Hari Om! Parents,
Please Note: Bala Vihar will be on a break for Memorial Day weekend next Sunday. June 4th will be the last day of Bala Vihar.
The children did this Likhita Japa 18 times at the beginning of today's class - " Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama ''. Please remind your child to do likhita japa regularly.
Shlokas
Om chanting 3 times, Sahana vavatu, Vakratunda mahakaya, Saraswati namastubhyam, Guru Brahma, Sarva Mangala Mangalye (ref. My Prayers book pg 39).
We welcomed parents to visit our class today, and hope they enjoyed spending time with the children. Thank you again to all the parents for your support!
India Sacred Land
Topic: Clothes of India
The children came to class wearing traditional Indian clothes, and looked very festive! They took turns to talk about what they were wearing. They each shared when they wore their Indian clothes, like for festivals, puja etc.
Next, we discussed how ancient Indian clothes were the dhoti/ lungi and saree. They were made in handlooms and were free-flowing. We spoke about how modern day clothes are manufactured in factories, and are tailored.
The children also observed that costlier formal wear clothes were made from silk with gold accents.
Topic: Food of India The story of the churning of the Milky Ocean by devas and asuras resulted in Dhanvantari bringing up the elixir or amrita. Lord Dhanvantari who is the god of health and the 'amsha' of Lord Vishnu, became the doctor to the devas. His disciple, sage Susruta, wrote the book on medicine. The Atharva Veda comprises all the subjects of medicine and health. The Indian meal is a balanced meal based on Ayurveda, 'Ayu' means long life. Indian meals are cooked to maintain a healthy body and balance the doshas i.e. 'vaata', 'pitta' and 'kapha'. In chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna speaks about the 3 types of gunas - sattvik, rajasik and tamasik. There is a connection between a person's personality and the type of food they prefer to eat. In the same way, what we eat determines our personality. So a healthy body means a healthy mind. Next, the children played a game. They were each given a bag of common grains, lentils and beans used in Indian cooking. They had to identify them, and got quite a few answers correct! We spoke about how these were a rich source of protein for vegetarian Hindus.
Next, we spoke about the spices used in Indian cooking. Here is a map of the different regional cooking from different parts of India that you can share with your children. Spices are used for their appetizer and digestive properties. Spices are also medicinal. The children were given a box of different Indian spices to smell, touch and taste. We listed all the medicinal properties of the spices. The children had brought snacks and listed the spices used in their snacks. They also shared their favorite Indian food and good memories of visits to India.
The children and parents enjoyed snacks and drinks afterward. The session ended with aarti and pledge recitation in the prayer hall.
- Rashmi Kuroodi and Venu Sadda
Supplies needed for every class:- Bala Vihar Handbook, My Prayers book, their special red notebook and pencils for likhita japa; everything in their Bala Vihar bag
*Reference books - Mahabharata by Rajagopalachari / Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam
