A new yoga satra for women was started on 11th November in the locality of Sringapuram, consisting of a group of twenty housewives belonging to the SNDP microfinance unit. Once a week , every Wednesday.

On Thursdays ,every week , a Yoga Varga for the ladies  who come for practice daily,at Anandadham. 16 of them present on the first day.

Karyakarta Prashikshan Shibir

On 23^rd October, a two day nonresidential Karyakarta Shibir was held in the campus. 27 participants including 8 students (Cl - VI to XII), 5 brothers and 14 sisters participated. Apart from Mananeeya Lakshmi Didi who was present throughout, Sri Sudhakarji, Su Sutapa and Sri Raghunathji from Kanyakumari were also present as the organizing team.

There were five lecture sessions apart from group discussions and games.The topics of the sessions were: i) Vivekananda Kendra a thought movement ii) Karya Padhati iii) Mananeeya Eknathji iv) Swami Vivekananda and v) Kendra Prarthana.

For the group discussion, participants were divided into three groups according to their work ability viz: Samskar Varga group, yoga varga group and project activity group. Each group was led by a coordinator. On the first day, the topic was ‘how can the activity be improved further.’ One from each group was asked to present the report. On the second day, during group discussion, each participant was individually asked as to how they could contribute and what would be their target for the next three months. Almost all responded positively.

On the second day the last session from 3pm to 3.30 pm was kept for Sankalpa wherein each one offered flowers in front of OM and took their Sankalpa.

Navaratri

The auspicious Navratri poojas started every day in the morning with a prayer session by the Sandeepani Sishu Vihar tiny tots along with their teachers in front of the ‘Bomma –Kolu’. In the evening it concluded with the Chanting of Devi Mahatmyam by all the inmates of the Kendra.

On Durga Ashtami morning at 10 a.m., there was a get together of the ex-Sandeepani Sishu Vihar students of the first two batches who are at present in classes Xth to XIIth. 16 students turned up. Sri Arjun and Gishore of class XII, took the initiative of calling all their classmates and juniors to Ananda dham. It was decided that every fourth Sunday evening a Swadhaya Varga will be held in the campus, especially for these ex-Sandeepani students.

In the noon Sishu Vihar children enjoyed prasadam in Kendra after placing their study books for puja before Goddess Saraswathi. A number of children of different age groups from neighbourhood also placed their books at the feet of Saraswathi at the ‘Bomma Kolu’

Vidyarambham: On Dashami day, 23^rd October, early in the morning, Sishu Vihar tiny tots and other toddlers from the neighbourhood came for Vidyarambham from Didi’s hand. After the usual ritual of writing ‘Hari Shree Ganapathaye Namaha’ on rice, all the older children took their books and read from them. All of them received prasadam.

Vishwabhanu August-September 2015

Vishwabhanu August - September 2015

Universal Brotherhood Day Celebrations - Samapan

The Universal Brotherhood Day celebration came to a grand finale today, September 19, 2015, with the prize distributions and a unique event called "Vanichithrapuja". The concluding function began with a short prayer, lighting of the ceremonial brass lamp by two 'child' Vivekanandas, Ma. Lakshmi Didi, and Swami Nandatmajananda. Ma. Lakshmi Didi, transformed the moment to September 11, 1893, and the description of the event at Chicago, took each and everyone present on a journey back in time to visualize the magnificent event when the world stood dazzled to hear the saffron robbed, monk from India, give a soul-stirring speech about tolerance and universal acceptance. Swami Nandatmajananda, of Ramakrishna Math, present editor of Prabhuda Keralam, held the audience spellbound to the drawing of a beautiful portrait of Swami Vivekananda to the tunes of a song in the praise of the Swami by Sutapa Didi. Later Swami Nandatmajananda in his address to the gathering recounted an event in the life of Charles Darwin.

Darwin was not very keen in visiting the church on Sunday's. So when his family spend their time at church he would visit a nearby colony of underprivileged people and take 10 children out to the nearby city and buy them whatever they liked. The joy he experienced in seeing the children enjoying the day was far greater than the required visit to church. On weekend an Afro-American mother came to him with her child and requested that Darwin take that child to the city. Darwin stated that we had already selected the 10 children and he cannot include an extra. However after repeated request from the Mother and her appeal that her child had never visited the city and that they are too poor to even have a proper meal a day, Darwin agreed. The child was thrilled, and had a good time in the city, was able to have some food and move around with the other children. Late in the evening Darwin got the children back and left them with their parents. While Darwin was leaving the 11th child, called, came running to him and asked "Are you Jesus".  The joy that Darwin could give the child, brought Darwin closer to the Almighty than the dedicated worshippers.

Blessed are those who spend time with the needy, to share their sorrow and pain and in the process get peace, happiness for the self and  bring in joy and harmony to others.

Swamiji gave away prizes for the individuals and teams for the different events like Painting, Elocution(Mal and Eng), Narration(Mal and Eng),  and Quiz.

The ceremony came to a close with the chanting of the Shanti Mantra.