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 2 0 0 6 , H o l l y A v e n u e , C o l u m b i a , M O 6 5 2 0 2 - 2 0 4 3

h t t p : / / s h a n t h i m a n d i r . m i s s o u r i . o r g ( 5 7 3 ) 8 1 4 - 1 2 8 6

Shanthi Sandesh

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3 A U G 2 0 0 8

T he lead article in this issue by Rajni Chandrasekhar

serves as a wonderful example of how internships can be a win-win opportunity in many ways. The summer internship creatively described through a “collection of blogs” represents (1) a remarkably productive use of the Rajni’s talent and time, (2) an invaluable “out-of-class-room” learning experience for the intern, (3) timely support for the host, Asha for Education, a US non-profit that has as it’s mission “to catalyze socio-economic

change in India through education of underprivileged children”, and (4) to the beneficiaries, Chandranagar Layout Government School and it’s students/teachers - financial and volunteer support to facilitate the education of “first generation learners” from underprivileged families. As educated, socially conscious, and well-to-do professionals, our Mandir community should be active in supporting and participating in such educational efforts locally in Columbia and globally

wherever we can make a positive impact. Do visit Rajni’s blogs at http://rajnisummer.blogspot.com/ for additional information, interesting facts and personal observations about this continuing project.

This issue also includes the second in the series of articles on the Bhagavad Gita by Saroj Mohanji focusing on Sankhya yoga. This school of Indian philosophy attributed to Sage Kapila relates to the 24 “tatwas” or “elements” of a transient nature (ones termed “unreal or illusionary” for their transitory nature as opposed to

Continued on Page 3

Message from the Executive Board

Images from an Indian Government School - Rajni Chandrasekhar Monday July 3, 2006

I 'm in Bangalore, at the home of Ramchandar

Krishnamurthy and his wife, Madhavi. This is the summer after my freshman year at Northwestern University. I will be an intern with Asha for Education, a nonprofit organization that works with and funds educational projects in India. I’m here for 7 weeks, and will be working in a nearby government school. My job is to get to know the school and conduct evaluations of students– and to manage with my minimal Kannada and have adventures along the way!

Thursday, July 06, 2006 First Trip to Chandranagar School

Today I went to Chandranagar school for the first time by myself. The slum that it is located in is a little difficult to navigate. I managed to flag down a rickshaw, pick the right side road and meander my way to the school.

The surrounding area has little shops and shacks along the dirt road, trash on the streets, and people sitting around or talking alongside. It was disturbing that small children

wander around without shoes on. Stray dogs just bask in the sun everywhere, and of course, cows search for scraps of food amongst the trash.

I spent an hour in a third grade classroom. They were learning about living and non-living things. I could understand the gist of the lesson, and even read a bit of Kannada. The classrooms have cement floors and blackboards. There are hand-

made posters on the walls with nursery rhymes, algebraic formulas (including the Pythagorean Theorem), and pictures of famous Indians. The teacher started the class with a

motivational song with hand gestures. I was worried that I would be a distraction, because the kids kept looking at me and trying to smile. But they were all attentive and doing well in class. Once the teacher stepped

out of the room, however, all havoc broke loose. The kids started running around chasing each other. Some

came up to me and started asking all kinds of questions in Kannada - I tried my best. They were giggling at me a lot (I'd be laughing too), but they were also very nice. After the lesson, before lunch, they took turns singing songs or doing little dances in front of the class. One rhyme about a "foreign lady" had little actions showing her as she grows up. First the foreign lady cries when she's a

Continued on Page 5

Images from an Indian Government School

1, 5

Death and Dying 2, 3

Congressional Academy 4

YouZeum Visit 6

Math Workshop Grows! 6

Bal Sandesh 7-10

Favorite Summer Camps 7

Book Review 8

Not Quite Freaks or Geeks

9

Art Workshop 9

Renaissance Festival 10

Shreemad Baghavad Gita 11

Know Your Voice 12

Wizardry Beyond Data 12

Yoga for a Better Living 12

Krishna Das Kirtan 13

Inside This Issue

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

D eath is a certainty and yet it is so surprising when it

happens. It is no secret that life is short and fleeting, and in this world nothing in creation is permanent or immortal. Birth and death are two sides of the same coin - life. And the coin always comes with two sides! This fundamental knowledge, however, seems to abandon us when a loved one dies and we are engulfed in grief and dejection.

Our mental anguish is not due to our ignorance of the imminent occurrence of death for everyone. It is created by our selfish expectations, emotional attachment and an unrealistic imagery that we frequently entertain of long term enjoyment of our life on earth. We go through this experience every time we attend a funeral. Depending upon our emotional connection with the departed we undergo a little or a great degree of distress which may or may not heal with time.

For our own good and spiritual well being the situation can be greatly different if we make a sincere effort to understand why we are so naturally plunged into intense churning of emotions and mental torment. For lasting impact this effort should be channeled in two stages. First, the phenomenon of death should be understood in the context of the bigger picture of cosmic creation and the nature of Atman. Second, we should explore if the death itself serves as a trigger for starting us on a new and meaningful path towards spiritual enlightenment.

It is essential to find knowledge and enlightenment which can make us understand the ultimate reality of life and death. We should remember the departed in light of this knowledge. We can begin to appreciate the significance of death and, therefore, birth, in the context of the Ultimate Truth.

No mortal can provide authoritative knowledge. No mortal can give us authentic or authoritative answers. Only God can guide us through this maze of ignorance, guide us from ignorance to enlightenment, and give us the solace we all need at a time like this. We can only ask God to explain to us the Maya of life and death and give us the emotional and spiritual strength to forge ahead. Fortunately for the entire mankind, Lord Krishna has revealed the Ultimate Truth in the Bhagavad Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless gift to the entire mankind inspired from the ultimate source of eternal knowledge, the Brahman. The Bhagavad Gita is the direct connection to God and here in the Bhagavad Gita we get all answers to all our questions. These answers heal and reveal, guide and grace, and console and enlighten us. The ephemeral nature of the physical body is cogently alluded to in the following sloka in the Bhagavad Gita.

Just as a person casts off worn-out garments and puts on others that are new, even so does the embodied soul; casting off worn-out bodies and taking on others that are new. Forms may change, things may come and go, but that which remains

behind them all is for ever. (Chapter ll.- Sloka 22)

Krishna's revelation is meant to make us realize the fleeting significance of our mortal bodies and more significantly endeavor to recognize the eternal nature of our `being'. Unfortunately, we are entirely captivated by our own intense attachment to people and the material world that we are firmly convinced that our `ego' is the summum bonum of existence and there is nothing beyond. It is this attitude that pervades everything we do and think in our life. Understandably, this body-centered abrogation of `divinity' within us wreaks havoc in our- life.

