Interfaith Meeting in Petropolis, Brazil
During 1st to 4th October 2015, the Brazilian Sathya Sai Foundation participated in an interfaith meeting promoted by the municipality of Petropolis (City of Peter) – a hilly town near Rio de Janeiro and summer residence of the last Emperor of Brazil, Peter II. The meeting, held at the historic Crystal Palace, was called Arati and highlighted Indian culture and spirituality. An estimated 9,500 people attended the meeting. Institutions represented at the interfaith meeting included the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Ramakrishna Mission, Tibetan Buddhists, the Catholic Church and other local faith organisations. The City Council also established 2nd October as Krishna Day, to be celebrated annually henceforth. SSIO volunteers displayed books and audio-visual material on Sathya Sai Baba, and distributed about 400 booklets and leaflets on His teachings. The volunteers also interacted lovingly with the public and shared Bhagawan’s message. Sathya Sai members participated in interfaith discussions, human values education, and musical programmes.