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Shri Sampath Kumarji, the Advisor for the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) came to visit Parmarth
Niketan in order to see several of the schools and
vocational training centers run, under Pujya Swamiji's
guidance and inspiration, by India Heritage Research
Foundation. He visited 3 children's schools and 3
vocational training programs and was very pleased and
impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of the
students. Even on a day pouring with monsoon rains,
the school rooms were full.
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| Shri Sampathkumarji
performs Ganga Yagna with Pujya Swamiji |
Children from one of
IHRF's schools give a cultural program on the banks of
Ganga |
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The children of the Parmarth Gurukul shifted into a special
area of their own in the ashram. New rooms were constructed
for them and a large hall where they can gather together for
chanting, prayers, studies, etc. The new area was officially
"inaugurated" on September 8. |
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During the sacred time
of the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha delivered by Pujya Sant
Shri Rameshbhai Oza, Pujya Swamiji travelled with many
of the young rishikumars, devotees, sevaks and sadhaks
of Parmarth Niketan to the holy land of Badrinath.
Staying in Parmarth's ashram in Badrinath, Parmarth Lok,
the time was filled with divine darshan in the mandir,
snow capped Himalayan peaks, and walks along the banks
of the holy Alakananda.
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Divine children of the Himalayas |
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Additionally, while there, Pujya
Swamiji launched a daily evening Aarti program on the banks
of the Alakanada. He has already instituted daily
Aarti programs in Rishikesh, Allahabad and Varanasi.
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The first Aarti on the banks of
Alakananda |
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During His speech on the opening day of the
Bhagwat Katha, on September 11, Pujya Swamiji
said, "Here in this holy land where the 18
puranas and the Shrimad Bhagavatum were revealed
by Vyasji and written by Lord Ganesha; here on
this sacred confluence of the Saraswati and Alakananda rivers; here in this divine land of
Sadhana, Sanskriti and sanskaras...here in this
land we pray
today for peace and strength for all those who
lost family and friends exactly one year ago.
Our bodies are here in Badrinath, but our hearts
and prayers are in New York City and Washington
DC." |
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He continued, by saying: "The message today is, Life is
so short. Why not make it sweet? We never know when the last
minute will come. Let us embrace each day and each moment as
though it may be our last. In the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha, there
are two people to whom the message of impending death is
given. One is Kansa and one is King Parikshit. Both are given
divine messages of inevitable death. However, they handle this
message in distinctly different ways. King Kansa fights the
will of Karma and uses his wealth and his weapons to try to
avert the inevitable. He even goes so far as killing all the
children of his own sister in order to avoid his own downfall.
In the end, however, one can never go against the law of
Karma, and he succumbs to a vicious, violent death, dealt to
him by the hand of God Himself. King Parikshit, on the
other hand, realizes there is no way to fight the call of the
Lord of Death and he dedicates every final moment on Earth to
listening to the divine story of God, told on the holy banks
of Mother Ganga. In the end, when the hand of Death comes,
King Parikshit is ready, for he has surrendered to the Divine
Will. He ultimately attains liberation. Just as King
Kansa and King Parikshit have been given specific warnings
about upcoming death, so have we all. We know it will come; we
just don't know whether it will come in a day, a week, a year
or fifty years. However, that it will come is inevitable.
Therefore, let us live our lives full of love, full of
sharing, full of caring and full of giving." |
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September
23: Rishikesh
On
September 20, a great, divine soul Shri Narendra Mohan
left this Earthly realm for the Heavenly Abode of the
Almighty. Shri Narendra Mohanji was a close member of
the Parmarth Family and greatly loved and respected by
all. He was the editor-in-chief of Dainik Jagran, the
most widely read newspaper in India, and also a
dedicated member of Rajya Sabha in Parliament. His
prolific and articulate writings brought both the
culture of India and also the problems being faced by
the Hindu community to light. His
dedication to the community, to the country, to the
culture and to all of humanity was peerless.
His Dainik
Jagran Newspaper is a daily �awakening� of piety,
culture, tradition and spirit of India for millions of
people every day.
On
the 23rd, his family came to Parmarth Niketan to
perform the sacred, final rites ceremony, standing on
the same ghat where he pledged to build a new ghat -
in the middle of Ganga - from which devotees could
perform aarti and have the darshan of Mother Ganga on
all 4 sides.
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Shri Narendra Mohanji's family performs the
sacred puja in the holy presence of Pujya Swamiji |
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A
special Cataract operation camp was held at
Parmarth Niketan, for 5 days, in which 700
patients received free eye check up, screening
and treatment for a variety of eye diseases and
ailments. Additionally, 31 patients received
free operations for the removal of cataracts.
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Deepak is lit by
Pujya Swamiji, Pujya Bhaishri, Dr. Jay Chandra and
Shri Anilbhai Desai from South Africa, the
generous sponsor of the hospital in Mansarovar.
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Dr. Jay Chandra
from Australia and Dr. Mustafa Paresh from Bombay came
to offer their expertise and assistance to the local,
indigent people of the Himalayas. Free medicines and
drops were provided to all the patients. Additionally, Dr. Arif
Contractor from Bombay came and provided free dental
care for the 26-27 September.
