H i n d u T e m p l e A n d C o m m u n i t y C e n t e r O f M i d - M i s s o u r i 2006, Holly avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org (573) 814-1286

Shanthi Sandesh

V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 6

T he final issue of Shanthi Sandesh for the year

marks several milestones for us to savor. We celebrated the first anniversary of the inauguration of Shanthi Mandir with a Ganesh Chaturthi Puja in late August. The 2005 Ganesh Chaturthi Puja on September 7, 2005, the day we got keys to the property, only seems like yesterday! Our dynamic web site too has completed the inaugural year in superb style, providing invaluable service to the

community. Shanthi Sandesh too is a year old with this issue, which includes numerous committee and event reports reflecting the busy Fall festival season. A short report on our first General Assembly meeting held on October 21, 2006, included in this issue, highlights the fact that our application to the Internal Revenue Service for award of 501 (c) 3 status is ready to go out. Come January 2007 HTCC will have completed one-year of operation. An

informative brochure that details many of the significant accomplishments during the last year is available at:(http://shanthimandir.missouri.org/HTCC2006Highlights.pdf)

We are planning an annual fund-raising dinner in January 2007 to mark the first anniversary of HTCC which will also include an entertainment program, a business meeting, inauguration of our library, and membership drive. We are in the process of forming an ad-hoc planning committee for the gala event. If you would like to help with planning/executing

Continued on page 3...

Message from the Executive Board

The Land of Festivals - Leela Jashnani

I t is said that there are more festivals in India than there

are days in a year. The celebration of fairs and festivals form a delightful and wondrous series of events, marking the rites of passage between birth, death and revival. During these festive times the entire country comes alive with vibrant colors, music and festivities. There are celebrations for religious occasions, changes of seasons and for every harvest. There are moments of remembrances and commemoration of birthdays of Gods and Goddesses, gurus, saints, heroes and heroines. Thus, Hinduism is often described as a religion of fasts, feasts and festivals.

All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic/scientific elements attached to them. They are much more than celebrations. Rather they are windows into the history of the rich Hindu religion and culture. They have a cultural and social aspect, which often transcends into spiritual significance. All

festivals include bathing (hygiene), prayers (spiritual) and finally the celebrations (social) that bring together families and friends in a bond of love and sharing.

Every Hindu festival represents a mode of celebration and incorporates a practical application. These aspects of a festival have different explanations under the principals of Hindu religion namely: 1. Adhi Bhoutika Artha: Pure

scientific explanation. 2. Adhi Daivika Artha:

Allegorical explanation driven to keep environmental

balance. 3. Adhi Atmika Artha: Spiritual

explanation. The first two modes of

explanations are clearly apparent and show immediate effects like detoxifying the environment and immunizing entire communities for seasonal adaptations. The third mode of explanation is of internal significance and is geared towards individuals who can internalize various parts of a festive celebration as essential components of spiritual development. Every Indian festival encompasses a vast knowledge of astronomy, ecology and Ayurveda so as to help an individual live harmoniously within his or her Ecosystem. Performances such as Yagnas (lighting of fire, sacrifices, charitable contributions) and discarding the contents from the Pujas, which include turmeric, camphor and incense into the rivers help with detoxification and retaining environmental balance. At the spiritual level all festivals culminate in the

Continued on page 5...

Inside This Issue

The Land of Festivals 1

Ganesh Chaturthi 2

Deepavali Celebration 2 General Assembly Meeting 3

Yoga and Healthy Lifestyle 4 Columbia Fall Festival 4 Poems 6

Bal Sandesh 7-8

Thoughts from a Newcomer 9

Shanthi Mandir Website 9

Karva Chauth 10

Varalakshmi Vratam 10

Gurpurab Celebration 11

Navratri Puja/ Devi Jaagran 11

Janmashtami 11

Interfaith Council 12

Garage Sale cum Mela 12

HTCC Helping Hands 13

Tulasi /Curry Leaf Project 13

Swarnanjali 15

P A G E 2 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

The Gift from Lord Ganesha - Vellore S. Gopalaratnam

G anesh Chaturthi has a very special significance to Hindus

in Columbia. The festival also marks the day in 2005 when Shanthi Mandir was first made available to the community. The inaugural Puja held on September 7, 2005 marked Ganesh Chaturthi last year. That the Mandir has grown to serve the community well in the year since was evident in no small measure during the 2006 Ganesh Chaturthi puja when in excess of 150 devotees gathered to pray to the “remover of all obstacles”.

Planning for the Ganesh festival at Shanthi Mandir started weeks earlier. For yet another first, this year many devotees got together to

make the clay idol of our beloved Lord Ganesha, his mooshika vahana (favorite vehicle, the mouse), modakams (favorite sweet dish) and pillows (for celestial rest). Many children and youth participated in this activity. The preparation of the reinforced-clay, the molding of the idol, and the subsequent painting and decorations brought youth and adults together

in a fun spiritual activity. Accompanying photographs (Pages 2, 7) capture the camaraderie during the devotional project. Many

who participated in this activity took some cotton-reinforced clay home to make idols for their own homes. Given the response from the community, making of the Lord Ganesha idol will likely become a tradition at the Mandir.

All devotees recited several popular Ganesh shlokas and Shri Ganesh Gayatri three times. Shloka class youth sang the Ganesh Pancharatnam. Singing of the Shri Ganesh Aarti in Hindi and later in Marathi preceded the distribution of Prasad. On this auspicious day it was useful to reflect on the grace that Lord Ganesha has bestowed on our community and to understand the significance of what he represents.

Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the illusionary and transient earthly existence of humans. His elephant head denotes wisdom and his twisted-

trunk represents Om, the primordial sound. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is used to rein in all difficulties and problems.

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke off for transcribing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The modakam he holds in his trunk conveys to us that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears tells us that he is all ears to our petitions. And he is humble enough to ride the smallest of creatures, a mouse.

The Mandir was open for prayers and Aarti all 10 days during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Several devotees made use of the special temple open hours to offer their prayers to Lord Ganesha on a daily basis. This yeoman effort to keep the temple open every evening was made possible by volunteers from our Devotional Programs committee. Visarjan (immersion of the idol) was performed at the Mandir on September 7, 2006 (note the coincidence - this date represented the first anniversary of Shanthi Mandir per the western calendar)☯

Deepavali Celebration - Hema Srinivasan D eepavali was celebrated at

the Mandir on Saturday, October 21, 2006. Volunteers decorated the Mandir with diyas to welcome the shining light of wisdom and to remove the darkness of ignorance. The multitude of tiny lamps flickering

in a row around the building gave meaning to Deepavali and instantly created a festive mood for all devotees entering the temple.

As is the tradition during Deepavali, Goddess Lakshmi was worshipped and her blessings sought by the adults and children alike through the recitation of shlokas such as Lakshmi Ashtotram, Mahalakshmi Ashtakam and Ashtalakshmi Stotram. The puja concluded with the Shri Lakshmi Aarti. The lighting of sparklers by children was planned but the soggy weather had other ideas. Sparklers were however distributed to the kids so that they could enjoy it another day,

perhaps on the upcoming Karthigai festival on December 4th.

Karthigai is also a festival of lights and is traditionally celebrated in South India with lighting of a row of lamps for three days with firecrackers and of course sweets made of puffed rice.

Later, people mingled and greeted each other while the sweet prasad was distributed. Well over 100 people came together to celebrate Deepavali at the Mandir. The joyous sharing of sweets among the many families will be remembered by many as a day when dessert was the main course!☯

Ganesh Gayatri Eka dantaya vidmahe

Vakra tundaya dhimahi Tanno dantih prachodayat

Let us meditate on Sri Ganesh, the lord with one tusk. May that great lord with curved elephant trunk

inspire and illumine our mind and understanding

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

activities during this festive week-end, please contact the officers of the Executive Board before the end of November.

The 50/75 Campaign is a continuing effort that will carry in to the new year. As the year ends, our annual members will soon receive requests to consider upgrading to lifetime membership so that we can reach the goal of 50 lifetime members in our first year. We will also strive to renew annual memberships and get new members onboard. Two changes to our membership drive based on the experience from the last year include “matching pledge” memberships to encourage student membership in HTCC and half-year pro-rated membership to encourage members who join us during the second half of the year. Please help us achieve our membership goals by asking your friends to support us.

