Hari Om Parents & Kids,
We were very happy to meet & greet our students in the Krishna classroom.
We started our class by chanting OM 3 times followed by the following shlokas
- "Om Saha Navavatu"
- "Vakratunda Mahakaya"
- "Sarawathi namasthubhyam"
"Guru Brahma"
We then moved on to the beginning prayers - (Green book pages 11,12,13). Each kid then introduced themselves. Each student is requested to get their My Prayers book, two notebooks (one for Likhita Japa & another to jot down key points), and a pen or pencil.
We did a brief recap of the last class . It was primarily an overview of the class curriculum for this year. The 2 main books/topics we would cover would be 1.: Yato Dharma Tato Jayah (developed from Mahabharata), with a focus on Dharma and moral lessons and 2. Symbolism in Hinduism, with an in depth exploration of what our Deities stand for & the meaning/significance of the festivals attributed to each of them. Also for the kids just starting with Bala Vihar or unfamiliar with Mahabharata we recommended the Mahabharata book by C Rajagopalachari (can be purchased from book store).
We then proceeded to the topic of the Day namely Symbolism of Gajanana
We first introduced the concept of symbolism and the familiarity that we all have with them based on our day to day examples.
Symbolism is the use of objects, people, actions, or ideas to represent something else, often a more abstract or complex concept. It's a way of communicating a deeper meaning without explicitly stating it. A symbol is literally one thing, but it stands for something else metaphorically.
We then went through some common examples:
- Traffic Lights: A red light is not just a red light; it symbolizes "stop." A green light symbolizes "go."
- Flags: A country's flag is more than just a piece of colored cloth. It symbolizes the nation's history, values, and identity. We went through what the stars on US flag and what the colors and chakra on the Indian flag meant
- The kids were able to identify logos from fiction like Harry Potter : the Deathly Hallows symbol or the Superman logo
- They even identified a company logo, like the Nike swoosh
- Also how a police officer's uniform symbolizes his profession
We then went through few stories
- The birth of Gajanana and its symbolism
- Symbolism of Elephant Ears , Head , His trunk, His one tusk, His belly and his mouse
- Symbolism of four hands
- How Lokmanya Tilak (Indian freedom fighter ) established the Ganapathi Puja as a public function that aided the Indian freedom movement
- His Love of Modaka's
- Story of Race between Ganapathi and his brother Muruga and what each of these story tell us
The kids then went through the sorting Hat that placed them in one of the Houses that is best aligned with their values.
The class then watched and chanted along with the Gītā Chanting Yajna telecast that we began with Bhagavad Gītā - Chapter 15 -Puruṣottama Yogaḥ -Yoga of The Supreme Spirit. Link: https://bit.ly/BGCh15PreludeV1V2
Kids are requested to practice chanting these verses throughout the year.
Please note the Registration for Kids Gītā Chanting Coaching is currently Open. Log into your personal Best class account to sign up. Email us at geeta@chinmayavrindavan.org with your questions or concerns.
Kids Coaching sessions Start Date: Friday, October 3rd, 2025 (5-6 pm) & Saturday, October 4th, 2025 (10-11 AM) ;
Please bookmark this link posted here for your practice and perusal: BG Chapter-15 – Friendly URL: https://bit.ly/BGCh15Playlist.
Our next class is on September 21, 2025! Until next time ….
Regards,
Vyjayanti & Shiv
