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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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Hamsa Gita – The Song of the Swan H.R. Chandrasekhar

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“As the leaves of a lotus remain in water but are not water logged, be a part of the world and yet remain detached from it.”

he Bhagavad-Gita is universally recognized as the magnum opus of Hindu Philosophy. It forms the third leg of Vedānta, Upanishads and Brahma Sūtra being the other two (see the last four issues of Shanthi Sandesh for a discussion of these topics).

However, there is another body of work that contains philosophical discussions on par with the Bhagavad-Gita, which has received considerably less attention.

Before his departure from earth and the total destruction of the Yadavas in the flood that engulfed Dwaraka, Lord Krishna summoned his disciple Uddhava to his side and delivered a sermon. Often termed as “Uddhava Gita,” this sermon contains profound philosophical discussions couched in a delightful narration filled with stories and imageries. This engaging

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Inside This Issue Hamsa Gita

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Executive Board

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In Memoriam

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We Are What We Eat

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Bal Sandesh

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Buddha Purnima

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Cultural Programs

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A Musical Journey

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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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e hope you are having a wonderful summer.

Despite the scorching heat, Mandir continues to be a hub of constant activity and action – a connection with our community. All summer, a crew of dedicated volunteers showered their tender love and care for colorful flowers to sprout around the Mandir. We are now beginning to enjoy the rewards of their labor. The Mandir also experienced increased attendance during summer. Because of growing interest in Bhagavad Gita, the Tuesday open hour session is now devoted to the singing and discussion of Bhagavad Gita.

Even the youth are now engaged in discussing Bhagavad Gita at their monthly Bal Puja meetings The quest for better understanding of

its discussion with sage Sanaka and his brothers. Lord Krishna spoke of this episode to Uddhava during their conversation.

Lord Brahma was tasked to create the world and his first trial was to create the Kumaras out of his mind. These boys, dialogue forms the bulk of the Sanaka being the oldest, did eleventh chapter of the not turn out to be what he had Bhagawatha Purana, credited in mind for them. They refused to sage Vyasa. It is said that to grow up, marry, and Vyasa was embarrassed and procreate; but remained saddened to find that his most immersed in Yoga and famous work Mahabharatha philosophy. Brahma was proud became popular for the wrong of their intellect and their ability reasons – due to stories of war, to ask the most incisive sex, and violence rather than questions that have lead to its philosophical content. He many famous and profound composed Bhagawatha to philosophical debates. remedy this defect by focusing One day as Brahma presided on philosophy and devotion as over an assembly of scholars, the main themes.

Sanaka asked him a question A sub-chapter in the Uddhava on the nature of Brahman, the Gita is the episode of the ultimate reality and its relation Hamsa, the incarnation of the to individual beings. Brahma (continued on Page 2) Lord in the form of a swan and Sources: Srimad Bhagawatam by Sage Vyasa; Karnataka Bhagawatha (Volumes I and II), edited by H.R. Chandrasekhar ISBN 09711223-4-2.

Message from the Executive Board Bhagavad Gita makes the feature article of this issue titled ‘Hamsa Gita - The Song of the Swan’ by H. R. Chandrasekhar even more timely and enlightening. We were also impressed with the enthusiasm for a short talk given at a short notice by Dr. Amitabha Ghosh, an Ex Director of IIT, Kharagpur, on astronomical dating of ancient India events such as the war in Mahabharatha.

Summer also brought the news of the passing away of Professor Norman Barrier, who was inducted as an honorary HTCC member at the fourth anniversary banquet of HTCC. Besides being a generous donor of books on Indian

philosophy, culture, history, and arts to the HTCC library, he was a dear friend to many of us. We will greatly miss him.

This summer, Ravi Thawani initiated two events, which we hope we can pursue as annual events. Under Ravi’s leadership, HTCC Helping Hands and Bal Sabha raised funds for the “Summer Fan Program” administered by the Voluntary Action Center (VAC).

The youth did a fantastic job in this effort and they were especially grateful to the community for the support offered for this cause.

Moreover, Ravi organized a bike-a-thon from Columbia to Rocheport. This event was (continued on Page 3)

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and greed. Help your fellowmen.

Charity is good for the soul. 4) Seek a place of solitude and peace. A crowded smoke-filled party will not lead to a Satvik nature. 5) Quiet hours of dawn are good for clear thinking and

Hamsa Gita (continued from Page 1)

One who reposes his actions on the Brahman, having abandoned all attachment, is no more stained by the consequences of his actions than a lotus leaf by water.

Bhagavad-Gita 4-10

was overwhelmed at the gravity of the question and found himself inadequate to address it in a suitable manner.

Embarrassed and nervous, he wiped the sweat off his brow and prayed the Lord in his mind to get him out of this fix.

Suddenly the doors of the hall opened and there entered a swan, supremely elegant and beautiful with a white hue that illuminated the hall. The entire gathering, including Sanaka and the boys, gazed at the swan mesmerized by its charm.

Sanaka brought a bowl of milk and offered it. The swan drank it gently. To the utter disbelief of everyone it had drunk only the milk and the water that was a part of the milk stayed behind in the bowl. The monks marveled at the impossible task of separating milk from water that had been demonstrated and wondered at the significance of the message that had been given by the swan.