Our devotional programs committee has had its hands full starting in mid-August with Janmashtami and followed by a string of festivals including Ganesh Chaturthi,

Navaratri Devi Jaagran, Karva Chauth, Deepavali Lakshmi Puja, Skanda Sashti, and Guru Nanak Jayanthi. Appropriately enough, the lead-article by Leela Jashnani focuses on Festivals of India and their significance. The Mandir is adorned with festive lighting from Deepavali onwards and the sparkle will lead us into the new year!

Our first Youth Day festivities in mid-August were well received by the young ones and adults alike. Given the enthusiastic reception, the thoughtful event to recognize achievements of our youth will become a HTCC tradition to kick off our Fall programs.

On the drawing boards are two planned events being coordinated by our Educational Programs committee: the Bhagavad Gita study circle discussions and Yoga classes. The study circle discussions will be a ongoing biweekly program while the Yoga classes will feature a six-week session. The Yoga sessions are a follow-up to our second in the series of Food N’ Thought brunch workshops conducted by Kate Walker on Yoga and a Healthy Lifestyle. Look for announcements about these two new programs in the very near

future. Our Service Programs committee too

has been active in growing our continuing projects and developing new service projects as detailed elsewhere in this issue.

We have made excellent progress in networking with other local community and service organizations. HTCC representatives were recently invited to talk about Hinduism and our Mandir by the Boone Hospital Center and by the Hickman High School. We are taking an active role in the planning for the Columbia Values Diversity celebrations in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. HTCC is also taking part in the Interfaith Council of Columbia and it’s in Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at the Lenoir Retirement Home on November 21 (see details in this issue).

As always, if you have ideas for new programs to serve our community, please do not hesitate to let us know. We have a “Comments/Feedback” form online as well as a box at the Mandir for providing us your feedback. See you at the Mandir!☯

Vellore S. Gopalaratnam Inder Khurana Visala Palaniappan Anuradha Rajagopalan

Message from the Executive Board Continued from page 1

HTCC First General Assembly Meeting - Nila Gupta T he first General Assembly meeting of

the HTCC was held on Sunday, October 21, 2006 at Shanthi Mandir. The meeting was called to order at 10:45 a.m. by Dr. Ranadhir Mitra, the Interim President of the HTCC Board of Trustees. Minutes were recorded by Dr. Nila Gupta, the Interim Secretary of the HTCC Board of Trustees. Dr. Mitra stated that the quorum requirements of the meeting were satisfied per our constitution. Minutes with attendance records; electronic mail voting and proxy information will be posted on our web site shortly. A summary article based on the draft minutes prepared by Nila Gupta is included here for timely information of our members. Agenda items for the meeting included: (1) State of HTCC – Our First Year - The Highlights a presentation by the Executive Board., (2) Amendments to the HTCC Constitution and By Laws, (3) Other new business In the State of HTCC presentation, Dr. Vellore Gopalaratnam, the Interim President of the Executive Board presented details of the administrative aspects of HTCC operations during the first year and infrastructure improvements at Shanthi Mandir. Dr. Inder Khurana, the Interim Secretary presented program highlights of our first year that included Devotional, Educational, Service and Youth programs. Strides made towards the HTCC library, publicity and public relations efforts, operations and maintenance issues were also presented. Mrs. Visala Palaniappan, the Interim Treasurer presented the financial report for the three preceding quarters. Quarterly reports have been regularly published in the HTCC newsletter

Shanthi Sandesh. A color brochure entitled HTCC 2006 Highlights detailing the highlights of the activities for the year was distributed. The informative brochure is also available at our web site at: http://shanthimandir.missouri.org/HTCC2006Highlights.pdf Dr. Mitra noted that three amendments to the constitution were recommended by the Board of Trustees which became necessary while HTCC was preparing documentation for the application of IRS 501 (c) 3 statuses. Electronic votes permitted by our constitution were entered into records by Dr. Mitra at the start of discussions on these issues. The following amendments were approved: Article 17 - Conflict of Interest Policy: To ensure that the Corporation operates in a manner consistent with the charitable purposes and does not engage in activities that could jeopardize the tax-exempt status, it will abide by the Conflict of Interest Policy guidelines recommend in Appendix A of the IRS document Instructions for Form 1023. Dr. Dabir Viswanath moved for approval of the motion. Dr. Satish Anand seconded the motion. The attendees vote was unanimous. The total number of votes in favor of the motion including electronic votes was 49. The motion passed unanimously. Article 9 – Recognition of Major Donors: The Corporation will appropriately recognize major donors (e.g. those donating $5,000 or more at any one time) who do not wish to play any part in the governance of the Corporation. The Board of Trustees is entrusted with the task of

deciding on such special designations from time to time as may be necessary. There was discussion regarding the definition of major donation. Dr. Dabir Viswanath moved for approval of the motion. Dr. Satish Anand seconded the motion. The total number of votes in favor of the motion including electronic votes was 46. 3 votes were recorded against the motion. The motion passed. Change of Date: Change all references of December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2007 due to the delay in submitting the application to IRS for award of the 501 (c) 3 status. Dr. H. R. Chandrasekhar moved for approval of the motion. Dr. Sunder Lal seconded the motion. The attendees vote was unanimous. The total number of votes in favor of the motion including electronic votes was 49. The motion passed unanimously. Dr. Gopalaratnam presented plans for the future growth of the infrastructure of HTCC. Brief details of the short, medium and long-term improvement/renovation plans are also included in the Highlights brochure. He also noted that the HTCC Executive Board is planning for a Annual Fund-Raising Dinner tentatively scheduled for the January 20th week-end. Activities being considered include: formal catered dinner, business meetings, inauguration of the HTCC library, and a quality entertainment program. He noted that help is sought from HTCC membership to serve on the planning/execution committee for this gala event. Interested persons are requested to contact the officers of the Executive Board. The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.☯

P A G E 4 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

Yoga and a Healthy Lifestyle - Leela Jashnani

Y oga has always fascinated me. Luckily, a workshop I

attended sometime back was exactly what the other participants and I had hoped for — revealing the secrets of a healthy lifestyle through yoga.

Kate Walker conducted this workshop and enlightened us regarding the awareness of our bodies and the philosophy of Oneness. She advised us to always be aware of the signals produced by our bodies and respond to them. When a task produces tension, withdraw from the task temporarily and take a deep breath to relax the body. Body awareness includes nutrition, mental attitude, physical awareness, centering meditation, and balancing pain and emotions through breathing, exercises, and daily awareness.

In order to be more effective in life we need to trust our feelings, responses and needs, and cultivate body awareness. Instead of focusing on stress one needs to pay attention to their inner voice. Our mental attitudes should be kept in check by eliminating negative and judgmental disposition and by

being open and honest. A healthy mental attitude along with physical awareness will lead

to happiness and wellness. Kate proceeded to enlighten

us regarding Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga stimulates various systems in the body. Each of the postures influences different organs, muscles, nerves, endocrine glands and different meridians. At this juncture, we started with some simple stretching and breathing exercises. We had to center inwards using the prayer pose of meditation, and were advised to be flexible and attentive in order to discover our own pace and resilience. The emphasis was on balancing between pain and emotions and always focusing on the breath. Difficult and stressful breathing indicates blockage that we need to identify and release through willful breathing.

In our daily life, we need to pay attention to how we hold our bodies while performing regular tasks and observe the tension that results from these tasks. The spine is the balance center of the body and should be made flexible through regular exercise. We were advised to practice some asanas (yoga poses) to release tension and create flexibility, and realized the change in our performance after some practice. Each person should find the most conducive time and place to practice these asanas, keeping their mind

passive, but alert and watchful. These asanas bring a feeling of lightness and exhilaration to the body and a feeling of oneness to the mind, body and soul. After completing the activities they should lie down in a restful pose and relax for ten to fifteen minutes.

The helpful tips and yoga exercises were followed by a brief lesson on "super foods" that are healthy for the mind and body. These food groups included fiber-rich, protein rich, mineral and vitamin rich foods such as beans, broccoli, oats and certain other grains, citrus fruits, soy, nuts, tea, yogurt, and lastly seafood rich in Omega-3 oils. Healthy foods nurture a healthy mind and hence influence the entire well being of an individual.

