A half-day Workshop on Samskara Varga Prashikshan  for 13  ladies including  housewives and college going   students from 8 villages of Vellangallur area of Irinjalakuda, was held at Anandadham today (  Saturday,28th May). Shibir started at 10 a.m. with a report  by Smt  Mini  who had attended the first one day Samskarvarga prashikshan Shibir held on 22nd December 2015.She narrated how the Samskara varga prashikshan given in Kendra  was helpful for them in starting 10 such Vargas in different villages of Vellangallur and today's workshop was the result of the demands of more parents who found the difference in the childrens' behaviour.This was followed by Didi's talk on the ' Need for Samskara' to bind the  people together to inculcate the Indianness in them.

Sri Sudhakarji guided them on how they could organize and conduct classes for children within a limited time of one and a half hour, which would include all aspects of development- physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual and patriotic zeal in a child. Teaching of daily prayers,song, exercises, and games practice, summing up by Didi,  formed part of the workshop. The Workshop concluded at 1.30 p.m. withShanti mantra. All the participants enthusiastically participated in the entire programme and looking forward in organising a few more classes in the different areas of Vellangallur, as well as assisting  the already existing vargas in their localities . 

Mananeeya LakshmiDidi talking to the participants

game in progress

SAMSKAR VARGA PRASHIKSHAN  SHIBIR

     'Be and Make', is one of the well-known sutras of Swami Vivekananda. What can be a more relevant message for the budding Samskarvarg teachers who are given training or prashikshan to train the kids in and around their locality, in  inculcating good samskaras,  which would help to build up their all round personalities.

     A three day nonresidential Samskaravarg Shibir was conducted from 28th April to 30th April,by Vivekananda Vedic Vision Foundation at Anandadham, under the able guidance of our resource persons and also jeevanvrati karyakartas,- Sushree Lalita Didi, Sushree Sumitra, Sri Raghuji and under the overall support and guidance of Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi. 17 children from the age group of 11years  to 18 years and 3 mothers from 8 localities in and around Kodungallur, were trained. From 9 a.m. to  3.30 p.m everyday, they were trained in different skills like  art of story telling, based on Indian Cultural values like Satya, Tyaga,Seva etc, Slogans or ghosas, Agnyas or commands for disciplining the Varga,and many games through which they could develop their life skills both physically and mentally. 

      Dr Ashalatha BJP Counsellor of the 41st ward of Kodungallur town was the Chief Guest for the concluding session. She spoke to the children and their parents as to the importance of good samskaras . 'Though it was the concluding of the camp,yet  it was just the beginning because this handful of children could make a mark in the society by spreading Swamiji's message to the nook and corners of Kodungallur' said Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi in her ashirvachanam.

Mananeeya LakshmiDidi lighting the lamp  -28th April

Story telling session- children enacting the story told by Didi

Su. Lalita Didi training children in Surya Namaskar

Sri Raghuji's class on patriots of India and Kerala

Su.Sumtra Didi's session -Agnya, Ghosh, Geet  and instruction for Khel

Dr Ashalatha addressing the children on the concluding session

Vishwabhanu Februrary - March 2016

It was a good fortune to start our Vimarsha series with Acharya A.K.B Nair. Sri A.K.B Nair is a renowned exponent of spiritual literature in Kerala. After a long and spotless career in the Indian Revenue Service, he took up studies  in Sanskrit and Spiritual literature and emerged as an extremely well-versed speaker on Bhagavata,Devi Bhagavatam, Ramayana and so on.Of special interest to him is Ezhuthacchan's Adhyatma Ramayana in Malayalam.He has produced a well-studied commentary on this Malayalam Ramayana, which he says,the Holy Book of Keralites. The talk on 18th April, 4pm to 6.30p.m.was based on the innumerable anecdotes which make it a manual for self-unfoldment and societal well-being, in essence, it was an enlightening exploration into the Dharma as depicted in the life of  Maryadapurushottam Sri Ramachandra. One could easily understand why Sri Rama was called 'Vigrahavan Dharma'. How Rama behaved  as an  elder brother, as a husband, as a son, as a friend and as a King, became the dharma of a brother, a husband, a son, a friend and the rastra dharma of a King. Hence he assured that if the reading  and understanding the meaning of Ramayana becomes the part of the life of each family, life will be smooth and without failures.

PDC- II

A six-day nonresidential PDC for children of classes III to V was conducted at Anandadham from 13th April to 19th April. 40 children  enrolled. Story telling based on Indian Culture, our patriots , crafts including drawing ,painting and paperwork , games, Suryanamaskar and sanskrit sloka chantings formed part of everyday schedule. Today was the concluding session. Parents of the participants were invited for the session. Children were divided into 5 groups namely Dhruva, NAchiketa,Prahlad, Unniarcha and Abhimanyu. Smt Jyothi Unniraman, a close well wisher of Kendra was the Chief Guest.Guided by their group leaders who had attended the previous camp held for classes VI to IX , the campers put up a short and sweet programme which was well appreciated by all.