together, driven by a common desire to alleviate hunger, is something that has always inspired me. No matter what faith, every donation has the same impact of assisting those in need. From a young age, I was aware of our Centre collecting monthly food donations; however, it was not until the opportunity presented itself to personally deliver the donations to the food bank, that I truly understood its impact. The sheer size of the project gave realisation to just how many people rely on this service in Wolverhampton. The importance of donations was also highlighted in my professional work as a primary school teacher. Some of my pupils are children whose families benefit and have needed to turn to The Well food bank for assistance. This makes every donation increasingly meaningful as I witness the daily difference between a child who has the privilege of eating breakfast before school and those who do not. It is these children and pupils in mind that push me to purchase the items for donation. We can all imagine the excitement of a child opening sweet treats or chocolates; for these families, even a box of cereal or tins of food cause such excitement.
This in turn, instils a profound sense of gratitude within me. A humbling reminder of the abundance that surrounds us and the privilege of being able to give back to our community. In the midst of our busy lives, it is easy to lose sight of the simple joys and blessings that we often take for granted. It is inspiring to see others continuing with donations even during times of uncertainty due to the cost of living. I am reminded of the immeasurable value of compassion and the boundless capacity that the human heart has to give and receive. ‘Service to man will help your divinity to blossom, for it will gladden your heart and make you feel that life has been worthwhile.’ (Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 4, Ch. 43, 5th December 1964)
Participating in the food bank collection is more than just a charitable service act: it is an opportunity to make meaningful connections. Selfless service is rooted in the recognition of oneness of all beings. Sri Sathya Sai Baba taught that serving others is serving the divine within them, for God resides in every heart. ‘Service to man is service to God, for He is in every man, and every living being, in every stone and stump.’ (ibid)
Through acts of service, individuals dissolve barriers of separation and cultivate a sense of unity with all of creation. The smiles of the volunteers and their genuine thanks for each item collected, each tin of food donated. Each contribution made serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility towards one another. Through service, I find solace and fulfilment, knowing that even the smallest gesture can make a significant difference in someone's life. I hope to continue to nourish hearts, one donation at a time.
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Region 1 (London South East & South West)
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On the afternoon of 6th May, 60 students spanning Nursery to Group 3 Year 3 took part in Merton Sai Centre’s Easwaramma Day celebrations. The programme commenced with the Nursery 1 & 2 and Group 1 Year 1 students paying homage to the story of Sage Bharadwaja; the children aged 4-7 encapsulated this story in the form of 3 beautiful bhajans. The Bal Vikas girls of Groups 1-3 then continued with the story of Swami’s birth and early childhood: starting with the origins of Puttaparthi, marriage of mother Easwaramma and how Swami was conceived, right up until how Swami would always give up His food to the homeless. We then had the boys of Groups 1-3 presenting the remainder of Swami’s childhood, up until the remarkable annunciation made on 20th October 1940. The children all came together and concluded with the various forms of Swami in a line reciting His first bhajan, “Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam''. Finally, the evening was rounded off with our esteemed guest, Brother Pratap Thakkar, UK National President, giving a speech followed by a few bhajans and the Mangala Aarti and gifts for all the children that participated. The confident and devoted performance of the children was appreciated and well-received by the 170 spectators.
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Tooting Sai Centre served 75 meals and bags of fruit and water to the homeless in Central London on 25th May.
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On 18th May, Region 1 had another great Age Link event hosted by Rani & Ranjith in Coulsdon. It was a well-arranged session with well made food and snacks, coffee, tea and soft drinks. The entertainment was provided by a hired musician who imitated singers like Jim Reeves and Elvis Presley excellently. This was topped with their favourite game: bingo, to which all the Seniors look forward. There were two Seniors who had their birthdays in May and the host had prepared a cake with Happy Birthday sung by the musician and the Seniors. They also received birthday gifts as well. On the whole, a lovingly hosted event that made all the Seniors happy and content.
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Region 2 (London North West and nearby Home Counties)
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On Sunday 5th May, Region 2 was blessed to host Mr SS Naganand, Trustee of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust in Prasanthi Nilayam, at Oxhey Wood Primary School. In his loving way of speaking, Mr Naganand shared with over 200 devotees some of his experiences with our beloved Swami. He spoke about Swami not just as our divine Mother, but he shared how Swami led the Organisation as its manager in everyday management activities. How fortunate he has been to be literally directed by Swami as a Trustee and active worker in His Organisation.
