| National President's Welcome | | | | | Dearest Brothers and Sisters, Pray, with Bhagawan's Grace, you and your families are all keeping safe and well. April's edition of Love & Light brings you an update on activity during the last month from around the United Kingdom. Seeing what our brothers and sisters who have been affected in Ukraine and around the world have been going through, it is wonderful to see the service activities happening over the country to help where we can. We pray that our Dearest Lord continues to protect each and everyone who have been affected during these difficult times. All service should be regarded as an offering to God and every opportunity to serve should be welcomed as a gift from God. When service is done in this spirit, it will lead in due course to self-realisation. Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 20 Ch. 26 It has been wonderful to see more and more Centres and Groups opening over the last month. I have had a chance to go to different centres, and it brings a warm feeling in my heart seeing the joy on everyone's faces when they meet other brothers and sisters after such a long time and sit down together and pray to Bhagawan. I pray that you all have an auspicious Easter, remembering the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ when He gave His life on the cross and celebrating His resurrection three days later. Love alone can reveal the Divinity latent in all.
Love is God. Live in love.
Love lives by giving and forgiving; self lives by getting and forgetting.
Love is selflessness; selfishness is lovelessness.
Do not waste your life pursuing the narrow interests of the self. Love! Love!
Become what you truly are — the embodiments of love. No matter how others treat you or what they think of you, do not worry. Follow Jesus Christ. Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 14 Ch. 45 Next month, we have our first in-person National Easwaramma Day after three years, on 7th May. I'm sure the Bal Vikas children are looking forward to seeing other children and presenting their offerings to Bhagawan. Jai Sai Ram Ketan Gokani
| | | | | Outpouring of love by SSSO UK devotees | | | Update on Ukraine Service | | | | | After making international enquiries, it was evident that the best way the devotees of the United Kingdom could help the refugees of Ukraine was to contribute specific items identified as required by local collection points throughout the UK. Many devotees helped to sort and pack the items. The selfless participation of SSSO UK devotees in this humanitarian service has resulted in nearly 3.1 tonnes of food provisions, batteries, essential clothing, hygiene care items, health care items, items for babies, sleeping bags, sheets, towels and toiletries all being donated to various organisations, local churches, community centres and relief agencies, for them to provide to our brothers and sisters from Ukraine either on the way to or in refugee camps in places like Romania, Poland and Moldova. Furthermore, nearly £5,000 has generously been donated by SSSO UK devotees to charitable organisations such as DEC, British Red Cross and UNICEF. SSSO UK devotees continue to join in daily prayers for peace and came together on 2nd April for the National Prayers for Peace. | | | | | A big thank you to all those who participated in the National Online Prayers for Peace on Saturday 2nd April. It was wonderful to see so many devotees joining. Many centres and groups celebrated Ram Navami this month and will be celebrating other festivals such as Easter and local Indian New Years. Several regions are also marking Aradhana Mahotsavam with prayers and bhajans on the weekend of 23rd/24th April (details in regional updates below). | | | | | And the winners are... | | | National Poster & Poem Competition 2022 | | | | | Once again, Bal Vikas (SSE) children from around the country were inspired to send in their entries for our annual competition, this time on the theme 'Sacrifice - the Highest Virtue'. We received dozens and dozens of entries and as usual the judges' task was made very difficult! After a lot of deliberation, however, the winners and runners-up are as follows. | | | | | 2022 Poster Competition
The winner is...Meghna Sunkara, from Leicester Sai Centre, R4! Her poster is shown below.
