Ramayana Sapthaham

The week long Sapthaham  started as planned, by 10 am with Ma. Lakshmi Didi's opening words. This year for the first time we are having the Ramayana Sapthaham  unlike the usual  Bhagavatha Sapthaham.








Following Didi's words Swamiji Ayyapadas who was the Secretary of Kshetra Samrakshana Samithi, addressed the gathering and highlighted upon the need of the hour to gather, understand and consolidate our samskaras and the perpetual wisdom from our puranas and granthas.

The Sapthaham formally got to a start with Sri. A K B Nair, Yagna Acharayan accepting a copy of the Ramayana from Swamiji  Ayyappadas. 





Aramana Karat Balagangadharan Nair popularly known as  Sri. A. K. B. Nair is a renowned scholar and the first Acharya to introduce the concept of Ramayana Sapthaham. Smt. Anandavally Angepat  wife of Sri. Nair will assist in the rendering of Ramayanam.  Sri O. C. Govindan Nambuthiri  will perform the Puja.



The bronze idols of Sri Rama and Lakshmana were kept at the Ganapathi Temple awaiting the auspicious time when the idols would be carried to the yagna vedi.

Around 12 noon it was time for the agamanam of Sri Rama and Lakshmana to the yagna vedi. With the rendering of nadaswaram in the background and chantings of Hare Rama,  and led by Ma. Lakshmi Didi the small group with lighted diyas and thalam welcomed and accompanied Lord Rama and Lakshmana to the yagna vedi.

Atma Vikas Shibir at Kovilakath Dharma Sabha

With the start of Summer Vacation, there is demand from a different organization in and around Kodungallur, for PDCs or Atma-Vikas Shibirs to be conducted by Vivekananda Kendra.
From 2nd April to 4th April a three-days non-residential Shibir was conducted in the Tripurasundari temple premises of Kovilakath Dharma Sabha, Edavilangu. Shibir started from 9 a.m.46 children from classes III to class X registered. Smt Padmaja, Yoga Varga member, conducted the Shibir. Sri Tarun from Mysore Kendra center and Kum.Drishya and Kum Anushree ( SamskarVarga leaders) together conducted games and Yoga classes.Professor Vijayalakshmi, a regular visitor of Swadhyaya class conducted the crafts class. Smt Padmaja told them stories on 'confidence ' and 'concentration' from the life of Swamiji and from Mahabharata. YCC students Smt Suja and Smt Sajitha spoke to the children on Personality development and  Indian Culture, on the first two days of the camp. On the concluding day, there was a drama competition based on the stories told in the last two days and a quiz on all the different things they had learned in the camp.
Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi and Smt Simji Ajithan(Ward Counceller) were invited as guests for the concluding function. The children put up a short sweet programme.Tokens of appreciation were given to each child by Didi.

Janmatithi

"जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी" Mother and Motherland is greater than Heaven.
On the occasion of Ma. Lakshmi Didi's Janmatithi, on 24 February 2018, Narayaneeyam parayanam was conducted at Anandha Dham.

The children of Sandeepani Sisuvihar gathered around to wish their Amamma and everyone else who were present also joined in….












Everyone dispersed after partaking of prasadam.

Vishwabhanu

Vishwabhanu Dec 2017 - January 2018

Viswam Vivekanandam

Bhuvan mandle Navayuga Mudayata Sada Vivekanand Mayam, 

Suviveka Mayam Swananda Mayam.

The town of Kodungallur once again eagerly awaited the arrival of Swami Vivekananda on February 11th 2018. The venue, Municipal Town Hall. 

125 years ago Swamiji in the course of his wanderings across the country had visited Kodungallur in 1892 before leaving to attend the World Parliament of Religions.

The event started with lighting of the deepam and inaugural talk by Ma. Lakshmi Didi. This was followed by a powerful and inspiring talk by Sri. O. Satish, Joint Secretary, Bharathiya Vidhya Nikethan, Thrissur District.