Sanaka bowed to the swan and asked: “Who are you?”

The swan replied: “Oh holy men! How incongruous this very question is! You ask: ‘Who are you?’ There is one and only one Atman. If there were many, one could distinguish one from another. The notion of you and me as different entities could make it possible to answer your question. Then, if you were referring to the Atman the question becomes meaningless.

“On the other hand, are you referring to the material body, when you talk of you and me?

Even then, consider this. The body is made of five elements, which in turn are a manifestation of Brahman, the ultimate reality.

You may construct pots and pans of different sizes and shapes out of clay. Do these differences make them different from where they originated? Out of gold one can shape many forms of ornaments. Nose rings, ear rings, necklaces, and many other objects seem different and serve many purposes. Are they not ultimately derived from the same object, namely gold? So are many life forms in different sizes and shapes, attitudes and

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personalities, likes and dislikes, abilities and qualities. They are derived from the same entity and they ultimately merge with it in the end.

“Know this oneness with Brahman. Then you will be able to control the mind that is surrounded by the senses that are attracted to the worldly desires. Pain, pleasure, anger, love, greed, and attachment are the results of the interaction of mind with the senses.

Knowledge of the Brahman removes attachment as the appearance of sun dissolves the fog.

“Beings can be classified to be of one of three by nature: A Satvik person is noble, gentle, kind hearted and truthful; a Rajasik person is aggressive, dominated by wants and the urge to satisfy desires; a Tamasik person is dull, ignorant and is driven by emotions rather than reason. These aspects

When one realizes that the Gunas are the doer and none else, and that Atman is beyond them, he will attain My status of being.

Bhagavad-Gita 14-19 study. 6) Engage in actions that promote harmony and peace, not flare up desires. 7) Seek companions of similar interests.

8) Meditate. 9) Chant hymns and prayers. 10) Perform holy acts with noble people.

“Oh holy men! I have given you the quintessence of Yoga and Sankhya. Know the truth and be blissful.”

So saying, the swan disappeared into thin air as Sanaka and the assembly watched in awe. Brahma returned to his seat with glee The attributes (Gunas) of and addressed Sanaka. “You Satva, Rajas, and Tamas are got the answer to your question born of nature; They bind the from none other than the Lord imperishable dweller (Atman) himself. As the Parama Hamsa, in the body that is transient.

He showed that one should live Bhagavad-Gita 14-5 in the material world, being immersed, yet unaffected by it. control the mind thereby As the leaves of a lotus remain masking the true nature of the in water but are not water Atman who knows no such logged, be a part of the world distinctions. One should try to and yet remain detached from it. have the Satvik nature as the dominant one by following these Take only what is necessary and ignore the rest as the swan ten steps: 1) Study of the scriptures. A mind that indulges separated milk from water as it drank.” in intellectual pursuits tends to Thus Lord Krishna concluded Satvik nature. 2) Control what the narration of song of the you eat or drink. Holy water is preferable to intoxicating liquors. swan to Uddhava☯ 3) Lead a life devoid of cruelty

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Mandir. So the puja will be followed by bhajans and pot-luck dinner. HTCC would use this auspicious occasion to launch a very well-received by those who capital campaign to support improvements participated in it. to serve our medium-term needs. As you The Devotional Committee is busy may recall, the long-term planning planning the Fall festival season that starts committee, appointed by the Board of with the very well attended Shri Krishna Trustees, recommended renovations of the Jayanthi/Janmashtami puja (September 4). existing property. Plans are underway to Mid-Missouri Marathi Mandal has agreed to commission an architectural plan and to conduct the puja for the upcoming Ganesh upgrade the parking lot for 14-15 additional Chaturthi (September 9). This event also parking spaces. marks the fifth anniversary of Shanthi Executive Board Message (continued from Page 1)

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ith deep sorrow we note that Professor Norman Gerald Barrier, a dear friend and Honorary Member of HTCC, passed away on June 6, 2010 in Columbia, Missouri, after an eight-month battle with brain cancer.

Professor N. Gerald Barrier, Emeritus and Middlebush Chair in the Social Sciences (2000-2005) at the University of MissouriColumbia, was an eminent historian and scholar of India. During our last annual banquet, he was inducted to honorary membership of HTCC in recognition of his accomplishments and service to the Indian community in Columbia and to the HTCC. At the University he taught a revised course on Gandhi and His Times and two new courses: The Partition of India and Women in Indian History. Barrier's

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We are continuing to think of ways to serve the community better and to use our resources to encourage sustainability and to make a difference. Your input in these efforts is always greatly appreciated. We look forward to seeing you on August 28 – Youth Day Bal Sabha/Bal Puja picnic at Cosmos Park Dexheimer Shelterâ˜Ż Inder Khurana Ravi Thawani Meera Chandrasekhar Manjula Narasimhan

revised keynote address, and an article on the Fairfax Gurdwara case research focused on recent Sikh history. where he served as a After publishing a co-edited volume on Sikh major expert witness identity in 1996, he wrote an article on Sikh (politics, authority, and politics and organizations, published in a congregational practice). volume celebrating the life of JS Grewal Another major (the most eminent Sikh historian of the contribution of Barrier is the South Asia modern period), and wrote several reviews Books, arguably the largest and most and review articles for scholarly journals. In comprehensive resource of publications 1997, Barrier gave a keynote address at from and about India in the United States the International Sikh Studies Conference, and Canada. His generous donation of the University of Michigan, and presented hundreds of books on Indian philosophy, papers on contemporary Sikh legal cases culture, history, literature, and fine arts has relating to Gurdwara governance. He has enriched our library at Shanthi Mandir. He co-edited the volume of proceedings from will be greatly missed by all of usâ˜Ż that conference, consisting of 16 chapters on Sikh identity, and wrote the introduction,

