On Sat May 12th, Shri Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, North Billerica, MA, hosted the Spiritual Gold 2012 program to honor our Senior citizens and elders. It is an annual cultural and spiritual all day program to honor and respect our Seniors and seek their guidance and blessings.

The day began with Shri Sai Baba's Kakad Aarti along with Baba Abhishek followed by Samuhik Satyanarayan pooja for all families. The registrations were free and open to all senior citizens and their family. The pooja was conducted by Shri Bhairavji from Ashland, MA. Then food and seating arrangement for lunch was made by the team of volunteers for all the seniors where all the younger generation got an opportunity to serve elders.

The afternoon session began with cultural program by all our seniors by singing beautiful mesmerizing songs including kids, playing on musical instruments etc., thus showcasing their wonderful talent and entertaining the audience thus inspiring everyone present. The amazing performance of Smt Vitobhai Sadanandham on the piano and the melodious songs sung by Smt Chitralekha Dixit were mind-blowing. This also included the most knowledgeable, colorful and musical presentation walking us through a journey of India's Spiritual and Cultural Heritage by Shaila and Rajan Desai touring from the mountains and valleys of Kashmir in the North to the southernmost tip of India and its spectular landscapes, beaches and sunsets. It explained the significance of the various festivals such as Deepavali and Navratri, art, architecture and sculpture, various forms of dances, faces of devotion capturing the essence of faith where even the kids enjoyed.

This continued with the Paduka initiation program where everyone got an opportunity to hold the Shri Sai Padukas on their head and go around the prayer hall singing and dancing merrily to the glory of the Lord accompanied by other devotees. All seemed deeply engrossed to the beats of music immersing themselves devotionally and seeking blessings from Baba. This brought back to mind the wonderful memories of Sai Palki Utsav held every year in July-Aug bringing tears of joy in some devotees eyes.

This was followed by evening snacks and a Bhajan concert by renowned violinist, vocalist, composer and conductor Shri Dinesh Kumar Prabhakarji from New York and accompanying artists. The concert was free and open to all. Aakash Poddar and Daljit Singh Sokhi were on Vocals, Anil Mankani and Dr. Nishikant Sonwalkar on the Tabla and Smt Preeti Chakravarthi on the Harmonium. Dineshji is recipient of President's Award and as Director of Music Films Division Govt of India he has composed music for more than 350 documentaries with all renowned playback singers. The group sang various Bhajans starting from Ganesh Vandana, Sant Kabir, Shri Sai Baba, Lord Shiv, Lord Krishna etc., pleasing one and all present. It was an interactive session where the audience too joined in the singing and thus enjoyed this great musical evening to their hearts content.

After the concert, there was regular Dhoop Aarti followed by dinner sponsored by The Mughals restaurant. The day concluded by Shej Aarti thus ending this memorable all day event.

All the seniors appreciated and expressed that they enjoyed the entire day and were extremely touched by the hospitality and love that was showered to them by Dwarkamai.

|