True to its nature, the ego thrives on emotional attachment, insecurity, fear and vanity. What it considers as happiness is predicated upon its own definition of happiness based on what can satisfy its desires and-expectations. The ego builds castles out of fervent desires and when death takes away the potential actualization of these desires the blow becomes too hard to bear. Anything that destabilizes this self-centered edifice invariably causes emotional distress and anger. When death occurs we are enormously busy with managing our fears and emotions. However, we miss the lesson. Although during the funeral we always focus on the `death' of the loved one it also presents an opportunity for spiritual awakening which, unfortunately, is entirely ignored. Strange as it

may seem, death of a person should encourage `dying' in us; the dying of

attachment and ignorance. Death is the demise of the physical body, understandably accompanied by upwelling of sorrow and emotional turbulence. The knowledge that the life has come to an

Continued on Page 3

Death and Dying A Time for Inspiration, Love, and Spiritual Awakening

Dr. G. Lakshman

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever

Mahatma Gandhi

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

the “real” or permanence of the “supreme being”). The article by G. Lakshman, on “Death and Dying - A Time for Inspiration, Love and Spiritual Awakening” expounds on this very theme of the temporal nature of the “physical body” and the eternal nature of our “being”, again using lessons from the Bhagavad Gita. These two articles are thought provoking and get us to think of our “being” in a much larger context of space and time. In a world clouded with “to do” lists and the next deadlines to attend to, it is necessary for us to make time from the “here and now” to refreshingly view the “forest” and not just the “trees”.

Adithi details in her article a new US Department of Education sponsored summer workshop opportunity for high school juniors interested in American history and civics called Congressional Academy. This selective, two-week, fully-paid, workshop offers a wonderful opportunity for high-schoolers to learn about the significant events in American history and to visit associated locations while receiving 3-hours of college credit for the effort.

On another note, the HTCC Youth Activities Committee has had a busy summer with numerous successful workshops as detailed in this issue in several news stories and pictures. These include: Know Your Voice, Wizardry Beyond Data, Math Workshop, Art Workshop and Yoga for Better Living. The annual tennis competition is slated for early fall. The Youth Activities Committee is feverishly planning for the HTCC Youth Day to be held on August 30 at the Dexheimer shelter of the Cosmopolitan Park in conjunction with Bal Sabha and Bal Puja picnics. A notice of the event along with a list contact persons if you would like

to help out with the organization is included on Page 13.

Over the summer we also completed the repair and maintenance work at the Mandir that started in June with the replacement of Transite siding from the older front portion of the Mandir with new vinyl siding. The asbestos inspection of the building completed at the same time brought to our attention acoustic ceiling tiles in the hallway and the vinyl flooring in the service room (under the carpet) that contained asbestos. These have since been removed by the same qualified contractor and replaced with new ceiling tiles and a new vinyl service room flooring. The “asbestos-abatement” certificate expected shortly from the inspector will serve us well as we plan ahead to accommodate the growth in our programs and services. We greatly appreciate your understanding and patience during these summer repair projects.

Earlier this month, Shanthi Mandir played host to The Flow of Grace - A Kirtan by Krishna Das. The event, organized on August 2, by Ginny Morgan with support from many volunteers including some HTCC members brought to the Mandir over 140 local and out-of-town devotees. Participants came from as far as Little Rock, Arkansas. There were many in attendance from St. Louis and other communities around Columbia. Krishna Das held the group spell-bound for over two hours with his inspirational singing. He was accompanied by a talented team of instrumentalists which included a guitarist, a violinist and a tabla player. On the hot day, even the groaning Mandir air conditioner could not put a damper on the enthusiasm and energy of those participating in the chant-along session.

The Yoga class conducted by Kate Walker at Shanthi Mandir, effective it’s 9th session beginning on August 23, will meet

on Saturdays at 10:00 - 11:30 am. This new time caters to the convenience of all the participants and the instructor. Should you be interested in joining the group, please contact Visala (573) 446-1962 or Kate (573) 657-9277 as soon as possible. Please also see the notice for this offering on Page 14.

Our Devotional Programs Committee is getting ready for the busy fall festival season. Janmashtami jump-starts the festival season on Saturday, August 23. We have devotional programs organized by our youth as well as adult members as detailed in the notice on Page 13. The program starts at 6:30 pm and runs just past midnight and includes the outdoor enactment of “maakhan chori” by Bala Krishna and his “cohorts in mischief”. Please assist the organizers by volunteering to help with the devotional program and/or the Prasad dinner planned for the celebration.

The Ganesh Chaturthi Puja on September 6, marks the start of our fourth year at Shanthi Mandir. The Mid-Missouri Marathi Mandal has again volunteered to take a lead in helping organize the puja for this anniversary event. We will be making our Ganesh idol on Sunday, August 31 at the Mandir at 10:00 am. Please join us.

Thanks to the unstinting support of our members and volunteers we have come a long way in these three formative years. Ganesha is truly “Vignanashaka! As we begin to deliberate in earnest our growth for the future, we hope that you will remain actively engaged in providing your valuable input, volunteer services and generous financial support for our collective vision.

See you at the Mandir!☯

Vellore S. Gopalaratnam Inder Khurana Visala Palaniappan Anuradha Rajagopalan

Message from the Executive Board Continued from Page 1

Death and Dying Continued from Page 2 irrevocable end should acutely drive the mind into spiritual introspection. This inward exploration, presumably for answers, will eventually spawn a gradual but definite shift towards the `inner divinity'. This is the dawn of awakening. The Katopanishad exhorts us to be dazzled by the brilliance of ever present, all pervasive Atman

Thus the Atman is smaller than the smallest atom and greater than the cosmos and is present in the heart of every creature. One who is free from the cravings of the ego will understand the Atman and upon acquiring the purity and transparency of the senses and the mind will realize the glory of the Atman. Such a person will be free from all grief. This profound thought continues further in the next sloka, thus.

The wise will realize the Atman as the bodiless in the embodied, changeless in all changeful entities, infinite and all

pervading, and becomes free from grief. Death of a physical body exemplifies the

evanescent and transient nature of our attachment. It is an occasion for a deeper introspection for relief from such episodic emotional trauma, This can only be achieved through an understanding of the spiritual basis of life. The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads are quite eloquent about the true nature of death and-the bondage that the ego brings about in our life.

Death of a physical body engenders a quest for answers and, therefore, the beginning of a `dying' process for the bondage and ignorance. Death, after all, is a great teacher☯

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

I have long fostered a thirst to understand the hallmarks of

the human past, for it is a critical understanding of history that informs our present-day decisions, and thus, shapes our future as a nation, as individuals, and as responsible world citizens. The analytical study of history helps clarify and enrich our present lives and our prospects for the future; it helps us to learn from our mistakes, inspires us to progress, shows us the successes and failures of leadership, and presents to us examples to emulate or avoid. American history goes further: it provides for us a common experience that ties together our diverse peoples and nascent culture into a cohesive nation.

The Congressional Academy was my opportunity to explore American history and to examine the insights a study of the American past has to offer to discussions of modern law, economics, and political philosophy. A program developed to give insight to rising high school seniors in the areas of American history and civics, the Congressional Academy launched its first annual two-week session earlier this summer, paid for by the US Department of Education, and organized through Ashland University. I was one of the two students from Missouri selected to attend the Academy, and over the two weeks I spent in Washington DC, I was immersed in the evolving political and social thought of the Founding, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement.

The Academy’s focus on the Founding Era encouraged students to discuss the state of man in nature and also the function of any government. We analyzed the political philosophies of John Locke, examining natural rights and the capability of man for self-

government – much as the Founders had over 200 years ago – and studied the Declaration of Independence with those principles in mind. In addition, we tackled the issues of centralized power and representative government that, when resolved, formed the structure for our fledgling government.

We moved on to address the Founding principles in the context of the Civil War, trying both to understand the Southern perspective, as well as to assess the validity of the sometimes contradictory calls for the abolition of slavery in the North. Students discussed the arguments for secession and debated the nature of the Constitution as either a pro- or anti-slavery document in the vein of differing views of prominent abolitionists. We finally examined Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address not only for its artistic merit, but also for its heavy basis in the ideas of the American founding and its implications for the future of American political and social harmony and strife.