At last we were served a sampling of some of these healthy foods in the form of a sumptuous North Indian meal, including parathas (fresh baked bread), chole (chickpeas), gobi (cauliflower), raita (yogurt dip), fruit salad and last but not least the delicious tasting chai (spiced Indian tea). In addition Kate brought us a sampling of delicious nuts and raisins and some healthy cereals. It was a productive and healthy workshop that energized the body and the soul☯

Columbia Fall Festival - Marie Hunter

C olumbia is the only community in the state to

have a component of its city government dedicated to art and culture. The city’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) works to enhance the vitality of the city and the quality of life for all citizens by encouraging artists and cultural organizations and promoting arts opportunities to citizens and visitors. Preservation and celebration of the city’s multi-cultural heritage is part of the OCA’s mission. A Commission on Cultural Affairs, made up of citizens appointed by City Council, assists the OCA in planning, promoting and encouraging programs and services.

The OCA’s programs and services include an online listing of individuals and groups working in dance, literary art, music, theater and visual art, called the Artists’ Registry, available at:

www.OCAregistry.com; the Arts Express newsletter, a free listing of cultural events, printed bi-monthly; and the C.A.R.E. Gallery (Columbia’s Art Related Experience) that provides summer employment to at-risk youth interested in the arts.

The annual Columbia Festival of the Arts, always held the last full weekend of September, is the signature event of the OCA. More than 10,000 attend the Festival, a multi-cultural, multi-discipline arts event held in downtown Columbia on the county Courthouse Square. The Festival features a fine arts fair,

multiple performance stages, a youth art exhibit, displayed by area arts organizations and food vendors and more. Over the years, the Cultural Association of India has been a featured performance at the event.

Other unique aspects of the OCA’s programming include support of local arts organizations. In fiscal year 2006, more than $85,000 was provided to fund projects such as performances, exhibits, in-school programming and workshops. The Percent for Art program allows for one percent of the cost of new city construction or renovation to be used for site-specific public art. Above-ground capital improvement projects are eligible to have public art. Columbia and Kansas City are the only two Missouri communities to have an established public art program☯

Bandhur aatmaatmanas tasya yenaatmaivaatmanaajitah

anâtmanas tu satrutve vartetâtmaiva satru-vat

Bhagavad Gita

For him who has conquered his mind, the mind is the best

friend. If it is uncontrolled, then the mind is his worst

enemy.

For more information, contact

OCA, P.O. Box 6015, Columbia, MO, 65205; Phone: 573-874-6386; Fax: 573-874-7681; email:oca@GoColumbiaMo.comwww.GoColumbiaMo.com/Arts

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

triumph of good over evil. Devas (enlightenment and knowledge) are victorious over Asuras (ignorance and materialism).

Hindu practices are also based on a sound understanding of ecology. Various animals are worshiped in different parts of India. Animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, crocodiles and birds such as the eagle hold a special place in the Hindu scriptures and religion hence they are associated with divinity. They are the vehicles for the Gods and Goddess and are revered by Hindus at different times during the year.

Hinduism is based on the concept of Dharma or oneness and hence maintenance of the ecosystem as one cohesively functioning entity. Ancient Hindu practices are based on surviving with the ecosystem, because its destruction will result in the end of mankind. In some parts of India Hindus display reverence for rats and snakes. This is a result of the role these animals play in the symbiotic relationship with nature. We have allowed balance in nature to take place by not interfering in the ecosystem. Trying to control or alter this balance by superficial means will only cause dangerous imbalances and unleash the wrath of nature. In order to maintain strict adherence to these principles, Hindus have incorporated these beliefs and practices as an element of religion.

There are few festivals that hold as special a place among Hindus as does Deepavali. Some of the other festivals include Makar Sankranti, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami (Krishna Jayanthi) and Navaratri. However Diwali or 'Deepavali' is celebrated through out India barring no state, province or class. It is a universal festival in India. The word 'Deepavali' means a row of lights hence lights and illumination form a main attraction during this festival. In the spiritual sense it symbolizes truth, knowledge and light and the banishment of ignorance, which subdues humanity. Deepavali is celebrated on amavasya or the last day of the lunar month and the lights illuminate this dark night. Goddess Lakshmi, representing wealth and prosperity is worshipped on this day. Some business communities commence their fiscal year on this day and worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi. In due course,

numerous historical incidents have been connected with this festival such as the return of Lord Rama to the Kingdom of Ayodhya after killing Ravana, who abducted his wife Sita. Also, Goddess Lakshmi was manifested from the ocean being churned by Devas (deities) and the Asuras (demons). Lord Krishna was said to have killed the demon Narkasura on the 14th day of the lunar month. Hence the common thread of victory of good over evil is woven through out all the myths connected with this festival.

There are a number of other festivals celebrated throughout the year in various forms in the different regions of the country. They begin with “Makar Sankranti” in January, which is also known as “Lohri” or “Pongal” in some regions. Sankranti is the time when the sun passes from one Zodiac sign to the next; hence there is a Sankranti for every month. However, the two most important ones are the Mesh Sankranti (Aries) and the Makar Sankranti (Capricorn). Sankranti is also a harvest festival. It is said that on this day Lord Vishnu brought an end to the destruction caused by the Asuras by destroying them

and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. Another festival that is widely celebrated is Maha Shivaratri, the night of Lord Shiva. He is said to have performed the highly significant Tandava dance of primordial creation, preservation and death on this night and was later married to Parvati on the night of Maha

Shivaratri. Individuals chant the Mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” throughout the night in order to attain spiritual harmony.

A vigorously celebrated festival, especially in Northern India, is “Holi”, where an effigy of the demoness “Holka” is burnt to signify release from darkness and tyranny. Holka was the sister of King Hirankashyap who was a tyrant and wanted to kill his saintly son Prahlad by burning him in the arms of his sister Holka. But Lord Vishnu saved Prahlad by removing the blanket from Holka and caused her to be destroyed by her own fire. The festival is celebrated with colored water being sprayed among family and friends along with throwing water balloons and drum beats being heard in the streets.

This festival is full of fun and frolic. The month of “Shravan” starting in

August hails a string of festivals such as “Rakshabandhan”, “Krishna Janmashtami”, “Ganesh Chaturthi”, “Navaratri”,

“Vijayadashmi” or “Dussehra” and culminates in the all important festival of Deepavali. Deepavali is followed by the festivals of Bhai Dooj and Guru Nanak Jayanthi, which are celebrated by different communities in India. In addition to the numerous festivals

mentioned above, there are other festivals such as Nag Panchami, Karva Chauth, Guru Purnima, Ugadi, Baisakhi, Onam, Saraswati Puja, Rath Yatra in Jagannath Puri, etc. Last but not least, great significance is attached to the celebration of Maha “Kumbh Mela” that takes place in Prayag every 12 years. This festival is celebrated every three years by rotation at Haridwar, Ujjain, Nasik, and finally at Prayag at the end of 12 years. It includes a dip in the holy rivers, devotional singing and religious discourses with the “Sadhus”, and mass feeding of holy men/women and the poor. The magnitude and auspicious character of this festival is almost unfathomable. It is well attended by Hindus, Indians at large and foreigners from almost all the countries. The Kumbh Mela is undoubtedly the oldest Hindu festival. The next Maha Kumbh Mela will take place in the year 2013.

Finally, Indian festivities always include rich foods and elaborate meals in the form of “Prasad” or offerings to the deities that are being worshipped. However, these traditional foods are based on a sound foundation of culture, custom and natural environment. The understanding of these traditional foods is important because it provides knowledge regarding the nutritional values of these foods. In ancient India the traditional foods prepared during the festivals were low in calories and high in nutrition. Most sweet or savory foods were based on cereals and consisted of wheat germ, gum crystals, pasta products, oils such as linseed and safflower, special re-crystallized sugar, milk and nuts. Foods were prepared by boiling, roasting, baking and even pounding, while frying was not a common practice. Thus we can see the scientific and ayurvedic basis of the traditional foods served during festival times.

