A Holy Shrine near Santa Monica

         

    

                                                                                                                (Golden Lotus Archway)

              

   Most of you, interested in yoga, might have read the famous book"Autobiography of a yogi"(1946) which  reveals the innermost feelings and thoughts of a great spiritual master and also the hidden powers and mysterious secrets of the soul experienced by enlightened persons only. Swami Yogananda's unique contribution to this world lies in showing a path to world peace by his universal and harmonious approach to religions through the powerful instrument of Kriya Yoga suitable for all men of all ages.Paramahamsa Yogananda (1893-1952) established his first self-realization centre in Mt.Washington in  Los Angeles.Recently I got a chance to visit his peaceful spiritual retreat "Lake Shrine" established by him in 1950 in Pacific Palisades,just  three miles from Santa Monica towards north, and nearly twelve miles from Malibu.

  We started from Malibu to visit the holy "Lake Shrine" located in an affluent residential area where many Hollywood celebrities reside. On the way we saw many beaches with cafes,snack bars and shops selling souvenirs and refreshments.Some people were surfing while others were standing in knee deep waters to enjoy the cool laving touch of ripples of the pacific ocean.

     As we entered the "Lake Shrine" to our left we saw a beautiful garden with religious symbols, called "the Court of Religions" representing the five important religions of the world.(the star for Judaism, the cross for Christianity, the the star and crescent for Islam, the wheel of law for Buddhism and the sacred latter Om for Hinduism). The beautiful surroundings with shady trees, rocky slopes, water falls and marble statues and arches made us feel as if we had entered the real abode of peace far from wordly commotion.The statue of Madonna with infant Christ near the gift shop attracted our attention. We entered the gift shop and found many books, photos, holy rosaries, idols and photos. As we moved on, the statue of Jesus Christ near the waterfall was seen as if welcoming us to slake our thirst with eternal love. The statue of the Buddha in the dark groves suffused with silence seemed a suitable place for peaceful meditation. The statue of Lord Krishna is another center of attraction with His valuable teaching of Gita engraved beneath "He who perceives me everywhere / and beholds every thing in me/ never loses sight of me / nor do I ever lose sight of him."

   A big archway beside a lake is another important feature of this holy shrine. The Golden Archway is trimmed with blue tiles and five gold lotus blossoms are seen on the top of the arch. These lotus blossoms symbolise spiritual awakening and enlightenment. This arch serving as an entrance to a temple without any walls signifies a universal shrine open to all without any boundaries of race, religion and creed. On the other side of the lake we saw an open shrine called Gandhi World Peace Memorial.A portion of Gandhiji's ashes were kept here in a one thousand year-old
Chinese sarcophagus flanked by two statues of Guan Yin,the Chinese goddess of mercy.The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi had been sent by Dr.V.M.Nawle, a publisher and journalist from Pune and a friend of Swami Yogananda .This is only place where Gandhiji's ashes were seen outside India. Swami Yogananda met Mahatma Gandhi at Wardha in 1935 and at his request initiated him in the science of Kriya yoga.

   We saw a boat house on the lake and we were informed that Sri Yogananda used to spend hours together in meditation in this floating residence. The gardens and rocky slopes with dense growth of shrubs  around with white swans and ducks on waters present a picturesque view of the lake shrine. The two decked white Missisipi house boat with tiny apartments provides a silent and spiritual retreat for meditation amidst scenic surroundings. We sat in the house boat and spent some time looking at the herons and floating swans.

   Later we visited the "Windmill Chapel" a  replica of the 16th century Dutch windmill with a residential hall and a wooden bridge over a small lotus pond near it. Here memorial and prayer services are held. Visitors may pray here silently . The photos of Swami Yogananda and his spiritual masters could be seen in the chapel. Before the construction of the new temple prayers and meetings were held in this chapel only. A box was kept there for dropping slips in which one can ask doubts and questions and they would be spiritually answered. Mr. Mc Enroy, asst. superintendent for 20th Century Fox Studios purchased this site filled with water and weeds, and constructed this chapel in the model of a Dutch windmill with a peaked roof and carved figure heads to serve as his temporary residence. There are benches all along the way with quotations form Vedas and other religious books engraved on plaques to make visitors imbibe the essence and universal truths of all spiritual paths with one and same goal that is self-realisation. Here visitors may sit and meditate without any distractions amidst sylvan surroundings.

