NEWSLETTER - 1st Quarter 2025

Sai Ram Jai Maruthi Jai Maruthi! Welcome dear Sai brothers and sisters to the first quarter newsletter of the year. Filled with exciting and fun events starting with Pongal, and then our main function - the Mahakumbabhishekam, all the way to the splendor of Maa’s Jayanti celebrations, this quarter was busy and full of celebration and pure happiness!

The first day of Pongal fell on January 15 this year, during which people all over Tamil Nadu decorate earthen pots and prepare pongal (a South Indian kichadi) in celebration of the new year’s harvest. Day 2 of the Pongal celebration fell on January 16th and is known as “Mattu Pongal.” On this day, the mattu (cows) are worshipped and celebrated. The main event of course, was the outdoor cookout. Our Gurumaa sat under a tree, just outside the Goshala, and with an old fashioned pot placed atop bricks and logs for fuel, Maa cooked an irresistible, mouth-watering “Chakkarai Pongal (sweet pongal).”

February 26th was a very special day for everyone. It marked Sri Sai Darshan Trust’s 28th year in service to Baba.  We distributed dry ration kits comprising of rice, 1 kg each of sugar, lentils, cooking oil, and a small quantity of ghee, fruits, as well as a set of soap for bathing and washing clothes to 54 sanitation workers in surrounding villages. The workers were overwhelmed by our gesture and expressed their gratitude during the distribution. This day was a wonderful reminder and ode to the root reason for why this trust was founded - to serve those in need. Congratulations to all the devotees on completing 28 years!

Shivaratri also fell on February 26th this year. We all joined together to worship Lord Shiva at our “Atma Lingam,” the shrine dedicated to Him. The pooja was done with milk, curd, honey, ghee, panchamritham, pancha gavyam, lemon juice, chandan, tender coconut, vibhuti, and sugarcane juice. All those who attended, kept vigil and a fast and participated in performing a “chaturkal” pooja (pooja done four times throughout the night), at 6 PM, 9 PM, 12 AM, and 3 AM. Rudrabishekam and Pooja were performed 4 times throughout the night as well.

March was the highlight of our year so far. The much-anticipated Mahakumbabhishekam took place between the 6th and 16th of March, and was a grand affair! We were blessed to have witnessed one of the most momentous occasions in SSDT history! Details have been shared with all devotees earlier, in its own write-up.

Maa’s Jayanti celebrations, also took place in March, starting on the 23rd. In the morning, the priests performed Kalasha Pooja to invoke all the Gods before chanting the same mantras in the form of a homam. The mantras were the Amruta Mahamrtyunjaya, Ayusha, Ganapati, Rudra, Dhanvantari, Avahanti, and various other mantras. The Ganapati Avahanti Ayusha Homam was performed to invoke the blessings of Aayur devata, the God of life, for well-being and longevity. After the Purnahuti was complete, we performed Padha Puja for Maa.

Maa’s calendar birthday was celebrated over the course of two days-the 30th and 31st of March. On the 30th of March, priests recited Chandi Parayanam. The next day, on the 31st, we performed Ganapati Pooja, followed by Chandi Homam. Following the Purnhauti, all the devotees gathered in the hall to witness Guru Padha Pooja performed for Maa. Noon aarthi and annadhanam followed. Maa chose to mark the occasion by treating all the devotees to butterscotch ice cream and homemade vanilla cake made by Sai Lakshmi,  making the day all the more sweet! Maa’s birthday, was a special reminder of who Maa is to us all of us-our Guru, our teacher, and our mother. Maa teaches us and reminds us daily, to lead our lives with a positive, confident, and kind mindset; with hearts full of love and dedicated to serving those in need. May we all, as devotees, work to imbibe these qualities and strive to spread the same love and happiness to others, as Maa does for us, each moment of every day. May Baba’s and Maa’s blessings and grace be ever-present in continuing our lives with the lessons Maa has taught us.

Sri Sai Darshan Trust remains committed to supporting education and community well-being. As a part of our efforts, we sponsored the construction of restrooms for girls and boys in government schools across Ellampettai, Athivakkam, Athangi Kavanoor, and Avaji Pettai, improving sanitation and hygiene for students at a cost of ₹11.50 lakh. Additionally, we contributed ₹1 lakh to the Sankara Vidyasala Board in Kodumudi (Erode district) to provide stationery supplies and uniforms for 135 underprivileged students. With Baba’s grace, we are humbled and grateful to be part of these meaningful initiatives.

As always, it goes without saying that the Poornima pooja and Pradosha pooja, and Annadhanam, are taking place without fail. We thank you, all devotees and well-wishers, for your continuous support. Here’s to a wonderful quarter and year filled with love, happiness, and good health!

May Baba’s grace and Maa’s blessings be showered on us all.