Mr Naganand also gave a comprehensive update of the Central Trust's activities, inspiring us with how Swami's Organisation is supporting and enhancing the lives of countless people.
Mr Naganand was generous with the sharing of his experiences, taking care to bring to life Swami's benevolent yet firm demeanour for the benefit of those who may not have experienced Him in physical form. He encouraged devotees to immerse themselves in Swami's teachings, including reading the Sai Vahinis and going through His discourses, to understand how we should live our lives as per His message. He also said he greatly enjoyed the previous day's National Easwaramma Day programme, and was full of praise for the children's performances for Swami.
We sincerely hope Mr Naganand Sir will join us again in the UK and share more of his awe-inspiring experiences with Swami.
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On 12th May, Harrow West Sai Centre celebrated Easwaramma Day. The programme started with prayers and Vedic slokas, followed by bhajans. The Bal Vikas programme started with a Kathak dance offered to the gurus. The second performance was Swami’s teachings read by Group 1 students. The final performance was Bhakta Pundalika, a journey from being a selfish son to a loving and selfless sevak, conveying the message of honoring and respecting our parents as practised by our beloved Bhagawan Himself. The programme ended with a prizegiving ceremony to all the students; followed by Swami’s discourse, as read by UK National President, Mr Pratap Thakkar; prayers and aarti. Overall, it was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to come together and experience bliss and express our heartfelt gratitude to our divine mother Sai. Sai Bhogadi (Group 3 Year 2)
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Slough Sai Centre had their Easwaramma Day celebrations on Sunday 12th May. Our Bal Vikas (SSE) children came forward to talk about Easwaramma’s wishes and how they were fulfilled by our beloved Swami. SSE children were also able to offer their pranams to their gurus and mothers on the day. The aarti was taken by SSE children and they also helped in serving the delicious prashad which was made with love that day.
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Greenford Sai Centre’s regular visits to Neem Tree Care Home are proving to be popular and the Centre visited in May as part of their service activities, with four devotees taking part. Prayers and Bhajans were offered as well as conversation with the residents.
Greenford Sai Centre's bi-monthly food bank collection continues to go from strength to strength and May’s contributions resulted in 137kg of food and drink being collected. This was then distributed to Hounslow Foodbox and Open Kitchen run by the Muslim Hands Charity.
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Reforesting Love was at the heart of Region 2's second special satsang honouring Sri Sathya Sai Prema Tharu. On 20th May, Brother Sudhir Shetty's poetic narrative united a spiritual wonderland with a stunning experiential realisation. In a rare Divine Discourse clip from 1992, Bhagawan explained the earthly benefits of growing forests. Then, going deeper, He encouraged us to 'cut the forest of desires and grow the Tree of Love in our own hearts'. But how? The 3 Ps of Purity, Patience, and Perseverance are crucial to seeding and enriching this Tree of Love. Consequently, the global planting of actual trees under Sri Sathya Sai Prema Tharu is, in truth, a majestic and symbolic paradigm for spiritual elevation and self-transformation.
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The Harrow East Sai Centre Knitting Team are back with a heart full of love and cuddles. In partnership with the charity Medic to Medic, who will send all contributions to Malawi, they knitted 25 blankets, 15 cardigans, 13 hats and 2 booties. These will be for young babies.
Also, Harrow East Sai Centre's monthly food bank collection to the Barnet Trussell Trust food bank resulted in 30kg of food and drink being delivered.
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Southall Sai Centre’s monthly food bank collection resulted in 40kg of food, drink and toiletries being donated to Hounslow Foodbox.
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Care home Seva - Devotees from across three Region 2 centres came together, along with guests, at Karuna Manor in Harrow. Prayers, bhajans, kirtan and aarti were offered.
Badminton was organised for the first time in Region 2. This resulted in two sessions in Harrow and Brentford, with 10 devotees taking part.
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Region 3 (London North, East & Central and nearby Home Counties)
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Chelmsford Sai Centre celebrated Easwaramma Day on 12th May at the Old Chelmsfordians' Association. The programme started with Vedam chanting and opening prayers led by the Bal Vikas children, who then offered various talks on Mother Easwaramma and the 5 human values. We then had blissful Mata bhajans, followed by aarti. The Young Adults then hosted a fantastic quiz on Mother Easwaramma, which became very competitive! The programme concluded with Mahaprashadam.
