Culture

August - September 2013 Report

This month newsletter brings out how Swami Vivekananda was one of the earliest modern thinker-seer to challenge the man-centric vision of nature that was responsible for the vast destruction of the environment.

On 3rd September forenoon, there was a Painting Competition for the students of classes V to VII. Students from 6schools took part. On the same day, in the afternoon was arranged a narration competition for the VIth and VII th classes.Topic was ‘narration of any incident’ from Swamiji’s life. Students from 9 schools took part.

This month is the month when Swami Vivekananda proclaimed his message of universal brotherhood at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago. Underlying this message of universal human brotherhood is the larger message of solidarity with all existence - not just humans. This month we present an excerpt from Swami Vivekananda's lecture at Jaffna.

Sri Krishna Jayanthi was celebrated at Anandadham on 28thAugust. For all the Keralites it is ‘Asthami Rohini Day’. Throughout Kerala this day is celebrated with Sobha Yatras of small children dressed as Sri Krishnas. All the parents would like to see their wards dressed as Sri Krishna or Gopikas or various characters of the Bhagavata Maha Puran.

67th Independence day was celebrated at Anandandham, Kodugallur with unfurling of the National flag by Mananiya Laxmididi. Sandipani Sushuvihar Children, their parents, Samskar Varg Children and their inmates of Anandadham were present. Concluded with National anthem.

The veneration for all life is the basis of deep ecology and Swami Vivekananda points to this core aspect of all existence - its innate divinity.

Even as we share this month newsletter with you, we are also sharing the pain and grief of all those who lost their dear ones in the Uttarakhand tragedy. This immense human tragedy has made us realize that our pilgrimages are meant to be green pilgrimages as well. They should have in them an in-built institutional respect for the grandness of nature. In fact the immense temple that stands at Kedarnath has been meeting such natural ravages from time immemorial and has withstood them all because those who envisioned this shrine also built it in tune with nature.