The Academy’s final period of study was the Civil Rights Movement, in which we examined the cause for racial equality and the arguments of

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. We analyzed the tension between liberty and equality and the differing means

the two leaders called for toward a similar end, particularly to put their arguments in the context of both the American legal precedent and the struggle and upheaval of the time.

The Congressional Academy was not only a fantastic experience in the classroom that provided the students with

a wealth of primary texts and student-driven discourse, but also an amazing opportunity to visit several historically and politically significant sites. We took in the sights and sounds of Washington DC and parts of Virginia, as well as Philadelphia and Gettysburg; visiting these locations not only served to solidify the concepts we covered in our classes, but also worked to provide us with a deeper understanding of the circumstances of the history we studied and the reality of what actually occurred at each and every place as cannot be fully described in a classroom alone.

The Academy was an academically, politically, and socially enriching experience, and it was a memorable opportunity that highlighted the significance of understanding the American past as relevant to the modern world☯

Congressional Academy - Aditi Vellore, Hickman High School

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…

Gettysburg November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

baby, puts on lipstick, gets married, etc. etc. The funniest part was when she got old, and then, what she looks like when she's dead!

Monday, July 10, 2006 Dog Dog Goose

Today I spent a lot of time with the seventh graders. They were playing games, so I decided to teach them "Duck, Duck, Goose." I managed enough Kannada words and gestures, so they all got the gist of the game. The funny thing was, the kids couldn't really understand my accent, so they’d say "dog" instead of "duck" as they tapped each other's heads. They all kept picking me to run around the circle!

During lunch, I wanted to take pictures, and before I knew it, every kid in the school was swarming at me. I kept trying to move backwards so I could fit more kids in the frame, but they kept running up and shouting and getting really excited.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Corporal Punishment in Schools

I sat in on the fourth standard class today, which has forty plus students all squashed in rows. The class had a student teacher, who couldn't have been much older than me. Teachers often carry a wooden stick to wave around. This particular teacher was overactive with her cane. Sometimes it seemed that she would randomly make the kids put out their hands to be hit. The pain on their faces is visible afterwards, the kids often blowing on their hands, wincing, or even pulling their hands away before a blow. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. Sometimes the teacher would make students discipline one another, such as calling one child to hold another child’s nose, and slap both of his cheeks. The kids were hit on the hands if they didn't do their homework, or if they left it at home. The discipline didn't really seem to have much of an effect on the children--they still got out of hand. If anything, it just served as a moment of humiliation.

I started feeling nauseous, so I went to talk to the headmistress, Padmaja. From what I've seen, she sometimes hits a child on the shoulder playfully, but never uses a stick. She says her other teachers don't

really do much either, but that maybe this student teacher uses the stick because she doesn't know how to assert her authority otherwise.

Friday, July 28, 2006 Reprise on Corporal Punishment

This morning Ram and I went to the school with other Asha volunteers to talk about corporal punishment. Ram started off talking about the roots of India's freedom movement, and Gandhi's struggle for independence through non-violence, and

that violence rarely solves anything, usually just perpetuates more violence. The teachers were pretty quiet, hesitant to speak up on the obviously touchy subject. We all suggested ways of handling discipline in the classroom, but Ram

and I made it absolutely clear that hitting children is unacceptable, even as a last resort. I talked about things our teachers did at my elementary school. The teachers brought up the difficulty of handling children who had abusive home lives. We tried to explain that the school should be a safe haven --where children are treated with respect and are taught to treat others with respect. After all, schools don't just foster learning, but also set an example in terms of values.

Of course, none of the teachers admitted to using force as a learning tool, but said that they occasionally used it if children were rowdy or behaving badly. I hope this meeting reinforced the idea that violence is not okay, and that other alternatives should be used to maintain order and discipline.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006 Peek-chars

I also made a discovery yesterday. Ram always complains about the government-provided lunches not having any vegetables or nutrients. Yesterday the kids had rice and sambar. After lunch, I noticed little piles of vegetables nicely distributed throughout the schoolgrounds. I even had a piece of squash land on my arm: some kid from upstairs probably chucked it off their plate (whom am I kidding? They probably

meant to throw it at me). So yeah. kids all over the world hate their vegetables....even if they are malnourished.

Today was the beginning of classroom competitions. Kids recite stuff, answer questions, or do "action songs" and dances in class. The best students are given prizes at the Independence Day celebrations (August 15th). Some of them were SO funny...in the 3rd grade, the girls were getting up and singing their little songs, and it was just hilarious to watch them try to shake their hips and do the dance movements. One girl did the "Foreign Lady" action song except she thought "foreign lady" was "firen gory." So she kept singing "Firen gory! Firen gory!" etc. etc. I was literally in hysterics and the teacher kept trying to correct her, but she wouldn't have it.

The 7th standard kids had to draw topics out of a hat and then stand in front of the class and talk about them. The one in front of the blackboard is Selvakumar. He is really hyper and wants to do electric work when he grows up. And he wants to name his shop "Padmaja Electrics," after the headmistress….

Thursday, August 17, 2006 The End

I'm going to try and not be cheesy in my last entry from India. This trip would not have been remotely as fantastic had I not been living with Ram and Madhavi. They

took on the risk of having a complete stranger stay with them, and I'm grateful for their hospitality. Both treated me like an adult, which doesn't happen regularly! So thanks to Madhavi and Ram for the good times-- discussions on everything, multiple trips to FabIndia, the continuous supply of chapatis and coffee, introduction to books and musicians, and our plans to create a device that can automatically shut off temple loudspeakers. Nale varsha, anyone?

Epilogue Staying in India is addictive. I returned

the following year for six more weeks, and expanded the number of schools where I completed my evaluations. And I got to travel to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. I hope to go back and work for a longer period when I finish my undergraduate degree.

If you enjoyed these excerpts, you can read more and in greater detail on my blog: http://rajnisummer.blogspot.com/ ☯

Images from an Indian School Continued from Page 1

Asha for Education is a secular organization dedicated to change in India by focusing on basic education in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change. Visit them at http://www.ashanet.org/ for further information.

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

B al sabha children visited YouZeum on Saturday,

June 28th , 2008. They spent approximately 2½ hours learning about human body, benefits of healthy diet exercise and prevention of common diseases. The trip to YouZeum was not only informative, but

also very enlightening and entertaining. There is something for everyone and seemed like everyone who attended came out a little more knowledgeable about the human body.

After the YouZeum visit the kids and adults spend a little time at the nearby park where

they shared refreshments and camaraderie. All had a good time. We look forward to another such trip in the future.

Thank you all who attended the YouZeum trip and thank you Anjna for making this trip possible for everyone☯

YouZeum Visit - Ravi Thawani, Bal Sabha President

Pictures from Bal Sabha organized YouZeum visit. The mission of the YouZeum is to improve personal, family and community health by reaching a large, diverse audience with an engaging approach to health education.

Math Workshop Grows in Demand!

Continuing the tradition of the last several years, the Math Workshop at the Mandir has become immensely popular among kids and parents alike - thanks in large part to Ashok Cutkosky’s enthusiasm and effort. Due to an overwhelming number of requests for similar opportunity for younger kids, this year we arranged for a concurrent “Junior Math Workshop as well. Besides providing administrative support for the Math Workshop Hema Srinivasan took on the task of teaching the juniors. The interactive nature of the instruction and the tips and tricks to problem solving techniques was greatly appreciated by the participants. Thank you Ashok and Hema!

