November 2008

Balabhavan Coordinators Ram Krishnamurthy RANI PADMINI BB Announcements: Krishna Meduri Aparna Vemuri BB Re-registration for 2009

Contact: is now closed. [email protected] Class Coordinators Balabhavan Annual Talent day from 3 PM. To 6 PM. Super -Senior Class: Padmini Mylavarapu Kids from different classes [email protected] will perform based on what Rani Padmini was the queen of and they learnt in BB classes. Senior Class: she was the wife of king Ratansen Singh. Bharathy Thridandam Her parents were king and queen of . All participants are requested [email protected] She is one of the great women of India because to be at the temple by 2.45 Rajasri Kota she sacrificed her life instead of serving the PM. [email protected] enemy. During the 12th and 13th centuries the Junior Class: Chittorgarh kingdom was ruled by her husband Library Announcement: Srinivasan Ratansen Singh. He had a really great musician [email protected] Library will be open during Moorthy Akella Raghav Chetan in his court. But there was one the regular BB classes. [email protected] thing he did not know about the musician, he was a sorcerer who was doing black magic which Please make sure you return Toddler Class: affected many people. Once Ratansen caught the books before you borrow Nithya Sudhakar him, he banished him from his kingdom. more. [email protected] Raghav Chetan was really mad at Ratansen Pallavi Sridhar so he went to Ala-ud-din to talk about [email protected] conquering Ratansen’s Kingdom. Raghav Chetan told Ala-ud-din how beautiful Ratansen’s wife 2009 Balabhavan Registration coordinators: was and Ala-ud-din wanted see how she looked Coordinator team: Panner Selvam like. He told Ratansen that he wanted to look at panner_selvam@ya hoo.com Rani Padmini. Rani Padmini had a suspicion Matangi Munikutla about Ala-ud-din. Bharathy Thridandam [email protected] Ala-ud-din on the pretext of friendship came Sriram Srinivasan Priya Ram to the kingdom and was greeted by Ratansen. As Nithya Sudhakar [email protected] Rani Padmini looked into the pond Ala-ud-din ------______came and saw the reflection of her face. Ala-ud- November Birthdays din wanted to capture the king and make Rani

Padmini his wife. He kidnapped the king and all Festivals of the Month: Super Senior: the women of the kingdom. He was able to

conquer the kingdom as Ratansen’s army was Rishi Koduluka not powerful to defend against Ala-ud-din. Nov 2, 2008 –

Senior: In this situation, Rani Padmini decided that, Sita Kalyana Mahotsavam with their men -folk going into the unequal Rahul Malavalli (from 1-5 pm) a Fund raising Apoorva Mylavarapu struggle with Ala-ud-din's army in which they were sure to perish, the women of Chittorgarh event for constructing the Junior: will commit suicide to avoid dishonor at the new temple. hands of the enemy. Aravind Krishnan For more details visit Maalini Krishna By Aishwarya V Nikhita Gopal www.-vishnu.org

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November 2008

JHANSI LAKSHMI BAI Class Schedules Class Schedules

11-1-2008 ------11-22-2008 ------Toddler Class: Junior Class: Story: Satyakama Jabala -Venugopal Ramamurthy Story: Andal -Renuka Krishnan Sloka: Budhirbalam/Manoj avam Sloka:Review Achyutaasthakam -Priya Ramanathan -Seetha Janakiraman Bhajan: Review Krishna Bhajans Bhajan: Review of Devi Bhajans. – Nalini Natarajan -Latha Sundar/Anandi Sriram Lakshmibai, The Rani of Jhansi, the queen

