SADHANA DIVAS

On the auspicious morning of 19th November, a session was kept for the Yoga Certificate Course students along with Yoga Varga participants, with Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi. She explained the significance of the day and also the purpose of choosing yoga as a  way of life. The herculean task was performed by Mananeeya Eknathji in the construction of the Mighty Rock Memorial and after the construction of the Memorial nowhere was there a mention of his name and even during the inauguration of the memorial, he was behind the screen. This was what is called as a Karmayogi, a silent worker.

Yoga Varga participants  and YCC students
performing Kriya

Ma.Didi with the coupons for fund collection

A group of Sishuvihar parents along with Sri Sudhakarji and Sushree Bindu began the first door to door collection of funds for the creating a children's park the cost of which will exceed rupees ten lakhs.

Ma.Didi talking to the participants

A donor( Sri Ramankutty Master) handing the money for Children's park

BALA-SAMARPAN

                      SWADHYAYA EXAMINATION AT SCHOOLS 
                                            ON THE OCCASION OF  
BHAGINI  NIVEDITA 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

              

In connection with Bhagini Nivedita 150th Birth Anniversary,  a swadhaya examination was conducted in Malayalam based on the book on Bhagini Nivedita. Around 300 students from 6 schools registered. 280 students wrote the examination which was held in their own schools on 7th November. Out of the total of 280, 55 students who had scored average marks, were invited to Anandadham on 14th November, for an inter-school quiz competition on life and messages of Swami Vivekananda and Bhagini Nivedita.  

On the morning of 14th November, Children's  Day, two programmes were simultaneously conducted on the campus, one of the successful students of Swadhya competition and the other of Shishuvihar tiny tots. Lighting of the lamp was done by Little Aradhya of LKG dressed as Bhagini Nivedita and little Achut dressed as Chacha Nehru. Prayer was chanted by the UKG tiny tots. The tiny tots and their parents and teachers went for campus cleaning ('Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan'), a one hour programme on 14th November, every year which they had taken up from last year onwards.
The other group of older children coming from different schools got the opportunity to listen to the talk by Mananeeya Didi on Bhagini Nivedita's life and message and why they should know about this great personality who had given her all for the sake of the Indian masses. The students also got an opportunity to listen to the Chief Guest for the occasion, none other than India's  first female  Merchant Navy Captain Radhika Menon, and who had received the  Exceptional Bravery award by International Maritime Organisation(IMO). All potential is within us, the need of the hour is to have the confidence in one's own self and determination to keep going till the end and to be able to practically apply the knowledge acquired in any field in life, was what the Captain advised the students.Captain Radhika gave away the prizes and certificates to the successful students of the swadhya examination.
The second part of the programme was the inter-school quiz on Swamiji and Bhagini Nivedita.The students of Shantiniketan International school received the trophy for best performance in the quiz. All the students had a sumptuous lunch after the programme concluded.

Concluding Program - Samarpanam

Concluding Function Of Sister Nivedita Birth Anniversary

The Chembai Sangeetha college auditorium was the venue to the culmination of the one year long celebrations in conjunction with the 150^th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita. The events were jointly organised by Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation and Vivekananda Darshanika Samajam.  On the occasion were distinguished guests from different walks of life.   On the dais were :

• Hon. Justice  K P Jyothindranath - High court of Kerala,
• Param Poojya Pravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji - Vice President, Sri Sarada Math, and the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission,
• Hon. Mr. Peter McIvor, Deputy Head of the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi,
• Mr. François Gautier, editor in chief of the Paris-based La Revue de l’Inde and   trustee founder of FACT – India(_http://www.fact-india.com/ ) and
• Mananeeya. Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari, Chairperson 'Samarpanam',  Past President of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari and Chairman of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation , Kodungallur.

Revered Swami Golokananda Maharaj of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Kalady, also graced the occasion.

The lighting of the Bhadra deepam was carried out by Justice Jyothindranath.(🎧 https://goo.gl/wJkX5e )

Post this Lakshmi Didi's opening address stressed upon "Shraddha/avivesha " with references from Kathopanishad and throwing light upon the thoughts for choosing Margaret Elizabeth Noble to be Sister Nivedita whose life was dedicated to the people of India, especially in the upliftment of women. (🎧 https://goo.gl/c3EZbU )

'Thank you Ireland for having produced such a wonderful Lady' said Mataji in her address to the gathering. Towards the end of her address she asked everyone to remember the 5 words 'Mother's heart', 'Hero's will', 'the leader, servant and friend in one'. She ended the talk by saying "Try your best to nourish those ideals within you, as much as you can for God's children, that will be the highest homage we can give to Sister Nivedita."(🎧 https://goo.gl/BoUkp1 )

Hon. Mr. Peter McIvor spoke on the contribution of Sister Nivedita, her lifetimes work, education and empowerment of young women. He continued, 'She was an important interpreter of India to the outside world. Informing a western audience about India of all it wonderful phases -  It's history, it's heritage, it's mythology, it's religions and it's cultural reawakening of that times. Later she was also to write about the life of  her master and his master Shri Ramakrishna, for whose life and teachings she had developed a strong attachment.' (🎧 https://goo.gl/KK41yr )

As a token of India's love and respect for Sister Nivedita's sacrifice for our motherland, Justice K.P.Jyothindranath presented a memorabilia to Hon. Peter McIvor who represents Ireland, the motherland of Sister Nivedita.

Mr. François Gautier in his talk started off by saying 'I am not a knowledgeable man of Sister NIvedita" but I have always admired her and this is why I accepted this invitation, for most of the time I refuse invitations to this type of conferences.' He continued 'Sister Nivedita is a special person to me, because she is one of the very very few westerners who come to India not to give something but because India gave here something. Sister Nivedata had a rare intuition when she met Swami in London that there is a rare knowledge in India that she needed.' He talked off a similar intuition that he had when he came to India many years back.(🎧 https://goo.gl/fvQDxH )

Sister Nivedita award was presented to Smt. Uma Preman, Founder, Santhi Medical Information Centre, Guruvayur By Mrs. McIvor  & the Citation for the same was read by Shri. Arun. A.  In response to the award Smt. Uman Preman  thanked the organisers and shared her experiences.

Prize distribution for Quiz competition winners were given by Shri N. Nandakumar, 

President, Vivekanada Darsanika Samajam.

Vote Of Thanks was given by Ms. Beena Govind.

A sanyasini and non-sanyasini listening

From R to L : Mr. François Gautier, Mr. Peter McIvor, Justice  K P Jyothindranath, Pravrajika Ajayaprana Mataji, Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari

Deepa prajwalanam by Justice  K P Jyothindranath 

Rev. Swami Golokananda Maharaj 

Justice K.P.Jyothindranath presented a memorabilia to Hon. Peter McIvor

Smt. Uma Preman and Mrs. McIvor

Panoramic view of the auditorium

Vishwabhanu

Vishwabhanu August - September 2017