  We were escorted to the new temple on the hill by the custodian who gave a lengthy lecture about philosophy in general .We had to stand nearly for one hour so that a batch of visitors would be led together. After climbing 106 steps we saw the 58-foot high 4000 square-foot temple crowned with a golden lotus.The white octagonal building has a big auditorium with a seating capacity of four hundred persons and is equipped with video facility.There is provision for conducting Sunday school class rooms, and for studying in the book room.  As Windmill chapel was not spacious enough to accommodate all people Swami Yogananda expressed his wish that a new shrine should be built. In 1996 this new hill shrine was constructed thereby fulfilling his wish. After reaching the new shrine the custodian gave a lengthy introduction about the training and service-oriented activities of the Self Realization Fellowship organization. On the walls we saw the portraits of Swami Yogananda and his spiritual preceptors. We had to return in the middle of  the lecture due to some personal problems. We thought that it would have been better if the custodian had directly approached the topic of Kriya Yoga  without her lengthy introductions making most of the visitors feel exhausted.

   As we were returning we learnt that once this place had been a barren canyon called Santa ynez. Alphonzo Bell Sr. a real estate magnate bought this land in 1927 and tried to level the canyon. During the levelling process a natural spring-fed lake called Santa ynez lake was formed in the part of the canyon that had not been levelled. Mr.Everett Mc Elroy, Asst.Supdt. of construction for 20th century Fox Studios, purchased the property,cleared the ground,dredged the lake and set up a boat house on the lake as his temporary residence. Later he built a mill house to stay in and rented the boat house for movie stars and other celebrities to stay in. Mc Elroy built another residence in the model of a 16th century Dutch windmill near a pond. In the late 1940's he sold the property to an oil company president who planned to build a hotel complex there. He dreamt three times that his property would become a place to serve as a church of all religions.Referring to the telephone book he learnt that there was only one institution with that name"Self Realisation Fellowship Church of all religions"in Hollywood. He wrote a letter to its founder,Swami Yogananda offering to sell the property. Even before the letter reached him,Swami Yogananda answered the telephone call asking the owner when he could come to see the property offered for sale.Thus as divine providence ordained,the beautiful Lake Shrine was established in 1950 under the masterly supervision of Swami Yogananda who used to stay in the Mississippi house boat and personally saw to the creation of a holy shrine with befitting natural scenery and symbolic patterns near the surrounding Santa Monica hills. We came out of   this peaceful retreat which is the meeting point of all religions and races showing a  universal path for upliftment of all mankind.

"He who is persistent will realize God. So try your best to make meditation a regular experience in your life."  

     --(Paramahamsa Yogananda)
                                                                                                                          

20th December, 2011                                                                                 Soma Gutala

The Enchanted Castle in San Simeon

                                             
                                          The Enchanted Castle in San Simeon

   
     Some of you might have heard of the fabulous summer palace in Xanadu built by Kubla Khan , the famous Mongolian emperor.S.T.Coleridge immortalised the beauty of that palace"a stately pleasure dome" surrounded by "sunny spots of greenery" in his fragmentary poem "Kubla Khan" composed in 1797.  Such a wonderful palace one can see here built amidst beautiful scenic surroundings near the coast just twenty-three miles from High Way No.1 California that is "Hearst Castle", a palatial building, one of the National Historic land marks in U.S.A.

   After paying entry fee, we were asked to see a forty-minute I.max film briefing the life history of Mr.William Randolph Hearst who undertook this Herculean task of constructing a castle on the top of a hill at a height of 16,00 feet from sea level.We were also shown some of the highlights of the castle which was built in a rare combination of various styles of architecture found in European countries. The swift movement of images on the screen with changing points of focus and view points made us feel as if we were lifted up and down. Later we travelled in a luxury bus through winding paths of hills with vast tracts of hilly slopes . Here and there we saw the vestiges of past glory like log cabins, cages and enclosures meant for keeping wild animals.
 
  After travelling five miles we reached our destination , a huge mansion with towers surrounded by a
 esplanade decked with various sculptures, fountains and antique art objects. An agile, beaming
 gentleman introduced himself as a guide and ushered us into the castle after climbing steps. We were  allowed to see "Casa Grande"(The main castle) , that too , only a few rooms on the first floor. The
 guide,though enthusiastic, went on talking in a jovial manner without giving information in a brief
  and specific manner. He spoke mostly about the luxurious and fashionable life led by Mr. Hearst.

