January 2008

Balabhavan Coordinators ARUNDHATI BB Announcements: Ram K rishnamurthy Kris hna Meduri Attendance Requirements Aparna Vemuri Any child missing three consecutive classes will be C ontact: removed from Bala Bhavan and balabhavanco [email protected] that place will be given to the Class Coordinators next child in the waiting list. In Hindu tradition, immediately after the wedding, Super-Senior Class: the bride & bridegroom are asked to look at and This rule will be strictly enforced. Please note the Padmin i Mylavarapu worship the Arundhati star (The star Mizar of the following exceptions to the [email protected] stellar constellation Ursa Major is thought of as above "three-consecutive-class Vasishta and the small one beside it, Alcor, as rule": Sen ior Class: Arundhati). This ritual represents the couple’s Bharathy Thridandam firm attachment to each other; Vasishta & * Planned Absence: Parents thridah @sbcglobal.net Arundathi are held as examples of how married must notify, in advance - the Ra jasri Kota couples should be. Arundhati is famous for being Bala Bhavan and respective [email protected] devoted to her husband, Vasishta, who was a great Class coordinators in writing sage. He was one of the seven sages (Saptarishis) (e-mail), that their child will not Junior Class: who controlled the movements of the Sun, causing be able to attend and specify Laksh mi Srinivasan it to rise and set everyday. the period (e.g. vacations). [email protected] * Emergencies/sickness; in such Padm a Kodukula Legend says that , the God of fire, fell in love a case, please make an effort to with the seven Krttikas who were married to the [email protected] let the Bala Bhavan and seven sages. Agni thought that they would never Moorthy Akella respective class coordinators leave their husbands, so h e went back to Earth and know at the earliest possible [email protected] tried to forget them. Svaha, who liked Agni, opportunity. disguised herself as six of the Krttikas and married * Please indicate in the subject Toddler Class: him. She could not imitate Arundhati, as of the e-mail: "BB Absence Nithy a Sudhakar Arundhati’s love & devotion for her husband was Notification for Your Child's [email protected] firm. When the found that their wives had a Vija ya Purohit child with Agni, they sent them away. Only Full Name". Absence notifications sent to Bala Bhavan [email protected] Arundhati stayed with Vasishta while the other six Yahoo groups will not be wives roamed the skies and became the Pleaides of considered or honored. Registrati ons coordinator: Taurus. Rajasri Kota * Notification of absence must rajasrik [email protected] ANASUYA be received at least 24 hours ______before the Saturday Class January Birthdays Anasuya was the wife of a sage named . (except for emergencies - do not Anasuya lived during lord ’s time. Anasuya abuse this excuse) in order for it Super Senior: none was a woman who was very loyal, faithful and to be considered. Senior: dedicated to her husband, sage Atri. Kusha n Yalamanchi Vikram Thridandam Sage showered her with praises. This made Bharg av Munukutla the wives of - Bramha, and Festivals of the Month: Sarvani Munukutla Maheswara very jealous. They wanted to test Junior: Anusuya’ s purity so they asked their husbands to Jan 13th - Goda Kalyanam Jayanth Yalamanchi do something. So all of them went to her and Sarthak Madan asked her to serve food without wearing any (http://www.shiva-vishnu.org) Rachana Madhukara clothes. When Anasuya heard this she sprinkled Toddler: water on them and converted them into babies. Akash Sridhar After a while the wives of , Vishnu & Jan 14th - Makara Sankranthi / Kavya Vijaysankar went to see what took their husbands so long. Pongal Reetesh Sudhakar Continued on Page 2 Anjali Koganti

7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 January 2008 ISSUE 1 - 1 -

January 2008

Class Schedules Continued from Page 1…..Anasuya Class Schedules

1-12-2008 ------When they saw that their husbands had turned 1-5-2008 ------

Senior Class: into babies they felt bad for what they did. The Trimurtis were then born as the sons of Atri and Story: Ganga - with geo- Toddler Class: Anasuya: Soma (Brahma), (Vishnu) Story: Markandeya graphical facts: and (Shiva). -Ashok Malavalli -Nithya Sudhakar Sloka: Shuklambaradaram Sloka: Umamaheshvara stotra Another story about Anasuya is when the town of Vishnum / Gajananam Bootha 1-6: Chitrakootam didn’t receive rain for several -Lali tha Kodandapani/ years, Anasuya prayed hard enough that it -Vijaya Purohit Lat ha Chandrasekhar brought the river Mandakini to the Earth. There Bhajan: Gauri Nandana Bhajan: Jaya Jaya Shankara; was greenery around Chitrakootam and the Gajaanana (p5,#2) Shankara Cha ndrashekara (pg. animals and the people were very happy. -Nithya Sudhakar

22, #15): - Latha Sundar Rama and are said to have visited Anasuya. Super Senior Class: Bharathy Thridandam Anasuya advised Sita on how one should be loyal Story: Values learnt from to her husband. Anasuya is revered as a great through Characters Junior Class: woman in Indian tradition. -Ram Krishnamurthy Story: Ganga - with geo- Sloka: Umaamaheshvara graphical fac ts: Glimpses of 2007 stotram 1-6 -Seetha Janakiraman Sloka: Umaam aheshvara - Lalitha Kodandapani stotram 1-2: Bhajan: Jaya Hara Shankara; - Srinivasan Om Namah Shivaaya Bhajan: Jaya Jaya Shankara: -Latha Sundar - Anandi Sriram

