Sai 100 Sadhana: Flushing, NY
Sai 100 Sadhana - A Centenary Offering of Love and Unity: Flushing, NY
In honor of Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s 100th birthday, members of the Sri Sathya Sai Center in Flushing, New York, participated with heartfelt earnestness in ‘Sai 100 Sadhana’ from January through November 2025.
Tanuja Sankar, the Sai Center's president, explained the inspiration behind the collective effort:
- "Keeping in mind that Unity is Divinity, we felt that the most heartfelt gift for Swami would be to collectively offer these sadhanas (spiritual practices) as a loving gift in gratitude for His 100th Birthday.”
The Sadhana successfully brought together all three wings—Devotion, Service, and Education Wings—with SSE children actively participating alongside adult members.
Devotional Offerings
Collective acts of devotion formed a core part of the Sadhana:
- Daily Sai Ashtottaram were chanted over Zoom nightly at 9 p.m.
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Reading of the Tapovanam: Members completed 100 rounds of the text as a group. Swarna Alluri, who led this Sadhana, emphasized its spiritual benefit:
- “Reading Sai literature regularly is part of the 9-point code of conduct. Doing this Sadhana helped intensify our growth on the spiritual path.”
- A 100-bhajan offering was held on September 14, 2025, in commemoration of the Centenary Celebrations.
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100 rounds of Rudram sessions were led by Sailaja Challapalli; these sessions were held in various devotees' homes and via Zoom. The grand finale was a celebration at the Sai center on October 12, featuring the 100th Rudram chanting session with other New York Sai Centers joining. Dr. Bangaruraju Kolanuvada, the Sai Center’s vice president, shared the personal value of this offering:
- “Swami says, 'Rudram chadivite bhadranga vuntavu,' meaning ‘If you chant Rudram, you will be safe’.”
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Sathya Sai Vratam: On October 19, in honor of Avatar Declaration Day, 100 devotees collectively offered the Sathya Sai Vratam. The concept of vratham represents a sacred contract (a commitment to specific spiritual disciplines and ritual observances over a defined period) between the devotee and the divine. It involves a personal determination and promise-keeping. Center member Salini Sashidharan found this offering particularly powerful:
- “This was the first ever collective offering of Sathya Sai Vratam at our center, and the unity and harmony was very evident.”
Service and Gratitude
The 100 Acts of Kindness led by Dr. Jayagopal Salem, saw members, both individually and as a group, performing various acts of service:
- Helping neighbors.
- Cooking meals for RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities), which supports underprivileged pediatric cancer patients and their families.
- Cooking and serving meals for the homeless in the community.
- Performing other service activities for the needy, including service projects in Indian villages.
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A Sai Center member, Subbu Garikapati, reflected on the profound meaning of their service, quoting Swami’s saying:
- "Manava Seva Madhava Seva, which translates to Service to Man is Service to God. We were blessed to take up this Sadhana of 100 Acts of Kindness and offer it at Swami's lotus feet.”
A Gift of Love
A highlight of the Sai Center's birthday observance was the offering of 100 Blossoms Woven with Love, a book containing 100 articles of gratitude by members combined with Swami’s messages.
Sumeer Bhagawandeen, the Sai Center’s service coordinator, summed up the feelings of the participants:
- “It was rewarding, and we are immensely grateful to Swami for giving us this blissful opportunity to offer this collective sadhana at His Lotus Feet. Swami once said that it gave him great joy to see his devotees united with each other with the bond of love, and we hope that our offering has made him happy."