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

The end of summer brings many things. Cool weather, Krishna Jayanthi, Raksha Bandhan, new school year and new beginnings. We also have articles describing summer camps, stories, book reviews and picnics in this issue. As always, please continue to submit articles to your Bal Sandesh all through the year. We wish you all a very exciting new school year☯

Newsletter of Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO August 2008

EDITOR’S NOTE President

Ravi Thawani

Vice President Varsha Pherwani

Secretary/Tresasurer Manjula Narasimhan

Cultural Secretary Anjna Sethi

Bal Sandesh Coordinator Hema Srinivasan

Bal Sabha Officers

Bal Sabha Kudos

I ’ve been to four different camps this summer but the following two are my

favorites. I am writing about what I did at these camps and my most memorable experiences there. Alpaca Camp

Alpaca Camp is a camp for kids who love animals and nature. In this camp you learn about Alpacas and how to take care of them. This camp is a day camp at Rocheport. It is on an Alpaca farm. I learnt lifelong skills such as spinning weaving and more. I also learnt about plants and how to dye with a certain plant. There are not only Alpacas on this farm there are also some other furry little animals. The Camp Activities

I had to bring my own lunch and everyday they provided popsicles for everyone to eat during the day. Things that I did in this camp include doing a weaving project (you can make a shawl or a bag or belt depending on the number of times you have been to the camp), spinning your own Alpaca yarn to take home, taking care of Alpacas, going on a hike in the woods, and

more! It can be a bit buggy and hot so you have to be sure to put on sunscreen and bug spray. And because of this the most

unpleasant activity was when we came back from the hike to pick off the many ticks all over us. If you like nature as much as I do you would find this camp to be fun and exciting too. I’m probably going to go next year and I hope to see you there too!

College for Kids Camp If you are looking for a camp to go to, I

would recommend College for Kids. To enroll in this camp you must be going to EEE or you must be recommended by your teacher and score high in the Cognitive Ability Test (CAT) conducted in your school. It’s a fun and a great experience. You stay overnight at Fulton in dorms at (this year) William Woods University, for 6 days and 5 nights. You have a roommate that you can choose if your friend is going too or you can let it be a surprise. The Camp Activities

There are many fun activities such as a Continued on Page 8

My Favorite Summer Camps - 2008 Suryanshi Rawat, Gentry Middle School

“Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.”

Samuel Ullman

Math Problem F ive pirates have to divide up 100 gold

coins. The pirates have a strict ranking order (captain, first mate etc). Each pirate in turn will propose a deal for diving the coins, with the captain going first. After each proposal, all the pirates, including the one who made the proposal, vote on the deal. If the deal does not receive a majority of the votes, the pirates mutiny and kill the person who proposed the deal. Thus whoever is proposing a deal at the moment is the highest ranking living pirate. The pirates are flawlessly logical. Also, each pirate will act in such a manner as to first preserve his own life, then to get as much gold as possible, and finally to kill as many other pirates as possible. What do you think happens? Answers will be provided in the next issue

T his issue of BalSandesh says good bye to three of our graduating seniors,

Sheila Lal, Vidya Mantrala and Ajay Nair. Sheila gave the graduation speech for Rockbridge High School, a transcript of which appears in this issue. Ajay is going to Carnegie Mellon University to study Robotics. Vidya Mantrala also did an Arangetram, her Bharata Natyam debut, along with graduation this year. She is going on to the University of Minnesota to study Engineering. Bal Sandesh wishes them good luck in College and Beyond☯

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

talent show, a pizza party, Renaissance and more! You have some choices of classes to take - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. When filling the enrollment application you fill 4 choices each for the morning and afternoon classes in the order of your preference/priority. If you send the enrollment sheet in early you would have a better chance of getting your first choice than if you sent it later. The classes are about three hours long each and you have a short break in between. There is some spare time when you may buy snacks and candy with some money that you can

choose to bring. Your parents and family members can choose to send you packages and letters while you are there and you can bring things to camp to send them letters too. But when you receive your letter or package you have to do something really weird like sing or dance in front of everybody else but not alone. The food is good and there are many

healthy choices. And even while you eat there’s some fun things going on that helps you learn table manners. My favorite part of College for Kids was when we had this huge ice cream fight. (We had to wear our swimsuits). First we ate some ice-cream (with our hands) then we started running around and

screaming throwing sprinkles, ice-cream, and chocolate syrup, at everybody! Then to get clean we had a fire truck hose us off with a hose so big that it looked like it was raining!

College for Kids was a great experience and I will probably go next year as well! I hope that after reading this article you have started thinking about joining me too next summer!☯

My Favorite Continued from Page 7

Q uoting Bonnon, “In Shkoder, eventually

everything comes down to the bards.” The bards are essential to the running of the kingdom. Their ability to sing a request to the kigh (or spirits) has helped save many lives and made life pleasanter for several people in the kingdom. They bring messages from anyone who wishes to the ruling monarch, as well as any sign of discontent. Training has made it so that they can repeat a conversation exactly how they heard it. And more importantly, most bards have a craving for adventure, or in their point of view, more stories. Several years ago, the young princess Annice decided she wanted to be a bard and she was in all rights to want it. She could sing all four quarters of kigh (air, water, fire, and earth) and the kigh, recognizing this, wouldn’t leave her alone. A little before her fathers death, her brother Theron, who was soon to be king, was thinking of

marrying her off, and told her so. Furious, she made her father say otherwise before he died and made her brother look a fool. Not able to deny his fathers last wish, but angry at Annice, Theron puts on the hardest conditions he can think of. He denies her the right to have

children on pain of death and says she’s no longer part of the family. Annice agrees to them. In the self-righteous anger the conditions didn’t seem so bad, but later, grown, she found it hard to keep to them. When she finds out she’s pregnant she

wants to stay that way, and won’t kill her unborn child, especially not to please her brother. To make matters worse, the child’s father, Pjerin, duke over the area around the pass, is accused of treason. Annice never liked him much; he’s really handsome but is as arrogant as herself, she knows that he couldn’t do it. However, when tested with the bardic truth command, he condemns

himself. While rescuing him is the last thing she wants to do, she has to do it, and together they have to find out who really is the one trying to take over Shkoder. This book is the first of the Quarters novels. The second and third tells the story of Vree, a one time assassin in the Havalkeen empire’s army. It also tells of Kars, an old necromancer who’s incredibly lonely and still kills people even though he realizes that even the dead eventually leave him, Gyhard, a man scared of death, who found a way to leap bodies when he’s about to die and who still feels guilty for pushing Kars into insanity, and Bonnon, Vree’s brother, who gets his body stolen by Gyhard in the second book and, by riding in Vree’s mind, has it back by the third. The fourth tells of a story of the only nonconfident bard and his attempts to avoid being used as a political tool while being the lone survivor of an exploration voyage to unknown lands. He tries to behave by the ethnics of a Shkoder bard, but with no way home and his powers foolishly revealed, he might have to use them to do what no good person would, or suffer the consequences☯

Book Review - Maya Cutkosky, West Junior High School

The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you're learning you're not old.

Anonymous

P A G E 9 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

R aise your hand if you’ve heard of Judd Apatow.

Okay, raise your hand if you’ve heard of The 40 Year Old Virgin or Superbad.