In conclusion, India is a land of rich heritage, culture, wisdom and intellect not barring all its religious practices☯

Continued from page 1

Hinduism is often described as a religion of fasts, feasts and festivals

Land of Festivals

P A G E 6 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

Charu chaturbhuji Simha vahini Shakti rupani Mahishasur mardani

Durgati naashini Durge Mahakali Mahalakshmi Mahasarswati

Nau Roopon mein hai tu bhai Dashon dishaon mein tu chayi

Bhaktimayi maa gyanmayi

Danmayi maa tejmayi Mangalkalash tere dwar sajaun

Tere charno mein sheesh jhukaun

Shradha ki mala le kar mein Prem-bhakti ka deep jalakar

Saanson ki sargam per maa mein Teri stuti ka saaj saja kar Mangalmai aarti utarun

Teri mahima sada hi gaun Tere charno mein sheesh jhukaun

Mein agyani,

Mein abhimani Vikar bhari mein guna vihina Tere darshan ki aasha mein

Prakhar prakash bhare tere dwar par Bich bich jaoun bich bich jaoun

Maa- teri stuti sada hi gaoun Tere charno mein sheesh jhukaun

My Days - S. B. Datta** Tit tot tot, I was a tiny tot, Those were the days of fun; When I was a boy there were lots of joys, The meadow, the sky and the sun. In the fields I roved and the woods I moved, With my pals, now are gone; Tit tot tot with many a thought Now I grow to be a man. My face became tan, the fun having gone, I started earning money, Oft’ I ask my tantrum self, Could it be back! Those days of sweet and honey. Nay, I could those green and the wood. That maketh you a perfect man. The man and the boy together in joy, Then why the fun is gone! The face and the tan and the tiny’s fun Both to remain and not by gone, In duty and busy the man wants easy; Then think of that very tiny tot, Soft and feeling will give you the healing, You’re out of melting pot. As you dip and dip and pile the heap. Of seemingly not that necessary thought,

You be with, be with, that very small Yet the sweetie, tiny tot. Your thought and act are hard and soft. With the boy you carry along

In the game of life not fail you oft’ As you think of that very tiny tot. Life is there full of song, It rings ding-dong it rings ding-dong,

That forget not and forget not, That little and sweet that goes along. In that very thought and that very thought Where you live ever happy in that very Tiny Tot.

Durga Maa - Pushpa Mehra *

H TCC Youth Day was celebrated on August 18, 2006 at the Shepard Boulevard Park,

Columbia. We had excellent picnic weather that day. Activities to keep the participants involved were in full swing. These included Rangoli, Pin the tail on the

monkey, Soccer, Volleyball, Grapes ‘n spoon race(American cousin of the Lemon ’n Spoon race?), and the always fun water balloons. Kids and adults alike immersed themselves in these games.

Participants of the different HTCC summer workshops and competitions including origami, computer skills, math workshop, and tennis tournament were awarded with certificates.

The organizers had arranged for refreshments with the help of participating families. It was a fun-filled evening and the kids enjoyed every moment of it. The summer workshops and Youth Day recognition will become regular HTCC events hereon ☯

Youth Day Celebrations - Nandhu Radhakrishnan

* Grandmother of Ipsha/Trisha Chaudhary

** Sanjay Datta’s father

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

Newsletter of Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO November 2006

H appy Deepavali every one! In this festival issue, we

have articles, poems and jokes. We are starting a new column on Math and Science tricks. Also, a new Bawarchi column is being planned and is awaiting your interesting culinary creation details. Bal Sandesh congratulates all Bal Sabha members who participated in the “India Nite” for their varied artistic talents,

interest and hard work. Bal Sandesh also

congratulates all Bal Sabha members who participated in the City’s Fall Clean-up at “Ridgeway Elementary School”.

Also, please join us in welcoming the new officers bearers of Bal Sabha for year 2006-2007.

Editors

EDITOR’S NOTE

Bal Sabha Kudos!

President Ravi Thawani

Vice President Uma Srinath

Secretary/Tresasurer Surya Mantrala

Cultural Secretary Vasavi Yeletti

Bal Sandesh Coordinator Hema Srinivasan

I woke up and ate my cereal. Mom said, “Guys, pretend that it is 5:30 in the morning

(not 10:30) and I’m going to put sesame oil on your heads.” She massaged the oil on our heads for the “oil bath”. Then we fell at my parents’ feet and received our new clothes (as well as their blessings). We then had our feast of lollipops and ginger ale. Mom and I

decorated diyas or vilakku (lamps) using markers. Very soon it was night and time for

firecrackers! My brother Vikram was stomping on some “popping bombs”. I tried some too. Neighborhood kids gathered around to watch. Mom and I went inside to see the rest from the window. I just couldn’t believe all the different colors. I was very happy. I LOVE DEEPAVALI☯

Welcome New Officers

B al Sandesh congratulates all the members for their daily

successes and accomplishments. Here are some, by no means all, of the success stories of the last quarter.

Vikram won 1st place in the Missouri K-6 Chess Championships held in Independence, Missouri, on September 16, 2006. The tournament was sponsored by Missouri Chess Association and the Kansas City Scholastic Chess Association. Congratulations Vikram!

Meghna Srinath is a winner of an Achievement Award in Writing from the National Council of Teachers of English. She is one of the three students from Hickman High School and 18 from the state of Missouri to win this writing award in 2006. Congratulations Meghna!☯

My Deepavali -Vishnu Arunachalam (Pre-School)

What are peanuts scared of? Us, humans.

Why didn’t the balloon go close to the needle? The balloon would POP.

Why is it hard to make mistakes with a pen? A pen does not carry an eraser on its back.

What did the sun said to the earth? It is day time.

Why didn’t the orange cross the road? The orange can roll.

Why metal and micro-oven is never close to each other? They don’t get along.

Amazing Jokes - Rishav Choudhury, 2nd Grade, Lee Elementary

Images of Bal Sabha kids from recent celebrations

All of our dreams can come true

Walt Disney

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm

Ralph Waldo Emerson

P A G E 8 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

Blue is a tulip. Blue are those eyes that look at you. Blue is a fish swimming in the ocean. Blue is the loneliness in your heart. Blue tastes like blue raspberry jolly ranchers. Blue smells like blueberry pie. Blue sounds like a flute. Blue feels like sand rushing through your feet. Blue looks like the drifting snow on an empty street. Blue makes me feel like a unicorn prancing in the clouds. Blue is my favorite color!

Blue - Anmol Sethi 4th Grade, Mill Creek

Editorial Staff Phone E-Mail Ashok Cutkosky 445-2854 asho44124k@yahoo.com Maya Cutkosky 445-2854 Sheela Lal 445-9290 pyari_ajnabi@hotmail.com Vidya Mantrala 446 0865 Meghna Srinath 446-8403 meghna022@gmail.com Anchal Sethi 514-0486 danzingdivas@yahoo.com Adithi Vellore 446-0063 vsadithi@aol.com Parent Advisor Hema Srinivasan 445-2854 srinivasanh@missouri.edu

Bal Sandesh needs you! We welcome submissions of all types (reports, poetry, short stories, artwork, puzzles, jokes etc.). Work can be submitted to the Editors or the Parent Advisor. We prefer electronic version of the submission (e-mail or diskette). Artwork can be submitted on paper. Older kids interested in volunteering to serve on the editorial team should contact the Editorial Staff or the Parent Advisor.

Bal Sabha meets every fourth Sunday of the month from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at Shanthi Mandir

Answer: 9747 cubic inches Solution: If the total volume is V, we may say that V=19

3 + ((2/3)*19)

3 + ((2/3)

2 * 19)

3 +

… = 19

3 + (2/3)

3 * 19

3 + (2/3)

6 * 19

3 +

(2/3)9 *19

3 + … (1)

Therefore: (2/3)

3 * V = (2/3)

3 * 19

3 + (2/3)

6 * 19

3

+ (2/3)9 * 19

3 + … (2)

Now subtract (2) from (1) V – (2/3)

3 * V

= 193 + (2/3)

3 * 19

3 + (2/3)

6 * 19

3 +

(2/3)9 *19

3 + … – ((2/3)

3 * 19

3 + (2/3)

6

* 193 + 2/3)

9 * 19

3 + …) = 19

3

V (1-(2/3)3) = 19

3

V = 193/ (1-8/27) = 19

3/ (19/27)

= 193 * 27 / 19 = 19

2 * 27

= 9747 cubic inches of water Answer: 8. Solution: J sang exactly 8 and M sang exactly 4. That makes 12. K and L can sing either 7 or less. But if I added up the number of songs for all of them, it has to be a multiple of 3 since each song was sung by 3 people. The largest multiple of 3 we can get is 12+7+5 or 12+6+6, which means they sang no more than 8 songs. But then since J sang 8, they must have sung at least 8. So they sang exactly 8 songs.

Brain Benders - Ashok Cutkosky, 10th Grade, Hickman Questions: (1) There is a magical box that has a side length of 19 inches and contains an infinite number of smaller boxes, one inside the other. Each box is a cube and has a side length 2/3 as long as the one before it. If I could take out all of the boxes, how many cubic inches of water could I fill them with?

