Shri GuruDakshina Karyakram

We had Shri GuruDakshina karyakram last Sunday (December 6th, 2009) in Azad Shakha. I know that this is surprising for the readers from Bharat as in Bharat we do GuruDakshina on the GuruPoornima day only. But here in USA, we celebrate GuruPoornima on the GuruPoornima day but we do GuruDakshina in the winters. This is because most of our swayamsevak visit Bharat in the summer due to holidays in the schools. In Sangh, we do all of our activities as per the availability and ease of everyone. We don't see any particular Muhurt, date, time etc. So if we do GuruDakshina in the winters, we do just because the ease of everyone. This is just like VijayDashmi karyakram. We do Path Sanchalan as per the convenience of not only the swayamsevak and karykartas, but also for the convenience of the people in the society. During VijayDashmi we have many different programs in our society which celebrated for many days. Ramleela, Durga Pooja, Garba etc are all different examples of this great festival. During that time organizing a Path-Sanchalan on mass level is not an easy task, not only for the swayamsevak, but also for the general public and the administration. And that's why do PathSanchalan on any other day than actual VijayDashmi. Similarly, we must do GuruDakshina once in a year and the month really doesn't matter.

This was my first offshore GuruDakshina and it was very special for me. It was special not only because I was participating in Shri GuruDakshina some 10000 miles away from my original place, but also as this was my first family GuruDakshina. Its a really very good experience when you see that your immediate family members are also with you and they are also doing same kind of offering with similar sentiment. I must say that I was not alone there with family, but this was something unique and new for me as we normally don't have similar kind of arrangments in Bharat.

The sentiment of a swayamsevak is also very different and unique when s/he does the GuruDakshina. Take an example of a person going to a temple. In most of the cases, we know that a person goes to a temple with some desire in his mind. Some wants a good job, some wants a house, some has desire for a son or daughter etc. The person will go to the temple, will do all pooja, path etc and with that desire in the mind he will do his offering.

"I'll do a Bhandara/Langar if I get a job".
"I will offer 100 gm (or may be KGs) of gold in Tirupati Balaji, if I get another new big house".
"I will do ...., if I get ....".

These are all some example. The desire and offering keeps on changing as per the need of the Bhakt, but the basic structure of the sentence will remain same and the most important part is the if condition. What if Tirupati Balaji dont' see another big house for that Bhakt? will he not get offered 100 gm/kg of gold from that Bhakt? Absolutely not, as the Bhakt had put that if condition. So he will offer the gold only after the house. So if no house then no Gold. Now god has to think. :)

Our swayamsevak is not like that bhakt. S/he may be like that but may be in temple only, not in Shakha and specially not while doing Shri GuruDakshina. We know that every swayamsevak goes to the Param Pavitra Bhagava Dhwaj and do the GuruDakshina as per his/her devotion but never demands anything. That swayamsevak never has that if condition. All s/he knows that s/he has to do the GuruDakshina and that's why s/he is doing. If you donate some money to a temple or any other organization, they may put your name on the donation board. Everyone visiting to that temple or organization will come to know about your name at least. Every time when I visit Shri Krishna JanmBhoomi mandir in Mathura, I can clearly read the name of many people on the donation board who helped to re-build such a great temple. Our swayamsevak is again different and incomparable here. A swayamsevak never ask for any receipt and s/he never ask that where his name will be displayed? And, after this when our swayamsevak goes to a temple and do some offering, I am sure that even god also think themselves lucky by accepting offering from such a great Bhakt.

So, this year also I saw real Bhakt doing Shri GuruDakshina with family. I think close to 35 or 40 families participated in the Karyakram.

Please enjoy the photos and videos of this karyakram here :
1. http://picasaweb.google.com/rss.dhananjay/ShriGuruDakshina2009?feat=directlink
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/goelajay/sets/72157622950953950/
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYvdR_cXxKc
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYEAStOqS8

My first Sevika Varg in New England Vibhag

New England Vibhag organized a Sevika Varg on December 5th, 2009 in Burlington, Massachusetts. Some 30 Sevikas pariticipated in the varg. Ma. Alka Tai (Sahkaryavahika of Rastriya Sevika Samiti) was also available all of the time in the varg.

The varg started with games. We played different types of games which involved lot of physical activities and of course all sevikas enjoyed a lot. After that there was Sharirik which was taken by Ma. Alka Tai and we tuned it with the song "Chandan hai is desh ke mati".
Post lunch there was a small workshop on "Balanced diet" in which we discussed the advantage of Indian food and what all we should eat to have a balanced and healthy diet. We also shared some recipes. After that we had a session of Pad-Vinyas.
The Pad-Vinyas session was followed by question answer round in which Ma. Alka Tai addressed sevikas concerns. She told about the work done by Samiti in Bharat and suggested the sevikas that how they can contribute here in Unitited Sates. She gave an example of Bhutanese refugees and the work done by Samiti for them. She also talk about development of cultural and family value among the teenagers here in the USA.

The varg ended with the Boudhik from Alka Tai in which she told us how we can incorporate sangh in our daily life and how to extend the work of samiti.

This was the first time i had attended any varg and it was a good learning and fun experience. Looking forward for more such varg wherein i can participate, learn and share my experience.
-Swati