Sree Ramanuja Vidyalaya’s Summer camp for kids – 21st and 22nd of May 2018 – an update

Namaste to all,

Adiyen is very much pleased to share that with the grace of the divya dampati and acharyas, a two day summer camp for kids on ‘sampradaya’ was successfully organised by ‘Sree Ramanuja Vidyalaya‘ at the ‘Samrakshana Yoga Kendra’, R.A.Puram on the 21st and 22nd of May 2018 with an overwhelming participation from all quarters! Adiyen wishes to offer pranams and dhanyavadas to Smt & Sri E.S. Mukundan Swami and his excellent team, the kids, their parents, sponsors and volunteers. There were 35 wonderful kids in all who participated in the two day camp.

A brief account of the activities of the camp is as follows:

1. After registration of the participants, a tasty breakfast was served to the kids and volunteers.
2. After the breakfast the program began at 9 am. Sow.Hiranmayee Sreeram sang a prayer and it was followed by a welcome  address by adiyen. The link to the video is as below: https://drive.google.com/open?id=14ZyAyYVOZCGx_cvsyTYKA3wMeMA8UHRo
3. Sri U.Ve. E.S.Mukundan Swami, adiyen’s guru, gave his welcome address to the kids and gave an overview about the activities of the camp.

   

   He divided the kids in to groups that were mentored by Sri.Mukundan Swami, Smt.Rama Mukundan, Chi.Prasanna Venkatesan, Chi.Aniruddhan, Smt.Divya and Smt.Radhika (the last four being students of Swami). Smt.Poornima Shyam also volunteered and guided the kids in story telling and skit presentation.

4. The kids were taught stotras of Swami Desika like Kamasikashtam, Paramarthastuti, Sudarshanashtakam etc.

   

5. The mentors narrated incidents from Swami Desika’s life and the kids had to tell them in their own words individually. The link to the videos of some story telling session is as below: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oZwwrQ6iHrO_rP5I3NFCmDWOVzlcsxkn    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lV3430i-FARzS8sCtMuK8ZAtQ5hesP_4  The kids had to enact skits on some of the incidents from the life  of Swami Desika. The links to some of the skits is as below:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sZ1IkiTid4wmWz6hMfNnLmE5vzhMkDah https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tdWHUrNJ290hpfpcTqj9Imef4w9laoWA

6. 

   Sri E.S.Mukundan Swami personally mentored kids who were above 13 years of age on the nuances of life considering their adolescent age. Some of the points that he covered in an one hour plus talk were  – ‘what should be their priorities of life, how to handle difference in opinion with parents, how to convince parents in such situations, at other times give in to parents by understanding their situation, gratitude towards parents for all the difficulties, struggle they go thru for kids, how to interact with between friends from other gender, where to set the limits in friendship, not to get carried away by wrong ideas, not to succumb to peer pressure, keeping up the pride and respect of parents at all times , etc.

7. 

   The boys performed Madhyahnikam under the guidance of Sri.E.S.Mukundan Swami.

8. Nice lunch was served – thanks to the sincere efforts of Smt.Ramya ably helped by Smt.Lakshmi and other volunteers.

9. 

   After lunch the Srikaryam Swami of Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashram, Sri.U.Ve.Vaduvur Veeraraghavachar, gave an anugraha bhashanam to the kids and interacted with them.

10. A group photo was taken with the Srikaryam Swami and Mukundan Swami being seated in the middle.
11. The kids were asked to write ‘rama-nama’ during their free hours in the camp and the kid who wrote maximum rama-nama-s was congratulated specially.
12. In the afternoon the stotra learning was continued and the evening was wonderfully spent with bhajans. A short video of the bhajans is as below.  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jrYS4RRpgkaAa69uEFltD_vU5tZuQQGB https://drive.google.com/open?id=1O8_OCoOp1cMUtXnaXFq6lnpfSUi2KRze https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hZ74pZbkWixIV8JDdDxQXyhifjpU2P6-
13. After the bhajans there was a dance performance by students of Sree Ramanuja Vidyalaya – a complete in-house production of our vidyalaya. Song written by adiyen, set to music and sung by Smt.Anusha, adiyen’s dharmapatni, accompanied on the violin by our daughter, Sow.Hiranmayee, and choreographed and performed by Sow.Padmasani, Sow.Pooja, Sow.Deekshita and Sow.Pavithra. The link is pasted below.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/12oNuAO29jEGo4ZOYw32pUqSoq5gItj3-/view?usp=drivesdk
14. The boys performed saayam-sandhyavandanam under the guidance of Sri.E.S.Mukundan Swami.

15. 

    Some games were played to break the monotony and the kids enjoyed it.

16. Dinner was served at the camp and the kids returned home around 8 pm and arrived at around 8 am for a delivious breakfast.
17. The activities were repeated on the next day in a more or less same fashion.
18. Towards the end of 22nd May the kids gave group recitation of the stotras learnt. The link to the video is as below: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13MxT7PMOPUxzlpYVUJDkh9MAzR4U0bxV
19. A valedictory function was organised to give away mementos to the mentors, sponsors and volunteers. The kids were given a certificate of participation along with a jute bag. The link to a short video is as below  https://drive.google.com/open?id=16cfIgdlS1YEAzpReGBFv4mY5N56myzYu https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sSazSrVjrevsmUpJA1ipKcLfVX180tzD
20. Sow.Vibha gave her feedback about the camp in an excellent manner. The link to the video is pasted below.  https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1Tr8p97APNrwF4OuP0zlT33PGNZjWkTva
21. A sumptuous meal was then arranged for everyone.
22. The camp was enjoyed by one and all and a request has been places to repeat it every year.

23. 

    Two of the youngest participants enjoying their company during the camp.

24. Rest of the photos can be viewed in the below link:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yNpvorFX8nAGxBRT41IEIfK6FA1Rv5U6
25. This camp was made possible by the kindness of many many noble souls. Adiyen’s anathakoti pranams to them.

Daasan

Sreeram.