In Memoriam

We Are What We Eat: Nutrition for Healthy Living A.R. Aroor

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have been interested in clinical nutrition for a while now and would to like to share some aspects on a few of the newer concepts in understanding nutritional basis of diseases and the use of selective modification of food components for better health. Excess and irregular eating is one of the burning issues related to health throughout the globe. Three ways of nutritional management that are emerging are life cycle nutrition, life style nutrition, and nutritional medicine. These systems emphasize the importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy, role of nutrition during early childhood, and nutritional habits in adult and aging individuals especially associated with urbanization and affluence. These three situations are emerging as the major factors contributing to transition from a healthy society to a society with a clinical condition known as metabolic syndrome. This condition is caused by the influence of both genetic and epigenetic factors. Let me explain the key terms before discussing nutrition.

Life cycle nutrition is the science of nutrition related to different stages of our life such as nutrition during pregnancy, nutrition during childhood,

nutrition for adolescents, and nutrition during aging. Life style nutrition is one of the key components of life style medicine.

It is an attractive concept because it gives input on the right way of eating and supports the view that a way of eating is complementary to other components of lifestyle such as relaxation of the body through exercise and other behavioral methods. Nutritional medicine is the modification of wholesome foods or the

addition of specific nutritional supplements for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Genetic origin of a disease means transfer of disease from parent to child because of a permanent change in the gene sequence of our genetic material (DNA). Epigenetics is a new theory for origin of diseases compared to genetic origin of diseases. It refers to changes above and beyond the gene sequence of our genetic material. It is either caused by methylation of DNA (addition of methyl groups to one of the chemical components of DNA) or changes in other modifications of proteins wrapping around the DNA (called as histones). What is interesting is it accounts for many changes in our body caused by environmental factors which in turn may be the root cause of a disease. The danger of permanent epigenetic changes leading to diseases is that they can be transferred from one generation to the next.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The factors are related to the metabolism of food and (Continued on page 4)

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SHANTHI Nutrition (Continued from page 3)

Yuktha Ahaara Yuktha Vihaara, Yuktha Karmyasya Chestasu, Yuktha Swapnavabodhasya Yogo Bhavathi Dukhaha He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can accrue the full benefits of yoga.

Bhagavad Gita 6-17

regulation of metabolism by hormones such as insulin.

These conditions are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In general, metabolic syndrome is characterized by 1) abdominal obesity (high amount of fat around the waist which is more than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men), 2) low levels of good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol which is less than 40 mg/dl in men or less than 50 mg/dl in women or receiving treatment for low HDL), 3) high level of triglycerides in the blood (type of fat measured in the blood which is higher than 150 mg/dl or receiving treatment for high triglycerides), 4) high blood pressure (higher than 120 mm Hg systolic or higher than 80 mm Hg diastolic, or receiving treatment for high blood pressure), and 5) high fasting blood glucose (more than 100 mg/ dl or receiving treatment for high blood sugar - the condition is called glucose intolerance or prediabetes). In order to diagnose metabolic syndrome, a person should meet any three of these five criteria. About 25% of the population in the USA and around the globe have metabolic syndrome. These features are seen in increasing numbers in children, thus underscoring the importance of this condition in the society.

Nutrition during pregnancy is critical for healthy development of the fetus. Both malnutrition and over nutrition during pregnancy is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome in adulthood. This phenomenon cannot be explained by hereditary factors, but can be explained by epigenetic theory (see above).

There are many reasons for occurrence of such epigenetic changes, but two are related to nutrition: First, changes in methylation of DNA caused mainly by deficiency of methyl group donors in the diet; Second, oxidative stress due to decreased intake of antioxidants in the diet. Important sources of methyl donors in the diet are vitamin folic acid, choline,

betaine, and vitamin B6.

Important antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenes. Examples of rich sources of foods containing these compounds are green leafy vegetables, beet root, colored fruits, and citrus fruits.

Therefore consumption of these foods in good amounts is of prime importance in maintaining health of the fetus.

Eating habits in early childhood also determine the quality of health in later parts of life. In addition to the effects of epigenetic modifications of DNA and proteins during pregnancy, similar epigenetic effects can also be encountered during childhood because of irregular food habits. It is critical on a parent’s part to monitor the nutritional habits of the child by explaining the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

A high fat diet as well as irregular eating is another bad nutritional habit spreading in all walks of life especially within urban and affluent societies.

This type of diet also causes epigenetic effects and aggravates the chances of developing metabolic syndrome and diabetes, especially in susceptible groups such as people with a family history of diabetes. One of the factors for frequent and irregular intake of food is stress and a second factor is the uncontrollable desire to eat. Both of these components may be kept under check by appropriate behavioral modifications including yoga and a spiritual approach for healthy living. In my opinion, the best one in this regard is the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can accrue the full benefits of yoga.

(Yuktha ahaara yuktha vihaara, yuktha karmyasya chestasu, yuktha swapnavabodhasya yogo bhavathi dukhaha,). Yoga is never meant for a person who observes too much fasting or eats too much (Ati ashnatha na asthi, ekantham anashnatha na asthi). Lord Srikrishna further tells about different types of food based on their influence on three gunas of a person: saatwic, raajasic, and taamasic.

Message: Eat good food in moderation (Sarvadharmeshu madhyama).

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Nutritional medicine is gaining importance in recent years and uses both wholesome foods and specific nutritional components (often referred to as natural resources including phytonutrients) for the treatment of many diseases. Nutritional diet is consumption of food that contains optimum amounts of nutrients in moderate amounts to live in good health. Nutritional supplement is taking some components of food in excess for the treatment of diseases for a specific purpose. Under this concept, it is not a good practice to go after nutrient supplements to improve health unless it is based on a strong rationale.

Nutritional diets are recommended to avoid or control diseases including high blood pressure and diabetes.

Taking potassium rich foods (e.g., banana), avoiding salty foods, and drinking more water are helpful for hypertension. A diet by the name of DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is very effective for metabolic syndrome. This diet is rich in low-fat dairy food, fruits and vegetables, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. All these components are effective in lowering the incidence of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Taking fiber-rich foods (e.g., whole wheat bread) and taking food at specified times with frequent small meals are helpful for diabetes. Fiber rich diets are helpful in lowering blood lipids and slowing the absorption of glucose from the gut. Nutritional supplements may be recommended for healing wounds, arthritis, etc.

For example, taking additional vitamin C pills helps in healing wounds. To further differentiate between the nutritional diet and nutritional supplement, adding small amounts of ginger for regular cooking is nutritional diet and eating small amounts of ginger at regular intervals a few times a week is nutritional supplement for arthritis. Taking ginger regularly has been shown to be useful in rheumatoid arthritis by a few studies.

However taking excess ginger is not good because of its side effects such as constipation.

Therefore, we should all watch our diets and eat healthy. After all, we are what we eat!â˜Ż

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Newsletter of Bal Sabha of Columbia, MO

Bal Sabha Officers President Ravi Thawani Vice-President Sridhar Kalluri

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August 2010

EDITOR’S NOTE T

his issue heralds the end of summer and ushers in a new school year, cooler weather, and a host of festivals like Krishna Jayanthi and Ganesh Chaturthi. We hope you’ve spent your summer well. Bal Sabha members have been busy raising funds for the community, biking a 12-mile trip to Rocheport and back, and enjoying well earned time with family and friends. As always, please continue to submit articles to Bal Sandesh throughout the year. We wish you all a successful new school year☯

Secretary/Treasurer Manjula Narasimhan Cultural Secretary Alagu Arunachalam Bal Sandesh Coordinator Hema Srinivasan

The Editors

Beat the Heat Nidhi Khurana, 9th Grade, Jefferson Junior High School

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ix youth members of “Bal Sabha” volunteered for a fund-raising effort before the July 4th weekend. Vikram Arunachalam, Arjun Khurana, Ashwath Kumar, Prerna Srinivasan, Neeta Thawani, and I called several individuals to raise 660

Kudos

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ila Palaniappan won the American Legion Award for girls during her Fifth grade graduation ceremony at Fairview Elementary School.

dollars for the Columbia Voluntary Action Center’s Beat the Heat Fan Program. This program provides fans to low income families with small children, pregnant women, and elderly or disabled people. All of us were amazed at the generosity of the donors. When I was talking about Beat the Heat to my friends at the Daniel Boone Regional Library, an anonymous donor gave me 100 dollars because she overheard me and felt very strongly for our cause. I have heard countless stories from Chandrasekhar Uncle about how God comes in mysterious ways and we don’t realize it. That is exactly what happened when I received the cash from this anonymous donor. The Voluntary Action Center profusely thanked us for our efforts and told us that we made the heat of the “I did not expect to win the award but I am very pleased to accept it,” said Nila.

One boy and one girl are selected by the Fifth grade teachers for possessing high qualities of Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship, and Service.

Congratulations Nila!

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uryanshi Rawat was awarded the "MEM and Gentry Middle School Leadership Award" for being the

July 4th weekend more bearable for several families. This was a joint effort and all of us are very grateful for the support of the community in this cause☯ "Topmost Female Student" during the graduation ceremony for 7th Graders at Gentry Middle School.

The award is given to one boy and one girl for their outstanding effort, participation, academic success and citizenship."

Congratulations Suryanshi!☯

Cubes for Thought?

Twenty-seven identical white cubes are assembled into a single cube, the outside of which is painted black. The cube is then disassembled and the smaller cubes thoroughly shuffled in a bag. A blindfolded man reassembles the pieces into a cube. What is the probability that the outside of this cube is completely black?

