COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Open days for international students

Fridays, 11.00am – 5.00pm The High Commission of India in Canberra, Indian Consulates and Honorary Consuls have designated every Friday an Open Day for students, when any Indian student can walk in, without prior appointment, to meet the High Commissioner, Consuls General, the designated Student Welfare Officers and Honorary Consuls and discuss their problems and grievances.

Experiencing Inner Power and Protection

20 Sept Teacher and yogi Mr Jagdish Raniga presents a free public program in Hindi at The Max Webber Public Library, Level 1 Function Room, Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown, 5pm - 7pm. Details email: marg.1@ virginbroadband.com.au or phone 8600 0150

Classical music duet meals or commit to eating vegetarian for the week by visiting www.vegetarianweek. com.au. For every pledge, one dollar will be donated to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to help fund research into protecting the national icon and tourism drawcard from environmental threats such as rising water temperatures and water acidification.

Saraswati Pooja

25 Sept The Chinmaya Mission celebrates Saraswati Pooja, 7.30pm-9.00pm at Chinmaya Sannidhi. Details at www. chinmaya.com.au

Spiritual discourses by Swami

Omkarananda

Pujya Sri Swami Omkarananda will be giving following spiritual discourses in Tamil in Sydney

5 Oct, 5 - 6.30 pm “Bhakthi” at Asquith Community Centre, 10A Old Berowra Rd, Hornsby

6, 7, 8 Oct, 7.30 - 9 pm “Aanmeegha

The event will provide an opportunity for those of different faiths to come together and speak about issues of social cohesion from a local perspective. Local religious leaders (including Christian, Bahá’í, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu) will speak about the practical meaning of faith in our lives, and how young people of different faiths can share their wisdom and foster a true community.

This is a preparatory event for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s largest global interfaith gathering, to be held in Melbourne at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 3 to 9 December 2009.

Details call NSW Ecumenical Council on 02 9299 2215 or via email kmoroney@ncca.org. au

Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary and International Day of Non-Violence

Showground. Details visit www.meff.com.au.

Happiness Seminars

12-14 Oct Happiness Guru Sunanda Parthasarathy will present talks on spiritual health and wellness at South Campus, Blacktown TAFE, 1 Main Street, Blacktown. How to Beat Stress 7.30pm Monday, 12 Oct

3 Spiritual Laws of Success 7.30pm Tuesday, 13 Oct

The Secret of Happiness 7.30pm Wednesday, 14 Oct Tickets www.vedanta.org.au or call Mohan on 0412 995 230.

Curries by Candlelight

13 Dec Enjoy a Christmas meal with an Indian feel, at Pennant Hills Community Centre, cnr Ramsay and Yarrarra Rds. All proceeds will be donated to Hornsby Hospital’s Koala Care Cottage. Details Pam 4733 0445 or Shalini 0410 485 522.

Australian Carrom Federation

25 Sept – 30 Oct

The South Indian Fine Arts Association of Canberra sponsors the visit to Australia of Indian classical musicians Debapriya and Samanwaya, vocal and sitar performers. While in Australia, Dev and Sam are scheduled to perform at various venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Byron Bay. Details email devasaman@gmail. com or visit website www.myspace.com/ debapriyasamanwaya

National Vegetarian Week

28 Sept – 4 Oct Pledge to Try Veg is the theme of this year’s National Vegetarian Week, as announced by the Australian Vegetarian Society. Australians are encouraged to make a pledge either to try a plant-based meal, increase their plant based

Vaazvu” at Sydney Murugan Kovil Cultural Hall, 217 Great Western Highway, Mays Hill

12 & 13 Oct, 7:30 to 9 pm “Purushothama

Yogam” Bagvath Gita Chapter 15 at Dundas Community Hall, 27 Sturt St, Dundas

10 & 11 Oct Retreat – Manisha Panchagam at Yerrinbool Bahai Centre For details contact Rama 9837 2595 or Ramanan 0430 487 780

Social Networking Beyond

Facebook

1 Oct Hundreds of young Sydneysiders from many religious and spiritual communities will gather together at NSW Parliament House to participate in ‘Social Networking Beyond Facebook’, an inspirational event to support the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2009.

