HOUSTON. In the “Cintan Dainandini,” Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda gives abeautiful example of the power of chanting – “The child may be in any part of the house;it need not know where the mother is; but the moment the child cries ‘ma ma’, themother appears and gathers the child to her bosom.” In the same way by repeatedlychanting the Bhagavad-Gita with a pure and innocent heart, like that of a child, theGuru’s grace and Sri Bhagavan Krishna’s blessings will be constantly present.In honor of Pujya Gurudev’s 101 st birthday (May 8), Chinmaya Mission Houston held itsannual Gita competition on May 6 th where over 115 children offered the best ofthemselves to the great Master who lived and spread the message of Gita every day of his glorious life.To watch young children chant verses from Chapter 14 – The Yoga of Gunas –and adolescent minds present their analysis of the chapter was both mesmerizing and transcendental. While reciting the Gita creates a positive vibration within the body and the environment around, it also teaches control and voice modulation which improves pronunciation as well as vocal musical skills. The regular chanting of the Gita also helps children with concentration, discipline, time management, responsibility, public speaking finesse, comprehension and deliberation. Just as sending our children to start school at kindergarten, similarly learning the Bhagavad-Gita at a very young age has numerous benefits, some of which can be seen immediately and some in the future.When the winners of the Gita Chanting event were celebrated the next day, Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty emphasized that Gita was for everyone and it was best learned when young to be applied in a lifetime. He appreciated the enthusiastic spirit of all children who participated.

The winners of the Gita Competition are:

Group 1 (KG-2 grade):

 1 st place – Vashi Banavalikar (KG) and Ahana Rao (1 st Grade)

 2 nd place – Samarth Srivatsan (1 st Garde)

 3 rd Place – Anshula Thandra (KG)

Group 2 (Grades 3-5):

 1 st place – Aditi Chaubal (5 th Grade)

 2 nd place – Chinmayee Madhava (5 th Grade)

 3 rd place – Sanvi Sudarshan (3 rd grade) and Veda Suresh (5 th Grade)

Group 3 (Grades 6-8):

 1 st place – Ayush Manoj (7 th Grade)

 2 nd place – Karthik Chitta (7 th Grade)

 3 rd place – Megna Prabhakaran (6 th Grade)

Group 4 (Grades 9-12):

 1 st place – Bhavya Kathireddipalli (10 th Grade)

 2 nd place – Saaketh Rao (11 th Grade)

 3 rd place – Aarushi Das (9 th Grade)

Along with those who won recognition for Gita chanting, there were also a select group of four Bala Vihar children who were specially awarded their trophies for the Slokathon– a marathon effort to learn and chant over two hundred verses from various important stotras. The Slokathon is a cornerstone program of Chinmaya Bala Vihar at Houston which encourages children to learn at their own pace and master the art of devotional chanting in Sanskrit.

Slokathon Trophy winners:

 Nitheesh Chander Kodarapu

 Nithya Kodarapu

 Chinmayee Madhava

 Pranav Sriram

Every year, the celebration of Pujya Gurudev’s birthday reinforces the learning and living of Gita – marked by the children’s voices against a silent and strong supportive teamwork of Chinmaya volunteers’ dedicated actions. Hari Om! For more information on Chinmaya Mission Houston, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya and its activities visit www.chinmayahouston.org, www.saumyakasi.org or call temple 281 568 1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 or Bharati Sutaria 281-933- 0233

Activities in Bengaluru during April 2017

Jnana Yajna by Pujya Swami Advayananda

Pujya Swami Advayananda, President, Chinmaya International Foundation, Adi Shankara Nilayam, Veliyanad conducted a Jnana Yajna in English taking Dakshinamurthy Stotram at Sripaadakshetra, J P Nagar from 15/04/2017 to 23/04/2017. The Yajna was inaugurated by Sri G N Seshadri, Trustee of Chinmaya Mission and senior Study Group Sevak. The entire Yajna was organised, coordinated and managed by members of Study and Devi Groups. Pujya Swamiji laid stress on the fact that it is only through knowledge of the Self one can get over Avidya through continuous and sincere shravana, manana and nidhidhyasana. It is only Brahma Vidya that destroys the miseries of birth and death which is nothing but samsara and incompleteness.  The path of knowledge is the highest where assurance is given that liberation is now and here if sincere and dedicated effort is put.