Viswam Vivekanandam, a Light & Sound based dance drama was being presented by Perambra, Kozhikode based "MATHA", a Limca Book of World Records holder and headed by Sri Kanakadas. The vibrant troupe presented the life of Swamiji and held the audience spellbound.

KUTUMBA SAMMELAN

26^TH January is the day fixed for Kutumba sammelan, at Anandadham every year. On this day, all the parents of Sishuvihar students and ex-students, well-wishers, yoga satra and Varga, Samskarvarga members, close well-wishers all come together along with their family members to spend the day as one family. Games for all ages, talks and lastly eating together.This year too, there was a gathering of a mixed group. Members of Samskara Varga of Edavilangu too joined this time. A total of 130 members were present.

After the flag hoisting by Mananeeya Lakshmi Didishe give a short talk. Su.Bindu, Anitha teacher, and Samskarvarga leaders conducted games for the different age groups. Having lunch together gave that feeling of ‘samgacchachdhwam, samvadadhwam’.

TWO DAYS RESIDENTIAL CAMP FOR YCC STUDENTS

Students of Yoga Certificate course in Malayalam under Kanyakumari Centre were invited to a two-day residential camp to get accustomed to the regular routine of the Kendra Shibirs. The camp started from Bhajan Sandhya on Friday evening and concluded on Sunday evening. Su Radha Didi- Dakshin Pranta Sanghatak and Sri Raghuji- Office Secretary, Central Office Kanyakumari, were there to guide the students on the Kendra activities and Kendra Karya Paddhaties, challenges and their responses etc. 

Swami Veerabhadranandaji, of Sri Ramarishna Math, Haripad, gave insights into the Raja Yoga of Swami Vivekananda. This is a bonus to all the students as they didnt expect to hear Swamiji.  He was the Chief Guest for Swamijis Jayanthi celebrations at Kodungallur.

At the concluding programme, the students expressed their feedbacks in front of Su. Radha Didi regarding their experience in Yoga Sastra Sangamam and also in the two days residential camp.

SAMARTHA BHARATH PARVA AND SWAMIJI JAYANTHI

A pradakshina around the campus of Anandadham was arranged on the 155th birth anniversary of Swamiji. Sandeepani Sishuvihar children, their parents, teachers and the inmates of Anandadham took part. This was followed by speeches on Swamiji by the tiny tots, a short talk by Mananeeya Didi and pusparchana. Prasada distribution followed after the children's programme.

On the same day, powerpoint presentation of Samartha Bharathb Parva was done in two schools MES Asmabi School and Sri Sai Vidya Bhavan in P.Vemballur. 100 students of class VIII attended. Yoga Certificate Course students conducted the ppt programme. To test their grasping capacities, students were asked questions based on the ppt. Those who answered confidently received Swamiji's books as prizes.

Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi Celebration

Patriotic and folk group song competitions were conducted in Anandadham, on 17th and 18th January. 14 schools and a total of 80 students participated.

Samuhika Surya Namaskar competition was held in the same campus on 19th January. The students demonstrated 6 rounds of Surya Namaskar in groups of 12 each. Boys and girls groups were separate. 6 schools, totaling 142 students participated. The creative skills of each group were beautifully projected. Each school performed the same steps in different formations, It was a real treat to the eyes.

The 155th birth anniversary was celebrated at Anandadham, on 21st January, Sunday. Srimad Swami Veerabhadranandaji Maharaj, head of the Haripad Ramakrishna Math center, was the Chief Guest. 200 people attended.

The programme started with a song on Swamiji by Kum. Sree Lakshmi, who conducts Samskarvarga on every Sunday at Anandadham. Mananeeya Didi welcomed the Chief Guest. Swami Veerabhadranandaji spoke on the need of focused mind not only for the students but for all in order to create an ideal society, free from hypocrisy and filled with love for themselves, others around, their society, and country.

