Andhra Pradesh Tour of Pujya Sri Swamiji

Parama Pujya Sri Swamiji had promised devotees of Eluru that a major festival would be celebrated in Eluru Ashrama. After a wait of 5 years, they bagged the chance of celebrating Makara Sankranti, a major harvest season festival from 13- 15 January 2006. These days coincided with Bhogi Festival. Poornima and Sankranti on 13th & 29th Birthday of Sri Datta VIjayananda Teertha Swamy on 14th January; Anniversary Function of Ashrama on Sunday the 15th Jan 2006.

Highlights of the Trip:

Sri Swamiji's clarion call to the community on the occasion of Makara Sankranti 2006:
• Stick to your Dharma and Faith; Observe the best of it by fine tuning to suit your need; It is impossible and immoral to change your faith by conversion in to other faith as it is not possible to change your parents in this birth, whoever they are. If you attempt to change your Dharma, you are going against the will of God, who had destined that you are born in this family.
• Do not waste money by bringing flowers. Instead, devotees can offer Clothes to Sri Swamiji. You can bring a towel, blouse piece, saree, Dhoti, shirt piece, trouser cloth, Datta Vastram etc. Make this a practice. Swamiji utilises there clothes for distribution to poorer section of the locality. Make this a practice and spread this message.
• Share your wealth with the deprived. Instead of reselling what you do not need, give them away to those who do need them. For example, household materials which you do not require any more, such as blankets, clothes, utensils can be gifted to laborers (at least those who work for you), poor peasants, beggars and needy disabled. You will not make a fortune by reselling or exchanging them. But, you will reap reap immense satisfaction by sharing your wealth with the deprived. Most Important: Do not do this to exhibit your generosity. Do not use these gifts to get a favour or to extract gratitude from a receiver. Do this to carry out the order of Sadguru. (Bhagavad Geeta - Karmanyevaadhikaaraste Maa Phaleshu Kadaa Chana.) This is my New year message.
2. Swagata Sabha on 13th Jan - attended by Asthana Vidwan Sri Vaddiparti Padmakar, who read out few poems welcoming Sri Swamiji. Sri Seetaramanjaneyulu (Joint Collector); Sri Ambika Krishna, Local Industrialist (makers of Ambika Darbar Batti Incense Sticks); Usha Bala Krishna (Chairman Usha Bala Group); Brij Gopal Lunani (Chairman of Invitation Committee as well as the force behind the construction of Kshetram and MD of Jute Mills) and devotees from many places had participated.
3. Surya Homa on the occasion of Sun's transit in to Makara Rasi (Zodiac Sign) on 14th January 2006.
4. Ashtavadhanam (on 14th January) - a tough and rigorous literary feat requiring performing poet to dictate poems (according to Chhandas & Metre); solve riddles; identify poems from famous compositions etc.; Ashta means - Eight; Avadhanam is Concentration; TO concentrate on eight disciplines simultaneously is the gist of Ashtavadhanam. This Ashtavadhanam was modified as Nava Avadhanam (There were Nine people questioning the famous poet, Sri Vaddiparti Padmakar, who conducted this event. Vidyadhikari Sri Kuppa V Krishna Murty, Editor of Bhaktimala was the moderator for the proceedings. Theme was Sri Swamiji's poems Navayugaaniki Navya Kavita (Meaning New Poetry for New Age), (composed recently on His tours abroad) that are due for release in April 2006. The Nine participants (all scholarly poets) had confronted the poet with literary gauntlets and riddles, that had to be completed instantaneously. Sri Swamiji thoroughly enjoyed the program.
5. Release of 4th volume of Bhajana Yogam - containing compositions of Sri Swamiji in many languages; Release of Datta Stavam MP3 CD - containing Sri Swamiji's discourse on Datta Stavam in Telugu Language.
6. Bhajan Yogam - Choose your song contest (15th January 2006): For the first time in recent past, a special contest was started. Participants were required to purchase the new Book, select the song of their choice on a paper with their name and address. Those whose request slips are picked up by Sri Swamiji in the evening, were given 5 prizes. A golden Navaratna Mala, Golden Bracelet, Sri Chakra Pendant, CDs were some prizes. Sri Durga Prasad of Eluru was the lucky winner of first prize.
7. Inauguration of New Guest in Ashrama premises;
8. Decision to start a Priest Training Program at Eluru, aimed to impart basic training to priests in the villages.