Dear Love & Light Readers,
Loving Sai Ram to you!
For all us in UK, February has been a great month for Prayer and Service. Sai devotees across the country and around the world, as well as millions of Hindus, celebrated Maha Shivarathri, the auspicious night of Lord Shiva, with fervor and sincere devotion. Hundreds of devotees immersed themselves in festivities of the holy night with special rituals, chants and bhajans, with many centres having held a night-long vigil singing the Divine name and reminiscing God’s Glory. With the air full of divine energy, one felt transported to the heavenly abode of our Master, Prasanthi Nilayam, where millions were blessed over the past many years to witness creations of the Lingam, the symbol of divinity and unity.
February was also the month when, for the first time, our sacred organisation participated in the Flood Relief Efforts in UK. Parts of UK were experiencing the worst weather conditions ever seen in recent memory and several parts of southern England and Wales were flooded. In response to an appeal from our organisation, devotees from around the country rallied to the call with spontaneity, enthusiasm, and a sense of kinship and made generous donations of essential items. To date, 3 deliveries of these items have been made in these areas. By the Divine Grace of our Lord, a Sathya Sai Emergency Relief (SERV) Committee has now been formed to help coordinate similar efforts from our organisation in the future.
Against this backdrop, the month also saw various initiatives taken to enhance and strengthen the activities of the Sathya Sai Organisation in the UK. A review meeting of the SITA (Sai Information, Technology & Arts) team explored ways to standardise various aspects of audiovisuals and media activities undertaken within the organisation. A new Steering Committee has been formed to coordinate the Sathya Sai Leadership Training Programme (SSLTP) with a view to support the development of leaders for the divine mission of our Lord, especially at all levels of SSSSO UK. The national wings meeting of all Centre and Group wing coordinators has been conducted recently for a deeper understanding of their roles in the Divine Mission and for leading programmes effectively to reflect His Work.
Finally, be on the lookout for registration for our forthcoming national events: Sathya Sai Human Values Day (26Apr14) and National Easwaramma Day (03May14).
Kiran Patel,
Chair, UK Central Council