If you would like to share your answer (with explanation), please e-mail Gopal at vsgopal@aol.com. Those with correct solutions will be acknowledged in the next issue of Shanthi Sandesh along with the correct answer explained.

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Ride to Rocheport Vikram Arunachalam, 9th Grade, Jefferson Junior High School

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n a beautiful but humid Sunday morning this summer, about 20 Bal Sabha parents, kids, and teenagers lined up to bike from Columbia to Rocheport on the MKT trail.

The day started off with a picture of the biking group at the Scott Boulevard entrance.

From there, we broke up into groups of four and started on the trail. The very first things I noticed as I started biking were the enormous trees.

They arched over the entire trail, providing shade with their lush, beautiful growth.

We soon came to the first fork in the trail, and we chose the one on the left. It turns out that we took the longer route, but it merged with the one we were supposed to take anyway.

Besides, I saw my 9th grade government teacher jogging on the same trail – what a coincidence!

A short while later, we came to the first junction. There we regrouped and some parents joined us. We came to a railroad crossing shortly (remnants of the original MKT design) and we saw a huge tree further down.

Ashwath told me that it was the oldest tree in Missouri, so we went down the road to see it.

We saw many small waterfalls and an occasional cave on the trail until the MKT started to run parallel to the Missouri River.

The river had overflowed slightly

from the heavy rain the night before, thus creating small swampy areas. The trail was bordered by towering limestone cliffs which added to the beauty of the trail. Up close, the river looked even bigger, murkier, and faster than anywhere else. The continuous chirping of birds, bugs, and insects was present all along its banks, lending to all types of sounds. A few more miles and we were in Rocheport.

In Rocheport, there were many snacks such as bhel-poori, watermelon, popsicles, sandwiches, bagels, and of course plenty of water. After a quick snack, Ashwath and I met up with Raj, Nahush, and Devin and we decided to bike back. So after a 20 minute stop at

the weird part is that it was still sunny – with very few clouds.

Luckily, it stopped soon and we were able to come out from under the trees without getting drenched.

A few miles from Columbia, we took yet another detour through an open gate. The place we entered smelt horrible and had bugs flying all over. We continued on and were stopped by a gate on the other side. It was locked, so we decided to carry our bikes to the other side.

Once that was done, and we were all safely on the other side, we looked at the gate. It had a sign that said, “WATER TREATMENT FACILITY. DO NOT ENTER.” We all looked at each other for consolation and told ourselves, “Well, the gate was open.” We didn’t realize we had just biked through Columbia’s waste water (sewage) treatment facility!

There was only half a mile left and we reached Columbia in a matter of minutes. We then waited for the rest to arrive. It turns out that quite a few people had biked both ways, most notably 4th grader Mathan and his grandfather. Congrats to Rocheport, we headed back.

The way back was a bit easier all the elementary school because it was mostly downhill. children for participating: Kavin, After a couple of tense moments Ashwath E, Anna, Mathan, and on the edge bordering the river, Shreyas.

Overall, the bike ride was a we finally stopped by a bridge to take a break. A moment later, a great success and hopefully this event can take place again next biker passed us and shouted, year. A special thanks to all Bal “Don’t block the trail!” We weren’t taking much of the trail, Sabha members for organizing but got a move on anyway just in the entire event without missing a single detail and for making it case he came back.

Halfway back, it started to rain; so enjoyable!☯

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

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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Buddha Purnima - Leela Jashnani

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n May 23rd we invited Reverend Dharmaruchi, an ordained Buddhist priest from Jefferson City to give us a talk on Buddha Purnima. Lord Buddha was the founder of the Buddhist religion, approximately 2500 years ago. He attained Nirvana or peaceful awakening while he sat under a Banyan tree after having renounced his kingdom and family.

His teachings tell mankind that suffering exists and we must come out of it. The sufferings of mankind exist due to wants and desires but there is a path out of these sufferings. It is the eight-fold path of

truth consisting of right concentration, right understanding, right speech, right thoughts, right action, right effort, and right mindfulness.

Buddha also spoke of meditation in order to attain peace. There are various types of meditation including

Samadhi, the traditional silent meditation.

Vipasna is meditation where controlling the six senses is important, of which the mind and body are a part. The third type of meditation is known as Meta or loving kindness where we must love all beings equally and spread kindness to all forms of life.

The final message of Reverend Dharmaruchi was as follows: May you be peaceful, happy, and content.

May no harm come to you.

May you not lose the fruit of your toil.☯

Answers to Brain Teasers on Page 11 5. The wisest one must have thought like this: I see all hands up and 2 red dots, so I can have either a blue or a red dot. If I had a blue one, the other 2 guys would see all hands up and one red and one blue dot. So they would have to think that if the second one of them (the other with red dot) sees the same blue dot, then he must see a red dot on the first one with red dot. However, they were both silent (and they are wise), so I have a red dot on my forehead.

4. Throw the ball straight up in the air.

3. 15 Melons. The first customer bought 15 ÷ 2 + ½ = 8 (leaving 7), The second customer bought 7 ÷ 2 + ½ = 4 (leaving 3), The third customer bought 3 ÷ 2 + ½ = 2 (leaving 1), and the fourth customer bought 1 ÷ 2 + ½ = 1 2. Lounger 1. Tilt the barrel until the wine barely touches the lip of the barrel. If the bottom of the barrel is visible then it is less than half full. If the barrel bottom is still completely covered by the wine, then it is more than half full.

