A Geeta Jnana Yajna was organized during Mar. 15-17, 2013 at the Courtyard Marriott in Shelton, CT. This event  followed the tradition of Chinmaya Mission to spread the wisdom of Bhagavad Geeta and other Hindu scriptures to anyone interested in learning.

The Geeta Yajna was conducted by Swami Shantananda Ji from Chinmaya Vrindavan, in Cranbury, NJ. Swamiji delivered the discourse on Dhyana Yoga (Chapter 6 of Bhagavad Geeta) or Yoga of Meditation. In his inimitable style of mixing his immense knowledge of Hindu scriptures, a unique insight into the routine life of a household and humor, he captured the attention of the audience. We are pleased that the discourses were very well attended.

The Geeta Yajna program also included 2 sessions of meditation, true to the title of the discourse and offered a wonderful way to put the teachings into practice. Moreover, this has been a great opportunity for many to seek  spirituality, irrespective of their beliefs, and attain peace within one self and with those around them. Thanks to the effort by volunteers, the audio recording of the entire Geeta Yajna will be made available upon request. It will be sure to not only introduce you to Dhyana Yoga (Meditation), but also help gain a better understanding of its philosophical and spiritual backdrop, and help put that into practical use in your daily life.

Following the Geeta Yajna, we organized a banquet to honor the founding families to help establish the Chinmaya Saraswati Ashram with the purchase of a property in Orange, CT. With the fund raising started a couple of months ago, there were 120 founding families, who pledged to donate at least $1000 (payable in installments before Dec 31, 2013). During the banquet we raised another $90,000, and we greatly appreciate the generosity of all the donors. Their support will go a long way in helping set up the Chinmaya Saraswati Ashram in Connecticut.

There were over 200 guests at the banquet. We are grateful that many other distinguished guests attended from Chinmaya Mission in Boston, CVHTS/Satyanarayan Mandir in Middletown,CT and Hindu Cultural Center in Stratford, CT.

-     Dr. Sashi and Dr. Dwarakanath, Chinmaya Maruthi, Boston, MA
-     Dr. Vijay Kumar & Mrs. Jyothi Vijay Kumar, Chinmaya Maruthi, Boston, MA
-     Mrs. Rita Gulati, President of CVHTS/Satyanarayana Mandir & Mr. Harinder Gulati
-     Mrs. Ritu Gupta, President of HCC & Mr. Neeraj Gupta
-     Dr. Pramila Nathan, Chairperson of HCC & Dr. Vishwa Nathan
-     Dr. Subbarao Bollepalli, Trustee of CVHTS/Satyanarayana Mandir
-     Dr. T. Seshan, our guru and Trustee of CVHTS/Satyanarayana Mandir
 
The banquet included a short cultural program with a couple of dance performances under the guidance of teachers, Mrs. Padma Reddy and Mrs. Charu Pandit. Another highlight of the program is a humorous skit by high school children of our Chinmaya center; its focus was on the values learned in Bala vihar and putting them into practice in daily life.

As most of your readers would be aware,  there are over seventy five centers for Chinmaya Mission in North America. Chinmaya center in Connecticut was started with the blessing of Swami Chinmayananda in 1994 at the home of Padma and Raghav Reddy. It has grown substantially, and has been moving its venue among local universities and community centers over the past 10 years. But, it is time to setup a permanent ashram for all the member families and others, who would like to join.

Currently, in our Chinmaya center, we organize Balavihar (K-8th grade), Yuva kendra (9-12th grade) and Sathsang (for adults) classes, twice monthly. At the upcoming permanent ashram, we also plan to organize spiritual retreats, academic enrichment programs & summer camps for kids, and build a strong community outreach program. This wouldn't be possible without the help of all the volunteers, particularly the teachers. Their selfless service keeps the Chinmaya center reach its goal to serve the community and assist its members become productive citizens of the society.

If you live in the area, you are welcome to join as a member and attend all our religious, spiritual and educational activities. Our fundraising campaign is ongoing and our goal is 200 founding families by the end of 2013. The names of the founding family couple or their loved one will be displayed on a plaque at the ashram property. The children of the founding families will get free coaching for a year at our academic enrichment club and College prep/SAT coaching center. If there are any questions about the Chinmaya Center or the upcoming Chinmaya Saraswati Ashram, please contact one of the following board members. All are welcome.

For the Board of Chinmaya Mission, Fairfield-New Haven, CT
Padma Reddy (pr_orange@hotmail.com)
Venkat Gade  (venkatgade1@yahoo.com)

|