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Shanthi Sandesh Hindu Temple and Community Center Of Mid-Missouri 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043 http://shanthimandir.missouri.org (573) 814-1286 V O L U M E

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MĪMĀMSĀ – The Quest for Truth H.R. Chandrasekhar

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The word Mīmāmsā in Sanskrit means "investigation." It is a search for the meaning and purpose of life.

Mīmāmsā is an “orthodox” school of Hindu philosophy.

Inside This Issue Mīmāmsā

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Executive Board Message

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Fourth Anniversary

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Bal Sandesh

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Yoga, Part 2

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Akhand Ramayan

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Tabla Workshop

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Bhagavad Gita

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Quarterly Fiscal Report

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Donor Acknowledgment

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Community Calendar

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Current Programs

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he philosophical foundation of Hinduism traces its origins to the Vedas, the founding documents. Over the millennia it has evolved into different forms keeping with the emerging challenges of the times. The advent of Buddhism around 500 BCE and its growing influence due to the patronage of royalty seemed to undermine the Vedas, particularly the Yajnas and rituals performed by the orthodox followers of Hinduism. The ascetics and mystics found solace in Vedānta, which emphasized the realization of Brahman through knowledge and meditation. A revival of the ancient knowledge and its new interpretation was desperately needed for ordinary people.

The origins of Mīmāmsā can be traced to these troubled times. To counteract this challenge, several groups emerged dedicated to demonstrate the validity of the Vedic texts by rigid formulation of rules for their interpretation.

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his column marks the end of the term for the current group of Executive Board officers. We welcome Inder Khurana as the President and Meera Chandrasekhar as the Secretary of the Executive Board. They join Ravi Thawani and Manjula Narasimhan who continue on the Executive Board fulfilling the staggered terms of the four officers per our constitution. The recent elections also saw Das Kutikkad and Visala Palaniappan chosen as the two Elected Trustees by the HTCC General Assembly. All four of the new officers are familiar faces at the Mandir, having served the HTCC in numerous capacities previously. We are grateful to

enquiry is into the nature of Dharma in accordance with the teachings of the Vedas. Its core tenets are a strict adherence to rituals and Yajnas, the sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas. It is a prescription for a householder, not to an ascetic or a mystic.

The central aim of the school is the elucidation of the nature of Dharma, understood as a set momentum in the Gupta of ritual obligations and period. It reached its apex in the 7th to 8th centuries. In the prerogatives to be performed properly. The nature of Early Middle Ages it exerted Dharma is not inferred from near-dominant influence on reason or observation, but learned Hindu thought, and is from the authority of the credited as a major force revelations contained in the contributing to the decline of Vedas. The Vedas are Buddhism in India. It fell into considered eternal and decline in the High Middle infallible. It strongly Ages and today is all but emphasized the study of the eclipsed by Vedānta. I have text of the Vedas with equal discussed the aspects of emphasis on the language and Vedānta in the past three its sound. Bhirtruhari, the issues of Shanthi Sandesh. seventh century scholar, gave The word Mīmāmsā in Sanskrit means "investigation." the notion of the unity of the word and its sound as the It is a search for the meaning signifier and the signified. and purpose of life. It is the Mīmāmsā is also known as “orthodox” school of Hindu Pūrva Mīmāmsā (prior inquiry philosophy. The followers are (continued on Page 2) called Astikas whose primary Sources: Radhakrishnan, S. Indian Philosophy, Vol. II, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2006; Pūrva Mīmāmsā Sutras by Jaimini; Brahma Sutras by Bādarāyana; Bhashya to Brahma Sutras by Adi Shankara

Message from the Executive Board the outgoing officers including Vellore S. Gopalaratnam, PastPresident of the Executive Board and Arun Jain and Sudarshan Loyolka who served HTCC in the Elected Trustee capacity for their tireless service to HTCC. We look forward to their continued service to HTCC and our community.

With four years of experience in the operations of the HTCC and Shanthi Mandir under our belt, the Board of Trustees felt our Constitution and Bylaws needed some tweaking to allow for increased efficiency of operations of our non-profit corporation. After deliberations

for several years, the Board of Trustees recommended seven amendments to the HTCC Constitution and Bylaws for approval by the General Assembly. These seven amendments were approved in April by our General Assembly via electronic balloting, immediately prior to the HTCC Elections. Details of the amendments and the ballot statistics have been posted on our web site at: http:// shanthimandir.missouri.org/ ConstitutionAmendmentsAppro vedApril2010.pdf. Both the balloting for constitutional amendments as well as the (continued on Page 4)

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SHANTHI Mimamsa (continued from Page 1)

The Pūrva Mīmāmsā Sutras of Jaimini, composed in the 3rd century BCE, form the foundational text for the Mīmāṃsā school. A major commentary was composed by Shabara in the 5th or 6th century CE.

or Karma-Mīmāmsā), in contrast to Uttara Mīmāmsā (posterior inquiry) or Brahma-Mīmāmsā.

This division is based on the notion of a dichotomy between the karma-kānda, the aspect of sacrificial rites as elucidated in the Samhitas and Brahmanas and the jñāna-kānda dealing with the knowledge of Brahman.

The Pūrva Mīmāmsā Sutras of Jaimini, composed in the third century BCE, form the foundational text for the Mīmāṃsā school. A major commentary was composed by Shabara in the 5th or 6th century CE. The school reached its zenith with Kumarila Bhatta and Prabhakara in 700 CE. Both Kumarila Bhatta and Prabhakara have written extensive commentaries on Shabara’s work. Another noted scholar was Mandana Mishra.

The Mīmāmsā Sūtra of Jaimini (c. 3rd century BCE) has summed up the general rules of nyāya for Vedic interpretation.

The text has 12 chapters, of which the first chapter is of philosophical value. A more interesting feature of the Mīmāmsā school of philosophy is its unique epistemological theory of the intrinsic validity of all cognition as such. It is held that all knowledge is ipso facto true (Satahprāmāmyavāda).

Thus, what is to be proven is not the truth of a cognition, but its falsity. The Mīmāmsākas advocate the self-validity of knowledge both in respect of its origin (utpatti) and ascertainment (jñapti). Not only did Mīmāmsākas make great use of this theory to establish the unchallengeable validity of the Vedas, but later Vedantists also drew freely upon this particular Mīmāmsā contribution.