I’m sure many of you think that The 40year old Virgin was Apa-tow’s first venture, but his styles and subject matter have been around for awhile. In 1999 he produced a TV show called Freaks and Geeks, the premise revolved around the story of the main character, Lindsey Weir, who during her sophomore year of high school, suddenly changes cliques from the more aca-demic minded students to the Freaks. This conversion leads to several problematic perceptions and situations, which in the end severely changes the characters’ relationships.

When I first saw this show junior year, the one thing that struck me was my inabil-ity to relate to the staunch division lines that separated each clique from another at Lindsey’s high school.

Just like every other school, we have cliques. In fact, we have many cliques. We’re clicking right along, and it’s natural for people to run in packs.

Over the past three years, I’ve noticed how cliques defined each class that has passed through our hallways. Sometimes stubbornness and overconfidence hinders our ability to move past stereotypes, but in the time that we have moved from insecure sophomores to more assured seniors, it seems that our class has become the most fluid.

I can walk through the hallways and see seemingly defined groups. I say seemingly because several days later, I can walk through the same hallways and see these

same groups fused with people with whom they would not stereotypically befriend.

I’ve seen people from the art group leave their beloved art room to hang out with groups ranging from the Zombie Defense

League, to the journalism kids, to cheerleaders. I’ve seen band kids put down their instruments and spend their AUTs with AP kids, swim-mers, and theater kids. We’ve somehow been able to remove the negative connota-tions that classify cliques into such narrow scopes as Freaks and Geeks and we’ve decided that our common associations are more interesting and inclu-sive because inevitably we are

all going to associate with each other. The ease with which our different social,

academic and extracurricular circles over-lap both amazes and excites me.

Our class has the uncanny ability to morph into whatever our surroundings dic-tate, which shows that our tolerances and interests are growing.

This has clearly been an advantage here in high school, but our world is starting to depend on those who are comfortable around others as well.

Our world is shrinking and with the ad-vent of instant communication, global inter-action has become virtually spontaneous. Mergers between Chinese and Venezuelan business occur in minutes even when the two are in their respective countries.

American doctors use Indian technicians to interpret patient data during the doctors’ night, while the Western Hemisphere sleeps, and this has led to more effective use of time and resources.

When Cyclone Nargis hit Burma several weeks ago, the media relayed the latest

information about the situation and brought to light the apparent totalitarian actions of that military regime to people across the world. Without an interconnected free press, many governments and citizens would not know about the suffering. And help, in the form of aid or intervention, would not come.

All of these events depend on people who are able to communicate with different people no matter their background or per-sonal experience.

If this is what our world needs now, what is it going to need in the future? As the world gets smaller, its inhabitants will be-come closer. We, class of 2008, are ahead of the curve; our circles are already over-lapping.

I know social change can be difficult, but our class transcends that. We make it look easy, feeling comfortable around each other in our diverse and unique qualities.

Freaks, geeks, beauty queens, jocks…these terms are seldom part of our vocabu-lary.

This blending is what is going to propel us to our futures as people who stop to notice a new approach or unique perspec-tive; as people who look for the joining of new ideas, and as people who listen for the differing opinion.

We are one of many classes who learned to cross the street with stop, look, and listen, but we are the class who will continue to cross continents and cultures putting this philosophy into practice.

Congratulations on who you are and who we are becoming. I think we are going to be very good citizens of our world.

Editor’s Note: Sheela Lal will be going to MU next fall as a Honors College student. She is planning on majoring in Economics and International Studies with a minor in South Asian Studies☯

NOT QUITE FREAKS OR GEEKS - Sheela Lal, Rock Bridge High School

A rts and crafts aren't just limited to a specific age group because on July

26th at 3:00 p.m. kids and adults of all ages came to the mandir to learn the art of rubber stamping and embossing. We started out the workshop by choosing cards, gift tag and bookmarks in the colors that we wanted.

Our first project was greeting cards. The first step to this process was selecting a theme for the card, and once we had done that we chose various stamps and colored ink pads to create the basis of the card. Following that, we chose sparkly embossing powder that would best complement our stamp and we applied it to the card and later solidified it with a heating

device resembling a hair dryer. We used this same process for the gift tags but we also learned to emboss the sides with gold ink pad giving it a more refined and classy look. To achieve this, we simply ran the

edges through a color ink pad and then again heated it up to make it permanent. Our last project was the bookmark to which we applied our recently learned knowledge of stamping and embossing and we learned how to add texture to this book. To add color to white bookmarks, we used foundation sponges to dab on color and then laid the bookmark on a texturized plate and rubbed it with a special texture utensil to give it the same subtle texture. In the end, all of us learned how to

emboss, create sophisticated edges, and texturize stationery and this will be a skill that can be used to recreate card stock time and time again☯

Art Workshop - Anchal Sethi, West Junior High School

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

Editorial Staff Phone E-Mail Ashok Cutkosky 445-2854 asho44124k@yahoo.com Maya Cutkosky 445-2854 Chaitasi Naik chaitasinaik@hotmail.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

O ne warm summer day in June we went to Jefferson

City to see the Renaissance Festival. It was at the Binder Lake. At the entrance of the Binder Lake we parked our van and caught a bus arranged by the park and recreation to the entrance of the festival. To go inside we took a golf cart. It was my first time to ride a golf cart. It was very much fun.

We saw a king and a queen story tellers, and knights, fairies, jugglers, magicians, and

dancers at the festival. We saw two ladies in their wonderful costumes fighting with umbrellas. They had lot of fun activities for us to do like design your own boomerangs, wooden snakes, plastic rings, fairy wands, art sand

bottle, key chain, foam bookmarks, and bracelet. My sister was very happy to make her own fairy wand with which she made my dad and mom into a frog. Fortunately we had

another wand of mine which turned them back to our mom and dad. My dad said there are shows for us to watch.

We saw jousting knights It was awesome. We cheered our knights. They were wearing masks made out of steel. They had a fencing match between them. Then I heard that there a magic show was about to start, so we went to see it. It was cool! We stayed for a juggling show. At the end of the show the jugglers included the audience in their act. After watching all the shows we went to have fun for ourselves by playing all the games from days-past. They included highland game, deck the duke, storm the castle, giant chess, castle jump house, crow’s nest, slay the dragon, seize the treasure, rat dungeon, castle frog moat, ring

toss, ball maze etc. My sister and I played every game and won some prizes like swords, pirate eye patch, lots of precious stone rings, plush toy rubber ducky etc etc.

At the end of the day the king and queen started to travel to the next city and all their groups

said bye to us and asked us to come next year to the same place. When we were about to leave one lady asked us to blow bubbles and she magically turned our bubbles into marbles. Then we visited this

little fairy place and got a dragons tear. From there we went to our friends house and had a lot of fun. We played basketball and frisbee. It was a wonderful trip for us. I hope we will visit next year too with my friends and family☯

Renaissance Festival - Naimish Balaji, Paxton Keely Elementary School

D o you know this year Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) was celebrated on 16th of Aug. The day is celebrated with sister's tying rakhi on their brother's wrist, performing arti and also praying for

their long life. In turn, brothers vow to protect their sisters and come for their rescue in times of need. In Indian tradition the frail thread of Rakhi is considered stronger than iron chains as it binds brothers and sisters in an inseparable bond of love and trust. This custom has been there since time immemorial☯

Clouds - Surreal reality! Photo: Suryanshi Rawat Gentry Middle School

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

T he second beautiful blossom of the bouquet of the Bhagavad Gita has

been described by Shri Vinoba Bhave as Sankhya Budhee; we know it as Sankhya yoga. It is a chapter that is essentially a summary of the entire Gita.

