The Sanskrit word Akhanda means uninterrupted (without any break) and Bhajan means singing devotional songs to extol God’s various names, forms, attributes, virtues and leelas (divine sport). The Akhanda Bhajan event (usually held in the second weekend of November) is observed by Sai devotees all over the world by singing devotional songs non-stop for twenty-four hours.

It is an annual event of global significance starting from 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and ending on 6:00 p.m. the next day (on Sunday). The Akhanda Bhajan starts with the lighting of the Akhanda Jyoti (the sacred lamp) that is kept burning continuously for next 24 hours. Thus the sacred lamp is lit in each country in turn based on their local time and by the time the Bhajans are completed, the entire world is connected in a circle of light. The powerful spiritual vibrations emanating from this event spread right across the globe.

The Akhanda Jyothi is a sign of celebration and hope for mankind to march from darkness to light. It not only helps to turn our thoughts and mind towards God but also promotes a sense of spiritual unity, harmony and mutual love shared by all. The Akhanda Bhajan program ends with the universal peace prayer "Samasta Locaa Sukhino Bhavantuu - May all beings Everywhere be happy".

This event is not held for the sake of one individual, one nation, or one community. It is conducted for the peace, prosperity and the welfare of the entire humanity. The Bhajans that are sung permeate the ether in the form of sound waves and fill the entire atmosphere, thereby, the whole environment gets purified.

How the global Akhanda Bhajan tradition started:

Even as a child Swami sang devotional songs about God, making them up for his friends and teaching them to classmates, who then took them home to teach their parents. When he announced his true identity as avatar of Sai Baba, in 1940, he sang to those who had gathered about him `Manase bhajare, guru charanam- dusthara bhava sagara tharanam...'

From the very beginning of his mission, Swami has made bhajan an important aspect of sadhana (spiritual practice) for all his devotees. In 1942 there were no large crowds around Swami as there are now, and every Thursday those present would join together for bhajans under his leadership.

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO READ THIS FASCINATING STORY IN FULL

What Swami has Said about Akhanda Bhajans:

"No man can escape the influence of the pollution of the air he breathes. The sounds that we produce, with good intent or bad, spread throughout the air around us. This is our daily experience. The sounds produced by radio stations pass through the atmosphere and reach our homes when we tune in. The vibrations travel vast distances and affect the nature of those who inhale them. The atmosphere also affects the food man consumes. The pollution in the atmosphere is imbibed by the plants. The plants supply grain, the grain is the basis of the meal and the meal shapes the character and behaviour of the person who consumes it. When the environment is clean and free from evil vibrations, the food too is pure and the person develops a tendency to be loving and simple. It is to ensure such an atmosphere; this Sadhana (of Akhanda Bhajan) was initiated all over the world."

– Source: Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. X, pp. 67 & 68

“Sankirtana (Congregational singing of Bhajans) is the process of singing that originates in the heart, nor from the tongue. It is the expression of the joyous thrill that wells up from the heart when the Glory of God is remembered. It is the spontaneous manifestation of the inner ecstasy. No attention is paid to blame or praise that others may give. It does not seek the admiration or the appreciation of the listeners. It is sung for one's own joy, one's own satisfaction, and one's own delight. Kirtana of this supreme type alone deserves the name Sankirtana"

– Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. X, p. 67

"You should sing whole-heartedly with the desire to please God. God makes no distinction between a proficient musician and a beggar in the street. It is the devotion and sincerity that matters. Merge your soul in the Bhajans you sing. Spiritualize your Bhajan-singing. Then you will experience real bliss." "Once Emperor Akbar asked his court musician how he would account for the fact that a wayside beggar's music moved him more profoundly than the music of the state musician? The latter replied that while the beggar sang from his heart to please God, his music constrained by the desire to please the Emperor."

– Source: SS, 4/97, p. 96

"When a man falls into a well, of what use is it if he controls his voice and his emotions and whispers quietly, 'I have fallen into this well, I have fallen into this well. I am in a great danger. Please save me.' No one will be able to hear or save him. He must shout full-throated, with all anguish he is experiencing and with extreme desire to be saved, "I HAVE FALLEN INTO THE WELL! SAVE ME! SAVE ME SOMEONE!" Then only can he hope to get succour. Similarly, when you are caught in the coils of this world, when you have fallen into this deep well of worldly misery, shout with all your might, with all your heart that God may save you. There is no use of muttering faintly and half-heartedly. 'Save me; I am floundering in this Samsara (material world).' When the prayer comes shrieking through the heart, help is assured."

– Source: Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol X, p 68

READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT