Grey skies, puddles along the road, and sporadic rain during the night. Devotees scurry to the ashram with brolly, raincoat, shawls. Villagers wear jerseys, vests, balaclavas, and wrap scarves around their head (in that unusual manner that I have only ever seen in India). Lady with a decorated cow passes by. Waiting for the Lord. I think I sing more bhajans in my head than what they sing inside in the mandir.

We hear the bells go for Arathi. Gee-whiz, what does this mean? People look to one another, and I see two army fellows in jungle greens duck off for a spot of chai. Close my eyes and concentrate, on the inner level. “Wait.”

Sure enough, about three minutes later, Seva Dals spill out onto the road, and the Police Escort car comes out and parks directly in front of the Gopuram. Very quickly, the Lord’s car emerges, and people push everywhere. I give that the flick and run up the road a bit.

Car comes around the corner, people in white, Seva Dals run towards me carrying ropes; I snap off a picture and I have no idea if it is any good, so much movement and so many people running towards me. So take a look:

Watch that sun on the front bonnet of the car. Its gonna be news, later on.

I have been feeling an impression to move to the other end of Swami’s travels, so this day, I decided to follow Swami. The first thing was that the School Bus was caught on Main Road as Swami was coming, you know those huge red and silver APSTC buses? Well, there was one, it was chockers, full of children in blue uniforms, and it moved to the side of the road. Well! Swami decided all these children needed Darshan, and they got it; I saw a bit of a lurch or lean-to on the bus as Swami’s car went past, and the children, well, I could hear Jaikars and Sai Rams! coming from the bus. As I ran past the bus, the children were all gleeful, smiles and singing the Sarva Dharma Prayer! What a way to go to school!

Onwards, down main road, the eager crowd follows Swami and I see what must have been the contents of a whole bucket of Red roses fly through the air and land on Swami’s car and bounce off … people ran onto the road immediately to get a Rose!

Some people stop and smile, you know, that unique smile which portrays bliss? Love explodes out of people when they are like that, the eyes and the smile tell it all! The eager crowd runs after Swami’s entourage, and we follow with the camera in the air…

The Seva Dal opened the Ganesh Gate after Swami passed by, and the road is nigh impassable. I thread my way through the crowd and stand on tip-toe, Swami is up there past the Bus Station, nearly at the top of the Hill. I ain’t gonna catch Him, I thought to myself. I take a few photos at the Ganesh Gate:

There is a magnificent Billboard with Swami right at the Bus Station. As you go under the arch and crest the hill and get your first glance of Prashanti Nilayam Township, this is what you see:

I thought I’d take a photo of the Bus Station frontage, whilst I was passing by:

I turned and took a few photos looking down Main Road, Prashanti Nilayam:

As I walk up over the crest, the Vidya Giri Arch is seen:

Vidya Giri, I think, means the place where the wealth of education lies, I emphasise the think. (My Sanskrit is not that sharp these days… )

Under the Arch and take a photo of the other side:

That’s the Sarva Dharma Archway, the entrance to Prashanti Nilayam Township. You’ll see a lot more of those angels in the Darshan Hall.

So walking down the slight grade towards the entryway to Chaitanya Jyothi Museum, I encounter a suprise, walking very quickly…

Sathya Gita was out for a morning walk. I run backwards a bit to get another photo; my, my, Sathya Gita is walking so quickly, I have to turn and run forwards for quite a bit to get my photo:

Well, well, well, what a surprise. I had seen Sai Gita many times, and had not expected to see Sathya Gita!

And, more! They turned at the archway, and came back!

Sweet little thing; some ladies walking in the other direction reached out and Gita swung a trunk to touch their hands!

Now then, where is the Lord? Well, the crowd said it all:

Somewhere behind that gate!!!

Wait, wait, wait, counsels the Lord.

We waited. And waited. Auto rickshaws came and went; coconut sellers did a roaring trade. Devotees roll up and join the crowd. Fellow selling puri’s interests the crowd.

I see Sara Pavan depart via the other gate in his car, and a light bulb goes off. Aha! Take cover off the camera and get ready. Sure enough, the gate opens and I spy in my viewfinder,

The crowd spill out onto the road, my photo opportunity is lost, and I have to run backwards to get a photo… running backwards, so excuse the camera shake …

Run backwards a bit more and the scudding clouds clear and the sun, the blessed sun comes out!!!

And that is the best I can do on the return journey of the Lord, back to the Ashram! Waaaaaaahhhh!!!!!

And the crowd run, run, run, after the Lord Sai Baba. I run, too. Run and hold the camera up…

Footslogging it, I notice the entourage has well and truly put on a bit of speed as they approach the arch, and nearly stop, for something, I did not see… and I put the camera up high in the air, only to take a photo of the road!!! Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! That’s the end of my chasing, I decided.

Pass the entrance to the General Hospital, there is a large crowd there, having taken the darshan of Sathya Sai:

And here, you can see the white roof of the lead car, its about level with the Ganesh Gate, and all those people are getting the darshan of the Lord, right there. Look at that crowd behind Swami’s escort cars …

Sai Ram from a sunny Prashanti Nilayam.

Watching Swami closely when he picks up his kerchief, I have noticed that his hand is very slow to rise to his lips, as if there is an unseen force pressing down on this arm, pressing down on his hand.

Some days later I gave some thought to this and it has occurred to me that the magnetic power that makes Swami’s feet stick to the earth (as he told in that discourse three or four years ago) is now so much greater that it presses down on Him completely … that kinda makes a lot of sense to me. His hand is so slow to rise at times. (more…)