The art of management

Nearly 1.5 lakh disciples attend the first day of the Art of Living course at S P College grounds

The popularity of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was evident when nearly 1.5 lakh followers made their way to the S P College grounds, Tilak Road yesterday to listen to the guru.

The spiritual leader is in the city till Friday for a three-day programme. The stage was set to accommodate around 2,750 musicians including singers and instrumentalists, which is the largest number in the world.

From five-year-olds to 70-year-olds, the entire field was filled with followers chanting his name, singing bhajans and listening to discourse.

Not just the common man, but even high-profile personalities including Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal,u00a0 Harshwardhan Patil, Suresh Kalmadi, Gopinath Munde, and Pune Police Commissioner Dr Satyapal Singh took time off to listen tou00a0 spiritual leader.u00a0

Blessings
Singer Shankar Mahadevan pumped life and energy into his bhajans, and set the mood for the crowd. The cops had a tough time keeping disciples at bay, who wanted to touch the guru's feet and seek his blessings.

However, the biggest surprise was the large presence of youngsters at the event.

Children as young as 10 years meditated and listened to him quietly. One of the young volunteers, who is also a faculty, said that the Art of Living course at the SP College Grounds has registered nearly 1,500 youngsters between the age of 18-30 years.

A way of life
Students from various institutes and young professionals are all eager to learn the simple truth of life. Girls decked up and dressed in saris, and the boys in kurtas were beaming with energy at the gathering.

Shashank Ombhase, a builder and civil engineer who had joined the course two years back is now a faculty. He said, "I had joined just for time pass, but after two days of joining the course, I started enjoying it. Today, my outlook and attitude towards life has changed completely. The course is not a boring lecture, but its fun with games and many enjoyable moments."

Many like him, who had joined the course out of peer pressure or just for fun, are now firm believers of his teachings.

Varsha Anandnar, a student said, "I am a more positive person now. My relationship with people has changed for the better. I feel so wonderful after joining his course."