Prasanna Jyothi Progress Report (March 2003)

I report below a sum up of festival celebrations in Prasanna Jyothi, as

writeen by one of the children, Sarada: I shall try to send some

photographs shortly.

Best Wishes,

Sundari Mami

QUOTE:

1. We celebrate Ganesha Festival for three days by keeping the idol of

Lord Ganesha and Goddess Gowri. We decorate the place where Ganesha and

Gowri has been ept with lot of colourful flowers and on either sde of

them, we mae Himalya replica with white cloth and cotton.

The open space in front of the house s neatly swept and smeared with

cowdung water and dried. It is neatly decorated with Rangolies. We also

draw Rangolies in front of the Lord and Goddess, with colour chalk.

On one of the three days, we invite many of our wellwishers and Trust

members to attend the Puja. After the Puja, we the children serve food

Prasadam to all guests. We sing songs in prase of the Lord/Goddess. After that our President Swami Sukhabodhanandaji

gives a talk on the symbolism of Ganesa and Gowri.

On the final day, we invite our neighbours and distribute Prasadam, sind some Bhajans and

take the idol of Lord Ganesha in a procession and drown the same in the nearby lake.

2. We celebrte Dusshera festival in Prasanna Jyothi by arranging the dolls in a room

which is fully decorated. Inside the room, we create a field and part by growing ragi and

wheet plants on a made up field in the shape of park, temple, beach and forest. We draw

different designs of Rangoli in front of the house and also n front of the doll

arrangement in variety of colours.

We also eep the picture of Durga, Saraswath, Lakshmi in a separate place which is

beautifully decorated in colour sarees and flowers.

We invite our wellwishers and trust members on Saraswathi puja day to see our doll

arrangements and also chant with us Lalitha Sahasranama. We serve them Prasadam and sing

some Bhajans.

If our President Swamiji is present he talks to us explaining the significance of the

festival and its importance.

The room with doll arrangements are kept that way for nine days. We perform Lakshmi,

Durga and Saraswathi Pujas on different days. We also worship all the appliances in thehouse on the Ayudhapuja day.

We the children always look forward to these festivals every year. We enjoy the

celebration.

UNQUOTE