NEWSLETTER - 2nd Quarter 2021

Sai Ram Jai Maruthi Jai Maruthi! The quarter started off with Ram Navami, brought the scorching heat of Agni Nakshatram, and saw the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected everyone worldwide, since last year. Love, happiness, positivity, and hope, continue to reverberate in our ashram!

Ram Navami fell on April 21st. This is the day that Lord Sri Ram was born, and we celebrated this day at the Ram Darbar in our ashram temple. The festivities included paal (milk) abishekam, followed by neermoru (buttermilk) and paanagam (jaggery water spiced with cardamom, ginger, and lemon). We celebrated this auspicious day with bhajans, which filled the air with joy and devotion!

May brought Agni Nakshatram. The peak heat of the summer was finally here. The heat from the sunny skies mixed with the humidity, was simply overwhelming at times, and it felt like the heat would never ease. The upside of the lack of cool air was the plentiful mangoes, jackfruits, papayas, and chikkus in our ashram! So perhaps due to the abundance of these sweet fruits, it made the heat a little more bearable. As always, with so many mangoes in our ashram, we were sure to make lots of oorgai(achaar), and varieties of dishes made with the sweet and raw mangoes!

On the charity front, Sri Sai Darshan Trust (SSDT) donated 25,000 rupees for the treatment of a patient suffering from Covid. This donation was made to a local organization and hospital, which helps fund treatment for Covid patients. SSDT has also been donating on average 30,000 rupees worth of groceries to people in surrounding villages, since last year. Twice a week, volunteers from SSDT, distribute packages of groceries which include rice, oil, 2 types of dal, sugar, soap, noodles and jaggery. These groceries are distributed to approximately 50 families!

This quarter also saw the onset of the second wave of the Covid outbreak in India, which has devastated so many people and their families. Throughout these difficult times, Baba’s and Maa’s unwavering grace is with us and Maa is continually praying for us and our protection, health, and safety. We are fortunate to have this divine grace with us at all times, and to be able to pray for the wellbeing and strength of all other beings. Let us abide by the instructions given to us by Maa and Baba, and let’s remain positive, optimistic, and continue to channel our energy to pray for each other and our world’s welfare!

As always, it goes without saying that the Poornima pooja and Pradosham pooja,are taking place without fail. Medical camps which occur on every second Saturday have been placed on hold for the time-being due to the pandemic. As Annadhanam also cannot take place in the ashram, packaged groceries are being distributed to people in surrounding villages, by SSDT. We thank you, all devotees and well-wishers, for your continuous support. Here’s to another wonderful quarter filled with love and happiness!

May Baba’s grace and Maa’s blessings be showered on us all. Jai Sai Ram Jai Maruthi Jai Maruthi!