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Friday, Mar 29 2024  

AKHANDA BHAJANS

 

Importance of Bhajans:
Bhajans always give joy and peace. Bhajans are a measure of elimination of egoism. Life today is filled with sorrow. It is beset with fear and despair. The only time you can forget these thoughts and strengthen yourself to meet the hard times is when you contact a source of all strength, God. Man has been endowed with a tongue to sing the praise of God. If he fails to do so, he remains indebted to God.

Meaning of Akhanda Bhajans:
Akhanda means uninterrupted, without any gap. "Akhanda Bhajan" means that it should not be just a 24-hour or a 7-day affair. It must go on from birth to death. Bhajan has to start from childhood and continue onward. It must be a constant companion of man, his solace and strength. It is also essential food for the mind. By engaging yourself in the recitation of the name of God for one single day, you claim to have done Bhajan 'without a break'. Akhanda Bhajan must be as continuous as breathing itself if it is to deserve its name.

Purpose of Global Akhanda Bhajans:
Akhanda Bhajans are not being done for the individual, one nation or one community. It is for the welfare of humanity as a whole. The Bhajans that are sung permeate the ether in the form of sound waves and fill the entire atmosphere, thereby, the whole environment gets purified.

Today the atmosphere is polluted by unholy and vicious sounds. This results in the growth of evil thoughts and feelings, which lead to evil deeds. If the atmosphere has to be purified, it has to be filled with pure and sacred sounds.

Singing with intense yearning for God and enjoying the experience of adoring Him, helps to purify the atmosphere. Man is forced to breathe the air polluted by sounds that denote violence, hatred, cruelty and wickedness. Therefore, he is fast losing the high attainments that are in store for him. The vibrations of the Namasankirtans can cleanse the atmosphere and render it pure, calm and ennobling. It is with this high purpose in view that this programme of global Sankirtan was designed.

Story behind Akhanda Bhajans:
Srimati Sundaramma is one of the old devotees who have known Sri Sathya Sai Baba since He was a boy of sixteen. Her father, Seshagiri Rao, came to know Sri Sathya Sai Baba after her. Sundaramma continued the weekly Bhajan singing with great dedication and without interruption for an entire year. Her father thought that they should celebrate the completion of the year of Bhajan singing in a suitable way. Each member of the family thought of different ways to celebrate the anniversary in a beffiting manner, but Mr. Rao's idea, Akhanda Bhajans (unbroken Bhajans) for one whole day and one whole night, was adopted. The decision having been taken, they got down to planning the performance at their house - which songs to sing, what Prasadam to distribute, and pooling of resources to obtain the ingredients of Prasadam. This was particularly tricky as, in those days, there was rationing of rice and the system had to be worked out fairly in cash and in kind.

After making all the preliminary arrangements, father and daughter went to Puttaparthi to announce their attention to Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He was very happy to hear their plans and responded startlingly, "I have come only for this reason, for the sake of my devotees. Go ahead with the Akhanda Bhajans. I will go there and be with you throughout the singing."

The event was truly remarkable. The first Akhanda Jyoti, organized by Seshagiri Rao, has led the lighting of thousands of other Akhanda Jyotis on Akhanda Bhajan day in Sai centers throughout the world.

Significance:
The bhajans that are sung permeate the ether in the form of sound waves and fill the entire atmosphere. Thereby, the whole environment gets purified. Breathing in this purified atmosphere, our hearts get purified. Reciting the Lord's name is a process of give and take. Singing the Lord's name should become an exercise in mutual sharing of joy and holiness. It should be remembered that the sounds we produce reverberate in the atmosphere. They remain permanently in the ether as waves and outlast the individual uttering the sounds.

Singing this intense yearning for God and enjoying the experience of adoring Him helps to purify the atmosphere. Today, man is forced to breathe the air polluted by sounds that denote violence, hatred, cruelty, and wickedness. Therefore, he is fast losing the high attainments that are in store for him. The vibrations resulting from singing the glory of God can cleanse the atmosphere and render it pure, calm, and ennobling. It is with this high purpose in view that this program of global singing aloud the glory of God (samkirtan) was designed.

When is the Festival celebrated:
Akhanda Bhajans is usually celebrated on the second weekend of November each year. In Singapore, all the centers will work hand-in-hand to organize this event. A venue will be agreed on and the bhajans will be held there at national level. The bhajans start at 6.30 pm on the Saturday and end at 6.30 pm on the Sunday.

Jai Sai Ram

Bro Ashish
Young Adult


 

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