Sharvesh's Learnings & Experiences

 I got up at 5:00am that day. I then woke up only three of them because I was angry with one. They always abused me. While Gaurav and Amogh bathed in our personal toilet, Poorvith and I went to the first floor and bathed as there was no crowd. When we finished bathing, dressed up and then drank milk and came. I woke Aditya up at 7:00am while we went for Vedic Chanting. He was bewildered and went to bathe. During the Vedic Chanting session, we had finished the "Medhasuktam" an Invocation to Saraswati. Swamiji took a test and won.  No Yoga session and it was replaced with stotram chanting. We chanted the "NamaRamayanam" and "Hanuman Stotram". After which was breakfast. At 10:30am, we took SPK Photos, Group Photos and The Camp Photo. Then the valedictory started. We performed out group skits one for each group. They are mime, Rap, Talk show, Puppetshow, ShadowShow, GameShow, Dance, Tableu. Our group chosen Puppet Show with the story of Arunima Sinha. Next, we...

I got up at 3:30am in the morning. It was all because of wretched dog's howl  imitation. After I brushed my teeth, bathed and came to see the time I was astonished. It was 3:40am. I woke up all the others whom after bathing, played a few games of cricket. Then we all went to drink milk after which we went for Vedic Chanting and had finished the lines left. Then there was Shruti Aunty's Yoga session we did four suryanamaskaras and leg rises. T Breakfast time!! We had Dosas. Yummy! Yummy! Dosas. We had an hour before the stotram chanting. It was already pre-occupied as it was our turn of seva. During the stotram chanting session, there was a test in which our group won second place. Then there was a talk by Aishwarya Aunty's husband Vijay sir about Ancient India. After that we had a workshop on skits. Then we went for lunch. After lunch, I completed the puzzle, played cricket and then slept. Then we went for swamiji's talks. After that we had snacks. We were served with B...

 I woke up at 5:00am that day. I was so dazed that only Poorvik that day. He too was really dazed and did not wake up anybody. We finished bathing, went to drink milk at around 6:15am. When Poorvik and I went back the room, we were shocked. We had forgotten to wake everybody else. We tried waking them up again and again. Finally they woke up at 6:45am. We were supposed to reach at 6:50am. So after we woke them up we ran to the hall. Now it was swamiji's session when they came in also they were supposed to stay outside. Next it was Shruti Aunty's Yoga session. We did Suryanamaskaras, Leg rises, Matyasan, Ardh Shreesashan. Later we went for Breakfast. They served hot! hot! Idlis for us, Next we had one hour time left for talks, we played a game of cricket. That day's talk was given by Gopal sir, Sandhya Aunty's husband. The talk was about the structures of a temple. We had games during the workshops. We won the first prize and then went for lunch. After lunch I rested til...

A short video about the Chinmaya Balavihar Residential Summer Camp 2018 - based on feedback from the participants and I was happy to share my experience too. Here is my experience along with the great camp report sent by Sevikas to our parents. Hope you will enjoy as much as I did.  Balavihar Summer Camp Flyer Chinmaya Sandeepany Ashram  - The Camp Site Day 1 Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Day 2 Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Day 3 Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Day 4 Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Day 5 Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Day 6  Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Day 7 Sharvesh's experience Camp Report Camp Song Camp Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/djVfsy7Yob113Fk78

I woke up at 6:00am that day and I went to bathe. After finishing bathing and daily chores, I directly went to the Ashram to unfold the mats. Now it was time for Swamiji's vedic chanting. Next came Shruthi Aunty's Yoga session. We then went for breakfast. They served breakfast which was not my favourite. We had an hour time left till the chanting session. I played cricket to pass time. During chanting session, we chanted the Nama Ramayanam. Next came the talks about Goswamy Tulasidas, the one who wrote Ramayanam. During the workshop, we discussed about communication. After workshop, we went for lunch where rice, lentin soup, rasam and curd were served. We then took rest for a span of two hours and went for Swamiji's talks on Sundarakandam. Then we satisfied ourselves with some snacks and then played some out-door games. I played cricket. We had to go for the Aarti session where we chanted many Bhajans. Now it was time for indoor games. We played Dumchareds and our group ca...

I woke up at 5:30am that day. I then woke up everyone and went to bathe. After bathing, I took my umbrella and let it dry. I went to drink milk. Later it was Vedic chanting.We had chanted the Medha Suktam in which we started the second paragraph. Next we proceeded to do Yoga. Shruthi aunty reminded us of the steps in Surya Namaskara. Next we went for breakfast. After breakfast, we took rest in the 50 minutes time left. We went for the Stotram chanting and chanted the Hanuman Stotram. According to the schedule there should have been talks and workshop but it was cancelled. Instead we played breaking the ice and then left for lunch. They gave us dhal and rice. It was our group's turn to serve that day. After serving, I played games during the break and then went for swamiji's talk. It was about Sundarakandam.  Later it was playtime. I played monkey in the middle with Rajiv, Amogh and few others. Next we went for Aarti and bhajans. Following that was games. After which we had dinn...