(2) Four girls J, K, L and M have started a singing group. In tonight’s program they sang songs as trios where in each song one of them did not sing. J who sang the more songs than any one else sang 8 songs and M who sang fewer songs than any one else sang 4 songs. How many songs in total did they sing?

Columbia Fall Clean-up: Bal Sabha Kids Did it Again! - Ravi Thawani E ach year once in Fall and

once in Spring Balsabha members volunteer to clean up Ridgeway school as community service.

Eleven kids took time out of their schedules on Sunday, November 5th and came to

Ridgeway Elementary School to help with the Fall Clean up. They wasted no time in putting on protective vests, gloves and starting the clean up activities. Their enthusiasm was contagious and the parents, who drove the kids, joined in too.

Within an hour the school grounds were cleaned up.

After the clean up, everyone enjoyed refreshments provided by Mrs. Surya Mantrala. The kids relaxed in the morning sun for a little while before departing for their homes☯

I ‘m not afraid of storms; I am learning to sail my own ship

Louise May Alcott

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Confucius

P A G E 9 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

Shanthi Mandir Website - Geetha Kuttikad T he temple in Columbia,

long a dream of the Hindu community, maintains a very dynamic web site. We are thankful to Columbia Online Information Network (COIN) for hosting our website and those of the other non-profits gratis. The Shanthi Mandir website has consistently ranked in the 30 most visited COIN web sites. It gives pleasure to know that the users find the website useful and up to date. We have tried to keep the site simple yet elegant and efficient with up to date information of the various Mandir activities.

Our Main Page has links to important HTCC documents, membership forms, the Shanthi Sandesh quarterly, an up to date photo gallery, and the temple wish list. The features of the site also include a Regular Events and Special Events calendar with specific date links that opens that specific event. Archives contain details of all past activities.

Keeping our youth in mind we have an interactive quiz based on Ramayana in the kid’s events pages.

The site also includes limited links to other useful websites. The website also provides online reservation capability for those who want to reserve the temple for any ceremonies. Thanks for using the website and please use the Comments/Feedback page to let us know if you have any suggestions☯

Some Thoughts from a Newcomer - Richard Sternadori

A s a new member to the HTCC, I was asked to share my recent experiences

for the Shanthi Sandesh newsletter. I reluctantly became an accidental journalist - I had not been expecting to chronicle my interactions! Regardless, I appreciate the opportunity to contribute and agreed in the hope that another perspective may enhance religious and cultural diversity. I’ll begin by saying that I have been a Buddhist for 12 years, and my exposure to Hindu religion was mostly academic. Consequently I was not certain if I would be welcome at the HTCC. How wrong that has proven to be in the past months!

I first learned of the HTCC by attending the melodius SaReGaMa concert performed by artist Sandhya Anu Pandurangi in July. By the end of that first musical evening I had the sense of being welcomed into your community. This compelled me to consider attending other ceremonies. I contacted Gopal who assured me that I was welcome and could

attend the Navaratri Puja for Durga, which was on the calendar.

I came to the Puja very cognizant of my own ignorance of Indian customs, terms, and practices. I wondered how much I should participate, what others thought of my being there and typical ego issues. I was apprehensive; this was not just a musical concert and I remember feeling every bit the outsider. After all - as I am certain many readers understand - as I walk through the doors at HTCC I am the minority. However that feeling dissipated through the evening like the fog after the sun has risen. So many people went out of their way to welcome me. I recall that as one song began, one person came to me with a book in English. He said something like: “You will be able to read this, but not understand it.” So we both held the book and sang. I don’t mind laughing because I can mimic like a parrot and learn pronunciation, but had no concept of what I was singing. By the end of the evening - as

I shared the wonderful Indian cuisine - I began to feel that perhaps I had found a Sangha. Growing up in a formal Christian religious tradition, I can say that the warmth and openness of your community is most welcoming.

Since then, I am meeting with the Facilities and Renovations Committee, and we are making progress toward anticipated expansion and renovation plans. A background in architecture and city government provides me the skills to be of some assistance in these processes. I have attended open prayer and recently the Deepavali festival.

How fortunate for me to become a part of the HTCC during festival season! I also hope to participate in the Bhagavad-Gita discussions, as this is a text I study and enjoy. Taken together with my journalistic endeavors here, my experiences have been blessings and I appreciate being welcomed into the HTCC☯

Interesting Shanthi Mandir Web Statistics Curious of where we get our information from? You can monitor our web stats yourself at : http://shanthimandir.missouri.org/ar

*Shanthi Sandesh, Volume 1, Number 3, August 2006 was among Top 25 pages visited

Month Shanthi Mandir Page Hits

COIN Total Page Hits

% of total COIN Hits

COIN Rank

November-05 5,637 590,543 0.95 20

December-05 3,773 571,273 0.66 25

January-06 4,213 743,739 0.57 28

February-06 2,983 653,180 0.46 31

March-06 4,561 750,475 0.61 27

April-06 2,150 685,153 0.31 49

May-06 3,008 718,609 0.42 32

June-06 2,910 700,919 0.42 35

July-06 2,625 620,204 0.42 33

August-06* 5,281 684,218 0.77 23

September-06 3,730 623,331 0.60 27

October-06 3,569 684,255 0.52 32

12 Month Total 44,440 8,025,899 0.55 30

Hits/day 122 21,989 0.55 N/A

P A G E 1 0 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

T he festival of Karva Chauth was celebrated this year on

Tuesday the 10th of October at the Temple.

Karva Chauth possesses a tremendous social and cultural

significance for the married Hindu women of India. The word Karva means a clay pot and Chauth means fourth - this festival is celebrated on the fourth day after full moon (or Krishna Paksha)

in the Hindu month of Kartik. The earliest reference of

Karva Chauth can be found in the great Epic of Mahabharata where Lord Krishna advised Draupadi to undertake this fast. Another legend associated is that of queen Veeravati. On the occasion of Karva Chauth her brothers tricked her in believing that moon had risen by shining light behind a peepal tree.

Consequently she received the news that her husband was seriously ill. As she rushed to her husband's palace she met Goddess Parvati who informed her that the king had died because the queen had broken her fast. However, Parvati granted her the boon that the king would be revived if she observed Karva Chauth fast strictly. Thus, by following all the rituals of Karva Chauth, queen Veeravati got her husband back. Even today Hindu women believe that a devoted wife has the power to confront Death.

The married women get up before sunrise. They worship Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh, Kartikeya and the moon. They do not eat or drink from dawn till moon rise. They dress up in their best finery, with henna-decked hands, bindis, colorful bangles and the best of the jewelry and prepare a thali full of goodies such as sweets etc. Then they gather in one place and prepare a chowki on which an image of Goddess Parvati is placed.

Elderly woman of the family narrate the legend of Karva Chauth. Women then pray for the long life and welfare of their husbands. While chanting the prayers, they pass their karvas & thalis from one to another seven times. When the moon is sighted prayers are offered to the moon. After this the fast is broken by drinking the water from the Karva.

This important festival was celebrated at the temple with lot of enthusiasm and religious fervor. The women gathered at the temple in the evening at 5 PM. in all their finery. Between 5 and 7 PM in the evening they performed Gauri puja, katha and then exchange of thalis and Karvas. This was followed by a social hour from 7-8 PM where they sang the traditional folk songs accompanied by the festive sound of Dholak. In the evening after the moon rise all women performed a moon puja and then broke their fast. The evening was wrapped up after a sumptuous pot luck dinner☯

Karva Chauth Festival - Ritcha Mehra Chaudhury

Varalakshmi Vratam - S. Akila

V aralakshmi Vratam is a festival to appease,

Goddess Sri Varalakshmi (Mahalakshmi) - who is the abode of all mangalam (auspiciousness), prosperity and wealth. The Varalakshmi Vratam is performed on the Friday immediately following the full moon day (Purnima) in the

auspicious month of Shravan (Aug/Sept). This Vratam is undertaken by the sumangalis (whose husbands are still living) for good progeny, good health, and wishing long life for

the husbands. Lakshmi is symbolic of eight

forces (ashta lakshmi) - wealth (shri), earth (bhu), learning (saraswati), love (priti), fame (kirti), peace (shanti), pleasure (tushti), and strength (pushti).

Worship of Varalakshmi is rendered equivalent to the puja for Ashtalakshmi. Since she is ever ready to grant vara (boons) to her true devotees, she is usually referred to as "Vara Lakshmi".