 The first hall is the drawing room with a raised platform in one corner which might have served as
 a place for delivering speeches . Costly paintings and art objects were seen in the room . The second
 hall was meant for dining. A long dining table with rows of chairs is seen with a neat arrangement of
 porcelain plates and cutlery with crystal and silver bowls containing fruits and refreshments. Hearst
 used to entertain many guests in his palatial mansion. Celebrities and political dignitaries like   Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Mark Twain and others used to attend his parties. The dining room looked gorgeous with sparkling chandeliers and richly embroidered tapestry  with a carved wooden ceiling showing various saintly figures. In another hall Hearst used to sit with a limited number of friends and relatives and take his breakfast. There is also a big hall for the guests to entertain themselves by playing games like snooker and bridge. We were not shown the kitchen in the adjacent room as our tour did not include viewing it. So what we saw was a very little portion of the castle which has nearly 165 rooms.

 As we came out we noticed a beautiful pool filled with crystal-clear blue water surrounded by  ancient columns with a statue of the sea god (Neptune)  seen on the top of the temple. This Roman
 temple front was transported from Europe to beautify this swimming pool. Statues of nymphs and
 swans seen around the pool ("Neptune Pool") were carved by the famous French sculptor , Charles    Cassou.

 Just before we reached the way to exit we saw another big indoor swimming pool decorated with
 marble statues. The walls and the ceiling of the whole room were covered with glass mosaic tiles of
 blue and gold colour providing a grand spectacle of the pool which was designed in the style of a
 Roman Bath. The sunlight streaming through glass windows adds splendour to this shining pool.
 This  Roman Pool is based on the design of Mausoleum with its blue and gold colour scheme and  star  patterns. Around the castle we saw the marble statues of Roman gods , goddesses and heroes in  graceful postures. This castle was an inspiration for the "Xanadu" mansion of Orson Welles' film "Citizen Kane" in which Oheka Castle in New York was shown as a location.

 After coming out I could not but wonder to think of Mr.Hearst who successfully transformed
 his lofty dream of constructing this palatial residence on this isolated remote hill which has now  become one of the historic monuments of the U.S.A. We often use the phrase"building castles  in the  air". But here was a person who dared to build a dream castle of his aspirations spending
 all his wealth and boldly facing all the challenges with patience and perseverance. It took nearly  twenty-eight years(1919 to 1947) for Hearst to build this magnificent castle with 165 rooms, gardens  terraces , pools and walkways. Using his experience of visiting various castles in Europe, and after careful comparative study of various styles of other countries , he decided to build the  castle in the Renaissance and Baroque styles of Southern Spanish cathedrals and palaces. He also  tried to blend various styles in designing and decorating the castle by transporting or by shaping the  replicas of the beautiful structures and sculptures he had seen. He used his precious art collections in  adding more splendour to this wonderful work of artistic creation. At the same time Mr.Hearst took  much care to adopt modern techniques and provide modern facilities like water supply, electricity, sports, and a movie theatre. He also took keen interest in conserving and also in enhancing  the charm of the scenic surroundings by setting up his own private zoo with more than 300 animals of various exotic species in a fenced area of 2000 acres of his estate. Many varieties of plants and  trees like palms, citrous trees,dahlias,oleandars and roses were planted on the hill slopes. But during  the period of depression of 1930's Hearst could not maintain his zoo and so was compelled to donate  or sell his animals like zebras,mountain elks and bisons to public zoo's. Even now, a few animals like  goats and mountain elks are spotted in the ranch by visitors.                                                                                                      

 Mr. William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) son of a rich miner and ranch owner, George Hearst,
 inherited nearly 2,50,000 acres of ranch at San Simeon . As a prosperous business magnate owning
 twenty-eight newspapers, eighteen magazines, several radio stations and movie companies, he led a
 a very busy life. He thought of building a decent bungalow to settle on the hill of Santa Lucia range.
 Julia Morgan (1872-1957) , an architect from San Francisco, took up this stupendous task of constructing this castle on a rocky terrain in an aesthetic and attractive manner in conformity with the lofty aspirations of Mr.Hearst. Really she deserves due applause and credit for giving shape to the dreams of a generous  person into solid reality. Hearst renamed the earlier known as Camp Hill as"The Enchanted Hill".