Pujya Swamiji conducted Meditation session in the mornings followed by Group discussion by study group members on questions posed by him on the Dakshinamurthy stotram. He also held a very inter active and thought provoking question answer session participated by all the study group members of Bengaluru.

The Yajna was very well attended.

Felicitation to Sri Sakala Narasimhulu Setty

The entire Chinmaya Study and Devi Group members of Bengaluru garnered to felicitate one of the most senior sadhaks and ardent devotee of Pujya Gurudev, Bhishma Pitamaha, Sri Sakala Narasimhulu Setty the only living witness to Pujya Gurudev’s first Geeta Jnana Yajna in Bengaluru in 1956. He has been with the Mission right from that day serving as the backbone of Chinmaya Mission involving himself – Tanu, Mana, Dhana – in each and every activity and has been responsible for the overall growth and consolidation of the Mission through Chinmaya Vidyalayas, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Chinmaya Sandeepany at Chokkahalli and several centres all over Karnataka with an attitude of total surrender as Hanuman to Lord Rama. He has seen the Mission grow from nothing to everything in the last 60 years and has the contentment and satisfaction of being a part in its development besides a source of inspiration to hundreds of devotees. Pujya Swami Brahmananda led the entire Chinmaya family in remembering the supreme contribution of Sri Sakala Narasimhulu Setty to Pujya Gurudev’s cause who is still serving at the ripe old age of ninety one.

Mandala Puja at Omkareshwara Temple in Chokkahalli

In accordance with the Agama Shastra the Prathama Mandala Puja as well as Dhrudha Kalasha Homa at Omkareshwara temple, Chokkahalli Sandeepanay was performed on Sunday, 9^th April, 2017 in the holy presence of Pujya Swami Brahmananda. The day was observed with Mahanyaasaadi Poorvaka Ekadashavara Rudrabhisheka followed by Dhrudha Kalasha Homa, Rudra Homa, Ksheerabhisheka and Kalashabhisheka with 108 kalashas. Devi Group members rendered soul elevating  bhajans for over 2 hours. The grand finale was the beautiful decoration of Lord Omkareshwara and Aarati witnessed by hundreds of devotees who had assembled.

Satsang by Pujya Swami Brahmananda

Pujya Swami Brahmananda conducted a Satsang in Chinmaya Mission centre, Hampinagar, Vijayanagar  on 2^nd April, 2017 as a part of Ramananvami. It is our wrong identification with the body due to ignorance that causes all misery in life. Only when we transcend the BMI through puja, japa, bhajans, dhyana, etc experience of this supreme Truth and bliss is possible. The concept of birth, life and death is all our own mental projection and in reality is only an illusion. This concept needs to be clearly understood with the help of right knowledge to overcome the dualities in life and stand rooted in the firm conviction that the visible world is the manifest form of the Lord and the supreme Truth enlivening the universe is the unmanifest form of the same Lord which is nothing but “Nitya Shuddha Buddha Mukta Tatwa”.

Ramanavami was also celebrated in other centres through bhajans and devotional music.

Balavihar Summer Camp

The summer of 2017 has seen around 12 Balavihar summer classes conducted for children in various parts of the city of Bengaluru during the month of April 2017. The classes held were based on various themes such as Ganesha, Dashavatara, Shiva, Saints, Chiranjeevis etc. The activities planned were around the chosen theme and they included teaching of stotrams, bhajans, conducting various activities such as craft, role plays, puja vidhi, idol making etc. The children have been exposed to our rich knowledge hidden in the scriptures and traditions. Nearly 350 children have attended these classes.