Letters from India - Part 2

52. Christmas 1992

Christmas 1992

December 27, 1992

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Parents

Hope you are all well and had a happy, blessed Christmas. Here was all confusion, tension and VERY crowded! And God in the mist of all of it. On Christmas Eve, for afternoon darshan, they sat all foreigners in a special large section facing the Mandir in the compound. There were so many thousands of foreigners that they spilled over into all the other sections! Vidya said it was twice as crowded last year (I was in the hospital last Xmas with Venkamma, so I didn’t see anything at all). After Swami gave Darshan He asked for the Xmas song program by the choir. They sang about 45 minutes and Swami was out the whole time, sitting in a chair on the verandah. Afterwards there was arathi by the foreigners, then regular Mandir arathi with no bhajans sung at all! It was all over by 5 PM (normally bhajans are at 5:30 PM). There was loudspeakers also, the first year they’ve had it, so it made it very nice, being able to hear the songs wherever one was. Usually if one sits far, the music is only a distant murmur! Now if only they could put loudspeakers for morning bhajan, how nice it would be. Now, every morning so many come and sit in the hot compound for bhajan but bhajans can't be heard! I sit on the back veranda if I don’t get in the Mandir – can't see Swami but at least can hear bhajans.

Christmas day I really “ran amok” – I gave up all duties to Venkamma and just had Darshan! I got up at 2 AM, made sweet & yellow rice, offered it to the puja, got everything ready for Venkamma (hot water for bath, clothes out, porridge ready, etc., etc.), then left at 5 AM for Omkar when she was still sound asleep. Then I went with the procession carrying a candle with everyone else singing carols. We returned, coming inside the compound and Swami came out in beautiful shining white robe! He tapped to the music and blessed us with both hands – a feast for the eyes! (He was on the top verandah). He stayed a longtime because He came out when only half the ladies had come – it took a long, long time for the full procession – first ladies then gents – to make it inside! Only the ladies procession alone, took up half the ashram! Half of us were inside and half still coming by the new canteen, far away!

After everyone had arrived Swami still listened as we sang, “Joy to the World” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” Then He motioned for arathi. There were so many people that the songs and even arathi had several versions! Swami tapped some time with the gents then some time with the ladies. He stood for the entire arathi, then Blessed all of us with upraised hands. Then He walked to both ends of the top verandah, blessed again then went inside. Everyone softly hummed “Silent Night” and filed out.

Only the chair people remained, sitting under the arches facing the Mandir. I also stayed (it was 6 AM by then and lines in at 6:15 AM). Swami came out by 7 AM. The boys sang renditions of carols, then bhajans until 8:30 AM. Swami wandered on the verandah and around the grounds the whole time, so I had a lot of Darshan. Laddu prasad was given to all, the distribution being overlooked by the Lord Himself!

In the evening I went about 2:45 PM and sat in the Poornachandra. The function began at 4:30 PM and went till 7 PM or so. There were talks and Swami’s discourse. There were so many people - even though foreigners sit first during Christmas, and I had come early, I was sitting in the last ¼ of the hall! I’ve never been that far back! None of the public could get in - it was only VIPs, old students, the entire convent school, Anantapur students and foreigners.

Afterwards was a drama by foreigner kids, each telling a story from one of the 5 world religions. In the end a tiny tot with puffy black hair and orange robe, popped out of a huge lotus flower! Everyone was delighted – Swami came to the stage, laughing and embraced the miniature “Swami” then called for photos to be taken. Then there was arathi and thus ended Christmas with God.

After every time I clean the house (Venkamma’s room), soon mounds of new things stack up! But I clear it out quickly. When I came it was a disaster: mounds of junk housing cities of cockroaches, old stale food, lentils and rice overflowing with bugs and worms and countless other rotting, rusting horrors. Now the place is slightly livable (for a foreigner like me anyway – Venkamma didn’t seem at all to mind living in the midst of all the junk). I told her my father is also like her, stacking things away thinking some famine could come at any minute. But actually there’s no comparison between unused things in Walnut Creek house and the creature-infested dusty piles in Venkamma’s house.

Hope you are happy and having a peaceful time there, feeling the presence of God. Here, there is God but only rushing tension-filled people!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu.

Love,

Divya