The camp was lovingly
organized and coordinated by Smt. Bhuvaneshwari
Makhariaji of Bombay.
The camp was sponsored
by Shri Rupen and Smt. Lopa Desai of Pretoria,
South Africa, a couple young in years but ageless in
their understanding, commitment and devotion! They are
frequent and generous sponsors of medical camps at
Parmarth Niketan. Rupen's family, Shri Anilbhai and Shri
Arunbhai Desai of Louis Trichardt, South Africa, have sponsored
the hospital built by IHRF in the holy land of
Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash. |
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September 24:
Veerpur
On our new
land in Veerpur (about 10 km from Parmarth Niketan), we
had a special tree plantation ceremony of Kalpa Vreksh
(the wish fulfilling tree) with Pujya Sant
Shri Rameshbhai Oza.
This new land will be the
home to: an orphanage for girls, a special Ayurvedic
garden, a gaushala (cow home), an organic garden and the
IHRF office. Additionally, we are planning an entire
"Adopt a Village" program in which we will sponsor and
run the two local schools and institute special
hygiene/sanitation and farming programs.
Additionally, there will
be rooms in which devotees can stay, in silence and
sadhana, in this rustic, rural area overlooking the
waters of Mother Ganga.
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Pujya Swamiji and Pujya
Bhaishri plant trees |
With the gardeners and
contractor of the project, in front of the flowing
waters of Mother Ganga |
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September 24:
Delhi
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Ek Shaam
Kailash - Mansarovar Ke Naam |
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In June, 1998 H.H. Swami
Chidanand Saraswatiji (Pujya Muniji) traveled to the
holy land of Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash with H.H.
Swami Gurusharananandji Maharaj, H.H. Sant Shri
Rameshbhai Oza and 52 other saints.
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While there,
He saw the desperateness of the local situation.
There are no medical facilities for hundreds of
kilometers. People frequently suffer or even die
from basic, treatable altitude sickness, due to
lack of medical attention.
There is no indoor place to stay - all must camp
in tents.
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Therefore, Pujya Swamiji vowed that -by the grace of
God -- He would do something for the local people (who
don't even have running water) and for all the
pilgrims who travel there.
Two and a half years were spent in discussions with
the Chinese government, and - with the cooperation and
support of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Tourism
of Ngari Prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region - we
finally obtained permission for the project.
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In December, 2000 permission was officially granted by
the Chinese Government to build an ashram and a
hospital in the sacred land.
Further, this will be the spring board for other
much-needed humanitarian projects in the area,
including schools, vocational training programs, etc.
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The contract states that for all future projects in
the region, the government of Tibet/China will give
first priority to Pujya Swamiji and India Heritage
Research Foundation to sponsor the project.
This year, so many pilgrims traveled to the sacred
land and stayed in the ashram there. Finally, now, for
the first time ever there is an ashram and a clinic in
this holy area.
KAILASH - MANSAROVAR DHAM IN DELHI:
HOWEVER, it came to Pujya Swamiji's attention that all
of the pilgrims who travel on this yatra usually go
through Delhi where they stay in a hotel and eat in
restaurants, etc. He said that a sacred yatra must
begin in an ashram, not in a hotel! Therefore, He said
that if an ashram could be built in Mansarovar, where
there was nothing and the land was barren, why not
build one in Delhi where all the people who are
leaving for the yatra can stay and begin the journey
in an auspicious, sacred way.
For this, by the grace of God, He has made the
decision to build a special Kailash- Mansarovar Dham
in New Delhi. This Dham will be a place where yatris
for Kailash-Mansarovar yatra, Amarnath Yatra and
Vaishnu Devi Yatra can come, stay and begin their
divine journey with prayer, with prasad, with satsang
and with kirtan.
We had a special function in honor of this project, on
September 24, titled Ek Sham Kailash Mansarovar ke
naam. Over 2500 people came to offer their support for
this great project.
The function was organized, sponsored and coordinated
by the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Samiti, including Shri
ML Satija, Shri Girdhari Lal Gupta, Shri Madan Goel,
Shri Punit Mahajan and many more dedicated team
members.
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In addition to H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (Pujya
Muniji), the function was also graced by the presence
of H.H. Sri Shankaracharyaji Swami Divyanand Teerthji,
H.H. Sant Shri Rameshbhai Oza (Pujya Bhaishri), H.H.
Acharya Shrikant Vyasji, H.H. Brahmachari
Brahmaswarupji, H.H. Rasyani Babaji, H.H.
Mahamantradasji of ISKON and many other revered saints
and distinguished dignitaries.
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Yoga/Meditation
and Spirituality Camps
Yoga and Meditation for All:
1
December 2002 - 14 December 2002
Vedic Heritage Seminar Camp
1 December 2002 - 7 December 2002
Yoga Intensive/Instructor's
Course:
1 December 2002 - 30
May 2003
Basic Yoga Teacher's Training
Course:
1
December 2002 - 28 February 2003
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Please
click
here to request more information or to register.
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