Cultural Programs at Shanthi Mandir - Hema Srinivasan

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hanthi Mandir hosted two classical music programs during the summer.

On a rainy evening in April (April 24, 2010), a small but devoted group of fans of Indian classical music were delighted by Dr. Purnaprajna on violin with Shiva Murthy on Mridhangam. Purna and Shiva gave the

first classical music concert in our series of cultural programs a few years ago. We are happy that they returned and hope to see them in concert here again in the near future.

On May 16th, Guru Prasanna Kasturi of Soorya Performing Arts, St. Louis, along

with Guru Seema Kasturi came to Columbia to give an enchanting double concert in classical Carnatic music. Guru Prasanna who is known to us all as the Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher gave his debut vocal concert. We look forward to having this duo perform annually at our Mandir☯

Burst of colors at Shanthi Mandir!

Thanks to the many enthusiastic volunteers who donated their time and energy, we have a burst of colors at Shanthi Mandir. In addition to adding to the “curb appeal”, the fresh flowers make for excellent offerings to the deities at the Mandir. Over 50 annuals and perennials were planted in early summer. Continued help through late fall is sought for regular weeding, watering and fertilizing.

Please contact Anantha at ananthag@aol.com or at (573) 446-0663 if you would like to help with the landscaping effort. Work with your friends, take time off the daily grind, burn calories and most of all help the Mandir!

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A Musical Journey – Part I Maya Cutkosky, 10th Grade, Hickman High School

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Lord Shiva, or Nataraja, is revered as the Lord of the dance.

The Veena is one of the oldest string instruments of India.

estern classical music claims its roots in the 4th century, leading ten centuries later to the remarkable discovery of harmony. However, more than five centuries earlier, a different type of music was developing in the East, one that is also still being played today. No experiment in harmony was ever attempted. Interest and advancement sped in a different direction.

Carnatic music, the classical music of southern India, is made of tala and raga. Tala is a Sanskrit word that literally translates as palm tree, lock, or even melody. The translation that likely led to its meaning in Carnatic music is cadence. The tala of a piece is whatever rhythmic pattern it follows. Raga, in Carnatic music, is much more difficult to translate. Several sources will translate it to “melody.” Ironically, the translation in Sanskrit is fairly straightforward. The translation ranges from color (and coloring) to passion. Raga is like a language. The different tones, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni, are the letters. The vocabulary and grammar tell which combinations of tones are allowed and where to accent.

Raga and tala form the backbone of Carnatic music. It was from 4th century BC to 15th century AD that these fundamentals of Carnatic music were developed. In the 15th century, creative energy was put into organizing the already existent forms into groups. Early Carnatic music likely came from the joining of southern Tamil and northern Sanskrit ideas on music.

The main sources of information for music in Tamil India are the Tolkappiam, Ettutogai, Patthupattu, and other works written between 300 BC and 3 AD. From these, we know that in southern India, the traditional form of instruments had already been formed, including the yahz, which was later renamed in Sanskrit as the Veena. This string instrument was to prove fundamental in the early theorists’ understanding of Carnatic music. More immediately relevant, panns, something like a mode, had developed in this time. The Tamils also had a system of swaram (or note) using Tamil

names with a way to record every pitch. Note names even had different suffixes to denote the octave.

The Vedas and other ancient works reveal how music, for the Sanskrit speakers, was formed.

In the Rik Pratisakya, written about 400 BC, the seven notes of the scale are mentioned and defined. It is from these seven notes that raga starts to emerge (Sambamurthy). The Sanskrit system took longer to form, however. The earliest sight of a Solfa system (or swaram) is in Narada Parivrajaka, around the 1st century BC. Yet, perhaps because of the already existent Tamil system, notes other than Sa are seen soon after. These note names, sa ri ga ma pa da ni, and not that of their Tamil counter parts, are sung today.

This is because these notes were all one syllable long, as opposed to the two syllable long note names the Tamil people used.

With the merging of ideas and several years of musical contemplation, the 5th century saw the developed concept of raga, in all its elaborations. The nassari veena, with its fingerboard made this possible for it allowed gamakas and quartertones to be played. The earlier harp-like instruments could not do more than play the note. Thus, the veena was a critical invention.

While raga came from the study of pitch, tala came from the study of rhythm. Tala emerged from dance (Sambamurthy).

Dance has been around in India for a long time. The earliest evidence of dancing is a picture from 6000 BC. However, written works and oral traditions are the only way of knowing the structure the dancing followed.

Mythology states the only known source of dance: God. All Indian dances arose because common people had trouble understanding the words of the Vedas, yet still wanted to please God. Written around 200 BC, Natya Shastra explains this format. Among other things, it defines different dance steps, or adavus. Adavus form the basics of dancing in Bharatanatyam.

Just as combination of alphabets create words and sentences in a language, combinations of adavus create dance sequences. Each adavu has not

only a specific way of tapping one’s feet, but also a specific number of beats of duration.

However, the formation of these adavus would have been impossible without also defining the rhythm they follow.

