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1 Name: My Address is: Street: City: State: Zip: Grade: Group: Home Phone #: Address: If found please be kind enough to return it to me or bring it to Chinmaya Mission Chicago Yamunotri. 1

2 Chinmaya Mission Chinmaya Mission was founded in 1953 by devotees of Swami Chinmayananda in India. They formed the nucleus of a movement of spiritual renaissance that now encompasses a wide range of spiritual, educational and charitable activities, ennobling the lives of thousands in India and outside its shores. The Mission is administered by Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai, headed by Swami Tejomayananda. Following the teacher-taught tradition (guru-sisya parampara) since time immemorial, Chinmaya Mission makes available the ageless wisdom of Vedanta, the knowledge of the One Reality, and provides the tools to realize that wisdom in one's own life. To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time is the tenet that drives members to uplift humanity beyond selfish and sectarian attitudes and activities. Each person's gain is manifold: personal growth, heightened efficiency, contentment, and living in peace and harmony. There are over 250 Chinmaya Mission centers in India, and almost 50 outside of India. Bala Vihar & Yuva Kendra is where the children from kindergarten to high school are inculcated with our culture and values which would help in their life, by trained teachers. They follow a Chinmaya prescribed scheme of studies on Bhagwad Gita and other texts, and also take up socially useful activities. Bala Vihar In Bala Vihar, the rich cultural heritage of India, including its teachings on moral values, is taught to children and youth at different levels, using the medium of stories, drama, arts and crafts, and discussion. Children are also taught popular Bhajans (Hindu hymns) and Slokas (Spiritual Verses). Chinmaya Mission centers have become models for teaching India s rich spiritual heritage and the fundamentals of Vedanta to the next generation. The Bala Vihars are organized into grades which match the grade of the child in school. Each of the grades caters to the age group of the child. The grades range from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. "The purpose of Bala Vihar is to impart values to the children and art of right thinking among the youth." 2

3 His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, founder of Chinmaya Mission, taught spirituality as the art of living. Through jnana yoga (the Vedantic path of spiritual knowledge), he emphasized the balance of head and heart, pointing out selfless work, study, and meditation as the cornerstones of spiritual practice. Not satisfied by worldly aspirations or his degrees in literature and law, Balakrishna Menon pursued spiritual studies for nine years in the Himalayas, under the guidance of Swami Sivananda (Divine Life Society) and the tutelage of Swami Tapovanam. He eventually came to share this Vedantic knowledge with the masses, in the form of the dynamic teacher known as Swami Chinmayananda. Swamiji is renowned worldwide as a spiritual master and one of the foremost teachers of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. He is credited with the renaissance of spirituality and cultural values in India, and with the spreading of the ageless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta, as expounded by Adi Shankaracharya, throughout the world. Swami Chinmayananda attained mahasamadhi in August His legacy remains in the form of written, audio, and video publications; social service projects; Vedanta teachers whom he taught and inspired; and Chinmaya Mission centers worldwide, serving the spiritual and cultural needs of local communities. Additional biographical information can be found in Journey of a Master, Ageless Guru, Swami Chinmayananda: A Life of Inspiration and Service, and At Every Breath, A Teaching. 3

His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda, the present spiritual head of Chinmaya Mission worldwide, is fulfilling the vision that Swami Chinmayananda charted.

4 His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda His Holiness Swami Tejomayananda, the present spiritual head of Chinmaya Mission worldwide, is fulfilling the vision that Swami Chinmayananda charted. As he puts it, I am not in Swamiji s shoes; I am at His feet. Swami Tejomayananda has served as acharya (dean) of the Sandeepany institutes of Vedanta (gurukulas of Chinmaya Mission) in India, and as acharya in Mission centers in India and the US. He has written commentaries on scriptural texts, translated Swami Chinmayananda s commentaries into Hindi, and authored a number of books. A key contribution is Hindu Culture: An Introduction, which has been acclaimed for its clear description of the basics of Hinduism and adopted as a reference text in some American high schools. Swamiji excels in expounding upon a wide spectrum of Hindu scriptures, from Ramayana, to Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, to the Upanishads. His easy manner, combined with his in-depth analyses and devotional renderings of Vedantic texts, have drawn many newcomers into the spiritual fold. 4