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On 12th May, Manor Park Sai Centre celebrated Easwaramma Day. The event began with children singing several English bhajans, followed with a few Sanskrit bhajans by others. Gifts were presented to all the children and the organisers of the bhajan. The event was enjoyed by all and well-attended.
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On Sunday 19th May, several devotees from Manor Park Sai Centre went to the Whitechapel Mission at 5.45am to prepare and serve breakfast to the homeless. The seva lasted approximately 5 hours and, although tiring due to the early start, it was very enjoyable.
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On 1st June, Manor Park Sai Centre went to Barking food bank depot to assist with sorting out the food items in date order. This is a regular seva carried out by members of the centre. There are two slots, 10am-1.30pm and 1.30pm-4.30pm. The seva is carried out with other members of the community.
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Bedford Sai Centre celebrated Easwaramma Day; the programme included an offering of a classical dance to the Goddesses; prayers recited by the children included the Ganapati Prarthana; cards were offered to Mother Eashwaramma citing some of Swami's teachings; the children related things they did to please their mothers; and they all sang bhajans.
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On Saturday 1st June, in Coventry, devotees of Region 4 participated in a bhajan workshop conducted by the National Spiritual Coordinator, Brother Sathish Kumar. As well as sharing his personal experiences of singing in Swami's bhajan group, Brother Sathish spent the day explaining the basics of bhajan singing and sharing the importance of establishing harmony between the instrumentalists, singers and sound technicians.
The day was filled with interactive, inspiring and enlightening activities. No moment was the same. What made this workshop different was the depth and nuances covered by him. He explained the importance of pronunciation and emphasised how a mispronounced word can completely change the meaning of the bhajan - which is why it is essential to listen to the bhajan repeatedly! It made us reflect on how we often sing along to bhajans before we let the full meaning, raga and tala register. He presented us with a list of commonly mispronounced words - "Madura" vs “Mathura” was a common error!
A lesson that especially sunk in, was on bhajans sung at the Centre. He explained that they should be sung to a high standard since ‘bhajan singing’ is a “public service”, one that purifies the atmosphere much different to singing at home.
After a hearty lunch, we were all delighted to participate in a unique bhajan practice session with Brother Sathish. He spent his time listening to us sing and gave each and every one of us constructive feedback to develop our skills and confidence.
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Leicester Central Sai Centre celebrated Easwaramma Day on 5th May. The programme started with a video discourse by Swami on Easwaramma, followed by a speech by Medha, a Group 4 student. Devotees were tested on their knowledge with "The Centenary Interactive Challenge" quiz, and the programme concluded with aarti, thought for the day and Mahaprashadam.
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Narborough Sai Centre celebrated Easwaramma Day on Thursday 2nd May. Our youngest members, Jayani, 5 and Hayyan, 7, gave a wonderful message on Easwaramma, in a question and answer format, that highlighted her immense love for Swami and compassion for all the people of Puttaparthi. They talked about her sacrifices, the greatest being that she had to share her "son", Swami, with the whole world.
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On 16th May, Narborough Sai Centre was treated to a beautiful presentation on the life of Sai Geeta by Sister Jenni. Accompanied by colourful photos of Swami and His amazing pet elephant, Sister Jenni shared her personal experiences with Sai Geeta from her visits to Prasanthi and also went on to share lots of stories about her. All the devotees went away feeling very inspired after hearing about the immense love and devotion of Sai Geeta towards Swami!
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Srinivasan, a Young Adult new to Narborough Sai Centre, very enthusiastically shared the important events in Buddha's life with the devotees on 9th May, to mark Buddha Poornima.
He further elaborated on the three gems of Buddhism, which the Buddha advocated for all his followers.
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Region 5 (North England and Northern Ireland)
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Maltiben Patel conducted a Lakshaarchan in Bradford Sai Centre on Sunday 2nd June. 60 devotees took part in person, with many more taking part online. This was a really uplifting spiritual activity for world peace, and was followed by Mahaprashadam.
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Region 6 (South & South East England)
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As part of the 1,008 home bhajans centenary offering, Tunbridge Wells Sai Group’s monthly house bhajan was hosted by Sister Ramya and family. The programme commenced with Vedam chanting, followed by Hanuman Chalisa and bhajan singing. In addition, to mark Easwaramma Day, Bal Vikas children performed the dance offered at the National Celebrations. 60 devotees attended the bhajan, concluding with aarti.
