On May 8th 1916 in Ernakulam, Kerala, India, was born a baby boy named Balakrishna Menon who was destined for greatness. His innate curiosity for the truth led him to the sanyasis residing in the Himalayan Mountains from where he returned as Swami Chinmayananda, an enlightened soul, with a mission to share the knowledge of ancient Hindu scriptures with the masses of India. In 1953, Swami Chinmayananda’s devotees established Chinmaya Mission to accelerate and amplify his work. The goal of the organization is simple yet profound – “To provide to individuals from any background the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.” Swami Chinmayananda, or Gurudev, as he is lovingly referred to by Mission members, was the perfect embodiment of this goal every moment of his life until he attained Samadhi in August 1993. 

“Unto Him Our Best” – that is the motto for the yearlong celebration of Swami Chinmayananda’s Centenary. And that is what members of Chinmaya Mission Boston have been offering to Gurudev - our best in our efforts towards spiritual unfoldment, and in service to our communities.

On Sunday, May 8th 2016, members from all four centers of our ever-growing Chinmaya Mission Boston family will celebrate Gurudev’s 100th birthday with great fanfare! The young and the young at heart from our centers in Andover, Newton, Metrowest, and our newest center in Dover, NH will participate on this joyous occasion.

The day will start with a formal offering of our pranams to Gurudev. Given the abundance of talent among our members, we have a great line-up of musical, dance and theatrical performances throughout the day.  From the traditional/classical genres to more contemporary styles, the performances will be our offering to Gurudev and our Gurus of yore. Some of our members have had the great fortune of having interacted closely with Swami Chinmayananda.  We will mark this day by partaking of their experience as they reminisce about his immense spiritual knowledge, his compassion, his wit and his great sense of humor!

In parallel with the cultural program, several interactive display booths and activities will be on hand that will showcase the myriad different initiatives Chinmaya Mission is involved in worldwide. From elementary education to technology colleges, from women’s empowerment initiatives to hospitals, from preservation of our ancient Hindu scriptures to serving the needy, the Mission does it all. What a great way to learn about the Mission all under one roof! Want to get a quick primer on The Holy Gita or brush up on your knowledge of it? Then you will not want to miss “18 Chapters in 18 minutes”!  Younger visitors will have several opportunities for fun games and craft projects. And for those wanting to de-stress, Yoga sessions will be offered by trained professionals. 

Of course, no celebration would be complete without some delicious food! Just as Gurudev criss-crossed India spreading the wisdom of ancient Hindu philosophy, we plan to have delicacies from Kerala to Uttarkashi, from Mumbai to Calcutta, to satisfy every palate. 

The Chinmaya Mission family extends a warm invitation to one and all to join us in celebrating the life of a great Mahatma, and in the process, learn a little something about his teachings, his life’s mission, and about the Boston chapter.

For more information about the Centenary Celebrations and Chinmaya Mission Boston please contact us at info@chinmaya-boston.org.