Classical Sankhya yoga describes in detail 24 Tattwas or elements which are deemed to be perishable and transient. It also describes a 25th element known as the Paramaatma or the Self which is immortal, eternal, and non-dual.

In the very beginning of this second chapter, Krishna tells Arjuna that the Aatma is eternal whereas Jeevatma (loosely translated as life in general), this creation, this cosmic world is perishable and transient. He suggests that the art of living in this world is by maintaining Dharma and refraining from Adharma by doing one's duties according to Swadharma which is inherent nature. The theme and teaching of Gita is to know this great Reality and do the duties of life or Swadharma with love and without desires for the fruits of actions. This is the art of living.

Now we go back to our story. Arjuna is sitting in the chariot utterly dejected and smitten with grief at the prospect of killing his near and dear ones. According to Sanjaya (the narrator/counsel of King Dhritraashtra), seeing Arjuna full of tears, choking with pain and grief, insane with the love and attachment for his kin, Bhagavan Krishna says to him, "O! Arjuna! How can you be so smitten with attachment and deep grief at this improper time and place? It is not done by a respectable warrior like you. It is improper, destroyer of the Swarga (heaven) and uncharacteristic for a royal warrior like you. O! Paartha1, do not be overwhelmed by unmanly cowardliness, it does not become you, O! Paramtapah,2 renounce this weakness of your emotional heart and Get Up."

Arjuna replies," O! Madhusoodana, (destroyer of attachments) in this battle field, how can I pierce the bodies of my beloved grandfather Bhishma and revered Guru Dronacharya by my sharp arrows? They are both respected and worshipped by me. It is better to be a beggar than to kill my kin. Besides I do not see any good

resulting from killing them. I could not enjoy the kingdom and pleasures of life, soaked in the blood of my revered ones. I do not know if I should or should not fight our kin, or who will win this war. I would not want to live after killing my near and dear ones. He continues, "Struck by cowardliness and deluded in mind as to what is right and what is wrong, I ask you to please tell me what is the best for me as I am your student, therefore teach me. I surrender myself at your feet."

Sanjaya reported to King Dhritraashtra that Arjuna said to Bhagavan Krishna, referring to him as Gudakesh (the conqueror of sleep) "O! Govinda, I will not fight" and becomes silent.

The transient and mortal Jeevaatma, this creation:

To the deluded and pain stricken Arjuna in the middle of the battle field, Bhagavan Krishna laughing gently says, “to grieve over those not worth grieving for, as well as talking about detachment is not suitable. The wise or Panditah neither grieve for those who are dead and gone nor do they grieve for those who are not dead and gone." He thus suggests that self realized souls do not grieve for transient worldly things. He continues, "there was not a time when I was not here nor will there be a time when you will be not be here. Similarly there was not a time when these kings were not here and will not be a time, when they will not be here again." The circle of life and death, creation and destruction is ever happening. The imperishable, immortal Self or Paramaatma is ever existent and

perishable, mortal Jeevatmaa is ever in the cycle of life and death. Knowing this Reality, it is worthless to grieve over such a matter. Knowing this truth is liberation and wisdom. Many believe that this is the beginning of the real teachings of the Gita.

In verse thirteen Bhagavan Krishna explains that just as in a Jeevaatma there is childhood, youth and finally old age; similarly in every body, there is a beginning and an end. In observing the change of the body, wise ones do not get deluded by attachment." O! son of Kunti, heat and cold and the pleasures and pain experienced by sense organs are transient, perishable and short lived so just endure them, knowing them as such. The one who is not upset and disturbed by the actions and reactions of sense organs and their stimulants is indeed the Dheer Purush or the man of equal state of mind. Only he is suitable for liberation."

In verse sixteen, Bhagavan Krishna talks about, dual transient elements Asat and non-dual, immortal, imperishable Sat. He explains that there is no lack of Sat or existence ever and there is no existence of Asat at all. Thus seeing and observing both of them together, a wise one or Vigyani does not get perturbed. Bhagavan Krishna explains this point in many ways. "Know that this whole world and creation is perishable and transient. Also understand this that there is no one who can destroy the imperishable, immutable, ever existent Reality, the Paramaatma, which is all pervasive. Know that all the bodies of Jeevas are perishable but the Atma is immortal and immeasurable.”

He continues, "O! Arjuna, get up and fight. The one who thinks that he is a killer (of Atma) and the other who thinks that he has killed, they both are ignorant because they do not know that there is neither a killer nor a killed."

He continues in verse nineteen. “In fact all happens according to Divine will; bodies are only instrumental in doing things. Bodies only die and change, the inherent soul is immortal"☯

This series of articles on the Bhagavad Gita will be continued in future issues of Shanthi Sandesh.

Shreemad Bhagavad Gita - Part 2 - Saroj Mohan

Every duty is holy, and devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of God.

Swami Vivekananda

1 Paartha means the son of Pritha. The latter was the name of Arjuna's mother. Paartha also means the one who is stuck in transient, perishable worldly emotion. It is only in the lower or dual state of consciousness, when we cling to duality and deluding attachments of the world. 2 To uplift him from the emotional mire, Krishna immediately calls him Paramtapah, which means the one who has done a lot of Tapasya or austerities and is very powerful. He encourages Arjuna to let go his emotional weakness and get up to fight.

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

Know your voice - Nandu Radhakrishnan

H TCC “Youth Committee” organized a yoga workshop

for youth from 28th July to 1st August. The workshop was well attended by several children and adults. During this workshop principles of the eight fold path or “Ashtanga Yoga” were expounded. The participants were exposed to all the three aspects of Yoga which include asanas (physical poses), pranayamas (breathing/energy control) and meditation.

This workshop, led by Mrs. Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary, was a

hands on workshop where the participants were led through a series of asanas with emphasis of correct breathing techniques (Poorak, Kumbhak, Rechak and Shunayak). The participants learned various basic asanas such as Tada asana (I-IV), Kona

asana (I and II), Utkata asana, Pad hasta asana, Bhujang asana, Pavan mukta asana, Vraksha asana, Dhanur asana, Vakra asana and others. They also learned various sitting postures that are helpful in meditation- such as Sukhaasana and Vajra asana followed by Yoga Mudra. They also learned Tratak the eye exercise. Every session began with the Chants of “OM” and ended with the all time favorite asana the “Shav asana”☯

Yoga for a Better Living - Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary

A workshop on understanding voice

production and learning better techniques towards a healthy voice was offered by Nandhu Radhakrishnan on behalf of the Youth Activities Committee. Seven participants explored their voice at different ranges. The group met for 5 sessions and worked on vocal techniques that aimed at improving resonance and quality of voice. Some of the members were hesitant to demonstrate these exercises but they quickly realized the positive changes it brought in their voice. Arun Jain, one of the participants says, "I had very little idea in the beginning on what Anjali and I were getting into, but Nandhu's Voice Class turned out to be a wonderful experience and very insightful on how we can improve our voice by simple habits and exercises". This crash course on vocal enhancement had very few

technical details but focused more on easy exercises like yawning, humming etc that were fun to do as a group. "The classes were structured nicely and I was never bored with the material covered. The exercises assigned by our teacher were fun to do. Before taking this class, I had never considered doing exercises that would improve my voice." Says Arjun Khurana.

