Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari organized a Spiritual Retreat from August 8, 2023 to August 14, 2023 at the Training Centre, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari. The retreat featured two parallel Shibirs, one conducted in English with 30 participants, and the other in Hindi with 78 participants, resulting in a total of 108 participants. Attendees hailed from 17 different states across India, and one participant came from Australia.
The retreat commenced with a Bhajan Sandhya on the evening of August 7th, followed by supper and an introductory session. The regular sessions began on the morning of August 8th, commencing with Prathasmaran and Gita Pathan.
The daily routine of the shibir encompassed Prathasmaran and Gita Pathan, Yoga Abhyas, breakfast, Shram Samskar, Shram Parihar, various sessions, Group Discussion, Geet Abhyas, Meditation, In Tune with Nature, Bhajan Sandhya, Prerana Se Punarudhan, and Dairy Writing.
Participants were grouped in to six ganas: Markandeyan, Bharadwaja, Agastya, Kashyap, Sandeepani and Vasishtha. Shram Samskar, food serving and group discussion were done gana-wise.
The sessions, held separately in English and Hindi, covered subjects such as the Concept of Spirituality, Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gnana Yoga, Kendra Prarthana, the Story of Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Eknathji, Ananda Mimamsha, Thakur, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Maa Sarada, and Amrit Parivar.
On August 10th, all participants, along with Karyakartas, visited the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Devi Kanyakumari Temple, and the Wandering Monk Exhibition. On August 12th, they also explored the 'Gangothri' and 'Arise! Awake!!' exhibitions, in addition to visiting Ramayana Darshanam and Bharat Mata Sadanam. The Bhajan Sandhya was held in front of Sri Hanumanji at Ramayana Darshanam on that day.
The Prerana Se Punarudhan session included Bhajans from various Indian languages, games, video shows on Mananeeya Sri Eknathji and VKNRL Hospital, along with a brief explanation of Kendra activities, concluding with Atmavalokan.
On the afternoon of August 13th, there was an interaction session between Kendra Karyakartas and participants based on their respective states.
Concluding the retreat, on the morning of the 14th, after Prathasmaran and Geeta Pathan, all participants visited the Vivekananda Mandapam, Eknathji Samadhi, and the Vivekanandapuram beach. A noteworthy outcome was that 16 participants became patrons, while many expressed their willingness to associate with Kendra activities in their own regions.
All these programs were conducted by a team of 12 Karyakartas under the guidance of Adharneeya Sri Ravi Sharmaji, who served as the Shibir Adhikari. During the concluding session, Mananeeya Sri Hanumantarao ji, the Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra, addressed the participants and offered his blessings. He emphasized the importance of observing the Pancha Maha Yagnas in one's life for spiritual growth, the significance of Guru Parampara, and the guidance provided by scriptures and great Rishis for the spiritual upliftment of humanity. His words were enlightening and proved to be a true blessing for the participants.