Thus, by these advancements, and years to practice and perfect them, tala and raga became the defining aspect of every piece of Carnatic music. By the 15th century, thought of music without reference to tala and raga was unheard of.

After the 15th century, an interest in standardizing emerged. The ragas and talas, the format of lyrics, and the way of teaching would not escape untouched.

In the 17th century the fretted veena emerged, allowing for several innovations. In the kingdom of Tanjore, the first modern veena was made. With its 24 frets and 4 strings, it was easier to play and so encouraged more playing. With more playing, came more ragas and talas. Keeping track of this chaos became an almost insurmountable difficulty for music enthusiasts, not to mention the musicians themselves. During this time the 108 and still increasing talas were organized logically. Since new ragas at this time were running rampant, several new systems for raga were tried as well. These trials resulted in the janakajanya paddhati. Since this was still not enough to mitigate the complexities, Venkatamakhi classified the many ragas into the logically numbered Melakarta ragas and published them in 1660 in his treatise Chaturdandi Prakasika. A music theorist more than an actual musician, his classification followed an ordering based more on tonal patterns than emotional value. This format is very structured. Each one of the 72 melakarta ragas is numbered.

There is a formula one can follow to figure out the allowed notes of the melakarta raga from the number the raga is given.

According to Venkatamakhi, no other system of classification can beat it. It has turned out that so far, for better or worse, his prediction is correct. The 72 melakarta ragas are still very much in use. No system has yet come to challenge it☯

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Shreemad Bhagavad Gita ‐ Part 10 Saroj Mohan all sufferings in this world. Only by transcending all desires and forces of the three “Gunas of Prakriti, can one hope to reach the goal of Self-Realization. Only an ego-free person of wisdom can perform his duties as worship. This is very important e have seen in the 35th verse that for perfect Karmayoga.

Arjuna has been advised of the Shree Krishna explains in the 42nd verse, importance following one’s Swadharma that merely controlling the senses may not even if the actions of another appear more be enough to conquer the formidable glorious. enemy that is Kama and Krodha - anger Arjuna, still seeking clarification, continues and desire. This verse gives a full plan for in the 36th verse with yet another question a sincere seeker. It means conquering for Shree Krishna. Arjuna asks, “ O cast by ignorance.” them all, the senses, the mind and the Varshnyae, O Keshava, why and by whom, Whenever the mind is deluded and intellect by doing the best you can, and in spite of not wanting to do sins or consumed by desire and anger then then surrendering them all to Parmatma.

Papakarmas, a person still does the wrong ignorance prevails and knowledge is lost.

This is the only way to the Selfactions and sins, compelled, by which In the 39th verse Shree Krishna formidable force?” concludes, “O Kaunteya, son of Kunti, just Realization.

Shree Krishna says, “The mind is superior This is a helpless cry of a sincere seeker like an insatiable fire, the foes of to the gross sense organs, the subtle who has the intention to do the right thing, knowledge are Kama and Krodha, desire the right deeds, but gets swept away by a and anger. They are the enemy that hides intellect is superior to the mind and the Atma is superior to them all.” formidable force of nature. the Knowledge of Reality.”

In the 43rd and last verse of Chapter 3, To this, Shree Krishna replies in 37th Clearly these two vices are major hurdles Shree Krishna says, “Thus knowing Him verse,“ Generated and created by Rajas on the path of perfect Karmayoga and Prakriti, Kama esha Krodha esha rajo guna without conquering them, it is impossible to the Atman to be highest of them all, control the mind by the intellect and O Mahabaho, samudhabhava or desire, lust and anger perform unselfish duties needed for (the one with mighty, strong arms) kill the are all born of Rajo guna - all devouring Nishkama Karmayoga. forces that rise up in a person; know them Shree Krishna, in the 40th verse, lays out hard-to-conquer enemy - desires.”

We see that step by step, the sincere to be your greatest enemies because they the fundamental roots and basis of Kama are full of sin and they can never be and Krodha. He said, “Sense organs, mind seeker, learns that through the art of pure, satisfied.” and intellect are said to be the seat of their selfless actions, by transcending the hurdles of Prakriti or nature and by getting This verse is very potent and beautiful. residence or Vaassthana. Sense organs, Desire, lust and anger can never be mind and intellect, all of them put a veil on established in the Atman, he or she can reach the goal of karmayoga, where work satisfied by fulfilling them. As a matter of Knowledge. They keep the Jeevatma becomes worship. fact, if a desire is not fulfilled, it becomes deluded.”

When work, worker and worshipped are anger and if it gets fulfilled it is very short An egocentric mind is fascinated by the realized as One, it becomes Yoga or union lived. New desires arise again and make transient joys of self-gratification. Such a with the Divine through actions. The you restless. It is like fire, it keeps person remains enmeshed in feverish subjective experience of Oneness of all is devouring everything endlessly, no matter desires, so suffering never comes to an Knowledge. In other words, Awareness of how much you put in it. Both these forces end. Only an enlightened mind can all as ONE is Knowledge. Actions in the are the root of all sins. To conquer and perform Karmayoga perfectly well, where Divine are only happenings. Pure transcend them, it is imperative for the path work itself is worship.