--> I woke up at 6:00am. After finishing the daily chores and checking whether all the items that are needed for the camp are there, we had our breakfast and set going for the journey. I went with my mother by taxi to Dheenabandhu Devasthanam, Indira nagar. On the way my grandparents called me over phone and bid me farewell. When we reached the Devasthanam, my mother came in with me carrying my luggage. We went to the registration counter, completed the registration process, they told the bus number in which I am supposed to board. I had to board the bus – 2. When my mother and I reached the bus, my mother placed my luggage in the luggage compartment. I got into the bus and bid farewell to my mother. The journey to the Chokkahalli camp started. We reached there at 11:00am. They gave us our ID cards, which contained our names, group name and room number. I was in group number 7 and my room number was 42. When I entered my room, I got to know who my roommates we...

The last day of the camp started with the regular chanting of 'Medha Sooktam'. Swamiji asked one child from each group to come forward to chant one line of the hymn and thereby check their mastery over it. This was followed by the chanting of "Nama Ramayana" and "Sankatmochan Hanumanashtakam", led by Srijit bhaiya, Monisha Didi and Rajeev bhaiya. The last breakfast of this camp followed the chanting, after which the children were asked to assemble in the temple. There was a group photograph of the children, with Swamiji, just outside the temple and then children assembled inside, for the valedictory function. Along with our Camp Acharya, Pujya Swami Aparajitanandaji, the resident acharya of the Chinmaya Sandeepany Asharam – Br. Sanat graced the occasion. Sri. Guru Prasad, one of the senior mission members from Bangalore and Sri. Chandra Prakash, President of Chinmaya Mission, Kolar also took part in the event. Shalini didi took us through the entire ...

Children assembled in the morning, punctually, after their morning milk, for the chanting of the “Medha Sooktam”. The children have mastered the correct technique of chanting this vedic hymn, with the correct pronunciation with the intonation. The chanting was followed by the yoga session, led by Shruti didi. She has asked the children to continue the Sivananda yoga sequences they have been taught, for the continuation of good health. A yummy breakfast was followed by the chanting of the “NamaRamayan” and “Sankat Mochan Hanumana Ashtakam”, again led by Srijit bhaiya, Priya didi, Rajeev bhaiya and Monisha didi. The children have almost perfected their chanting now. Vijayanandji, from Bangalore gave a short and inspiring talk on the topic- Science and technology in ancient India. He emphasised that the Indian subjective and objective sciences were not in conflict and also gave a top level overview of the advances in science and technology in ancient India in the fields of mathematics...

Our fifth day here also started peacefully, with the holy chanting of the “Medha Sooktam” by the children, under the guidance of Swamiji, after the morning milk. The yoga session led by Shruti didi followed the chanting and children performed their asanas, with an improved flexibility. The delicious breakfast was followed by the chanting of the “NamaRamayana” and “Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak”, led by Srijit bhaiya, Priya didi, Rajeev bhaiya and Monisha didi. The children are chanting with an increased fervour, as they have learnt the stotras, almost perfectly. Gopalji took up the next session, with a talk, enlightening the children about the symbolism in the temples. He talked to the children, about how scientifically the temples, especially the ancient ones, were planned. For example, he told that the ‘gopura’, at the entrance of the temple has the images of many different Gods on it. This is to show us, that we human beings interact with so many people in our day-to-day lives. ‘Go...

Children were ready in the temple, after their morning milk, for the chanting of “Medha Sooktam”, under the guidance of Swamiji. A soul touching chanting was followed by a good yoga session, led by Shruti didi and it was seen that the flexibility of the children had increased, by now. This was followed by a very yummy breakfast and then the children were seated in the temple for an active and melodious chanting session of “NamaRamayana” and “Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak”, under the new- gen volunteers, Rajeev bhaiya and Monisha didi. Swami Ramatmanandaji took up the next session and spoke, in his inimitable style, about how the values like honesty, love, peace, etc., are eternal and lasting joy can be obtained only from these. Swamiji said that a solution to any problem can be found only if the mind is calm, undisturbed and steady. He told us how the problem/disturbance in the mind, is a thought and the name of the Lord is also a thought, with the only difference being that the forme...