January 2008 Balabhavan Coordinators ARUNDHATI BB Announcements: Ram K rishnamurthy Attendance Requirements Kris hna Meduri Aparna Vemuri Any child missing three consecutive classes will be C ontact: removed from Bala Bhavan and [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 Rajasri Kota couples should be. Arundhati is famous for being Bala Bhavan and respective Class coordinators in writing [email protected] devoted to her husband, Vasishta, who was a great 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 Lakshm i Srinivasan it to rise and set everyday. the period (e.g. vacations). [email protected] * Emergencies/sickness; in such Padm a Kodukula Legend says that Agni, the God of fire, fell in love a case, please make an effort to with the seven Krttikas who were married to the let the Bala Bhavan and pkoduk [email protected] seven sages. Agni thought that they would never respective class coordinators Moorthy Akella leave their husbands, so he 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 Rishis 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 Atri. (except for emergencies - do not Anasuya lived during lord Rama’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. Kushan Yalamanchi Vikram Thridandam Sage Narada showered her with praises. This made Bhargav Munukutla the wives of Trimurtis - Bramha, Vishnu 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 Devi 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 Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva 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 Toddler Class: Story: Ganga - with geo- Anasuya: Soma (Brahma), Dattatreya (Vishnu) Story: Markandeya graphical facts: and Durvasa (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 -Vijaya Purohit -Lali tha Kodandapani/ years, Anasuya prayed hard enough that it brought the river Mandakini to the Earth. There Bhajan: Gauri Nandana Lat ha Chandrasekhar 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 Sita are said to have visited Anasuya. Bharathy Thridandam Super Senior Class: Anasuya advised Sita on how one should be loyal Story: Values learnt from to her husband. Anasuya is revered as a great Puranas 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 Bhajan: Jaya Hara Shankara; stotram 1-2: -Lakshmi 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 Ganesha Chaturthi Clay ganesha making Super Senior Class Discussion: Dasaratha: Junior Class: 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 7930 Arjons Drive, San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-394 0 January 2008 ISSUE 1 - 2 - J anuary 2008 Class Volunteers: Namaskaram, Topics & Books for 2008 We had a very successful and eventful 2007. On Story: Toddlers: the story side, we covered Mahabharata 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 Purohit led by Latha Sundar and Lalitha Kodandapani (Set of 5 pictorial Books) respectively. There was a Samskrita drama presentation ProductID: 19736 - Paperback jointly by Samskrita and Balabhavan children titled Class Presentations - 140 Pages (Year: 2006) Sri Senior Class: “Ramayana 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 06-0 --------------------------- Why do we light the Deepam? Balabhavan. The quality of presentations was striking; Akhilesh V the priests of the temple were thanked for their Why do we 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