Upanishad Ganga, the brilliant television series by Chinmaya Mission and Wisdomtree Productions, has been wowing television, DVD and YouTube audience for some time now, but no one could have imagined that there was so much more to it than what meets the eye. When Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda announced that he would take a camp on it from 16th to 31st December 2017 at Chinmaya Vibhooti, including screenings and talks, no one knew quite what to expect.
200+ full-time campers plus more than 100 part-timers were fortunate to listen to the story behind the story, as Guruji dived deep into the knowledge that made its way from the pages of the ancient scriptures to the living rooms of the modern viewer, with the same authenticity combined with an artistic approach. The classes brilliantly conveyed the depth that lies behind each 22 minute episode. During the 16 days of the camp, each of the 52 episodes was explained and screened. It was nothing less than an in-depth course in Vedic wisdom and culture.
Campers were also treated to devotional evenings of bhajans, one by Chinmaya Naada Bindu Gurukul and one by none other than Pujya Guruji himself. Guruji sang many of his latest compositions, much to the delight of the audience. The performance by Bala Vihar children was another hit!
One of the major highlights of the camp was a visit made by the director and writer of the series, Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi and his wife Mandira Kashyap, executive producer. Dr. Dwivedi was invited by Guruji to address the campers and to share his experiences and learnings. It offered a different perspective and the audience could really appreciate just what goes into the making of such a blockbuster series. Many attendees were also awe-inspired that Chinmaya Mission had ventured into a unknown field just so that the priceless wisdom of the Vedas could be shared with one and all.
As this unique camp drew to a close, another treat awaited the campers – an evening of informal time with Guruji at the Vijayantra Amphitheatre at Chinmaya Vibhooti’s Swanubhooti Vatika, which has been impressing and inspiring seekers since it was inaugurated in May 2017. The open air satsang took place as the sun set on New Years Eve, a memorable conclusion to the year. But that wasn’t all. After dinner, the 400 people present assembled for the annual Vishnu Sahasranama Puja and Archana, followed by midnight aarti and upbeat bhajans as 2017 was bid farewell to, and 2018 was welcomed with great devotion.
