NAVARATRI AND VIDYARAMBHAM CELEBRATION

Navratri started on 21st September.Navratri, the nine-night festival, honours Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswathi in the South. It is known as Bomma Koluvu in Andhra Pradesh and Navarathri in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.  Navratri is observed as Dusshera in Karnataka, where it is observed for ten days. The main event during Navrathri is the display of dolls and idols – Kolu and the placing of Kalash, which represents Goddess.
At Anandadham too there was a beautiful decoration of the stage with bommas of different types, including the dashavatars.Daily chanting of the Devi Mahatmyam and puja and offerings to the Devi during all the nine days was observed by the inmates.
On Maha Asthami day a bhajan session was arranged for all the students who had come in the evening to offer their books for Mother Saraswathi's blessings.
On the Maha Navami day, Deepa pooja with pushpaarchana was performed by all the students and their mothers who had come the previous day.
 On Vijaya Dashami day, Vidyarambham (Ezhuthiniruthu) is performed in many temples of Kerala. It is believed that it is the most precious day to write the first letter by a child. Parents brings the small children of two to three years to temples to perform Vidyarambham (Ezhuthiniruthu). It is a grand festival in Panachikkada Saraswathi temple in Kottayam, Thiruvullakkavu in Thrissur and Mookambika Temple of Vadakkan Paravur. Vidyarambham is also performed in Guruvayur temple and many other temples of Kerala. In general older children have  to write the alphabets on rice or sand and according to custom only after this ceremony child becomes entitled to take the books offered at the feet of Mother Saraswathi and write or read. The tiny tots children sit on the lap of the guru and the guru writes ‘Hari Shree Ganapataye ’ on the child’s tongue with a golden ring. Then, the child writes ‘Hari Shree Ganapathye Namaha’ in Malayalam with the right index finger, with the help of the Guru, on a bed of raw rice. 
At Anandadham too, it was a sight to watch all the tiny tots of Sishuvihar come and all the other children from the neighbourhood come and write on rice and take their books which they had offered for puja.About 50 children and their parents had come altogether out of which 30 of them were the tiny tots of Sishuvihar and the neighborhood. Ma. Didi and Sri Sudhakarji wrote on their tongue and made them write on rice. After this, all received payasam prasadam. 

SRI KRISHNA JAYANTI

SREEKRISHNA  JAYANTHI CELEBRATIONS


The much-awaited Sreekrishna Jayanthi was celebrated on  12th  of Sept ’17at Anandadham.    Mananeeya Lakshmi Deedi along with one of the 'tiny Krishna started the celebration by lighting the lamp.    She gave a short speech on how celebrations like this get imprinted on the children's mind and it helps them to think positive and live a life of values. The hall was buzzing with the sounds of the naughty Krishnas, dressed by their mothers. Some girls were also dressed as  Radhas.  There were a total of 32 Krishnas (including 7 babies) and 8 Radhas. All the children dressed nicely came on the stage and posed as Krishnas with their flute in hand or Radhas with their earthen pots on their heads.  It was a really beautiful sight to see the children happy and smiling.  After their posing was over and the judges had given their comments, children were treated with sweets and prasadam.  `Uriyadi`or 'breaking the pot', a traditional challenging game was the next item.  The children participated in it enthusiastically. At the last was the most interesting part. All the children received small gifts from Didi for their achievements!  






CHOWMASIK BAITHAK DAKSHIN PRANT-20TH AUGUST 2017


CHOWMASIK BAITHAK DAKSHIN PRANTH-20TH AUGUST 2017



Vivekananda Kendra Dakshin Pranth Chowmasik Baithak was held on 19th and 20th August 2017 at Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation, Kodungallur. Apart from karyakartas of Kodungallur, there were 31 karyakartas who had come for the Baithak. 21 members were from Tamil Nadu, 7 from Karnataka and Mysore, and 3 from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.


The baithak began with Bhajan Sandhya in the evening at 6.30pm. At 7.30 Su. Radha Didi welcomed all karyakartas and introduced Ma. Hanumantha Raoji, Ma.Lakshmi Didi and Ma.Sudhakarji. It was an informal session in which self-introduction of all the workers was  followed by a sharing of experiences by the Ma. Didi and other elders.

On the 20th, the morning sessions included report reading of the various branch and project centres. After lunch session was kept for planning for the next four months. Concluding session was from 3.30 p m to 4.15 p m. Ma.Didi blessed all the karyakartas with tokens of her affection. Almost all the karyakartas left by 20th night.