Dharma as understood by Pūrva Mimāmsā can be loosely translated as “virtue”, “morality”, or “duty”. The Pūrva Mimāmsā school traces the source of the knowledge of dharma neither to sense-experience nor inference, but to verbal cognition (i.e., knowledge of words and meanings) according to Vedas.

In this respect it is related to the Nyaya school; the latter, however, allows less Prāmānas (proofs) than Pūrva Mimāmsā.

Emphasis on Yajnas in Pūrva

Mimāmsā is often erroneously interpreted by some to be an opposition to Jnānakānda of Vedānta and Upanishads. Pūrva Mimāmsā does not discuss topics related to Jnānakānda, such as Moksha or salvation, but it never speaks against them either.

While the dominance of Mīmāmsā saw the decline of Buddhism, India dealt with this issue in a uniquely Indian way.

Buddhism did not thrive in the land of its birth as a separate religion; however the teachings of Buddhism became a part and parcel of Hindu thought and psyche. Buddha was co-opted as one of the divine incarnations and obtained a place in the Hindu pantheon. Mīmāmsā, for all its successes, also fell a victim to newer ideas such as Vedānta. That too was an amicable absorptive process as I shall show in the next paragraph. From Bādarāyana to Shankara, the reformers incorporated ideas from Mīmāmsā, and gave ample credit when it was due. They also challenged and won over the followers of Mīmāmsā in a uniquely Indian way of co-option and absorption.

The Uttara Mīmāmsā is credited to Bādarāyana (also known as Vyasa, the composer of Mahabharata.) Adi Shankara, a seventh century philosopher, wrote a Bhashya (commentary) on the work of Bādarāyana and was responsible for the advent of Vedānta as we know it, at the expense of Pūrva Mīmāmsā.

Mandana Mishra, the last of the celebrated scholars of Karmakanda, was soundly defeated by Shankara in a celebrated debate, presided by Sharada, a scholar in her own right, who also happened to be the wife of Mandana Mishra. It must have been a heart wrenching experience for her to declare her husband the loser in the debate and to see him relinquish family life and become a Sanyasin. Mandana Mishra became the most devout pupil of Shankara and served as the first pontiff at the then newly established monastery at Shringeri. The monastery is also known as “Sharada Pitha”, dedicated to the goddess of learning Sharada. It is clear that it was Shankara’s way of paying tribute to the lady who placed

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truth above her personal happiness.

Vedānta quotes Jaimini's belief in Brahman as well as in moksha: In Uttara-Mīmāmsā or Vedānta, the author Bādarāyana cites Jaimini as saying, “The Mukta Purusha is united with the Brahman as if it were like the Brahman, because descriptions (in Shruti, etc.) prove so.” In Vedānta (1.2.28), Bādarāyana cites Jaimini as saying that “There is no contradiction in taking Vaishvānara as the supreme Brahman.”

Sakshadapyavirodham Jaiminih I.2.28 In 1.2.31, Jaimini is again quoted by Bādarāyana as saying that the nirguna Brahman can manifest itself as having a form. In 4.3.12, Bādarāyana again cites Jaimini as saying that the mukta Purusha attains Brahman.

In Pūrva Mimāmsā too, Jaimini emphasises the importance of faith in and attachment to the Omnipotent Supreme Being whom Jaimini calls “The Omnipotent Pradhaana” (The Main): Pūrva Mimāmsā 6.3.1: "sarvaśaktau pravṛttiḥ syāt tathābhūtopadeśāt. The term Upadesha here means instructions of the Shāstras as taught. We should tend towards the Omnipotent Supreme Being.

In the context of Pūrva Mimāmsā 6.3.1 shown above, next two sutras become significant, in which this Omnipotent Being is termed as Pradhāna, and keeping away from Him is said to be a Dosha, hence all beings are asked to get related to the “Omnipotent Main Being”. Karma-Mīmāmsā supports the Vedas, and Rgveda says that one Truth is variously named by the sages. It is irrelevant whether we call Him as Pradhāna or Brahman or Vaishvānara or Shiva or God. With such explicit ideas in Pūrva -Mīmāmsā, and supportive evidences from UttaraMīmāmsā, it is wrong to say that the concept of Supreme God is absent in Pūrva-Mīmāmsā.

Pūrva-Mīmāmsā believes in Vedas and in Yajnas performed for gods (Devatās), hence it is wrong to call it atheist, especially in light of explicit affirmation of its faith in the Omnipotent☯

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Happy Fourth Birthday!

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Visala Palaniappan with contribution from Inder Khurana

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entrancing devotional atmosphere. The devotional program concluded with singing of the Universal Aarti and a sumptuous pot -luck dinner, coordinated by Kavita Katti and Sandhya Sharma.

The Anniversary Planning Committee was encouraged by the attendance and enthusiasm at both the anniversary events.

During the final week we had to turn away several “would-be” attendees because the banquet tickets were sold out.

The Anniversary Planning Committee theme “Be the change you want to see…” started planning as early as December and the various tasks were quickly assigned. were on display at the banquet and were Leela Jashnani took on the responsibility of included in Samarpanam 2010. arranging for a venue; Bharath Srinivasan We explored local talent for our entertainment this year which proved to be undertook catering and menu selection; Visala arranged for the entertainment; a big hit! Aditi Bandyopadhyay, an accomplished dancer/dance instructor and Vellore Gopalaratnam worked on publicity her students from MUDRA, the MU Dance and compilation of the annual report with and Recreational Association, performed a support from Gagneesh Rawat and Ajit Vasudevan; Meera Chandrasekhar took mesmerizing Rasleela and Tandav in the charge of the program brochure design, Odissi dance style. Jaskaran Sandhu and printing the tickets and name tags. delighted us on Karaoke, singing Bollywood hit songs from the golden era of Priya Batchu worked on silent auction; Punam Sethi undertook foyer and table the 60’s and 70’s. Kalaimamani Padmini decorations; Nandhu Radhakrishnan put Dorairajan and her daughter Smrita together the exciting DVD; Chandra Dorairajan enchanted the audience with their intricate Bharata Natyam performance Rawlani coordinated the devotional program while Ravi Thawani and Kusum of Shambho Shiva Shiva Shambho and Malhotra took care of our accounting.