5 Our Acharya: Pujya Swami Sharanananda Swami Sharanananda hails from Puri in Orissa. Being inspired by Pujya Gurudev H.H. Swami Chinmayanandji, he joined the two year brahmachari training course in Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, in the year He was trained by H.H. Swami Tejomayanandaji. He was given Brahmachari Diksha in 1988 and became Br. Sharana Chaitanya. He has served Chinmaya Mission centers in Anugul, Rourkela and Calcutta. He has been the resident Acharya at Chinmaya Mission Chicago since March On July 9, 1995 he was initiated into Sannyasa Diksha by H.H. Swami Tejomayanandaji and became Swami Sharanananda. He conducts yogasana and other scriptural classes during Chinmaya Mission family camps in America and Canada. Swamiji likes to be with children. He places great importance on value based living. 5

6 Code of Conduct and Discipline Policies The goal of Chinmaya Mission is to foster intellectual and spiritual growth in a safe environment. In order to keep our children safe and to inculcate disciple for all Bala Vihar children and adults, the following rules and regulations have been established and should be adhered to. Dress Code All children, adults, teachers should remember that Chinmaya Mission is a place of Worship and should dress appropriately. Guidelines: Highly recommended outfits: salwar suits for girls and pajama-kurta for boys Other comfortable outfits may be worn as long as they are decently covering the bodies Clothing should not display profanity or offensive slogans / symbols No hats allowed Items not allowed during the two-hour Bala Vihar session at Badri/Yamunotri No cell phones in classrooms or shrine: if a child must carry one, it should be turned off for the duration of the session. It may be used outside the class and shrine time. No game boys or other electronic games should be brought to the classrooms No candy or chewing gum during the session. Absences If a child will be absent, parents must inform the teacher ahead of time With 3 consecutive unexplained absences, the teacher will contact the family to check on child. Punctuality BE ON TIME ; ARRIVE AT LEAST 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO START SO THAT SHOES AND COATS CAN BE PUT IN PROPER PLACE. CLASS STARTS AT 2:30 PM. If a child is late, he/she is expected to wait outside the classroom until the teacher opens the door, which will be after opening prayers. PLEASE DO NOT DISTRUB CLASS ONCE IT HAS BEGUN All Children ARE REQUIRED stay for the entire time including the concluding session from 4:00-4:45 PM. Shoes ALL SHOES MUST BE PLACED NEATLY ALONG THE CORRIDOR WALLS Cleanliness As mission members it is our responsibility to keep the classrooms and surrounding property neat and clean No littering inside or outside the building All garbage must be thrown in the appropriate garbage bins. No food or drinks allowed in the gym Lost and Found Please label all belongings clearly. Although all attempts are made to keep lost and found for a reasonable time period, items may not be returned if lost. Parents Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the adult study groups. Please do not hang around the hallways during the classes and concluding prayers. Parents should not be sitting in the classrooms with their kids without prior permission from teachers. THE CONCLUDING PRAYERS ARE A VITAL PART OF THE BALA VIHAR CLASS. ALL CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE CONCLUDING PRAYERS FROM 4:00-4:45 PM. 6

