Samsktrita Bharati Reaches Another Milestone: Introduces One-Day Family Camp ‘ekadinātmaka kuṭumbaśibiram’ in New England

Defying the New England Winter weather on Saturday, December 14, 2019 - over a hundred Samskritam enthusiasts from MA, NH, VT, & RI came together at the Chinmaya Mission Boston center in Andover, MA to learn and further their knowledge of Samskritam. Individuals and families with kids as young as five along with their parents, grandparents drenched in love for Samskritam, gathered around sumptuous pot-luck spreads, yummy snacks/desserts, homemade masala chai, an array of foods & beverages giving a festive touch to the daylong educational workshop - ekadinātmaka kuṭumbaśibiram.

Beyond the online and in-person classes, the only extensive learning camp in the Northeast so far has been a fully immersive three-day residential camp jāhnavÄ« held during the Labor Day weekend in Piscataway, NJ. This particular workshop in December has been appreciated by everyone. It provides yet another immersive learning opportunity to many and is highly liked in particular by those who are unable to attend the jāhnavÄ«  camp.

Jyothi mahodayā  of Chinmaya Mission Boston inaugurated the workshop by Deepa prajwalanam (lighting the auspicious lamp) accompanied by melodious prārthanā  from young students of Bellingham Samskrita kendram followed by brief talks from Mohan mahodayaḥ, Venkatesh mahodayaḥ, Santhi mahodayā & Anantha Krishnan mahodayaḥ.

There were 111 participants from 56 families attending 6 different classes at various levels with creatively included quizzes and feedback through Kahoot. The classes were taught by Santhi mahodayā, Malini mahodayā, Vijji mahodayā, Raghavendra mahodayaḥ, Satya mahodayaḥ, Vijaya mahodayā, Venkatesh mahodayaḥ & Anantha Krishnan mahodayaḥ.

All the classes were highly interactive - inspiring immersive participation - aligned with the unique teaching methods of Samskrita Bharati. Kids enjoyed and frolicked while learning Samskritam with various language games such as a modified version of “Simon says”. Adult classes made use of presentations and Kahoot-based quizzes tailor-made for students with some knowledge of Samskritam.

The daylong family workshop concluded with a keynote from Prof. Anil Saigal who was introduced by Pawan Roy mahodayaḥ. Anil mahodayaḥ reminisced his childhood in 6th, 7th, & 8th grades when he studied Samsktritam at a Kendriya Vidyalaya in India. He reminded the audience that about 97% languages have roots in Samsktritam, how Samsktritam is the greatest unifying thread across India, that learning Samsktritam can be beneficial to our overall health & wellness, and how chanting Samsktrita shloka leads to happiness. He told the youth in the audience that learning Samsktritam can be a cool thing to do. Prof. Saigal expressed his gratitude to his ardhāṅginÄ« (better half) Ranjani Saigal mahodayā for reciting Samsktrita shlokaas regularly at home.

Samskrita Bharati continues to advance its core mission of promoting Samskritam learning and teaching in North America and making Samskritam an integral part of our lives. The Samskritam language upholds our rich and diverse cultural heritage and broadens our horizon so that we may progress spiritually and intellectually.

In Massachusetts and New Hampshire alone, Samskrita Bharati runs multiple centers (Nashua, Andover, concord, Acton, Newton, Walpole, Bellingham, Framingham, and Lowell) attended by over 100 students weekly. With two more dedicated centers planned around Northern MA & Southern NH next year, NE chapter is poised to accelerate the promotion of Samskritam & Samskriti (culture) around the region.

Samskritam As a Foreign Language (SAFL: https://www.samskritabharatiusa.org/index.php/study/safl) is an online program for young adults in grades 8-12 and has 359 students currently enrolled. Similarly, “Samskritam for Youth” (SFY) initiative that includes “Campus Samskritam Network” and “SAFL Alumni Association” provides opportunities for SAFL Alumni and others to learn Samskritam.

With the selfless service (‘Seva’) of nearly 400 volunteers in USA, Samskrita Bharati is steadily growing. Residential weekend family camps, the week-long youth camps and promotional programs continue to attract more attendees.

Samskrita Bharati appreciates the generosity of Chinmaya Mission Boston for hosting this daylong family workshop, scores of selfless teachers/volunteers, and passionate learners/supporters.

Samskrita Bharati USA (www.sbusa.org) is an IRS 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.

Contact: Sam Mohan 628-400-2279. Anantha Krishnan 508‐801‐8792. Giri Bharathan 978-761-1142. Or boston@samskritabharatiusa.org

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