 The castle was built in an area of 127 acres with a built in area of nearly 90,000 square feet. The area of Casa Grande is 60,645 square feet . Three guest houses were built around the castle. After Hearst's demise in 1951, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to the State of California. Since then this historic monument is being managed by State Park Service. As the main estate is used as a museum, an older Victorian house in the estate has been used by Hearst's family as a retreat. This castle joined the National Register of Historic Places on June22,1972, and became a U.S.National Historic Landmark on May11,1976. Lord John Julius Norwich, the famous architectural historian, aptly said,"Hearst Castle is a palace in every sense of the word."

 On our return journey by bus down the hill, we saw a few wild animals roaming freely on the ranch while a few cages and empty enclosures were seen that once were the cosy shelters for exotic animals. The audio commentary in the bus during our journey was quite clear,informative and interesting. In the gift shop one could find many CDs,books,photos and souvenirs that would serve as reminders and tokens  of the grand masterpiece of this real dream castle.

                                              *************************
             10-12-2011                                                                                             Soma Gutala


                         

     

The Famous Shiva Vishnu Temple at Livermore

     
  
      Soon after my arrival in U.S, I had the opportunity of visiting the famous Shiva Vishnu temple at  Livermore located on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay Area,California. As we passed by,we saw a wide stretch of dry land surrounded by low slopes of rocky terrain dotted with dry,brown clumps of grass and shrubs. Livermore is a well-developed industrial city located on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay Area with a large population of more than eighty thousand  population comprising nearly 75% white population.

        As we entered the temple, many devotees were seen standing in the front hall waiting to have
   darshan of Lord Balaji curtained off from outside. After a series of rituals for nearly two hours, we
  were allowed to view the Lord, a beautiful statue in granite in standing posture decorated with sparkling jewellery and rows of multi -coloured garlands. Around the main temple there are many other small temples for other prominent Hindu deities like Lakshmi(consort of Balaji and Goddess of wealth), Durga (Goddess of power and consort of Lord Shiva), Murugan (God of Power and knowledge), Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesh (God who prevents obstacles and grants knowledge and victory), and Lord Rama along with Sita, Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman. Some idols were made of granite and others in white marble. 
         
      The temple is very spacious with a regular busy schedule of rituals, worship and ceremonies.
   Many priests were seen performing various poojas and chanting hymns loudly. Unlike in the temples I visited in England, here I saw oil lamps and camphor lit while doing arti (waving lighted lamps). Huge exhaust pipes and air evacuators were installed near the ceiling to suck out smoke and hot vapour.

    This temple provides all types of priestly services and performing of various rituals for
  devotees -- a rare opportunity made available for those who wish to perform religious ceremonies
  though living far away from their home country. Even some of the Americans visit this temple
  to observe and appreciate the sculpture , attractive decoration and forms of worship. Besides
  religious services this temple carries out other service activities like distribution of food to devotees,
  holding free medical counselling and organising cultural programmes and religious discourses during important festive occasions.

   The Hindu Community and Cultural Centre started this project of founding this temple in 1977.
 The Tamil Nadu Government (India) donated the idols carved in traditional style. Dr. N.T.Rama Rao
 (the ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh , India)  laid the foundation stone in 1984-1985. The temple  construction work went through various phases and was completed in 1999. This temple and the idols were made according to the Hindu tradition of both North and South Indian styles. Kumbhabhishekam  (an elaborate religious ceremony of consecrating the idols) was performed in 1986.  Mahakumbhabhishekam (purificatory ritual done after every twelve years) was performed in 1998 and 2010 respectively.

  This temple certainly satisfies the religious and spiritual needs of devotees who wish to perform poojas, homams(sacrificial rites) and other holy ceremonies in a traditional manner without feeling any inconvenience for being far away from their native country. On the other hand we saw more zeal and a sense of commitment in the eyes of the people who visit this temple. Certainly this temple is going to become one of the attractions and religious centres for the devotees who come to California and feel the holy surroundings of a typical pilgrimage spot seen in many parts of India. 

     
            29-11-2011                                                                                            - Soma Gutala

An Architectural Marvel In San Francisco !

   

                     
       


       

      When ever one thinks of U.S.A. , that promising land of bright prospects and prosperity to modern youth , the Statue of Liberty looms large before our eyes holding a torch high into the air. I heard of another symbol of pride and prestige of not only the state of California but U.S. as well-- the Golden Gate Suspension Bridge built over the bay waters of the Pacific providing connectivity between San Francisco city and the Marine County.