Deem Tana. What a delightful feast it was…. for our eyes! The evening flowed to Numerous volunteers worked on selling tickets along with this group. Visala the music of DJ Raj Suppiah — he drew Palaniappan also served as the Chair of everyone in with his music collection from HTCC Fourth Anniversary Account Summary the east to the west. The floor was packed the Anniversary Planning Committee. with young and old dancing away to Prepared by Ravi Thawani and Manjula Narasimhan Bhangra and pop music!

How do you measure if the banquet was April 15, 2010 a success? Let’s check–in with our The silent auction was a new feature that guests: $13,568.00 Revenues: we introduced this year. Members donated Banquet tickets $7,655.00 curio items ranging from Rajasthani art “very professional, my wife and I had a great time” work, paintings, photographs, necklaces, Donations $1,272.00 bracelets and beautiful handmade dolls.

DVD Sale $115.00 “My son did not want to leave the youth room” The devotional program on March 13th Samarpanam advertisement $3,405.00 began with a Havan led by Shivendra “I had four slices of pizza and I loved the Silent auction $1,121.00 Shukla with support from Asha Shukla and open floor dance” Gopal Krishna. H. R. Chandrasekhar and “Baigan bartha was so delicious” Expenses: $8,102.51 youth members of the HTCC Library “I won the tweed Ganesha at the silent Audio equipment rental $185.00 Committee showcased new library auction, I love it” Award certificates $102.29 acquisitions, immediately following the “Definitely the open floor dance, DJ played Banquet Hall $2,000.00 Havan and distribution of Prasad. all the current music” Devotional Program - Honorariums $505.00 Devotional singers from Chicago led by “Great event, I look forward to every year” Dinner, food, supplies and gratuities Shri. Ravindra Parikh, and including Kamal $3,316.51 Chopra, Kucki Sehgal, Sunita Sehgal, and Rose bouquets for artistes $127.50 The treasurers for the anniversary Surindra Sehgal, started the vibrant, Samarpanam printing $1,542.21 celebrations report that we generated a net soulful, and inspiring singing of bhajans Tickets - Double entry adjustment $150.00 revenue of approximately $5,500 (see inset devoted to Durga Ma. These devotees Youth program and pizza dinner $174.00 travelled from Chicago to celebrate and to alongside for details) from the two anniversary events. share their talents and devotion with us.

Net Income $5,465.49 Everyone present was fully absorbed in the Do we need to make improvement snext time around? Sure! Some of the recommendations included the setting-up A DVD entitled ‘The Year that was... ’ of four buffet tables to reduce the wait time showcasing HTCC and Mandir programs in and to most definitely order extra 2009 was screened during dinner. During appetizers and desserts! the social hour, guests had an opportunity All in all, it was a wonderful experience for to place their bids at the silent auction table us to be a part of the Anniversary Planning where items for auction donated by Committee. It was very gratifying to see the community members were creatively outpouring of community support for displayed. Youth were kept engaged in an HTCC, Shanthi Mandir and the adjacent room with arts and crafts projects Anniversary Celebrations☯ conducted by Amy Messner. Submissions to the HTCC Youth Competitions on the he Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC) celebrated its Fourth Anniversary with a gala banquet on Friday, March 5th and an inspiring devotional program on Saturday, March 13th. The anniversary banquet was attended by as many as 350 guests, and on Sunday, the devotional program was attended by over 150 members.

The Friday banquet was a fancy buffet dinner at the Peach Tree Banquet Center.

The theme for this year’s anniversary celebration was “Be the change you want to see...”. The invited guests included several interfaith leaders, Columbia Chamber of Commerce officers and Mayor Darwin Hindman and his wife Axie. The HTCC annual report for 2009, Samarpanam 2010 was released at the start of the evening. Prof. Norman G. Barrier, Emeritus and Middlebush Chair in the Social Sciences who is an eminent historian and scholar of India was inducted as a Honorary Member of HTCC. Geetha Kutikkad, Inder Khurana, Meera Chandrasekhar, Gagneesh Rawat, Anantha Gopalaratnam and Chandra Rawlani were recognized for their dedicated contributions to HTCC during the last four years. Outgoing Executive Board President, Vellore S. Gopalaratnam and Secretary, Inder Khurana were also recognized for their service to HTCC.

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HTCC Election Results ——————————————————

Congratulations and our best wishes to the incoming officers:

Executive Board

President Inder Khurana Secretary Meera Chandrasekhar

Elected Trustees Kiratadas Kutikkad Visala Palaniappan

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Our grateful thanks to the outgoing officers:

Executive Board

President Vellore S. Gopalaratnam Secretary Inder Khurana

Elected Trustees Arun Jain Sudarshan Loyolka

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Our grateful thanks also to the Election Committee Bharath Srinivasan (Chair) Gagneesh Rawat Krishna Sharma ——————————————————

Chandra Rawlani, Chair of the HTCC Devotional Programs Committee receives the award of Excellence from Ranadhir Mitra, President of the Board of Trustees

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presentations, India-centric poster boards, and Indian dinner organized by the Global Issues Club, was in support of the Free HTCC Elections were the Children for a school conducted by an ad-hoc HTCC Election Committee, chaired by building project in Rajasthan, India. An article on the charity Bharath Srinivasan with event by Nikhilesh Sharma Gagneesh Rawat and Krishna appears in the Bal Sandesh Sharma as members. Our grateful thanks to them for their section of this newsletter (Page efforts, particularly Bharath, who 6).

We have had a variety of was instrumental in configuring programs organized by HTCC Survey Monkey, an innovative during the second quarter of this web-based tool to conduct and year. They include cultural publish surveys. The software programs such as the violin with many useful features for conducting anonymous balloting concert (Purnaprajna and Shivsankalp on the violin with and convenient post-survey graphical presentation of results Shiva Narasimhamurthy on the Mridangam) organized in has served us well.