7 Bala Vihar & Yuva Kendra Syllabus All classes begin with chanting of Invocation Prayers, Guru Stotram and daily prayers. Bhagavad Gita Chapter VII is in the binder and prayers are in Hridi Bhavayami book. All text books have to be purchased. Every Student should have a copy of Hridi Bhavayami, which can be purchased from the book store. Class Texts Pre-KG (Prahlada) Ganesha Stotram (Sankatanashana - Stuti Vandana My Prayers Bhagavad Gita Ch.VII (Chanting) Tarangini Vol. 1 &2 Stories based on Values, Chinmaya Alphabets Tell Me A Story Part 1 Arts, Crafts & Games Great Saints: Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Tejomayananda Teachers: Shilpa Ramprasad, Veena Bhalala, Leela Singh KG (Dhruva) Ganesha Stotram (Ganesha Pancharatnam) My Prayers Bhagavad Gita Ch.VII (Chanting) Tarangini Vol. 1 &2 Stories based on Values, Chinmaya Alphabets Tell Me A Story Part 1 Arts, Crafts & Games Great Saints: Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Tejomayananda Teachers: Archana Anant; Anitha Bellary; Haritha Kajjam Grade 1 (Nachiketa) Sharada Stotram (Stuti Vandana) My Prayers Bhagavad Gita Ch. VII(Chanting) Bala Ramayana Stories based on values and texts Tarangini Vol. 3, 4, 5, 6 Arts, Crafts & Games Tell Me A Story Part 2 Great Saints: Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Tejomayananda Teachers: Raji Prasad; Sushma Yadalam Grade 2 (Gyaneshwara) Meenakshi Pancharatnam My Prayers Bhagavad Gita Ch. VII (Chanting) Bala Ramayana Stories based on values and texts Tarangini Vol. 3, 4, 5, 6 Arts, Crafts & Games Tell Me A Story Part 2 Great Saints: Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Tejomayananda Teachers: Sunitha Gadey; Jothi Arun Grades 3 & 4 (Aaruni) Madhurastakam (Stuti Vandana) My Prayers Bhagavad Gita Ch.VII (Chanting) Bala Bhagavatam Skits, Tests & Quizzes Tarangini Vol. 7 Pride Goeth Before a Fall Art of God Symbolism Great Saints: Swami Vivekananda and Shree Ramakrishna Teachers: Lakshmi Bhagavatula; Padmaja Khanna 7

8 Class Texts Grades 5 & 6 (Shree Rama) Ramayan Vandanam, Sitarama Dhyanam My Prayers Bhagavad Gita Ch. VII (Chanting) Parables Extempore Speeches, Skits & Quizzes I Love You Letters Stories and lessons based on texts Tarangini Vol. 8 Values - Gita Ch. XII (sl.13-19) Great Saints: Swami Sivananda and Swami Chidananda Teachers: Lakshmi Kadiyala; Rajul Bhalala; Sinduja Kosgi Grades 7 & 8 (Shree Krishna) Siva Manasa Puja (Stuti Vandana) Bhagavad Gita Ch. VII (Chanting) Extempore Speeches, Skits & Quizzes Great Saints: Swami Tapovan Maharaj and Meerabai Teachers: Shankar Anant; Indu Sriram My Prayers Art Of Living Hinduism - Sanatana Dharma Tarangini Vol. 9, 10 Values - Gita Ch. XIII (sl. 7-11) Grades 9 & 10 (Chinmaya) Geeta Dhyanam Bhagavad Gita Ch. VII (Chanting) Extempore Speeches & Skits Written Assignments Discussion & Debates on selected topics Lessons based on Values and Texts Great Saints: Bhagavan Adi Shankaracharya, Maa Anandamayi Teachers: Shubi Mansukhani; Lakshmi Gollapudi; Ashok Kajjam My Prayers Self-Unfoldment Hindu Culture Grades 11 & 12 (Tapovan) Taittriya Upanishad (Stuti Vandana) Bhagavad Gita Ch. VI (Chanting) Extempore Speeches & Skits Written Assignments Discussion & Debates on selected current topics Lessons based on Values and Texts Great Saints: Bhagavan Vedavyasa, Sharadamaa Teachers: Ashok Bhatia; Krithika Mahesh Adult Study Groups Study Group Vyasa - Sevaks: Premal Joshipura. Viney Kaushal Vashistha - Sevaks: Sriram Chitti, Ganapati Shankar My Prayers On Wings and Wheels The Art Of Man Making Vishwamitra - Sevaks: Kartik Ramprasad, Lakshmi Karpoor, Vivek Naik Text Atma Bodha Bhaja Govindam Kindle Life 8