of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Senior Class: Jhansi in North India, was one of the Super Senior Class: leading figures of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, Story: Andal and a symbol of resistance to British rule in Story: Vidura -Srinivas Varadarajan India. Rani Laxmibai was born on November -Ram Krishnamurthy 19, 1835. Her father was a . Her Sloka: Soundaryalahari 23-25 Sloka: Soundaryalahari 23-25 - mother was a brave God fearing lady. Her -Lalitha Kodandapani Lalitha Kodandapani/Rajasri original name was Manikarnika, Bhajan: Review Shiva and affectionately called Manu. The Rani lost Rama Bhajans. Bhajan: Jaya Mithilakumari her mother at the age of four. She learned - Latha Sundar -Latha Sundar/Anandi Sriram horseback riding, sword fighting, and

shooting. She married Raja Gangadhar Rao

Newalkar, in 1842, and became the 11-15-2008 ------______Maharani of Jhansi. After her marriage her

name was changed to Laxmibai. Toddler Class:

Story: Review Satyakama The Rani adopted a son, his name was Jabala with values learnt 2009 Class Coordinators : Damodar Rao. After the death of Raja -Venugopal Ramamurthy Gangadhar Rao, the British tried to take Super Senior class: over Jhansi, because Damodar Rao was not Sloka:Budhirbalam/Manojavam Sudhakar Devulapalli a true heir. Rani was not ready to give up. -Priya Ramanathan Ashok Malavalli She decided to fight British. The British Bhajan: Subrahmanyam Ram Krishnamurthy Army laid siege to the city. After two weeks subrahmanyam of fighting, the British captured the city, -Rama Srinivas Senior Class: but the Rani escaped in the guise of a man, Anitha Chidambaram strapping her adopted son closely on her Super Senior Class: Renuka Krishnan back. She held the horse reins in her mouth, Krishna Meduri and held two swords in her hands. At the Story: Draupadi age of 22, Rani lost her life fighting the -Ram Krishnamurthy Junior Class: British in the war of Gwalior. That day was Sloka: Review Soundaryalahari Seetha Janakiraman June 18, 1858. : - Lalitha Kodandapani Sangeetha Prahalad

Bhajan: Review Krishna and All the Indians regard Rani Laxmibai as Ganesha Bhajans of 2008 Toddler Class: the symbol of patriotism and self respect - Latha Sundar Vidya Rishi / Murali By Anoodnya Sangam

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October 2008 ISSUE10

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November 2008

Why we do what we do: Class Volunteers: What is the original name of Story: our religion?

Ashok Mallavali Sanatana Dharma or Bharathy Thridandam ‘Righteousness Forever’ was Ram Krishnamurthy the original name of Rashmi Madhukara . When the Persians Seetha Janakiraman Why do we ring the bell before/during and invaded India during 6th Vandana after we do Pooja? century B.C they gave the Santhanam/Sankaran name Hinduism meaning the The bell, known in Samskrita as the Ghanta, religion of people living near Bhajan: is used in all poojas for invoking the Gods. It River Indus. Anandi Sriram is made of a special kind of bronze including

Bharathy Thridandam metals like cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, In Persian the letter H and Lakshmi Srinivasan nickel, chromium and Manganese. The ringing S are pronounced almost the Latha Sundar of the bell produces what is regarded as same so the word SIND, Rama Srinivas auspicious, or ‘Mangalakara’ sound. It which is the Sanskrit name produces the sound Om, the universal name for Indus was mistook the Sloka: of the Lord. There should be auspiciousness word HIND. The practice of Lakshmi Srinivasan within and without, to gain the vision of the calling the people and Lalitha Kodandapani Lord who is all-auspicious. The practice of culture with words such as Pallavi Nagaraj using the Ghanta originates not from the and HINDUISM was Ravi/Kalpana Palakodety , but agamas. We begin most poojas then started. Sheela Malavalli with:

Shanti Kalluri aagamaarthantu devaanaam Sanatana Dharma, "The gamanaarthantu raakshasaam kurve Law Eternal", is the more appropriate or rather the Class Presentations ghantaaravam tatra devataahvaahna laanchanam accurate name for the religion which is now known