The highlight of the last quarter collaboration with Raagas of Columbia and the Tabla was our Fourth Anniversary workshop organized in Celebrations, which included a collaboration with The Vedic banquet on March 5 at the Peach Tree Banquet Center and Society at MU (photos and the devotional celebration at the some details on Page 8). On the educational front, HTCC Mandir on March 13. The two events generated approximately arranged for the screening of the documentary “Garbage: The $5,500 for HTCC. We tried Revolution Starts at Home” as a several new ideas during the part of the city-wide Earth Hour banquet, including a silent Event in support of the auction, and a DJ driven open dance floor, both of which were Columbia Climate Change Coalition. Also following the very successful. We also inducted Prof. Emeritus Norman discussion-hour after the screening, HTCC has decided G. Barrier as our fifth Honorary to take a more thoughtful and Member (see inset on Page 9). modest first-step to encourage A select group of committee sustainable operations at the chairs and outgoing officers of Mandir. Effective immediately, the Executive Board were all Mandir events will use only recognized for their dedicated biodegradable dinnerware contributions to HTCC and (compartment trays, bowls, Shanthi Mandir. Samarpanam, plates and cups) instead of the the HTCC Annual Report for foam products currently in use.

2009 was released at the The Executive Board will also banquet. The report has been posted on our web site at: http:// systematically incorporate environmental-conscious shanthimandir.missouri.org/ Samarpanam10Web.pdf. A link approaches to all Shanthi Mandir operations and to photographs from the encourage similar lifestyle banquet can be found on the Shanthi Mandir web site. Visala changes among our Palaniappan ably led the ad-hoc membership. On the service front, we participated, in addition Anniversary Planning to regular service projects, in Committee comprising a dozen the city-wide Clean-Up hard-working Columbia event at two locations members. More - Bal Sabha group took on clean details of the up of the Ridgeway Elementary anniversary celebration including School and its vicinity (photo on Page 6) and the HTCC Helping a summary of Hands took on clean up of accounts from the Shanthi Mandir lot and its two events are included on Page 3. vicinity. Our Service Programs HTCC recently made and Facilities and Renovation a challenge donation committees jointly organized the Spring Seva Day at the Mandir of $500 to the Rock (Page 7). The Seva Day has Bridge High School now become a biannual event, towards the fundraising efforts of the once in conjunction with the Clean-Up Columbia event in the Global Issues Club. spring and once in Fall as a The India Benefit commemoration of Gandhiji’s Night comprising (an ardent proponent of Shram Bollywood dance, Executive Board Message (continued from Page 1)

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Daan) birthday (around October 2). And finally on the devotional front, we organized Akhand Ramayan (detailed in an article on Page 8) and the first Akhand Gita Paath, the nonstop recitation of the Bhagavad Gita.

The recitation used the Hindi version of Bhagvad Gita by Pandit Dina Nath Dinesh and was very well recived by our membership. This event is planned as an annual offering in May. The Devotional Programs Committee is also organizing a talk at the Mandir on Sunday, May 23 to celebrate Buddha Purnima. Rev. Dhammaruchi an ordained Buddhist minister from Jefferson City’s Vipassana Buddhist Church will talk about “The Buddha and His Legacy” (see Community Calendar on Page 11 for details). Our Youth Activities Committee is busy preparing for Summer Workshops for youth and adults. All workshops are open to members and nonmembers alike. So please take full advantage of these wonderful opportunities to keep our youth creatively engaged.

The list of workshops will soon be available on our web site along with contact person information if you require additional information.

The lead article for this issue expounds on Mīmāmsā, a lesser known, orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. The article

by H. R. Chandrasekhar provides food for thought on many issues related to the practice of Hinduism. We also have the continuing series on Yoga by Ritcha MehraChaudhary and the Bhagavad Gita by Saroj Mohan. Book review, a new feature within the Bal Sandesh section includes a review of One Grain of Rice by Alagu Arunachalam.

As the new Executive Board takes over and reviews our standing committee structure and our operations, there will be plenty of opportunities to volunteer on the various committees and also provide leadership for some of them.

Please consider to actively participate in the governance of the Mandir. This is YOUR Mandir and cannot do without YOUR volunteer service!

And as always, see you at the Mandir☯ Vellore S. Gopalaratnam Inder Khurana Manjula Narasimhan Ravi Thawani

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Newsletter of Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO

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May 2010

EDITOR’S NOTE

Bal Sabha Officers

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President Ravi Thawani

al Sandesh wishes all its members a Happy New Year, whether you celebrated Ugadi, Vishu, Vaishaki, or Tamil New Year. This issue features socially conscious activities of Bal Sabha members with photos of Bal Sabha members actively participating in the Clean up Columbia event and a write up about a fundraiser at Rock Bridge High School. This issue also includes a Book Review column. We hope to make this a regular feature in Bal Sandesh. Please send in your articles, poems, drawings and all other creative works for Bal Sandesh☯

Vice-President Sridhar Kalluri Secretary/Treasurer Manjula Narasimhan Cultural Secretary Alagu Arunachalam

The Editors

Bal Sandesh Coordinator Hema Srinivasan

One Grain of Rice Book Review by Alagu Arunachalam

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ong ago in India, a raja ruled wisely and fairly. Or so he thought. He was wise in that he required much of the rice that was grown to be stored away, in case of famine. He was fair in that he would provide the people of the land with rice, should famine ever strike.

When famine strikes, however, the raja is reluctant to let the rice go. “Who knows how long the famine will last?” he wonders to himself. “What if there is finally no rice left, not even for the raja himself?” So, the people go hungry for many months.

One day an elephant is carrying rice from the storehouse to the palace for a royal feast. A clever girl named Rani sees some rice falling from the basket. She creates a plan to help the starving people. She catches the rice in her skirt and returns all of it to the raja. To reward her for her good deed, the raja says, “Ask me for anything, and you shall have it.” What does Rani ask for? Only one grain of rice for the day!

BUT…the next day, she said, the raja must double the amount of rice. Then the next day he must give her double the amount again and so on for the next 30 days. The raja is surprised when she asks for just one grain, but he grants her wish.

Over the next thirty days we see the rice being delivered by a colorful procession of animals. We also see the amount of grains delivered each day growing larger and larger, until the author/illustrator is forced

About the Author: Born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, on September 2, 1942, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the author/illustrator uses a childhood nickname, “Demi” for her professional name. She was born into a family deeply involved in the arts and was therefore surrounded by artists and actors from an early age. She got her Bachelor’s degree from the innovative art program at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles.