The common legend associated with the festival is that a small tiff arose between Lord Shiva and Parvati during a dice play about who is the winner and Chitranemi, an honest gana, was asked to judge. He decided in Shiva's favor, which led Parvati to get angry and she cursed him to suffer from leprosy. When Shiva pleaded with her, she gave in and said the day women in the world observed Varalakshmi puja, Chitranemi would get deliverance.

Here in Columbia it was celebrated by some of the families with great devotion. The day before the puja, the altar was cleaned and decorated with flowers. The kalasam (bronze pot) was filled with rice, coins, a whole lime, betel leaves and betel nut, comb, mirror, small black bangles, black beads, five

types of leaves and, kumkum box.

On the day of puja the kalasam and an image of the Goddess are kept near the entrance. The Goddess is welcomed inside the house by singing the song “Lakshmi Raave maa inti ki” which means “Lakshmi please come to our house”. The puja was started by chanting Vinayaka shloka followed by shlokas and mantras of Lakshmi and Varalakshmi. Different types of Prasad are offered and Aarti is performed. Those who performed the puja observe a fast on that day.

Next day punar (repeat) puja was performed by moving the kalasam towards north. On that night the Goddess is sent off by putting the kalasam in the rice drum by singing “poyi rah mayam poyi raa vamma” which means “go and come back next year with good things”. It is believed that she is residing in the rice. And so the rice which was filled in the kalasam is mixed with the rice stored in the house☯

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

N ovember 2006 marks the completion of one year of celebrations in

Columbia, Missouri of Guru Nanak’s birthday. The first gathering (last year 2005) celebrating Guru Nanak’s birthday comprised a handful of families and one year later the sangat has nearly tripled. What an achievement!!! We welcome everyone to join the sangat (and also bring friends along). Everybody is welcome to contribute to shabad/kirtan if you feel the calling...

We were very blessed to celebrate Guru Nanak’s birthday on November 5, 2006 (the first Sunday of the month). There was excellent turnout to

hear our guest from St. Louis Mrs.Kulwant Kaur and her daughter Kiran, a senior in high school. We thank Kuljeet and Amolak Singh for arranging their visit and for the wonderful program. Thanks are also due to Ratnaparkheji for singing shabads. Shabads of the birth and the praise of Guru Nanak were shared, Sukhmani Sahib paath was read, Hukam Naama from the Guru Granth Sahib, and Ardas were performed. This was followed by langar prasad. Thanks go to Kuljeet Singh and Ranjana Rai for organizing langar seva and additional thanks go to everyone who helped with langar prasad enjoyed by all gathered.

During the month of October, we were also very fortunate to have two shabad/kirtan performances. The first meeting was on the scheduled first Sunday of the month, October 8, and the second meeting was on the third Sunday, October 22 during the Deepavali celebrations by Mr. and Mrs. Harbhajan Singh from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Mr. Balakrishna Ratanparkhe.

We want to thank everyone greatly who makes these events possible and look for your continued support in the near future, we cannot make it happen without you☯

Gurpurab Celebration - Jasmit Khurana

T here is a common faith among people that Goddess Vaishno Devi sends a

“call” to have her devotees and upon receiving a call, fortunate people march toward the holy shrine of the great Goddess. The temple is situated at the holy Trikuta Mountains in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Some people in North India celebrate Navratra by having a Jaagran at their homes or in a temple. The people of Columbia are blessed to have a great “Jaagran” on October 7, 2006. With Vaishno Devi’s blessings and miracle, all of the arrangements were completed. Chandra Rawlani’s family (our great devotees and volunteers) invited Laxman Alreja and family from Chicago to do the Durga Puja in Columbia. Mr. Satish Bhagwat performed the puja by chanting

Durga’s one hundred and eight named followed by the Durga Chalisa and Ganesh’s mantras. The atmosphere was filled with devotion. Laxman Alreja sang a Vaishno Devi’s bhajan with a beautiful melody. One of the bhajans was “Chalo Bulava Aiyata Mata Bulaya Hai . . . Sare Bolo Jai Mata Di . . .” This reminded us about the great holy shrine of Vaishno Devi.

We also had several devotional songs/bhajans from local artistes like Sanjib Bhattacharya, Jaya Bhattacharya, Shubha Ratneshwar, Gyan Srivastava, Vedavalli Srinivasagopalan. The bhajans were followed by Aarti and Prasad (halwa

puri) sponsored by some families. Also Mata’s Prasad is always distributed to five or seven girls before anyone else. “Jai Mata Di”☯

Navaratri Durga Puja Jaagran - Punam Sethi

E ver wondered why Lord Krishna’s birthday referred to as Janmashtami or

Sri Jayanthi is quite simply “The birthday”? We have “Rama” Navami or “Varaha” Jayanthi or “Hanuman” Jayanthi in honor of the deity whose birthday is being celebrated. It may be because Krishna is so special that his story is simply Bhagavatam and his composition is simply Gita and not Krishnayanam or Krishna Gita. It may also be because Nanda and Yashoda were so concerned about keeping Krishna’s whereabouts unknown to Kamsa that it was just safer to invite people to “the birthday” and every one knows whose birthday is being celebrated anyway. Since all of us find ourselves in Gokulam on that day, we continue to call it Janmashtami or Sri Jayanthi. It is Janmashtami or

Gokulashtami if it is celebrated on the Ashtami tithi by the lunar cycle and it is Sri Jayanthi per the star Rohini. This year Gokulashtami fell on August 16th and Sri Jayanthi on September 15th. We had a huge celebration at the Mandir on Sunday, August 20.

After a very short Puja, we recited several shlokas with the shloka class children, then recited some verses from the Bhagavatam about Krishna’s birth. After having Krishna Aarti at 7:30, we reenacted the Matki (traditionally a butter-filled pot, like a piñata) outside. Shanthi Mandir

became Gokulam with children making a human pyramid to reach the pot containing butter and milk. When the pot was broken to reveal chocolates, we were transported to the 21st century! Everyone went inside to continue traditional style festivities with children and adults singing songs in praise of Lord Krishna, including some flute

music. Some devotees had even made artwork depicting scenes of life in Gokulam.

Devotees rounded off the evening by sharing the Prasad and delicious dinner prepared by participating families. Some stayed on till midnight singing and meditating on Krishna. It was a joyous evening where every woman became Yashoda, every man Nanda, and every child a Gopi☯

Samo aham sarva bhootheshu na me dveshyatoasthi na priyaha Ye bhajanthi thu maam bhakthya mayi the the shu cha pyaham

I (Krishna) am equally disposed to all living things. To me, there are no friends or foes. Those who do loving devotional service unto me, they are in me and I am in them. our mind and understanding

Bhagavad Gita

Janmashtami - Krishna Jayanthi celebrations - Hema Srinivasan

P A G E 1 2 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

T he Interfaith Council of Columbia is a body made up

of representatives of various religious groups from the city as well as representatives of city, county and religious social agencies. It meets once a month on the last Wednesday (except summer months) at Wilkes Boulevard Methodist Church, 702 Wilkes Boulevard, Columbia from 11:45 am till 1 pm. It is a forum for sharing and communication about what is being done by social service agencies and religious groups of the city and county.

For several years, the interfaith council has sponsored an “Inter-Faith celebration of the American holiday of Thanksgiving”. This year again the city residents will have a wonderful opportunity to be a part of this event “Thanksgiving-

around-the-World”. Representatives from several major world religions will briefly highlight how each religion, in its own heritage and culture enters into the giving of thanks. The giving of thanks would also be expressed by different communities via song, music, reading or other cultural expressions. The celebrations will take place on Tuesday November 21st at 7 pm in the Hall of the Arches at the community center at Lenoir Woods Retirement Community, 3710 Lenoir Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201. There will be refreshments and social time after the celebrations.

In almost all religious expressions, there are occasions for the returning of thanks for the goodness of creation or the bounty of the harvest. The Interfaith Council planning

committee invites people of various religions and cultures as well as people of no particular religious persuasion to come together and join with us. The Council believes that given the current political climate, this is a perfect opportunity to showcase to Columbia that people of various cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds can and do express them gratefully and peacefully. We believe that there is profound goodwill and, especially in this city, a desire to really come to know how those of other cultures and religions live their faith and express their hope. We hope to provide the city and surrounding area residents, a better religious and cultural dialogue and sharing through this event.