          We started from Sunnyvale, an industrial township, thirty-seven miles from the busy city of San Francisco. The whole route was busy with so many vehicles speeding on the thoroughfare at the weekend. The tall trees and cultivated gardens in front of the corporate offices and distant surrounding hills dotted with vegetation and rows of houses lent a blend of ultra modern and natural sights. As we neared the city, multi-storied buildings with big name boards came into our view. San Francisco is one of the most well-known financial and business centers in America. It has more than thirty international financial institutions. It has three air ports and nine sea ports for transport and trade. There are more than two thousand and eight hundred companies in Bay Area for manufacture of computers semi-conductors, scientific equipment, electronic systems and components. As the main hub of Bio-Technological products, it has nearly one third of bio-tech workforce employed in nearly three hundred bio-tech companies and farms. It is one of the topmost tourist centers generating nearly an income of 6.73 billion dollars a year catering to the diverse interests of different types of visitors.

          This city spreading over an area of nearly forty-six square miles has the privilege of having many industries producing many kinds of products like electronic machines, electric machinery,pharmaceutical products, glass items, paints, confectionery, textiles and bio-tech products.Eminent aerospace institutions like NASA and Lockheed set up research centers in California. In spite of having a huge population of nearly seven and a half lakhs, the city ranks as the third healthiest city adopting green technology and anti-pollution measures and serves as Recycling Market Development Zone. It is ranked as the eighteenth among the cities in the world in the manufacturing sector and is credited with ninth rank in the united states of America. It is the thirteenth most populous city in U.S, and is the fourth most populous city in the state of California.

          In spite of this immense industrialisation, this located near the Pacific bay area has the unique advantage of possessing beautiful scenery with its various undulating hilly regions, lakes,woods, parks,aquatic and marine scenic spots besides shipping and transport facilities. The population with ethnic
diversity added more variety and color to this cosmopolitan fast thriving city. There are more than fifty
hills within city limits and more than two hundred parks that are maintained by San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. In this city one can also see many museums such as Asian Art Museum, The Palace of Fine Arts and De Young Museum in the Golden Gate Park.

         Our car went along the Golden Gate Bridge, a huge towering orange-coloured structure with supporting  steel chords. This suspension bridge was built across the sixteen hundred meter strait that connects San Francisco Bay with the Pacific ocean. The tourists were enjoying a stroll along the road while some  were enthusiastically riding bikes breathing cool and fresh sea breeze in sunny weather. The green and placid waters of the Pacific with sailing boats with distant slopes of the surrounding hills added a touch of  charm to this architectural miracle of engineering skill. This bridge is the most beautiful and certainly the most photographed bridge in the world.

           This bridge links San Francisco city located on the northern tip of San Francisco peninsula with
Marin County. The construction of this bridge was started on 5th January, 1933 and was completed on
19th April , 1937. Joseph Strauss (1870-1938) , a German - American Structural Engineer, assisted by       Irving Morrow and Charlis Ellis accomplished this wonderful and mighty project that was executed by
Mc Clinic- Marshal Construction Co. Irving Morrow hit upon the idea of painting the bridge with orange
vermilion called international orange instead of customary dull grey forth clear visibility and brilliance.The two beautiful art decor towers, each 250 meters tall , form a clear contrast to 90 feet wide six-lane road.

            As we passed to the other end of the bridge, we saw the bronze statue of Joseph Strauss on a
pedestal inside a garden. Many people stood beside this great genius and got themselves photographed.
Joseph Strauss , himself a poet , recited his poem "The mighty task is done" on the occasion of the opening ceremony of this bridge. The figure of Dana Bowers(1909-1977) is seen on a metal plaque at
one end of the view point. As a supervising landscape architect and California Way Beautification , his
contribution is clearly seen which is very much commendable.

       The Golden Gate Bridge is the second longest Suspension Bridge in U.S.A. and is the ninth longest
Suspension  Bridge in the world. A hefty amount of thirty-five billion dollars raised through bonds and
later realised  through collection of toll tax has been spent in construction of this magnificent structure.The weight  this bridge is nearly 8, 87, 000 tons and 83,000 tons of steel were used in building this bridge. This bridge is nearly 75 meters high from the cold waters of the Pacific. The length of the bridge is 1.7 miles and the height of the bridge is 746 feet. This bridge is ranked as the fifth most popular structure by the American Institute of Architects. Nearly forty million people use this bridge every year.  This bridge was designed in such a way as to withstand the rush of sea winds which could blow at a speed of more than one hundred miles per hour.