A Fulbright scholarship took her to the University of Baroda, Gujarat, India where she got her Master’s degree. After to use fold-out pages to show the dozens returning to the United States, she of elephants required to bring the rice on published the first of many books, a the last day. collection of East Indian Folktales. Demi is As Demi, the author, proves in her chart the author and illustrator of over a hundred at the book's close, this simple doubling children's books, including Buddha, pattern produces 1,073,741,823 grains of Buddha Stories, Gandhi, and The Empty rice (compounded total) by the end of thirty Pot. Demi lives in Carnation, Washington. days. If this were pennies, the sum would References: total $10,737,418.23.

The raja is dumbfounded by the math, http://biography.jrank.org/pages/699/Hitz-Demi1942-Demi.html#ixzz0l0USW1Gh and dismayed by his new-found scarcity of http://www.bcplonline.org/kidspage/demi.html rice. Rani informs him that the rice will be http://www.papertigers.org/interviews/ used to feed the people, but that she will archived_interviews/demi.html leave a basket for him if he promises to be http://www.shvoong.com/books/1908018-grain“wise and fair” from then on. And he does. rice/ The raja learns a lesson about selfishness http:// and Rani saves the people of India from teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/one starvation through her cunningness and -grain-of-rice.html her understanding of math. You do the math to figure it out too!☯

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Students Support Global Issues

Nikhilesh Sharma, 10th Grade, Rock Bridge High School

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he Global Issues Club in Rock Bridge High School “strives to raise awareness of the world and to examine positive actions students can take.” This year, club members studied the issue of child labor in India. Members of the Club then decided to raise funds for a foundation called “Free the Children” (http://

www.freethechildren.com/). This foundation uses donated money to build schools in under privileged regions of the world.

The Global Issues Club chose to donate funds they raised to help build a school in Rajasthan, India. A week of fundraising at Rock Bridge High School was organized. This included screening a Bollywood movie

and bake sales. Fund raising events also included an Indian Benefit Dinner and entertainment show that was attended by over 100 people.

HTCC made a generous donation of $500 for the cause.

In all, over $1000 were raised for the “Free the Children” organization☯

Bal Sabha of Columbia, Missouri The Bal Sabha crew pose by the Adopt-A-Spot sign after spending the morning cleaning up at the Ridgeway Elementary School and its vicinity as a part of the Clean Up Columbia event. Under the Adopt-A-Spot program, Bal Sabha members volunteer to clean up Ridgeway Elementary School twice during the year, once during the spring and once during the fall. (L-R) Deepa Viswanathan, Aditi Ajit, Surya Mantrala, Neeta Thawani, Bharath Srinivasan, Prerna Srinivasan, Siddharth Kutikkad, Shreyas Srinivasan, Tejazaditya Ajit, Ashwin Mantrala, Ashwath Kumar, Senthil Kumar, Ajith Chandrasekhar, Anand Chandrasekhar, Ajay Chandarsekhar. Ravi Thawani, the Bal Sabha President is behind the camera

For nearly a decade Bal Sabha of Columbia, Missouri has served as one of the City of Columbia‘s Adopt-a-Spot partner.

Youth at the Fourth Anniversary Banquet were kept engrossed by arts and crafts projects conducted by Amy Messner and Stephanie Cox. The pizza dinner and company of peers was much appreciated too!

Bal Sabha meets every fourth Sunday of the month from 3:00 5:00 p.m. at Shanthi Mandir 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.

Editorial Staff Anchal Sethi Maya Cutkosky Neeta Thawani Nidhi Khurana Prerna Srinivasan Vikram Arunachalam Parent Advisor Hema Srinivasan

Phone (573) 514-0486 (573) 445-2854 (660) 882-5317 (573) 874-9647 (573) 445-0033 (573) 445-2854

E-Mail danzingdivas@yahoo.com booneville.kid@hotmail.com n_khurana@yahoo.com

srinivasanh@missouri.edu

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Yoga - Part 2

The Different Styles of Yogasanas – Which One is Right for You? Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary

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he practice of yoga has been around for millennia and the ultimate goal of a yogi is not just physical fitness, but also of harnessing the entire potential of the mind to attain a super conscious state of awareness/energy.

Many different styles of yogasanas are being practiced today and it is easy to become overwhelmed. Although all of the styles are based on the same physical postures (called asanas or poses), each type of Yoga has a particular emphasis.

Here is a quick guide to some of the most popular types of yoga: Hatha Yoga: Hatha Yoga is the foundation of all styles of Yoga. It is slow paced and is a complete system that can be used to achieve enlightenment or selfrealization. Traditional Hatha yoga includes postures (Asanas) with coordinated breathing (Pranayama), meditation (Dharana & Dhyana) and kundalini (Laya Yoga).

Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga means “eight limbs” in Sanskrit. It is a physically demanding style of Yoga and there are no pauses between the various asanas unlike the traditional yoga. Ashtanga yoga involves synchronizing breathing with a fast paced flowing sequence of postures that gradually increase in difficulty. There is little or no emphasis on meditation. It is designed to build strength and endurance and is for people looking for a tough, physically challenging workout.

Bikram/Hot Yoga: Pioneered by Bikram Choudhury, it involves a series of 26 poses performed in a heated room (90-100 degrees F). The heat in the room loosens tight muscles and increases the body’s flexibility, reducing the risk of injury. It causes profuse sweating and helps to detoxify the body. It is a comprehensive workout for muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular flexibility, and weight loss.

Keep the body strong and healthy. Keep the mind calm and serene.

Yoga philosophy Iyengar Yoga: Based on the teachings of the yogi B.K.S Iyengar, it is also a form of Hatha Yoga. It uses similar poses as Hatha yoga; however, the poses are held for longer time and the focus is more on body alignment and balance. It also incorporates various props (straps, blankets, and blocks), making it accessible to people with limited abilities.

Integral Yoga: Integral yoga follows the teachings of Sri Swami Sachidananda, founder of “Integral Yoga Institutes”. It is a gentle form of Hatha yoga that emphasizes breathing, chanting, meditation, and Kriyas for purifying the body's energy channels.

Kundalini Yoga: Kundalini yoga is meant to awaken a powerful energy that is believed to be located at the base of the spine. This energy, once released, is said to bring a great sense of well-being and awareness. The emphasis is on the breath (Prana) in conjunction with physical movement, with the purpose of freeing

energy in the lower body and drawing it upwards. A typical class also includes chanting, meditation, and breathing exercises.

