The Noida Centre organised its 13th annual residential BalVihar Camp for 3 days from March 27-29 on the Surya Foundation campus, Jhinjholi. As 2015 is the birth centenary year of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, the motto of Bal Vihar ‘Keep Smiling’ was the theme of the camp and the entire camp was woven around the life and teachings of Gurudev.
Sw. Nikhilanandaji, Regional Head, Chinmaya Mission, Delhi NCR inaugurated the Camp and addressed the 130 partcipants. The Camp acharyas were Sw. Chidrupanandaji, Acharya, Noida, Brni. Pranati Chaitanya, Acharya, Ghaziabad, Shri Anand Sharma and Shri Balaji Krishnamoorthy. The participants were divided into 10 groups, each named after one of the 108 names of Pujya Gurudev. The groups were led by group leaders, the Chyks, who took great care of the students. Sw. Chidrupanandaji, conducted sessions for the senior students. Explaining a few Sanskrit Shubhashitas, he not only imparted the values to the children but also got them interested in this divine language of ours. Brni. Pranati ji, endeared herself to the junior children through her sessions where she explained the various names of Gurudev with the relevant anecdotes and stories. She also co-ordinated other creative activities of the camp with the Chyk volunteers who had devised interesting games for the children. Shri Anand and Shri Balaji taught bhajans and stotras to the children. The Chyk Jt.Secy. Somya Mittal had specially written and composed a Camp song which the children sang every day. In an attempt to teach the students to use the best out of waste, an activity was conducted where the kids made ‘Padukas’ and ‘Plates’ out of ‘paper mache’. On the concluding day, Brni. Pranatiji conducted the Paduka Puja and it was heartening to see the children perform the puja of these padukas. The valedictory function showcased the presentation of each group in the form of skits based on different aspects of Pujya Gurudev.
The place with its sprawling lawns, swings and nutritious meals resembled the ancient Gurukul and provided an ideal environment for the children. Under the able guidance of Swamiji, the Bal Vihar Co-ordinators along with the other volunteers helped the children bloom, grow and inculcate values through fun-filled activities.