          Next we went to the pier no. 39 to board the Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise to sail around the
 Alcatraz , an island located in the middle of the bay and it had been used for military defence and as a
 prison for war criminals during the American Civil War. In 1934 it was turned into a security prison
 and was later closed in 1963. This 22-acre island , a colony for roosting pelicans , was discovered
 by a Spanish explorer in 1775. Later the American army established a fortress for defending the Bay
 Harbour.

        Set amidst blue waters this hilly island with dense greenery and semi-circular white fortress with
many chambers captures the attention of passengers on the cruise as we go around it. This island has
been featured in many cinemas , t.v. shows,cartoons and comics. One can view different kinds of birds
and species of plants in the gardens planted by the families of military guards long ago.

        After sailing right under the Golden Gate Bridge and circling round the island of Alcatraz , we returned to the shore. The cries of massive sea-lions each weighing 1500-2000 lbs. are heard near the
pier as they swim around with their mates and leap on to the pier moving their flaps. During the cruise
trip a live audio commentary was given describing the various places one could view from the ferry. Most of the passengers preferred to go on to the deck to enjoy the fresh sea breeze and take photos with their near and dear against the natural backdrop of the sea. Flocks of the sea gulls were seen
floating on the waters to catch their prey.
  
       This cruise trip gave us a chance to have a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the island of Alcatraz sailing through cool and placid waters of the blue Pacific.

                                    ====        ======         ========       =======        =======

                                                                                                         Soma Gutala
     
     



   
       
   


                        

A Temple without a Priest

Dear Readers, 

In India we find priestly services available almost in every temple except in some dilapidated ones tucked in some remote corner without any patronage. Here in Milipitas, a city in Santa Clara County, California,  just six miles from Sunnyvale, to my surprise,  I visited a Shirdi Sai temple located in a large building on one side of the main road. The temple is  inside a building with a few spacious rooms. No temple tower or the sacred pillar with a flag (dwaja stambham) is seen. We parked our car in the premises and entered a spacious prayer hall through a corridor. 

A beautiful statue of Sri Sai Baba seated on a pedestal with one leg folded cross-wise in charecteristic posture is seen. A row of chairs are kept on one side for the elderly people to sit  and pray to God. Others sat on  the floor with prayer books in their hands. People stood in a line and worshipped Baba one after the other waving arti (sacred oil-lit flame)  - as the volunteers courteously regulated the flow of devotees. The  devotees placed their offerings of various food items before the pedestal to be consecrated later as naivedya. In one  corner of the hall at the entrance a collection of prayer books and other holy religious books were kept for  ready reference and use by devotees. The arti song was played on an audio recorder as the devotees joined in , reciting in unison gently clapping their palms in a devotional mood. In the adjoining hall there is another small marble statue of Sai Baba with a small furnace that represents the place of dhuni (sacred sacrificial fire in Shirdi). In another spacious hall prasad (items of food offered to Baba) were distributed in paper plates. In this temple all basic amenities such as water , rest rooms  and shoe stand are available so that visitors will not feel any inconvenience when they come here. The temple has a library where religious books and any other information about this institution can be found. Without any customary priests and elaborate rituals every thing is done neatly and carefully by the volunteers of Shirdi Sai Parivar. The serene surroundings and the reverential attitude of the Sai Volunteers  fill our hearts with a sense of devotion and mental peace. Many elderly couple including Europeans and Americans  were seen kneeling before Baba with folded hands with a sense of spiritual satisfaction. This temple founded by Shirdi Sai Parivar on July 18th, 2010 serves as a cultural and spiritual centre for many devotees. This temple functions with a regular time schedule both in the morning and in the evening i.e. from 6.30 a.m to 12.30 p.m and from 6.00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day, with special programmes on important festival days. The Shirdi Sai Parivar also established a Sai Mandir in Sunnyvale  on March 7th , 2007 and has been organising the institution successfully with the co-operation of the local people such as I.T.professionals   retired employees and philanthropists. 

Let us hope that in future both these spiritual centres by the grace of Sai Baba flourish  and gain more prominence with the support of philanthropists and Sai devotees.                                                         

Jai Sai Ram

The beginning

I remember when i was a little kid, my dad took me to school and initiated me in the path of education and enlightenment. Never did i think that i would get the chance to return the favor. Today, i'm proud to initiate my dad into blogging and help him get in touch with millions of people around the web and in the process help me get into the world of technology.

I pray to lord ganesha that his new venture be successful and i pray to saibaba to help him digitize his work.

Sairam!