Kripalu Yoga: This style is based on Hatha yoga and was founded by guru Amrit Desai. There are three stages in Kripalu yoga: stage one focuses on learning the postures and exploring the body’s abilities; stage two involves holding the postures for an extended time, developing concentration and inner awareness; and stage three is like meditation in motion in which the movement from one posture to another arises unconsciously and spontaneously.

The purpose is to explore and release emotional and spiritual blockages.

Power Yoga: It is similar to Ashtanga yoga, because it is also based on the flowing style of Ashtanga. However, it may not follow the set Ashtanga series of poses and is much faster paced. Power yoga is for those looking for a vigorous aerobic workout and body toning.

Sivananda Yoga: It was started in 1959

by Swami Vishnu-Devananda, a disciple of Swami Sivananda. This form of yoga emphasizes proper exercise (Asanas, focusing on 12 poses in particular); proper breathing (Pranayama), and proper relaxation (Savasana) along with proper diet (Vegetarian), positive thinking (Vedanta), and meditation (Dhyana).

Vinyasa Yoga: Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, tends to be a very vigorous style of yoga. Emphasis is on performing Sun Salutations with breath synchronization and it is physically very challenging.

I hope this brief description of some of the popular styles of Yoga will help readers to overcome confusion and figure out which kind is right for them☯

The HTCC Helping Hands crew following the Clean-up Columbia event

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Akhand Ramayan

Ramayan Readers: Adarsh Kumar, Arpita Kumar, Annayya Aroor, Asha Shukla, Bhandana Katoch, Chandra Rawlani, Gagneesh Rawat, Gopal Krishna, Hema Srinivasan, Inder Khurana, Jyotsna Nair, Kusum Malhotra, Manorma Gupta, Meena Thawani, Mona Puri, Namita Satpathy, Neeru Loyalka, Preeti Sinha, Punam Sethi, Rajni Tolani, Ravi Puri, Ravi Thawani, Ritcha Mehra, Sangeeta Kumar, Santosh Sehgal, Satish Anand, Shivendra Shukla, Sudha Aroor, Sushma Malik, Tarang Parashar, Vinita Khanna.

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Chandra Rawlani and Inder Khurana

khand Ramayan, the nonstop 24-hour reading of the Ram Charit Manas (in Devnagri script) by the devotees of Shri Rama, was organized at the Shanthi Mandir during the weekend of March 20-21 this year. Saturday at the Mandir started with the regular recitation of Venkateshwara Suprabhatam and Vishnu Sahasranaamam. It was followed by Akhand Ramayan Puja and Shri Ram Ashtotra Shata Naamavali, which entail the invocation and worship of Gosvami Tulsidas, the sage Valmiki, Lord Siva, and Shri Hanuman, and then the invocation of the Divine couple, Sita and Rama, along with Shri Rama’s three divine brothers (Bharata, Lakshmana, Shatrughna) and the meditation on them. These offerings set the stage for the reading of Rama Charit Manas. After the completion of the reading on Sunday, the concluding puja

covered the Shri Hanuman Ashtotra Shata and Naamavali, after which the devotees recited Shri Hanuman Chalisa, Shri Ramayan Aarti, Shri Hanuman Aarti, Universal Aarti, and offered Pushpaanjali (flowers).

Prasad and Bhog (lunch) were then served.

The narrative of Shri Rama is a life-giving herb that removes one from the cycle of birth and death. It is often asserted that those who sing this story in a guileless spirit attain the object of their soul’s desire and those who hear the verses from the holy book cross the ocean of mundane existence. For example, several Chaupais (couplets) in the Uttara Kanda of Ram Charit Manas state that the story of Shri Rama wipes out the sins of the Kali age and remove the impurities of the mind.

Conducting Akhand Ramayan is like undertaking a yajna. With God’s grace and the immense devotion of Shri Rama’s devotees, this yajna was performed successfully at the Shanthi Mandir. By Sunday morning, Shanthi Mandir had turned into Ayodhya Dhaam where attendees were chanting the story of Shri Rama with unmatched dedication and love.

We are grateful to everyone who assisted in completing this yajna. Shivendra Shukla, Asha Shukla, and Gopal Krishna ensured that the protocol for

undertaking the Ram Charit Manas was properly followed.

Punam Sethi was instrumental in identifying readers and in developing a schedule of reading to match the availability of the readers. Ritcha MehraChaudhary and Vinita Khanna coordinated the food for the 24 hour reading of the Ramayan.

Kusum Malhotra volunteered to fill-in for any task that needed attention. Many of these volunteers have commented that organizing the Akhand Ramayan was facilitated by the support of the community. Main readers showed up on time. Along with the main readers, the devotees participated actively in singing.

There was also ample food during the Ramayan recitation.

In light of the large attendance and participation on Sunday, many devotees had to share the holy book with others. A few attendees also asked if there was a harmonium that could be played with the recitation. We have forwarded a wish list for having more copies of Ram Charit Manas and a harmonium to the Library Committee and the Devotional Committee, respectively. Thanks again for all your support. We could not have done this yajna without God’s grace and your unfettered enthusiasm. We look forward to continuing the Akhand Ramayan event next year☯

Tabla Workshop

The Vedic Society at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) and the Tabla Interest Group within the Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC) jointly organized the Tabla Workshop at the MU Memorial Union on Sunday, April 25, 2010. Dr. Sharad Sathe of St. Louis conducted the Workshop with the assistance of his two students Raveena Boodram of St. Louis and Raj Satpathy of Columbia. Photo on the left shows Raveena, Sharad and Raj during the Tabla demonstrations. Some of the participants and organizers including the Tabla Interest Group and Vedic Society members pose for a photograph following the workshop.

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Shreemad Bhagavad Gita ‐ Part 9 Saroj Mohan

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th

n the 26 verse, Shri Krishna clarifies that the self-realized Mahatma should carry out his Shashtra vihit Karmas or prescribed duties with full faith and devotion to Parmaatma or the Lord so as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant people who are still attached to the fruits of their actions. Instead he should engage them in activities that lead them to become selfrealized as well.

It means that ordinary people should follow the example of a “Man of Wisdom” and perform duties faithfully, with devotion and dedication. In time, when knowledge dawns, this state of mind, leads to a wonderful divine state, when work becomes worship. The feeling of devotion leads to the goal of work being as worship.