You can be part of it. Come join us☯

Interfaith Council of Columbia- John Prenger

Shanthi Mandir Garage Sale cum Mela -Meera Chandrasekhar

O n Saturday Sep 9, 2006 Shanthi Mandir hosted its

first garage sale and Mela. In the three weeks leading up to the event, member families who donated items cleaned furiously. They cleaned their closets, basements, garages—their kids even cleaned out their dressers – and they gathered up all the good stuff they did not use any more so Shanthi Mandir would have a wide variety of items for the garage sale. Yet other members spent the previous week cooking goodies for sale at the Mela.

During the two weeks leading up to Sep 9, several volunteers picked up and received the items and delivered them to the sorters – that tireless group that sorted men’s, women’s, infants’ and

children’s clothes, separated household items from books, baby items from jewelry, and so on. The staging area – the mobile home behind the Mandir, was abuzz with volunteers during the Labor Day weekend and for several evenings thereafter. They folded and hung clothes on hangers, and stuck hundreds of price tags on donated items. It was agreed that the only thing that could thwart their efforts was that one uncontrollable variable – weather.

The message must have reached the local meteorologist – the big Saturday dawned bright, sunny and perfect. The lawn was filled with attractive tables of stuff and cleverly rigged garment racks groaned under the weight of clothes. A huge variety of children’s items such as car seats and toys were crammed on a large tarpaulin.

The mehendi and snack tent on the front edge of the lawn

was all set up with yummy potato bondas, cookies, brownies and other snacks. Neighbors and other garage sale fans showed up in force. The

mehendi artists had a busy day painting the hands of youngsters while their parents shopped at the garage sale. During the short 4-hour period a laptop, two microwaves, an idli grinder, a bicycle, several salwar-kameez sets, and countless other items were sold. The success spurred the volunteers to do a rerun sale of leftover items the following weekend in a southwest location. In all, the event made a little over $900.

Congratulations to the workers and a big thank you to all those who helped organize the event and who donated items for the sale! Now - if you did not get a chance to clean out this year, don’t be disheartened – we plan a repeat performance next year. So set stuff aside whenever you decide to clean!☯

P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

HTCC Helping Hands Thanks our Many Volunteers Anantha Gopalaratnam

H TCC members through “Helping Hands”, the service wing of HTCC,

have been quite busy with various volunteer efforts over the last few months. Several new programs initiated by the HTCC Service Programs Committee have been set into motion. Thanks to our numerous volunteers!

During summer, two groups of children accompanied by some parents made visits to Columbia Manor and Candlelight Lodge, both eldercare centers. The kids performed songs and dances and shared jokes that entertained and brought many a smile to the seniors’ faces. Their performances were received enthusiastically with requests for repeat visits. Given the reception both from the elderly and the youth, this project will become a regular activity of the HTCC youth. All interested in participating in such visits to eldercare centers should contact Manjula Narasimhan by email at manjula517@yahoo.com.

Narayan Seva, the monthly program spearheaded by the Sai Bhajan group, cooks and serves a meal at St. Francis House, a homeless shelter. Narayan Seva is scheduled for every second Sunday from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. All interested in participating should contact Anantha Gopalaratnam at Ananthag@aol.com. An addition to this program has been the collection of used bath towels and blankets for use of the residents. Those who would

like to donate these items should bring them to Shanthi Mandir or contact Anantha.

The most-recent addition to the HTCC service programs is volunteering at the Central Missouri Food Bank to repackage food that is received in bulk. The plan is to volunteer once a month. Details are still being worked out. Please contact Sushama Nagarkar at snagarkar@centurytel.net for more information.

The weekly clean-up at the Mandir continues with the help of volunteer families. Your assistance is needed in keeping the Mandir clean. Please contact Meera Chandrasekhar at meerac@missouri.edu to sign up. Last week tulip and daffodil bulbs were planted in the garden with volunteer help. Those interested in helping in the garden should

contact Sunder Lal at rajmlal@hotmail.com. Other work like stringing the Deepavali lights and clearing the brush at the back of the compound have all been carried out during the Shram Daan held on every Saturday from 10 AM to noon. Please contact Gopal at vsgopal@aol.com to learn more about how you can help.

Finally, we request all of you to look through your old discarded cell phones and donate them for use at “The Shelter”, a refuge for victims of domestic abuse. These discarded cell phones will be used to provide “911 emergency assistance” to people being assisted at “The Shelter”. Please make sure that your personal information is erased before you make the donation. You can drop off your cell phones at the Shanthi Mandir or by contacting Anantha.

As always please remember to bring non-perishable items of food for our ongoing “Anna Daan” program. Two drums have been provided at Shanthi Mandir for this purpose. We will pass them on to the Central Missouri Food Bank as soon as the drums are full. Let our guiding principle be “Service to Man is Service to God”☯

Unless you always speak the truth you cannot find God, for God is the soul of Truth Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa

T he tulasi (Holy Basil) plant is an important symbol in many Hindu

religious traditions. The name "tulasi" means "the incomparable one". A number of passages in the vedas and the puranas, point to the importance of tulasi for religious worship. Tulasi’s extracts are used in ayurvedic remedies for common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning, and malaria. For Shanthi Mandir “tulasi” plays another invaluable role - fund-raising!

Kalai Kumar came up with an innovative

idea this summer. Since Tulasi plays an important role in the Hindu religious tradition and since the plant is not commonly available, growing the plant and making it available at the Mandir would serve the multiple-roles that tulasi is already famous for. Members gladly took home the Tulasi plants for a small donation to the Mandir.

Raji Subramanian, an avid gardener joined Kalai in nurturing over 50 Tulasi plants. They later added “curry leaf” plants to the “desired” list and gave new

homes to 15 plants! The Tulasi/Curry Leaf project as we have (clumsily) called it has raised approximately $ 200 for the Mandir. The overwhelming response by the community to their efforts has encouraged them to continue and expand their project to include several other hard to find starter plants, including some Indian vegetable plants.

We would like to thank Kalai, Raji and all HTCC members who supported the fundraising project☯

Innovative Fundraising - The Tulasi Plant Project ! - B. S. Balaji

Anna Daan Project at Shanthi Mandir Please keep in mind our ongoing collection of non-perishable food items for donation to the Central Missouri Food Bank. Your contribution of a can of food or packet of pasta is greatly appreciated. Please remember this continuing service project, Anna Daan, whenever you visit Shanthi Mandir for any of the regular activities such as Bal Sabha, Bal Puja, Bhajans, Kirtan or during the Temple Open Hours, or other special events

If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day. Alex Noble

P A G E 1 4 S H A N T H I S A N D E S H

Hindi Language classes

HTCC Statement of Accounts and Quarterly Fiscal Report For the period July 1 - September 30, 2006

Prepared by Visala Palaniappan, Interim Treasurer, September 30th, 2006 Balance Forward (on July 1, 2006) $31,656.48

Quarterly Revenues Membership: Lifetime Family Members (LFM) 2 @ $1,000 LFM via Installments (1 @ $250) Annual Family Members (AFM) 7 @ $50 Annual individual Member (AIM) 1 @$30

$2,000.00

$250.00 $350.00

$30.00

$2,630.00

Donations: Cash Donations Check Donations

$899.38 $884.00

$1,783.38

Special Events: SaReGaMa concert/Donation from CD proceeds Summer youth activities Food n’ Thought Donations from Tulasi/Curry leaf plant project Garage sale/mela

$2154.25

$40.00 $144.00 $115.00 $914.80

$3,368.05

Facilities Use Donations: Bal Sabha (September 2006) Reception Equipment use donation

$20.00 $34.00 $51.00

$105.00

Total Quarterly Revenues

$7,886.43

Quarterly Expenses Start-up costs $187.48 Maintenance and supplies $562.86 Upgrade and Repairs $28.94 Utilities $705.86 Garden/Landscaping 144.44 Special Events $1,163.40 Printing Shanthi Sandesh, V1, N3 $142.14 MO Annual Report Filing Fee $10.00

Total Quarterly Expenses $2,945.12 Net Income $4,941.31 Ending Balance* (September 30, 2006) $36,597.79

* $20,000 invested in 2 CDs (8 Month maturity @ 4.65% APR)

H indi language classes are offered twice a month at

Shanthi Mandir. These classes are free and open to all school children interested in learning Hindi irrespective of the native language spoken at home. The classes are offered from 1:30 PM-2: 30 PM in the temple on every 2nd and the 4th Sunday of the month. We have a three level structure for the Hindi classes:

Beginner Level: This level is taught by Mrs. Shikha Srivastava. The goal in this class is to teach the writing, recognition and correct pronunciation of Hindi alphabets.