The group was instructed that the exercises may give instant benefits but long term effects would be seen only if practice was kept up. Nidhi Khurana realizes that it is hard to be disciplined and do the exercises regularly but she hopes to add them to her daily routine. Though the course was

not intended to relate voice production to any specific culture or religion, the importance of chanting was discussed. "An added gratification was the connection with the Divine reciting OM - the fundamental sound of the universe" says Arun Jain.

The group plans to meet later for a follow-up and record post

exercise voice measures. Nandhu thinks that education on voice production is a must for

everyone who rely on their voice for a living. It is mandatory for adolescents both boys and girls who undergo a change in voice during puberty. Nandhu plans to offer this course again next summer☯

T en middle-schoolers are participating in this

continuing workshop. The group has meet several times at the Mandir and once in the Structural Engineering laboratory at MU to learn about different types of data, and ways to analyze and present results from these analysis. Guest lecturers included faculty from statistics, marketing and civil

engineering departments at MU. Participants continue their work on projects gathering, analyzing and presenting data either individually or in teams. Some sample projects underway include: Statistics of pet adoption from the Central Missouri Humane Society, Global and US energy demand histories and associated growth in energy costs, Cost of higher

education - A comparative study of regional costs and costs in public and private institutions, Diabetes and eyesight - the complex equation, and Economic viability of alternate forms of energy. Once the participants wrap up their projects (expected in the next few weeks), they plan to share their observations at a free public forum at the Mandir☯

Wizardry Beyond Data - Vellore S. Gopalaratnam

P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

Krishna Das - The Flow of Grace Kirtan - Ginny Morgan

O n Saturday, August 2, famed Kirtan leader Krishna Das sang for 140

people at Shanthi Mandir. He had just performed in Fairfield, Iowa and was on his way to Kansas City to sing at Unity on the Plaza. People from all walks of life attended the event including a number of people who drove long distances to be a part of this inspiring experience. In the early 1970s, Krishna Das, then Jeff Kagel, traveled to India and met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, in the little village of Kainchi. At his guru’s request he spent weeks painstakingly learning the Hanuman Chaleesa. This was to be the first of many of the classical devotional pieces that he would learn. He now leads Kirtans all over the world. People who attended this event

all reported that they were drawn in to the devotion to God that they heard in the music and were deeply inspired. Krishna Das has promised to return in a year or so.

To learn more about him and his music please visit www.krishnadas.com☯

Devotees gather at the Mandir for the Kirtan - The Flow of Grace led by Krishna Das and his entourage of musicians Photo Courtesy: Cheryl Guthrie

Please join us to celebrate Shri Krishna Jayanthi/Janmashtami

Shanthi Mandir 6:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., Saturday, August 23, 2008 (We will celebrate Bala Krishna’s arrival at 12:00 midnight)

The Program Devotional Program (6:30 - 7:15 pm) Please contact Hema Srinivasan at 445-2854, hemaxsrinivasan@gmail.com for participating in the programs

Youth Program/Skit (7:15 - 8:00 pm)

Govinda’s Treat (8:00 - 8:45 pm) Outdoor pyramid sport for kids with breaking of Pinata for treats to the music Govinda Ala Rey

Prasad/Dinner (9:00 - 10:00 p.m.) Please contact S. Akila at 446-1412, akila_sug@yahoo.com or Kusum Malhotra at 445-1867 Kusum65203@yahoo.com for helping out with the Prasad (simple dinner)

Adult Program (10:00 - 11:30 p.m.) • Scheduled contributions by adults • Open Time - Floor contributions welcome

Bhajans/Aarti (11:30 p.m. - Midnight) We will conclude the evening a little after midnight with clean-up of the Mandir

Overflow Parking at the Sunrise Optimist Parking Lot Let us make our special events safe. Please do not park on the street or on the grass at the Mandir lot. We would request you to park at the Sunrise Optimist Parking Lot on Parker and Holly. Volunteers will provide rides between the two parking lots. Anna Daan Service Project at Shanthi Mandir Please remember to bring non-perishable food items for donation to the Central Missouri Food Bank in support of our ongoing Anna Daan Service Project. Your contribution of cans of food or packets of pasta is greatly appreciated!

HTCC Youth Day

Bal Sabha/Bal Puja Picnic

4:00 - 8:30 pm Saturday, August 30 Dexheimer Shelter Cosmopolitan Park

Mentor our youth Recognize youth accomplishments

Learn new games Have fun with friends Enjoy delicious food

Contacts: Games Coordinators:

Nandhu Radhakrishnan (573) 823-8252 Sangita Sharma (573) 875-4162

Anjna Sethi (573) 449-8993

Food Coordinator: Meena Thawani (660) 888-2917, 888-9329

Certificates and Recognition: Akila Suguvanam (573) 446-1412

Please help out by volunteering to make dinner/snack items and organizing games. Please

contact the coordinators listed above. Thanks!

Inspiring devotional chanting by Krishna Das captivated all who attended the Kirtan at Shanthi Mandir. Photo Courtesy: Krishna Das

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

HTCC Statement of Accounts and Quarterly Fiscal Report For the period April 1, 2008 - June 30, 2008

Prepared by Visala Palaniappan, Treasurer, July 28, 2008

Balance Forward (April 1, 2008)

$164,162.62

Quarterly Revenues

Interest Income Interest income (FNB Money Market)

$270.93

$270.93

Membership: Annual Family Members (AFM) 3 @ $50 Lifetime Family Member Upgrade (LFM) 1 @ $950 Lifetime Family Member (LIM) 3 @ $1,000

$150.00 $950.00

$3,000.00

$4,100.00

Donations: Check Donations Hundi Donations/Prayer Services

$5,680.00

$531.18

$6,211.18

Facilities Use Donations: Mandir and Educational Center use donations

$281.00

$281.00

Other Revenues Special Events

$591.00

$591.00

Total Quarterly Revenues

$11,454.11 Quarterly Expenses

Lawn/Garden $84.90 Maintenance and Supplies $257.41 Printing and Mailing $8.20 Special Events $440.00 Start-up $215.56 Upgrade and Repairs (includes new vinyl siding) $3,542.56 Utilities $1,233.64 Total Quarterly Expenses

$5,782.27 Net Income for the Quarter

$5,671.84 Ending Balance* (June 30, 2008)

$169,834.46*

*$41,132.00 in FNB Money Market, $60,000 in FNB CD, $60,000 in Premier Bank CD, and $8,702.46 in BCNB Checking Accounts

Yoga at the Mandir Instructor: Kate Walker

10:00 - 11:30 am Saturdays

Shanthi Mandir 2006 Holly Avenue

Instructor Fees Required

9th Session begins on August 23 Sign up today by calling Kate at (573) 657-9277

for details and class schedule

$50- Rawlani, Chandra and Ramesh $100+ Loyalka, Sudarshan and Nirja Sehgal, Om and Toshi

Thank You! Donor Acknowledgement for

May 16, 2008 - August 15, 2008 We gratefully acknowledge the following donors during May 16, 2008. - August 15, 2008. If we have inadvertently made an error in not including your name, please let us know. We will correct the error at the earliest available opportunity with our apologies.

Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured

B.K.S. Iyengar

P A G E 1 5 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

The HTCC is grateful to the above families who have signed up as members as of August15, 2008 If you would like to sign-up as a member for 2008, 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.