Next, Shri Krishna explains who is the Karta or performer of actions. Shri Krishna says, “O Arjuna, all actions and functions are done by fundamental Gunas of Prakriti or nature. The egocentric person whose mind is deluded by ego thinks himself to be the Karta or doer of the actions.” The ignorant mind of Veemudh-atma or deluded Jeevatma thinks that he is the performer of the actions. This is not true.

The 28th verse is very important and often quoted by a “Man of Wisdom”. Shri Krishna says, “The Tattwavid or Knower of Reality knows that Guna guneshu Vartante, i.e., elements in Prakriti interact with each other according to their inherent nature. Knowing this reality with certainty, the “Man of Wisdom” does not get attached with any thing or the fruits of his actions.”

We have seen that three Gunas of Prakriti—Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas—keep interacting and creating different emotions, thoughts, and actions. Prakriti consists of five elements — earth, water, fire, air, and space. The mind, the ego, and the five sense organs are called Gyanaindriyas and the five organs of actions are called Karmendriyas. This group is called Guna vibhaga or division of Gunas, and their functions are called karma vibhag. The one who knows this is a Tattwavid and he keeps himself totally unengaged by sense gratification.

Expanding further, in the 29th verse, Shri Krishna advises the “Man of Wisdom” thus: “For those whose minds are totally deluded and immersed in the pleasures of their sense-organs, and are attached to the fruits of their actions for self gratification, such people should not be Vichaal yaet or unsettled from their actions.” This means

that such people who are bewildered by the modes of material nature should be only gently guided in their efforts, but should not be decried by the “Man of Wisdom”.

Otherwise the powerful rain of wisdom can drown them.

In the 30th verse, Lord Krishna commands Arjuna to surrender all unto Him and perform his actions. He says, “With your mind totally absorbed and centered in Me without any desires, ego, sorrow, and hope surrender all unto Me; then fight without any fever, Udhawasw vigat jwar, or without any internal heat of agitation.”

This is the correct method of living in the world. All upheavals of internal agitations created by the ego, desires, sorrow, and even hope should be surrendered to Parmatma. One should keep fighting for Dharma and right things. In the case of Arjuna, it was his duty to fight the war for Dharma. Following these teachings faithfully, the seeker becomes peaceful and free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

In the 31st verse Shri Krishna says, “O Arjuna, the one who is full of faith and does not find fault with others, and who is full of devotion, he becomes free from all actions.” i.e., free from the results of good and bad actions which keeps one in the cycle of duality. Only in the “Ego-free” or the Self-Realized state, where Nishkam karmayoga is performed, does work become worship.

Shri Krishna warns in the 32nd shloka, that those who disregard his teachings are bereft of all knowledge and will be lost and are the cause of their own suffering. Purity of heart and mind is essential for Sadhana or spiritual practices. There are always some people who are not pure hearted, who always find fault with every thing and do not have faith either; for such people, the Lord says, know them to be lost and fallen.

In the following shloka, Shri Krishna points out that every body is helplessly influenced by Prakriti or nature. He says, “All living beings are under the control of nature. They all act Avasha or helplessly according to their inherent nature. Gyanis, or Self-realized souls, also act according to their nature. What can repression accomplish?” The overwhelming power of

strong nature is very compelling. Deluded Jeevatmas and Gyani Mahatmas both sway under the spell of nature.

To be stubborn and try to control the force of nature is very hard. It can be done but it is a very uphill task.

Shri Krishna describes in the 34th verse what should be done in such a situation. He says, “Sense organs and their stimuli, or objects, are very much attached to each other. Likes and dislikes, Raga and dwesh, or attachments and aversion both are hidden in them. A person should not get under their spell. They are a great hindrance to the path of Selfrealization. They are powerful enemies.”

It is very clear that all pairs of opposites or dualities — likes and dislikes, attachment and aversion, joy and sorrow — are powerful enemies on the path of self -realization. They must be conquered. It is important to be away from their forceful spell. This is imperative for a Nishkam Karma yogi.

In the 35th verse, Shri Krishna has stern instructions for a Karmayogi. He states that discharging one’s prescribed duties, according to one’s Swadharma is the best thing to do even if it is performed faultily rather than performing somebody else’s duty or Paradharma however good it may be.

Shri Krishna says, “If your Swadharma does not look good and without much merit, it is still best to carry them out instead of somebody else’s more attractive Paradharma which may be full of merit.

Even though it may look good it is frightening and horrible for you.

Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.”

In this case Arjuna was a Kshatriya prince; his right duty was to fight the war rather than to become a Sanyaasi. Arjuna, under the stress of his attachment for his kinfolk wanted to renounce the world and not fight the war. That would have been against his Dharma. Sooner or later his inherent nature would have surfaced and that would be unsuited to a Sanyaasi. So, acting according to your Dharma is the best thing to do. It is better to die doing your own duties than somebody else’s more glorious actions☯

Our Honorary Member Inductee: We inducted Prof. Norman G. Barrier as our fifth Honorary Member at the banquet to commemorate our Fourth Anniversary. Prof. Barrier, Emeritus and Middlebush Chair in the Social Sciences (2000-2005), is an eminent historian and scholar of India, specializing on recent Sikh history. Another major contribution of Barrier is the South Asia Books, arguably the largest and most comprehensive resource of publications from and about India in the United States and Canada. His generous donation of hundreds of books on Indian philosophy, culture, history, literature and fine arts has enriched our library at Shanthi Mandir. It is an honor and privilege to induct him as an Honorary Member of HTCC to recognize his accomplishments and service to the Indian community in Columbia and to the HTCC.