Intermediate Level: This level

is taught by Mrs. Saroj Mohan. The emphasis in this class is to learn to form words from the skills learned in the previous

class. Another goal is to read and write small sentences.

Advanced Level: This level is taught by Mrs. Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary. The aim in this class is for the children to be able to

read and speak fluently in Hindi besides writing.

We encourage participation from all members of the community. If you have any suggestions or would like your kids to join these classes please contact us. We are always in need of volunteers to teach Hindi as substitute teachers. Currently we have the following substitute teachers: Dr Kunal Chaudhary, Dr Lokesh Tejwani and Dr

Sanjeev Sethi. If you know Hindi and would like to join our team please contact Ritcha at ritchamehra@yahoo.com or call at # 573-445-0842 ☯

Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow

Oliver Wendell Holmes

P A G E 1 5 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

Thank You! Lifetime Family Members

1. Agrawal, Kul and Archana 2. Arunachalam, Vairam and Alagu 3. Battula Ravindra and Vijaya Kattumuri 4. Bhaskar, Gowda and Shoba 5. Chandrasekhar, Holalkere and Meera 6. Chaudhary, Kunal and Ritcha Mehra 7. Cutkosky, Dale and Hema Srinivasan 8. Dhand, Rajiv and Upinder 9. Gangopadhyay, Keshab and Shubhra 10. Gopalakrishna, Srinath and Uma 11. Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha 12. Gowda, Bhaskar and Shoba 13. Katti, Kattesh and Kavita 14. Khanna, Sanjeev and Vinita 15. Khurana, Inder and Jasmit 16. Kulkarni, Rajesh and Indira 17. Kutikkad, Kiratadas and Geetha 18. Lal, Sunder and Nila Gupta 19. Loyalka, Sundarshan and Nirja 20. Malhotra, Anil and Kusum 21. Mitra, Ranadhir and Roma 22. Naik, Yogesh & Reshmi 23. Palaniappan, Kannappan and Visala 24. Patel, Nitin and Harsha 25. Raghuraman, Kannan & Anandhi Upendran 26. Ramachandran, V & Anuradha Rajagopalan 27. Rangnekar, Nitin and Kirthi 28. Rawat, Gagneesh and Aditi 29. Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra 30. Sadhu, Vijay and Smita 31. Satpathy, Sashi and Namita

32. Sethi, Sanjiv and Punam 33. Sethi, Yash and Anjna 34. Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya 35. Singh, Amolak and Kuljit Annual Members for 2006

1. Anand, Satish and Sushma 2. Bal, Sharanjit and Ranjit 3. Basu, Asit and Sandra 4. Batchu, Sudhir and Priya 5. Bathini, Venkat & Jyothy 6. Chandrasekhar, Anand & Chiengkham Baccam 7. Choudhury, Prabir Kumar 8. Commuri, Suraj and Sneha 9. Elangovan, Bala and Abi 10. Faizer Rumi & Archana Ramaswamy 11. Goel, Shyam & Nitu 12. Ghosh, Arkashubra & Anuprita 13. Jain, Arun 14. Jashnani, Ghanshyam and Leela 15. Jonathan, Roberts and Sangeeta 16. Kujala, Naresh Gandhi and Sriyala 17. Kumar, Adarsh & Sangeeta 18. Kumar, Senthil and Kalai 19. Lakshmanan, Soundhra 20. Laxmish, Thirumaleshwar & Shantha 21. Mahal, Satnam and Jasvir 22. Mantrala, Murali and Suryamani 23. Menon, Vinay & Kavita 24. Nair, Satish and Jyotsna 25. Nathan, Vivek and Manjula 26. Neupane, Prakash and Kamala

27. Puri, Ravi and Mona 28. Radhakrishnan, Nandhu and Selvi 29. Ramaswamy, Ram and Indira 30. Ratnaparkhe, Milind 31. Ratneshwar, Srinivasan and Subbalakshmi 32. Raychaudhuri, Aniruddha and Sriparna 33. Sehgal, Om and Santosh 34. Srinivasan, Bharath & Manjula Narasimhan 35. Srivastava, Shefali 36. Srivatsava, Pramod and Rama 37. Sternadori, Richard 38. Subramanian, Krishna and Raji 39. Tejwani, Lokesh & Varsha Pherwani 40. Thawani, Ravi and Meena 41. Tolani, Bhisham and Rajini 42. Viswanath, Dabir and Pramila

The HTCC is grateful to the above families who have signed up as members as of October 31, 2006. The membership drive for the 2007 will begin in November. If you would like to sign-up as a member, please visit our web site and download, complete and send off your membership application with appropriate dues. We sure would appreciate your support for all our activities. Please also consider upgrading your annual membership to lifetime membership. The lifetime dues provide the HTCC with a strong ownership base and steady stream of revenue for delivering quality devotional, education, service and youth programs.

Nov. 21 Interfaith Thanksgiving Service 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Hall of Arches, Lenoir Woods

Retirement Community, 3710 Lenoir Street.

Nov. 25 Swarnanjali (see notice alongside for details)

Dec. 9 Bhagavad Gita Study Circle - Inaugural Meeting 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., Shanthi Mandir New study circle discussions group to meet 2nd and 4th

Saturdays from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at the Mandir.

Jan. 1 New Year Puja Shanthi Mandir. Details will be made available soon.

Jan. 14 Pongal/Sankranti Celebration 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., Mark Twain Ball Room, MU Campus

Jan. 20 HTCC First Anniversary Celebrations The week-end will tentatively include annual fund-

raising dinner, entertainment, business meeting, library inauguration and more. Details will be made available in the near future.

Jan. 27 Indian Republic Day—Cultural Association of India Whittmore Hall, MU Campus Feb. 3 Saraswati Puja, Knights of Columbus Hall

Community Calendar Note: HTCC-Organized events are in bold italics . Other non-HTCC events of likely community interest are also listed for our reader’s benefit

A Classical Thanksgiving

swarnanjali Saturday November 25, 2006 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Shanthi Mandir

Join us for a melodious giving of thanks by talented musicians from our community! The get-together in an informal setting will allow music lovers to enjoy the vocal and instrumental offerings with friends and family. The concert is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Participating artistes include:

Alpana Ray Balakrishna Ratnaparkhe Indira Ramaswamy Jaya Bhattacharyya Moushumi Choudhury Sanjib Bhattacharyya Shuba Ratneshwar

Paritraanaaya sadhuunaam vinaashaaya vhadushkritaam, Dharma samsthaapanaarthaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the evil and for the establishment of dharma (righteousness), I (the Lord) am born every era

Bhagavad Gita

P A G E 1 6 V O L U M E 1 , N U M B E R 4

Shanthi Mandir Hindu Temple and Community Center

of Mid-Missouri (HTCC) 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org, (573) 814-1AUM (286)

Directions: Take Exit 127 on Interstate 70, Head north on Rangeline Street, Right at first traffic light on Vandiver Drive, Left on Parker Street, Right on Holly Avenue, Shanthi Mandir sign will be visible on the right after 5-6 homes. (Note: Holly Avenue is immediately before the Sunrise Optimist building)

Please visit our web site and send us your e-mail address if you would like to be included on the Friends of the Mandir distribution list to receive timely program notices.

Current Programs at the Mandir (November 15, 2006)

Devotional Programs Open prayer time/Aarti Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Sai Bhajan Thursday 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Venkateshwara Suprabhatam/Vishnu Sahasranaamam Saturday 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Open prayer time/Aarti Saturday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Kirtan (Monthly event) 1st Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Educational/Youth Programs Tamil Classes 1st /3rd Sunday 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Hindi Classes 2nd/4th Sunday 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Bal Puja 2nd Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bal Sabha 4th Sunday 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Service Programs Shram Daan (Labor Donation) Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Narayan Seva (Sai Group - St. Francis Home Lunch) 2nd Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Non-Perishable Food Collection (Ongoing continuously)

Fitness and Cultural Art Programs Bharata Natyam classes (instructor fee required) Wednesday 4:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Shanthi Sandesh is a quarterly publication of the Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC). It is published on behalf of HTCC by it’s Public Relations and Publicity Committee. Editors: Gagneesh Rawat/Arkasubhra Ghosh/Balaji <shanthimandir_news@mchsi.com> or <shanthimandir@yahoo.com>

Another new addition at the Mandir, the jhula added traditional appeal to the Janamashtami festivities. We are grateful to Mrs. Samitta Dave and family for donation of the jhula to the Shanthi Mandir.