Thank You! Please remember to upgrade/renew for 2008 Lifetime Family Members 1. Aggrawal, Kul and Archana 2. Anand, Satish and Sushma 3. Arunachalam, Vairam and Alagu 4. Bal, Sharanjit and Ranjit 5. Banerji, Shanka 6. Basu, Asit and Sandra 7. Batchu, Sudhir and Priya 8. Battula Ravindra and Vijaya Kattumuri 9. Chandrasekhar, Anand and Chiengkham Baccam 10. Chandrasekhar, Holalkere and Meera 11. Chaudhary, Kunal and Ritcha Mehra 12. Cutkosky, Dale and Hema Srinivasan 13. Dhand, Rajiv and Upinder 14. Elangovan, Bala and Abi 15. Faizer, Rumi and Archana Ramaswamy 16. Gangopadhyay, Keshab and Shubhra 17. Gopalakrishna, Srinath and Uma 18. Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha 19. Gowda, Bhaskar and Shoba 20. Jain, Arun 21. Jashnani, Ghanshyam and Leela 22. Katti, Kattesh and Kavita 23. Khanna, Sanjeev and Vinita 24. Khurana, Inder and Jasmit 25. Krishna, Gopal and Santosh 26. Krishnan, Hari and Latha 27. Kulkarni, Rajesh and Indira 28. Kumar, Lalit and Arpita 29. Kutikkad, Kiratadas and Geetha 30. Lal, Sunder and Nila Gupta 31. Loyalka, Sundarshan and Nirja 32. Mahal, Satnam and Jasvir 33. Malhotra, Anil and Kusum 34. Mantrala, Murali and Suryamani 35. Manusmare, Purushottam and Usha 36. Mitra, Ranadhir and Roma 37. Mohan, Rajiv and Sunilima Sinha 38. Naik, Yogesh & Rashmi 39. Nair, Satish and Jyotsna 40. Palaniappan, Kannappan and Visala

41. Panneerselvam, Ayyakannu and Gandhi 42. Patel, Nitin and Harsha 43. Pendurthi, Chalapathi Rao and Kavita 44. Puri, Ravi and Mona 45. Raghuraman, Kannan and Anandhi Upendran 46. Ramachandran, V and Anuradha Rajagopalan 47. Ramadoss, Uma and Sasi 48. Rangnekar, Nitin and Kirthi 49. Ratneshwar, Srinivasan and Subbalakshmi 50. Rawat, Gagneesh and Aditi 51. Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra 52. Sadhu, Vijay and Smita 53. Satpathy, Sashi and Namita 54. Sehgal, Om and Santosh 55. Sethi, Sanjiv and Punam 56. Sethi, Yash and Anjna 57. Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya 58. Shukla, Shivendra and Asha 59. Singh, Amolak and Kuljit 60. Srinivasan, Bharath and Manjula Narasimhan 61. Subramanian, Krishna and Raji 62. Tejwani, Lokesh and Varsha Pherwani 63. Thawani, Ravi and Meena 64. Viswanath, Dabir and Pramila Annual Members for 2008 1. Agrawal, Ganesh Kumar and Nitu 2. Alreja, Laxman and Rajeshwari 3. Aroor, Annayya Rao and Sudha 4. Balaji, B. S. and S. Akila 5. Bhaskaran, Rajagopalana and Vasanthi 6. Edara, Praveen and Sowjanya Paladugu 7. Ghosh, Mayukh and Sonali 8. Guha, Subharap and Aditi Bandhopadhyay 9. Gupta, Ghanshyam and Manorma 10. Katoch, Bandana 11. Kumar, Adarsh and Sangeeta 12. Kumar, Senthil and Kalai 13. Kuppusamy, Saravanan and Priya Ravindran 14. Malik, Sushma 15. Mohan, Saroj

16. Nagarkar, Sushama and Divya 17. Nathan, Vivek and Manjula 18. Premnath, Venkatesan and Vasanthy 19. Radhakrishnan, Nandhu and Selvi 20. Ramaswamy, Ram and Indira 21. Ramesh, Krishna 22. Rao, Mohan and Kalpana 23. Ratnaparkhe, Milind 24. Sahota, Pradeep and Shaku 25. Sengupta, Shramik 26. Sivaraman, M. and Sujata 27. Srivatsava, Pramod and Rama 28. Sunkar, Madhavi 29. Thakkar, Mahesh and Jollyin 30. Thiruvengadathan, Rajagopalan and Rama Kannan 31. Tolani, Bhisham and Rajini 32. Upadhyay, Ashish and Deepika 33. Walker Kate 34. White, Sam and Sukanya Note: Per our current policies, the annual membership dues for new members who sign up after July 1 during the year is one-half of the regular membership (i.e. $15 for individuals and $25 for families)

Aug 23 Janamashtami Puja Saturday, 6:30 pm -12 :30 a.m. There will be slokas, music, dance, and bhajans.

Prasad/dinner served after aarti. Contact Hema Srinivasan at 445-2854 for participating in the program. Contact S. Akila at 446-1412, or Kusum Malhotra at 445-1867 to help with food preparations

Aug 30 HTCC Youth Day / Bal Sabha / Bal Puja Picnic Saturday, 4:00 - 8:00 pm. Dexheimer Shelter, Cosmopolitan Park. A day of fun

to recognize and reward our youth. Picnic open to all age groups Contacts: Games: Nandhu Radhakrishnan at 823-8252, Sangita Sharma at 875-4162 or Anjna Seth at 449-8993, Pot-luck dinner Meena Thawani at (660) 888-2917 or 888-9329

Aug 31 Making of Ganesh idol Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. A fun activity initiated for the last several years, we

will make the Ganesh idol for the Ganesh Chaturthi Puja. Clay working and making of idol open to all interested. Wear work clothes. Contact Gopal at 446-0663 for further details.

Sep 15 Ganesh Chaturthi Puja Saturday 6:00 - 8:00 pm The Puja also marks the Third Anniversary of

Shanthi Mandir. Again this year the Mid-Missouri Marathi Mandal have volunteered to take the lead in organizing the Puja. Contact: Yogesh and Rashmi Naik at 634-6041 or yogeshvnaik@hotmail.com if you would like to contribute to the program.

Other scheduled devotional programs during Oct. - Nov for which details will become available shortly

Oct 4 Navratri Devi Jaagran

Oct 12 Dussehra/Vijaya Dashami Puja

Oct 18 Karva Chauth Celebration

Oct 29 Skanda Shashti Puja

Nov 2 Deepavali Puja (Rescheduled from Nov. 1)

Nov 15 Guru Nanak Jayanthi

Community Calendar (August 15 - November 15, 2008) Unless otherwise indicated, all events are at Shanthi Mandir, 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202

P A G E 1 6 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

Current Programs at the Mandir (August 15, 2008)

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. Amritvani (Monthly event) 3rd Saturday 6:00 - 7:00 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 Sunday 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4th Sunday 2:00 - 3:00 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 Volunteering at Central Missouri Food Bank 1st Tuesday 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Shram Daan 1 (Labor Donation) Friday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Shram Daan 2 (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. Yoga classes (instructor fee required) Saturday 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Tabla classes (instructor fee required) Sundays Flexible for now Carnatic vocal music classes (instructor fee required) Sundays 1:00 - 3:00 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 Publications and Communications Committee. Editors: B.S. Balaji and Gagneesh Rawat <shanthimandir_news@mchsi.com> or <shanthimandir@yahoo.com>

HTCC is registered as a Nonprofit Corporation in MO HTCC is tax-exempt under IRS Section 501 (c) 3

Shanthi Mandir Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC) 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043

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. http://shanthimandir.missouri.org