9 Chinmaya Yamunotri Contact Information for Teachers, Sevaks, Sevikas, Coordinators Teacher/Sevak/Sevikas Class (Grades) Phone # Address Leela Singh Prahlada (Pkg) leela.singh@gmail.com Shilpa Ramprasad Prahlada (Pkg) shilparamprasad@yahoo.com Veena Bhalala Prahlada (Pkg) veeble015@aol.com Anitha Bellary Dhruv (Kg) anitha_sapuru@yahoo.com Archana Anant Dhruv (Kg) asanant@comcast.net Haritha Kajjam Dhruv (Kg) hkajjam@hotmail.com Jothi Arun Gyaneshwara (1) jothiarul@hotmail.com Sunitha Gadey Gyaneshwara (1) cnrcgadey@yahoo.com Raji Prasad Nachiketa (2) rprasad2@gmail.com Sushma Yadalam Nachiketa (2) yadalam_sushma@hotmail.com Lakshmi Bhagavatula Aaruni (3-4) divyanitya@comcast.net Padmaja Khanna Aaruni (3-4) padmajakhanna@comcast.net Lakshmi Kadiyala Shree Rama (5-6) lkadiyala@comcast.net Rajul Bhalala Shree Rama (5-6) nbhalala@aol.com Sinduja Kosgi Shree Rama (5-6) sindujakosgi@yahoo.com Indu Sriram Shree Krishna (7-8) indu.sriram@sbcglobal.net Shankar Anant Shree Krishna (7-8) asanant@comcast.net Lakshmi Gollapudi Chinmaya (9-10) lgollapudi@clcillinois.edu Shubi Mansukhani Chinmaya (9-10) sm@technolcorp.com Ashok Kajjam Chinmaya (9-10) akajjam@hotmail.com Ashok Bhatia Tapovan (11-12) bhatiaa@technolcorp.com Krithika Mahesh Tapovan (11-12) krithika_m@hotmail.com Premal Joshipura Vyasa pmjem@sbcglobal.net Viney Kaushal Vyasa vkmvfour@gmail.com Ganapati Shankar Vashishta smtvgshankar@comcast.net Sriram Chitti Vashishta srirama_chitti@yahoo.com Kartik Ramprasad Vishwamitra kartik_ram@sbcglobal.net Lakshmi Karpoor Vishwamitra laks_karpoor@yahoo.com Vivek Naik Vishwamitra vivek_naik_us@yahoo.com Ashish Kathuria Hindi chinmayahindi@yahoo.com 9

10 Other Coordinators Chinmaya Mission Yamunotri Contact Information for Teachers, Sevaks, Sevikas, Coordinators Activity Sevak/Sevikas Phone # Address Acharya Swami Sharananandaji Swamiji@chinmaya-yamunotri.org Address/ Ratnakar Nanavaty mail@chinmaya-yamunotri.org Phone/ Changes Books Ratnakar Nanavaty mail@chinmaya-yamunotri.org Celebratory Events Shubi Mansukhani Rajul Bhalala sm@technolcorp.com nbhalala@aol.com Chinmaya Rides Jyothi Peruri sankaraperuri@hotmail.com Donations/ Pledges/Fund Raising Ashok Bhatia Rajul Bhalala Premal Joshipura Viney Kaushal bhatiaa@technolcorp.com nbhalala@aol.com pmjem@sbcglobal.net vkmvfour@gmail.com Geeta Chanting Rajul Bhalala Roopa Gaonkar nbhalala@aol.com ragoankar@yahoo.com Monthly Bhajans Pramila Bhatia Rajul Bhalala Kartik Ramprasad bhatiaa@technolcorp.com nbhalala@aol.com kartik_ram@sbcglobal.net Registration Ratnakar Nanavaty mail@chinmaya-yamunotri.org Saturday Transportation Venkat Gadey Ashok Bhatia vgadey@yahoo.com bhatiaa@technolcorp.com for Acharyas Stuti Vandana Sinduja Kosgi Hemalatha Shastry sindujakoshi@yahoo.com csundaresh9@netsquito.com Weekly Prasad Leela Singh Shobna Navayath leela.singh@gmail.com navayath_s@hotmail.com Please send your mailing address, phone # and address changes to mail@chinmayayamunotri.org. It is critical we have the correct contact information, so we could provide you with latest updates regarding our activities in a timely manner. 10

