JET New England (www.jetnewengland.org), PRAJNA group conducted the Sri Rama Pooja event on 26 June 2005 at Nashua, NH under the guidance of Sriman Sri Santharam Swamiji (disciple of His Holiness Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji). Swamiji has been giving discourses on Valmiki Ramayana for the past 10-12 weeks on Telebridge. Many people from different locations were able to login from their homes/respective places and listen to the Ramayana Parayanam. The Prajna Group of JET-USA children from Massachusetts and New Hampshire participated with the help of their parents in this Rama Pooja. It was a very auspicious day for everyone.         
 
Around 40 children and 100 people attended the event. All of the children participated actively in the pooja/prayer as Swamiji guided them. This activity enabled the kids to learn the pooja process by using pooja samagri (kumkum, turmeric, and flowers) and offered them to Lord Rama’s picture (provided by Smt. Padma Joginpally) and were arranged by volunteers of Prajna Group families. Participants learnt the value of doing a pooja/prayer. The pooja started with Swamiji chanting slokas from Valmiki Ramayana with children repeating the sloka  ‘Apadama Apahartharam Datharam Sarvasampadam. Lokhabiramam Sriramam Bhuyo Bhuyo Namamyaham’.  As part of the pooja, children performed Sri Rama Ashtottara Shatanama pooja. Children chanted the Sankshepa Ramayana Slokas. Children were very focused and involved in the Pooja process. Swamiji explained the children in detail about Sankalpam, Shodashopachara pooja and the ritual processes like why we ring bell in temple, why we do pradakshana, why we do harathi, how do we invite the God as part of the Shodashopachara pooja.
 
After the pooja was completed, children sang holy songs, slokas and bhajans of  Lord Rama, which they learnt in Prajna classes, conducted in Nashua, New Hampshire and Mansfield, Massachusetts. It was a fantastic day and a great learning experience for all the participants. Swamiji made everyone chant prayers/slokas from Sundara Kanda and Sthuthi Mala, and blessed them with fruits and prasadam.
 
Sriman Sri Santharam Swamiji planned the Rama Pooja on the occasion of completing the discourse on Ramayana and it was also Swamiji’s birthday. All participants wished Swamiji with birthday “Subhakankshalu” songs.  Participants honored Sriman Sri Santharam Swamiji with a Shawl and Flower Bouquet and Smt. Padmanjali Kaki wrote a special birthday song for Swamiji and sang it for him.

At the end, everyone had an excellent lunch, which was cooked by wonderful moms of Prajna Group and active participants of JET-USA programs. Everyone had a wonderful time! JET Volunteers Mr. Madhu Chary, Smt. Padma Joginpally and Mr. Koteswara Rao thanked everyone for attending and helping organize the event.

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