2 Oct Gandhi Centre in association with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia, and Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) will Commemorate

Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary and International Day of Non Violence in Church Street Mall in front of Parramata Town Hall from 12:00 - 3:00 pm. Activities include lectures by dignataries and religious leaders, exhibition of books on Mahatma Gandhi, demonstration of Vegetarian Cooking. Also, Gandhi King Ikeda Exhibition (10:00am to 9:00pm) at Soka Gakkai International Australia, 3 Parkview Drive, Sydney Olympic Park

3 Oct Music for Peace concert featuring Mahmood Khan, Kamahl and the Blue Sky Choir by Sokka Gakkai International

4 Oct Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Syd-Kol present a musical concert of vocal and sitar along with Tabla. Debapriya and Samanwaya from India will be performing supported by Nikhil Harishchandrakar on Tabla.

Also semiclassical dances by Sharmila

Maitra’s Geetanjali School of Dance and Performing Arts and a mini Peace concert by Mahmood Khan and Maharishi Raval. Venue: Canada Bay Civic Hall, 1A, Marlborough Street, Drummoyne For more information contact, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia, Email: info@ bhavanaustralia.org, Ph: 1300 BHAVAN (1300 242 826)

Navaratri celebration

3 Oct Special celebration featuring Children’s Golu, Devi Krithi Group rendition and aarati and prasadams. 5.30pm onwards at Dundas Community Centre, Sturt Street Dundas NSW. Details visit www.sydneymusiccircle.info

Paratha-eating competition

3 and 10 Oct Newly opened Blacktown restaurant Singh da Dhaba announces a unique paratha-eating competition. Entry $5.00. Winner gets cash prize of $100. Details 02 9676 4677

IWA picnic

10 Oct NSW Indian Welfare Association is organising a sightseeing trip and picnic to Napean and Cordeaux Dams. Tour departs at 8.30am from Parramatta (opposite to the Council Library) and drop off at 6.00pm. Additional pick up at Liverpool would be arranged if there are sufficient numbers. Cost per person (including food) is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. Details contact N Sampath (02 9893 7729) or s Saraswathi Venugopalan (02 9838 0654)

MEFF Eid Festival

11 Oct Sydney’s annual Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair (MEFF), a family event to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr and showcase Islamic unity in diversity and Australian multiculturalism, will be held at Fairfield

The International Carrom Federation has appointed the Australian Carrom Federation as the parent body for Carrom in Australia. As a result of this, Australia now joins with eighteen other member nations around the world that now have International recognition.

The Australian Carrom Federation (ACF) is a non-profit organisation formed to promote the game of Carrom throughout Australia. We are community based, and obtain members through membership and registration, and we welcome potential sponsors for support. Our goal is to create community awareness of Carrom, to organise tournaments at all local and national levels, and most of all to prepare an Australian team for future national and international tournaments.

We invite all Carrom Players and Clubs to use the free player registration to enter their details and playing skill levels on-line at our web site at www.carrom.com.au or write to: Australian Carrom Federation, PO Box 1143, Burleigh Heads, QLD 4220.

Volunteers required

The Health Promotion Service for Older People is looking for volunteers (both male and female and 50+) to give talks about health issues to older people. Details: Habib/ Barbara: 02 9281 3588 or 1800 451 488 (free call) or health@cpsa.org.au

New branch of Maharishi

Ramana Ashram

Maharishi Ramana Ashram announces a new branch at 11 / 48 – 54 Shaw Street Bexley North. Meetings will be held on 3rd Saturday of every month

JET Australia Prajna Classes

3rd & 4th Sunday of the month JET

Australia invites you to weekend Prajna classes, Sundays at 1.00 pm. Venue: Aurelia St Catholic Church Toongabbie. Separate English and Telugu classes. Healthy refreshments served after the class. Contact: Prajna coordinators Keshav 02 9837-4792 or Navneeth 0434 537 242

New Day Care service for aged Sri Om Care announces a Day Centre for frail aged (very limited number) people of Indian and SriLankans at Bankstown/Milperra on Wednesdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Facilities offered will be door-to-door pickup, cultural specific meals, and activities. Details Jay Raman 0410 759 906 or visit www.sriomcare.org.au

Free Yoga classes for seniors

The Spirit of India (NSW) Inc. (a not-forprofit organisation) announces yoga classes at Pennant Hills. Details Dhanraj 0424 075 364 or Suresh 0412 202 182