11-22-2008 as Hinduism. It is a name

acquired in later historic This Shloka means: I ring this bell indicating Junior Class: times, while the religion has the invocation of divinity, so that virtuous What are the Navagrahas? been in existence since and divine forces enter(my home and heart). By Maalini K timeless beginning. This And the demonic and evil forces from within religion has its roots in the and without depart. The Ghantanaada Senior Class: "Vedas" which are scriptures invokes positive thoughts and uproots evil of the highest wisdom. It was influences. During Mangalarathi, What are the Navagrahas? not a founded religion and it Ghantanaada draws distracted minds into By Anoodnya Sangam was the Dharma and code of devotion. It helps drown any inauspicious life for men & women of comments and even thoughts that might ------Bharat from times disturb or distract the devotees in their Please send your suggestions immemorial. devotion, concentration and inner peace. In or comments on this news- By Maya K letter to many meditation practices, the sound of Ghanta is used as a cue to clear the mind of [email protected] all thoughts. By Kalyani R

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November 2008

Why we do what we do What is the original name of Why is India called Bharath? our religon?

India was known as BHARATH for countless centuries. This Our religon is called Rishi name dates back to the Vedic Dharma or Sanatana Dharma Age. The name Bharath for India is derived from King Bharatha (or Hindu Dharma). In who was the son of King Sanatana Dharma, sages Dushyantha and Queen already codified the life style Shakuntala. Bharata was originally named that is to be followed for as Saravadamana. Surrounded realizing Brahman. The word only by wild animals, Bharath grew to be a strong child. He Why is India called Bharath?? ‘Sanata’ means the owner. could even count the teeth of Who is the owner? The lion's cub while playing with it. Long long ago there was a king called sages; we are their followers. He was a very brave king. He Bharata. Bharata was son of King Dushyanta took the whole of India over his and queen Shakuntala. Bharata was a fearless control and started to rule it. boy, who played with lion cubs, snakes and When ever we have a doubt, The people in his kingdom were other dangerous animals. He was praised for we have to we have to refer so happy that they started calling their kingdom as his courage and wisdom of conquering all the to this Rishi Dharma. In the smaller kingdoms and creating a great Bharata's kingdom which later class room what ever the became Bharata. India is also Kingdom called Bharata Varsha, which means known as Bharat Varsha. land of Bharata. Bharata was first emperor to teacher teaches we have to It refers to the 'Land of rule India. Bharata's empire covered all of follow - that is dharma. Bharatha'. Emperor Bharata was the Indian sub-continent, Afghanistan and What ever the parents tell the first and the only emperor Persia. us, we have to listen - that is to rule all India. The Vishnu Purana defines "Bharath is the Mahakavi Bharathi has country that stretches from the ocean to the dharma referred to our country as Dharma means ‘support’. Bharatha Desam and Bharatha snowy mountains where the descendants of Nadu with great patriotic fervor Bharata lives". We have this support based When Britisher's came to India for trade, in his nationalistic songs and on the advice from Gods, poems. Even Rabindranath the country called India or Bharath did not Tagore in his famous National exist. The country was ruled by many kings. Devathas, Sages and great Anthem has described as The Britisher's conquered all of the Indian people. `BHARATHA BHAGYA VIDHATA` sub-continent and named it as "India, Bharath By Yogitha S which means that it is one’s or Hindustan". So Indians commonly refer to ------good fortune to be born in their country as Bharath, India or Hindustan. Bharath. The highest national award The Republic of India's official name is Newsletter Editors open to any Indian is also called Bharath. The First Clause of Indian ‘Bharath Ratna’. It will thus be Constitution starts with 'India, that is Akhilesh Sai Vemuri clear that we as a nation have Bharath'. Bhargav Munukutla not completely given up or put Every year, Indian government awards aside the ancient and "Bharat Ratna", which means Jewel of India, Topics of the Month traditional name of Bharath and is the highest civilan award for life time we have retained it here and service to Bharath. there for various national and By Pranav P Aishwarya Vuppala public purposes. Anoodnya Sangam By Anugraha P

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