1-26-2008 ------1-19-2008------

Senior Class: Toddler Class: Story: Ganga - with geo- Review : Markandeya with graphical facts Children’s art work Saraswathi Puja values learnt. -Moorthy P - Nithya Sudhakar Sloka:Umamaheshvara stotra 6- Sloka: Shuklambaradaram 12: Vishnum / Gajanam Bootha. -L altiha K/ Latha C - Vijaya Purohit Bhajan: Shambo Mahadeva Bhajan: Bolo Bolo Sab Mil Bolo. Sadashiva (pg .21, #11) - Nithya Sudhakar -Latha Sundar

/BharathyThridandam Chaturthi Clay ganesha making Super Senior Class

Junior Class: Discus sion: Da saratha : Story: Ganga - with -Ram Krishnamurthy geographical facts Sloka: Umaamaheshvara -Seetha Janakiraman stotram 7-12. Sloka: Umamaheshvara stotram - Lalitha Kodandapani 3-4: Bhajan: Dhimitha Dhimita -Lakshmi Srinivasan Dhim; Jaya Hara Shankara. Bhajan: Shambo Shankara - Latha Sundar

Saamba Sadashiva Annual Talent Day

- Sangeetha Prahalad

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J anuary 2008

Clas s Volunteers: Namaskaram, Topics & Books for 2008

We had a very successful and eventful 2007. On Story: Toddlers: the story side, we covered as the main Topic - Divine Children Ashok Malavalli topic for all the classes. The Slokas and Bhajans were (emphasis on Devotion to God) Nithya Sudhakar centered around the following five main festivals: Books: Stories of Divine Ram Krishnamurthy Shivaratri, Ramanavami, Ganesha Chaturti, Children - by Swami Seetha Janakiraman Gokulashtami and Saraswathy Pooja. Raghaveshananda - Sri Bhajan: Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore - Anandi Sriram Children presented Bhajans and Sloka and were led Chennai 600004; ProductID: Bharathy T hridandam by the two panditjis of Shiva Vishnu temple in offering 8126 - pbk - 40 Pages (Year: Latha Sundar pooja to the deities. The highlight was Ganesha 2000) Sri Ramakrishna Math ~ Nithya Sudhakar Chaturti where Ashok Malavalli helped the kids in ISBN: 8171205917 Sangeetha Prahalad making clay Ganesha idol, with which children Vijaya Purohit performed pooja and subsequently immersed Ganesha Juniors/Seniors: Sloka: in the ocean during visarjan. Topic - Influential Women of Lakshmi S rinivasan India (mainly from our Lalitha Kodandapani The children also participated in the Balaji Puranas) Latha Cha ndrasekaran Sthapana by presenting special Bhajans and Slokas ably Books: Great Women of India Vijaya Pur ohit led by Latha Sundar and Lalitha Kodandapani (Set of 5 pictorial Books) respectively. There was a Samskrita drama presentation ProductID: 19736 - Paperback Class Presentations jointly by Samskrita and Balabhavan children titled - 140 Pages (Year: 2006) Sri Senior Class: “ Darshanam”, written and directed by Ramakrishna Math ~ ISBN: Nagabhushana. For the Balaji Sthapana the BB-families 1-12-2008 ------8178231662 donated over $11,000 to the Shiva Vishnu Temple. What is the significance of OM

(AUM)? - Kushan Y SuperSeniors: On 16th June, the annual BB-picnic was held at Topic - What can we learn Dixon Lake in Escondido. There was plenty of food, What is the significance of from our Puranic Characters games and fun – the ambience allowed many families to Upanayan am (Sacred thread (Ramayana & Mahabharata)? get to know each other and form new friendships. ceremony)? - Bhargav M Books: Vedic Heritage

Teaching Program (volumes 1- On 15th December we had a wonderful Annual 3) ISBN / ITEM NO.: 1-882325- 1-26-2008 ------Talent Day presentation by over 40 children from Why do we light the Deepam? 06-0 ------Balabhavan. The quality of presentations was striking; Akhilesh V the priests of the temple were thanked for their

Why do w e join our palms important role. All volunteers were acknowledged – (Namaskara Mudra) to greet they are the pillars of this program. Newsletter Editors each othe r? -Satish C 2007 also saw the introduction of the super-senior Keshav Tadimeti Junior Class: section (for kids 12-16 yrs). Yoga class for all children Sankaran Ramanarayanan st rd 1-12-2008 ------was moved to 10.15 a.m. on 1 and 3 Saturdays. What is the significance of Topics of the Month OM(AUM)? - Jayanth Y For 2008, we have three different topics for the

four different sections (see the box on the right for Why do we apply Kunkum? details). The programs for the five main festivals will Anjana Srinivas – Swethaa N be integrated with those conducted by Shiva Vishnu Ananya Thridandam 1-26-2008 ------Temple. Why do we light the Deepam? Please send your - Soumya K We look forward to another productive year in suggestions/comments on Why do we join our palms which we all grow together with our children, by this newsletter to (Namaskara Mudra) to greet enriching our understanding of our roots and culture. [email protected] each other?? – Rohith K Balabhavan Coordinator Team.

7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940 January 2008 ISSUE 1 - 3 -