The second anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam – the passing of the spiritual leader on April 24, 2011 – was observed here on Wednesday.
The day-long prayers and rituals began around 6 am at Sundaram, the temple for Sai Baba at Raja Annamalaipuram, with abhiskeham to Sri Shirdi Sai (for Sai Baba claimed to be the reincarnation of the spiritual saint who died in Maharashtra in 1918) and Sai Sundareswarar to the accompaniment of Vedic chanting.
The ‘Veda Parayanam’ was followed by rendering of Saint Thyagaraja’s Pancharathna Krithis by 108 Carnatic musicians and instrumentalists as aradhana to Sai Baba.
A video show on Sai Baba traced the birth of Sathyanarayana Raju to Meesaraganda Easwaramma and Peddavenkama Raju Ratnakaram in the village of Puttaparti in the then Madras Presidency, his early life, talent for devotional music, dance and drama, and his spiritual enlightenment and transformation as Sai Baba. The video also gave a glimpse of the philanthropic activities of the Sathya Sai Trust.
Delivering a speech on ‘The Message of the Lord’, Justice M Karpagavinayakam, chairman of Appelate Tribunal for Electricity and former chief justice of Jharkhand High Court, dwelt on the teachings of the spiritual guru and his contribution to society.