As the gentle morning sun rose higher over Prasanthi Nilayam, Sai Kulwant Hall seemed to glow in quiet splendour, carrying the fragrance of devotion and the grandeur of tradition. The sacred eighth day of Devi Navaratri, Ashtami, unfolded with the Ayudha Puja — a custom lovingly initiated by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and reverentially continued to this day.
The hall was beautifully adorned with fresh flowers, incense, coconuts, and green leaves, while instruments, ‘vahanas’ (vehicles used by Bhagawan), and implements — the very “tools of life and service” — were reverently arranged before the sanctum. As the sun’s rays fell gently on the Golden Chariot stationed in the hall, it glistened in majestic brilliance, as if reminding all that every object, when offered to God, reflects divine radiance.
The Vedic chants that filled the air seemed to merge with the shimmering beams of light. Trustees, revered elders and functionaries together offered prayers, breaking coconuts in solemn devotion. Each act was not just symbolic, but a reaffirmation that work, when sanctified, becomes worship.
Meanwhile, the fifth day of the Veda Purusha Sapta Jnana Yajna was carried out with great austerity, featuring the traditional Rudra Homam, various Parayanams, Sahasralinga Archanam, Surya Namaskaram — all amidst the resonant chanting of the Vedas and the recitation of the Devi Mahatmyam.
In years gone by, Bhagawan would personally bless these proceedings, often breaking coconuts and sanctifying vehicles, setting the ideal that every implement must serve as an instrument of love and service. This morning’s Puja, carried out in His Divine Presence, was a continuation of that very sacred rhythm — a tradition alive with meaning, not mere ritual.
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