| | | | - First runner-up: Sowmiya Vijayan, Leicester, R4
- Second runner-up: Prisha Lath, Heston, R2
| | | | | 2022 Poem Competition
The winner is...Ruby Raju, from Merton Sai Centre, R1! Her poem is shown below. | | | | - First runner-up: Danvir Mookoon, Brixton, R1
- Second runner-up: Shivani Gopal, Bradford, R5
Our heartiest congratulations go to all these children and our thanks once again go to everyone for taking part. May Bhagawan shower His blessings on them all! | | | | | | Events near you
With several activities planned around the country over the next few weeks, we have decided to focus this issue on highlighting at least some of those events. All information is correct at the time of drafting this issue, so please email the relevant Regional President via the associated link below to confirm the timing of a particular item, or simply to obtain further information, including about any events not listed here. | | | | | | | | Region 1 (London South East & South West)
- Regional Celebrations
- Saturday 23rd April, 6pm - Sunday 24th April, 6pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Sai Mandir, 131-133 Effra Rd, London SW19 8PU (also online via the Region 1 YouTube channel, 6-9.30pm)
- Monday 2nd May, 5pm: Regional Easwaramma Day celebrations, online via the Region 1 YouTube channel
- Merton Sai Centre
- Friday 6th May: Easwaramma Day celebrations, online
| | | | | | | | Region 2 (London North West and nearby Home Counties)
- Harrow West
- Sunday 17th April, 4.35pm: Easter celebrations at Oxhey Wood Primary School, Oxhey Drive, Watford WD19 7SL – also streamed online on YouTube (https://youtu.be/zVjUNY5SQ-E)
- Sunday 24th April, 4pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Oxhey Wood Primary School, Oxhey Drive, Watford WD19 7SL – also streamed online on YouTube (https://youtu.be/a5UEtjx69FA)
- Sunday 8th May, 4.30pm: Easwaramma Day celebrations at Oxhey Wood Primary School, Oxhey Drive, Watford WD19 7SL – also streamed online on YouTube (https://youtu.be/QzC0R_v32SQ)
- Slough Sai Centre
- Sunday 24th April, 11am: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Colnbrook Village Hall, Vicarage Way, Colnbrook SL3 0RF
| | | | | | | | Region 3 (London North, East & Central and nearby Home Counties)
- Regional event
- Saturday 23rd April, 5-8pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam, online via YouTube
- Cambridge Sai Centre
- Saturday 23rd April, 10-11.30am: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Mayfield Primary School, Warwick Road, Cambridge CB4 3HN
- Chelmsford Sai Centre
- Sunday 24th April, 5pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam, Zoom ID 851 576 5319, password 231126
- Ilford Sai Centre
- Sunday 24th April, 10.30am-12.15pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Seven Kings High School, Ley Street, Ilford IG2 7BT
- Mill Hill Sai Centre
- Sunday 24th April, 8.20am-12pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Deansbrook Junior School, Hale Drive, London NW7 3ED (access via Church Close, London HA8 9NS)
- Milton Keynes Sai Centre
- Sunday 24th April, 8.45-10am: Aradhana Mahotsavam, Zoom ID 810 3186 8422, password SaiRam108
- Palmers Green Sai Group
- Sunday 24th April, 7.30-10pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam, online via YouTube
| | | | | | | | Region 4 (Midlands)
- Regional event
- Sunday 24th April, 8.45am: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Soar Valley College, Gleneagles Avenue, Leicester LE4 7GY
| | | | | | | | Region 5 (North England and Northern Ireland)
- Regional event
- Saturday 30th April, 1-4pm: Regional 'reunion' event in Oldham
- Greater Manchester
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Sunday 24th April, 5-6pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Fallowfield Library, Platt Lane, Manchester M14 7FB | | | | | | | | Region 6 (South & South East England)
- Farnborough Sai Centre
- Sunday 24th April, 4.30-7pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Shiva Cultural & Community Centre, Queens Road, Aldershot GU11 3JU
- Folkestone Sai Group
- Sunday 24th April, 5pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam at Folkestone Nepalese Community Centre, Cheriton Library, Baker Road, Folkestone CT19 4NN
- Rochester Sai Centre
- Saturday 23rd April, 6pm: Aradhana Mahotsavam, online via Zoom
| | | | | | | | Region 7 (West & South West England and Wales)
No events announced at time of drafting - please contact Regional President via the link below for latest information | | | | | | | | Region 8 (Scotland)
No events announced at time of drafting - please contact Regional President via the link below for latest information | | | | | | | Final reminder: Let's stay connected to His Mission! | | | | | If you are a member of one of our affiliated centres or groups, you only have until 30 April to complete our registration form to ensure we and your centre/group are able to continue communicating with you. This way, you can continue to be informed about the activities of your centre/group, as well as other activities in our Organisation. The form may be accessed via the button below.
For more information, please contact your centre/group president, or email privacy@srisathyasai.org.uk | | | | |