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15 STUTI VANDANA Stuti Vandana - corresponding pages in the Hridi Bhavayami book. CD is also available at the Book Store for $ Shanti Mantra: pg Daily Prayers: pg Sri Guru Stotram: pg Sankatanashana Ganesha Stotram: pg Sharada Stotram: pg Lingashtakam: pg Narayana Suktam: pg Sri Rama Stotram: pg Achyutashtakam: pg Nirvana Shatkam: pg Gita Dhyanam: pg Gita Ch.12: Gita ch.15: Tattiriya Upanishad: pg.` Concluding Prayers: pg Vedic Aarati: pg Chinmaya Mission Pledge: pg Chinmaya Mission Pratignya(Pledge in Sanskrit): pg Guidelines for getting a Stuti Vandana Medal: There are a total of 16 medals for Stuti Vandana. One medal will be given for each Stuti listed. Once the stutis are memorized, the children can chant to the assigned sevak / sevika at 4.45 pm on regular Saturday sessions. One dedicated Sevak / Sevika will be teaching the Stutis to interested children from 2:00pm - 2:30 pm. The Stutis should be chanted with Clarity, Correct Pronouciation and should be complete as given in the Hridi Bhavayami book. Children will be asked to repeat the stutis to be eligible for getting a medal if they get more than 1 prompt and 2 pronounciation mistakes. Children are advised to follow the tune for the stutis from the Stuti Vandana CD. 15

16 Gita Chanting Guidelines 16

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20 Bhagavad Gita Chanting Competition Judges Scoring Rules (for related questions, please contact Swami Sharananandaji) 1. Completeness of Chanting : (total of 15 points for Chapter VII, Slokas 1-15) (a) The verses are to be chanted in correct order and fully. (b) One point for each fully and completely chanted verse. (c) Prompting: One prompting will be allowed with no deduction of a point. No second prompting is allowed. (d) Missed Verse: One point to be deducted for each missed verse, i.e., - any verse missed partially or completely, - inserting the missed verse anywhere out of sequence - mixing lines of different verses - (e) The introduction (i.e. atha pañcamo ) and the ending (i.e. iti srimad bhagavad ) do not count towards completeness and must not affect the scoring. If the participant corrects their own mistake and proceeds to chant, there is no deduction, However, note that this may affect the subjective score for Confidence and/or Ease of Chanting. 2. Clarity of Chanting: Total of 10 points. a. Diction - crisp b. Tone continuous and smooth c. Flow in Anushtup Chhanda, (i.e. breaking each line after the 8 th letter) Example; samnyasam karmanam krsna break punaryogam ca samsasi 3. Confidence and Ease of Chanting : Total of 10 Points a. Poise composure b. Presentation - verses chanted in correct order, without interruptions, fumbling, or need for prompting. 4. Pronunciations: (a) a visarga 20

21 - should be pronounced fully only when applicable (typically at the break of a line or at the end of a line), example; samkhyayogau prthagbalah, or pravadanti na panditah - is not to be chanted fully in the middle of the line example: samnyasah karmayogasca (b) (f) (g) deergha should be chanted twice as long as the hrasva. example: suniscitam (short) versus manasa (long) sandhi vichheda to be done properly halant should be chanted properly (h) the following letters are to be chanted with clear distinction from each other - i.e. ka versus kha, ga vs gha (ghore), ta, tha (e.g. nishtha), da, dha (e.g. budhhir), etc. - all S,Sh and S with slant over and Sh with dot under to be clearly pronounced. - avagrahas are not to be chanted. ( s letter in Sanskrit) (i) distinction should be made in n sounds, e.g. karmani versus vakyena (j) a participant making the same type of mistake repeatedly shall be penalized only once. 21

Bala Vihar Folder. This folder belongs to. Name: Street: City: State: Zip: Grade: Group: Home Phone #:

Bala Vihar Folder. This folder belongs to. Name: Street: City: State: Zip: Grade: Group: Home Phone #: Chinmaya Mission Chicago - Yamunotri 30877 N Fairfield Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030 Bala Vihar Folder This folder belongs to Name: My Address is: Street: City: State: Zip: Grade: Group: Home Phone #: Email