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HTCC Quarterly Fiscal Report

For the period January 1, 2010 - March 31, 2010 Prepared by Manjula Narasimhan, Treasurer, April 23, 2010 Quarterly Revenues Interest Income Interest income Membership: 2010 Annual Family Members (AFM) 20 @ $50 2010 Annual Individual Members Donations: Check Donations Hundi Donations/Prayer Services Facilities Use Donations: Mandir and Educational Center use donations Other Revenues Fourth Anniversary Celebrations

$10.94

$10.94

$1,000.00 $90.00

$1,090.00

$3,720.00 $1,174.50

$4,894.50

$195.00

$195.00

$13,568.00

$13,568.00

Total Quarterly Revenues

$19,758.44

Quarterly Expenses Administrative Fourth Anniversary Celebrations Maintenance and Supplies Printing and Mailing Special Events Upgrade and Repairs Utilities

$305.53 $8,102.51 $210.05 $465.60 $176.63 $112.98 $2,317.24

Total Quarterly Expenses

$11,690.54

Net Income for the Quarter

$8,067.90

Silent Auction Donors We would like to thank the following families for in-kind donations to the Silent Auction organized during the Anniversary Banquet. The Silent Auction generated more than $1,100 to benefit HTCC. Anonymous Donor Batchu, Sudhir and Priya Chandrasekhar, H.R. and Meera Chaudhary, Kunal and Ritcha Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha

Jashnani, Ghanshyam and Leela Loyolka, Sudarshan and Nirja Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya Viswanath, Dabir and Pramila

Thank You! Donor Acknowledgement, February 1, 2010 – April 30, 2010 We gratefully acknowledge the following donations made during the above period. 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. $24Nair, Satish and Jyotsna Parashar, Tarang $25 - $99 Chaudhary, Kunal & Ritcha Mehra Malhotra, Anil and Kusum Mantrala, Murali and Surya Rawat, Gagneesh and Aditi Srinivasan, Bharath and Manjula Narasimhan $100 - $199 Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha Gupta, Ghanshyam and Manorma Khurana, Inder and Jasmit

Krishna, Gopal and Santosh Sahota, Pradeep and Shaku Shukla, Shivendra and Asha Ratneshwar, Ratti and Subbalakshmi Vishwanath, Dabir and Pramila $200 - $299 Gopalakrishna, Srinath and Uma $300 - $349 Sehgal, Santosh $500- $549 Loyalka, Sudarshan and Nirja

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Community Calendar (May 15, 2010 - September 15, 2010) Unless otherwise indicated, all events are at Shanthi Mandir, 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202 A fun activity initiated during the last few 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 Vellore S. Gopalaratnam , vsgopal@aol.com (446-0663)

May 23

The Buddha and His Legacy - Buddha Purnima Talk Sunday, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon Rev. H. B. Dhammaruchi from the Vipasana Buddhist Church in Jefferson City will share his insights on Lord Gautama Buddha. Contact: Vellore S. Gopalaratnam, vsgopal@aol.com (446-0663)

July 22

Guru Purnima Special Sai Bhajan Thursday, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Prasad welcome Contact: Anantha Gopalaratnam, ananthag@aol.com (4460663) Sept. 11

Aug. 21

HTCC Garage Sale and Mela Saturday, 8:00 am - 12:00 noon Please visit our web site in mid-August to get further details. Plan to clean out your closets, support a worthy cause, and make your unused items get a second lease of life! Look out for notice to donate items as well as to help organize the event. Contact: Shuba Ratneshwar, shubaji@hotmail.com (875-5228)

Aug. 28

Aug. 29

Sept. 4

Janmashtami/Shri Krishna Jayanthi Puja More details will be posted on our web site a week before the puja. Contact Hema Srinivasan, SrinivasanH@missouri.edu (445-2854) Ganesh Chaturthi Puja (Fifth Anniversary Celebration) Saturday 6:00 - 8:00 pm The Puja also marks the Fifth Anniversary of Shanthi Mandir. Expect a grand celebration of this special festival.

More details will be posted on our web site a week before the puja.

Summer TBD Samuhika Sathyanarayana Puja Date and time details will be available later on our web site

Summer TBD Summer Workshps HTCC Youth Day / Bal Sabha / Bal Puja Picnic Several summer workshops for youth and adults are Cosmopolitan Park Dexheimer Shelter, Saturday, 4:00 planned by the HTCC Youth Activities Committee. Details 8:00 pm. A day of fun to recognize and reward our youth will be available on the Shanthi Mandir website late in May. All age groups (including adults). Contact: Nandhu Contact Nandhu Radhakrishnan, Chair, HTCC Youth Activities Radhakrishnan, radhakrishnann@missouri.edu (823-8252) Committee at htcc.youth@gmail.com (823-8252) for details regarding Making of Ganesh idol all the HTCC Youth Summer Workshops.

Sunday, 4:00 - 6:00 pm.

Carnatic Music Classes Nurture Youth, Support HTCC Carnatic vocal music classes taught by Shuba Ratneshwar with eight students at various skill levels is going strong for more than a couple of years. Students have performed at various major entertainment programs including India Nite, the crown jewel of the Cultural Association of India, and Sargam, THE venue in Columbia for Indian classical music and dance performances. In addition to offering a valuable service to Columbia, Shuba donates the instructor fees generated from the Carnatic vocal music classes entirely to support HTCC. Our grateful thanks to her for her generous donation of time and talent in support of our communityâ˜Ż

Ugadi 2010 Stellar entertainment and sumptuous food ushered in the New Year for many Columbia residents!

Shanthi Mandir

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 286 Columbia MO 65201

Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid窶信issouri (HTCC) 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043 HTCC is registered as a Nonprofit Corporation in MO HTCC is tax-exempt under IRS Section 501 (c) 3

Current Programs at the Mandir Devotional Programs Open prayer time/Aarti Sai Bhajan Venkateshwara Suprabhatam/Vishnu Sahasranaamam Open prayer time/Aarti Kirtan (Monthly event) Educational/Youth Programs Tamil Classes Hindi Classes Bal Puja Bal Sabha

(May 15, 2010)

1st

Tuesday Thursday Saturday Saturday Sunday

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

1st /3rd 2nd 4th 2nd 4th

Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday Friday Saturday Sunday

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday Saturday Sunday Sunday

4:00 - 8:30 p.m.

10:15 - 11:45 a.m Flexible for now 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Service Programs Volunteering at Central Missouri Food Bank 1st Shram Daan 1 (Labor Donation) Shram Daan 2 (Labor Donation) Narayan Seva (Sai Group - St. Francis Home Lunch) 2nd Non-Perishable Food Collection (Ongoing continuously) Fitness and Cultural Art Programs Bharata Natyam classes (instructor fee required) Yoga Classes (instructor fee required) Tabla classes (instructor fee required) Carnatic vocal music classes (instructor fee required)

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 its Publications and Communications Committee. Editor: Sandhya Sharma <sandhya.sharma@yahoo.com>

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