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A second house bhajan was conducted by Tunbridge Wells Sai Group at Brother Sriram and Sister Lekha’s house to celebrate Visakham (Lord Muruga’s birthday) and Buddha Poornima. We chanted Lalitha Saharasranamam and Kandha Sashti Kavacham, followed by bhajan singing. 10 people attended.
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Buddha Poornima bhajans by Farnborough Sai Centre were hosted on 24th May at a devotee’s house. 15 people attended. The programme started with chanting Swami’s 108 names, Buddha bhajans, followed by aarti and Mahaprashadam.
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On 31st May, 36kg of long-life food items and non-food items, purchased and brought by devotees of Farnborough Sai Centre, were collected and delivered to the local Trussell Trust food bank.
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On 5th May, Basingstoke Sai Group held a house bhajan to mark Easwaramma Day. 16 people attended. The programme stated with chanting Swami's 108 names, followed by Easwaramma bhajans, ending with aarti and prashadam.
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A home bhajan was conducted by Basingstoke Sai Group at Sister Roshni’s house on 10th May, as part of the 1,008 home bhajans initiative. 10 people attended. The programme started with Swami's 108 names, bhajans, followed by aarti.
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Rochester Sai Centre held a double celebration of Easwaramma Day and Buddha Poornima on 11th May. Sister Anuradha delivered a very heartwarming talk on the glories of Mother Easwaramma and Lord Buddha. Our Bal Vikas (SSE) children offered musical pieces.
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On 19th May, Sister Sravani and Brother Sai Mahesh hosted an amazing home bhajan organised by Rochester Sai Centre. It was a beautiful gathering with 20 attendees who chanted Vedam, sang soulful bhajans, and enjoyed uplifting satsang.
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With Swami’s grace and generous support from devotees, Rochester Sai Centre donated food items to Medway Food Bank on 30th May.
On 31st May, Region 6 held its first Regional study circle of the year, titled, "Self-transformation through Love."
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Region 7 (West & South West England and Wales)
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Region 7 continues to hold weekly study circle sessions on the topics of Dharma Vahini and the 9 Paths of Devotion. As a Young Adults initiative, every week chapters are assigned to attendees to undertake the sadhana of reading and reflecting on our beloved Swami’s teachings. At the Thursday sessions, the Young Adults facilitate discussions, manage IT and challenge the attendees with thought-provoking questions on how we apply Swami’s teachings to our everyday life. For Aradhana day, we had a special Q&A offering that week.
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At Cheltenham Sai Centre, 45kg of food and toiletry items were donated to Cheltenham Open Door, a charity that supports vulnerable, disadvantaged and lonely people in the community.
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On 17th May, Swindon Sai Group donated 21kg of dry foods to the charity Swindon Caring Hearts who provide basic essentials as well as friendly company and assistance to the homeless and rough sleepers. In May, 20 portions of curried pasta were also provided.
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On 11th May, more than 75 Sai devotees from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen & Dundee gathered at the Perth Station Hotel for the Region 8 Easwaramma Day celebrations. We started the celebrations with Vedam chanting followed by exciting outdoor games and yoga activities for the adults and sports for the children.
A delicious Sathwic lunch was provided by devotees from the Dundee temple. After lunch, the adults and children were placed in 4 groups and given one of Swami’s quotations to role play.
We then had a cultural showcase by the Bal Vikas children. There was an English devotional song & a graceful dance performance based on the feminine trinity of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswati by the Glasgow students. Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Bal Vikas children sang a melodious song on Mother Eashwaramma.
Afterwards, the Glasgow Sai centre conducted an informative and entertaining quiz based on the Ramayana. Finally, we concluded the programme with the children singing a variety of beautiful bhajans.
The entire programme was hosted by two Bal Vikas children from Edinburgh, who led the show with confidence. The vote of thanks was given by another Edinburgh Balvikas student and the concluding remarks were made by the Regional President.
Overall, we had a divine and spiritually uplifting satsang and look forward to upcoming Centre events for Guru Poornima.
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The service wing of Aberdeen Sai Centre undertook gardening activities at a local care home on 5th May. Several Bal Vikas students joined their parents in the cleaning and gardening and learnt the importance of selfless service, teamwork and preserving Mother Nature.
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In order to keep all UK devotees updated in one place and reduce the duplication of messages, we have launched a BRAND NEW Organisation WhatsApp Channel for everyone to join.
This will be the main place to receive all National communications.
The channel sits in the “Updates” section of WhatsApp in the bottom left corner.
Please share this with all devotees across the UK, and do not forget to switch the notifications on with the bell icon in the top right corner.
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