Just One held a special feast (‘bandhara’) today, 18th July, 2016 at the Sai Maa Moksha Dham in Varanasi. This program marked the beginning of the Guru Purnima celebrations to be held in the Ashram on the following day. Guru Purnima is a festival to acknowledge and celebrate our teachers – originally it was our spiritual teacher or Guru - and traditionally blessed food is served by the Gurus in their Ashrams at this time.
This year Sai Maa and Just One have together offered meals to 220 people at the Ashram. Potato chickpea and vegetable curry was accompanied by fresh ‘poori’ (fried Indian bread) and warm ‘khir’(milk and rice pudding with dried fruits and lotus seeds). The food was warmly received over a 90 minute period with a steady stream of people arriving until the food was complete.
This year Sai Maa and Just One have together offered meals to 220 people at the Ashram. Potato chickpea and vegetable curry was accompanied by fresh ‘poori’ (fried Indian bread) and warm ‘khir’(milk and rice pudding with dried fruits and lotus seeds). The food was warmly received over a 90 minute period with a steady stream of people arriving until the food was complete.
The children began arriving for the feast about 45minutes before the start and enjoyed themselves in the Shakti of Sai Maa’s Ashram. Some played, some sat quietly, however they were all eager to help whenever there was seva to be done. Arranging the eating area and moving banners became a noisy, joyful experience with many tiny hands wanting to help and much banter and conflicting instructions adding to the general chaos. However out of the chaos there came order and the seva was quickly completed.
As always the first round served was the biggest and the seating area was almost completely full. There were over 80 seated in just this first serving, and the general feeling was one of noisy, boisterous camaraderie. The only silence was during the chant to bless the meal. Once the thunderous ‘Sai Mata ki Jai’ completed the chant, the children began chattering gaily, loudly bossing each other and trying to boss the servers as well. However most of our servers are local residents and are familiar with these children, so it is all done in a most light hearted manner even though demanding in tone.
Once this first group completes, the tone softens. Most of the local children arriving early have little discipline in their lives. Add to this the desire to get attention, and it becomes a recipe for boisterous behaviour. But later more adults begin to bring their children and the children accompanying their parents are also more disciplined. The adults are mostly humble and grateful for receiving the nutritious meal. What I do notice amongst both groups – even amongst the younger children – is how many acknowledge and recognise Sai Maa for the nutritious meal today – the lead up to Guru Purnima. It reminds me again how much this gratitude and appreciation for the Divine remains part of the Indian psyche even as their lives move into more busy worldly ways.
As always the first round served was the biggest and the seating area was almost completely full. There were over 80 seated in just this first serving, and the general feeling was one of noisy, boisterous camaraderie. The only silence was during the chant to bless the meal. Once the thunderous ‘Sai Mata ki Jai’ completed the chant, the children began chattering gaily, loudly bossing each other and trying to boss the servers as well. However most of our servers are local residents and are familiar with these children, so it is all done in a most light hearted manner even though demanding in tone.
Once this first group completes, the tone softens. Most of the local children arriving early have little discipline in their lives. Add to this the desire to get attention, and it becomes a recipe for boisterous behaviour. But later more adults begin to bring their children and the children accompanying their parents are also more disciplined. The adults are mostly humble and grateful for receiving the nutritious meal. What I do notice amongst both groups – even amongst the younger children – is how many acknowledge and recognise Sai Maa for the nutritious meal today – the lead up to Guru Purnima. It reminds me again how much this gratitude and appreciation for the Divine remains part of the Indian psyche even as their lives move into more busy worldly ways.
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