The winners of Patriotic and Folk songs, both juniors and seniors presented their songs on the stage.There was a short speech delivered byMaster Ananthasree dressed as Swamiji, UKG student of Sandeepani Sishuvihar. Prizes were given away by the Chief Guest. The Rolling Trophy for the best Patriotic Group Song went to Amrita Vidyalayam, Kodungallur whereas the Trophy for Folk song went to Shantiniketan International School, Kodungallur, for the second time.

A special prize was given to Sri Udayan, Kendra Karyakarta for the essay he wrote on Swami Vivekananda and his love for India.

There was a sumptuous meal sponsored by Sri Murli and his wife Rema, of Irinjalakuda, a very close well-wisher, were the sponsorers of the meals.

Satsangha on Devi Mahatmyam

From October 2017 onwards, Sri L. Girish Kumar, a well known scholar on Tantra Vidya  of http://www.shripuram.org started his second series of talks on Devi Mahatmyam. Earlier, we had in depth explanation of Lalitha Sahasranama for almost two long years. The beauty of his talks are how these lucid explanations could be put into daily practice of our our lives.

Traditionally the ‘Devi Mahatmyam’ is a portion of the Markandeya Mahapurana. The Devi Mahatmya is variously known as Sri Durga Saptashati, Sri Chandi or Saptashati. It is referred to as Saptashati as it comprises of seven hundred mantras. It is more popularly known as Chandi because it describes the glory of the Goddess as Chandika, the terrible. Like the god Rudra, the Goddess too has two forms- a malevolent form and another benevolent form. In Her terrible form She destroys the evil demons. Yet in Her destruction, one can see the light of a resplendent regeneration too. This resplendent and benevolent form is Her compassionate form as the Mother of the Universe. Among the sacred texts that laud the glory of the Mother, Lalita sahasranamam and Devi Mahatmyam are most popular. Both are considered to be extremely auspicious and powerful as tools of transformation. Both can be recited daily. Whilst Lalita sahasranamam describes the victory of the Goddess over Bhandasura, the Devi Mahatmyam describes the victory of the Goddess over the asuras Madhu-Kaitabha, Mahishasura and Shumbha-Nishumbha. 

This year on 19th and 20th January, Sri Girishiji addressed the seekers on the above subject. It was well received by the participants.

SAI RATNA PURASKAR

The Sai Ratna Puraskar by Baba Sai Educational Trust and Sri Satya Sai Seva Organisation Kerala, Thrissur, for this year has been conferred to Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi on 6th January 2018, for her great contribution in the fields of          Spirituality, Philosophy, and Social Service rendered to humanity.The award consisted of a memento, a citation and a cheque of 50,001/- rupees. 

MATRU POOJA

On the occasion of Sri Sarada Jayanthi, the birth anniversary of Sri Sarada Devi the Holy consort of Sri Ramakrishna, every year here in Anandadham Matrupooja is conducted for the mothers of the tiny tots of  Sandeepani Sishuvihar and the neighbourhood children.

This year too, the tradition was followed. Twenty five children and their mothers and grandmothers took part in the pooja.The programme started with deepa prajwalan by the Chief Guest Smt Jayashree, a senior teacher of Amrita Vidyalayam, Kodungallur.This was followed by pushparchana and arati at the feet of Sri Sarada Ma.

The tiny tots, their siblings sat at the feet of their mothers. The youngest of them was Master Abhijit who is two years old. Mananeeya Lakshmi meticulously guided the children in performing the pada-pooja of their mothers. With tiny fingers they washedthe feet of their mothers, applied  sandal paste and kumkumam, offered flowers and deepa aradhana and lastly fed their mother with ladoo and got a share of the offered laddoo sitting on the lap of their mothers! It was indeed an emotional moment for both the mothers and their children.  From this tender age, this samskara of worshipping their mother is being inculcated into these children so that this attitude of reverence remains till they are matured.

While talking to the mothers, Smt Jayashree, narrated about her own life and how she was chosen as a teacher of Amma's school. Good samskaras always help individuals to take up the right path. Mananeeya Didi in her speech asked the mothers to meditate on their motherhood and expand themselves so that they could understand their children better. The programme ended with prasad vitaranam.