In the 41st verse, Shree Krishna says, “O existence has no ego; it is a blissful of self-realization and eventually for the Arjuna, control the senses and sensereveling in Itself. The Awareness of perfect Karmayoga.

Oneness is beyond words.

In the 38th verse, Shree Krishna explains organs at the very beginning, for they are the destroyer of knowledge and wisdom.

This method of conquering the egocentric how knowledge gets over cast by lower state to a higher state of evolution of ignorance through two beautiful examples. You must forcefully control these great sinners, desire and anger or Kama and being, up to the transcendental state of self He says, “Just as fire gets over cast by Krodha.”

- realization through Karmayoga is such, smoke or like a baby is covered by a thin It is clear that from the very beginning, that work becomes worship. The union or skin or jera, in the mother's womb, Kama and Krodha must be controlled.

Yoga with the divine through Karmayoga is similarly, desire and anger cover the well defined by our beloved Lord Krishna☯ knowledge of Reality. Knowledge gets over Selfish, egocentric desires are the root of We conclude the Third Chapter of Shreemad Bhagavad Gita in this 10th installment of the serial article by Saroj Mohanji

W

“Man is like a pillow-case. One may be red, another blue or black. But they all contain the same cotton. So it is with man. One is black, another is white. One handsome and the other smart. The same divine dwells in them all.”

Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1834-1886)

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HTCC Quarterly Fiscal Report

For the period April 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010 Prepared by Manjula Narasimhan, Treasurer, July 18, 2010 Quarterly Revenues Interest Income Interest income Membership: 2010 Annual Individual Members Lifetime Membership Upgrade Donations: Check Donations Hundi Donations/Prayer Services

$6,139.64

$6,139.64

$30.00 $950.00

$980.00

$1,502.00 $231.00

$1,733.00

Facilities Use Donations: Mandir and Educational Center use donations

$920.00

$920.00

Other Revenues Special Events

$495.00

$495.00 $10,267.64

Total Quarterly Revenues Quarterly Expenses Administrative Fourth Anniversary Celebrations Maintenance and Supplies Printing and Mailing Special Events Lawn and Garden Utilities

$29.99 $23.84 $26.49 $229.71 $858.00 $330.23 $1,158.26 $2,656.52

Total Quarterly Expenses Net Income for the Quarter

$7,611.12

Thank You! Donor Acknowledgement, May 1 – July 31, 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.

$24-

$100 - $199

Aggrawal, Kul and Archana Arthi, Vellore Basu,Asit and Sandra Dhand, Rajiv and Upinder Elangovan, Balakrishnan and Abirami Jashnani, Ghanshyam and Leela Kulkarni, Rajesh and Indira Kumar, Senthil and Kalai Nagarkar, Sushama and Aarti Nair, Satish and Jyotsna Nistala. Ravi and Puja Tolani, Bhisham and Rajini

Bhalla, Sandeep and Sharmistha Gopalratnam, Vellore and Anantha Khurana, Inder and Jasmit Ratneshwar, Ratti and Subbalakshmi $300 - $349 Kannan, Prashanth and Preeti* Loyalka, Sudarshan and Nirja Sehgal, Om and Toshi $500 - $549 Sethi, Sanjiv and Punam

$25 - $99 Bal, Sonny and Dana Chandrasekhar, Holakere and Meera Katoch, Bandana Khanna, Sanjeev and Vinita* Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra Satpathy, Sashi and Namita Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya Thawani, Ravi and Meena

————————————————————————————————-—-

* These donations in full or part were inadvertently left out from our last report (2/1/10 - 4/30/10). Our apologies.

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Community Calendar (August 15, 2010 - November 30, 2010) Unless otherwise indicated, all events are at Shanthi Mandir, 2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202 Aug. 28

Aug. 29

Sept. 4

Sept. 11

Oct. 2 HTCC Youth Day / Bal Sabha / Bal Puja Picnic Cosmopolitan Park Dexheimer Shelter, Saturday, 4:00 8:00 pm. A day of fun to recognize and reward our youth All age groups (including adults). Contact: Nandhu Radhakrishnan, radhakrishnann@missouri.edu (823-8252) Oct. 3

Fall Seva Day Contact: Bharath Bharath Srinivasan at bseval2001@yahoo.com (445-0033) or Das Kutikkad at Kutikkadk@missouri.edu f(446-2006) or more information CROP Walk Sunday Registration 1:30 pm and walk 2:00 pm Walk starts at First Christian Church 10th and Walnut Contact: Mayukh Gosh at mayukh.ghosh@gmail.com

Making of Ganesh idol Sunday, 4:00 - 6:00 pm.

A fun activity started in 2007, we will make the Ganesh idol for the Ganesh Chaturthi Puja. Clay working and making of Oct. 9 idol open to all interested. Wear work clothes. Contact Vellore S. Gopalaratnam , vsgopal@aol.com (446-0663)

Navaratri/Devi Jaagran Saturday 6:30 - 9:00 pm Look for details on our web site one week before the event.

Janmashtami/Shri Krishna Jayanthi Puja Oct. 16 Saturday, 6:30 – 11:00 pm. For food or devotional program. Contact Hema Srinivasan, SrinivasanH@missouri.edu (445-2854)or Chandra Rawlani .

Oct. 21 446-5960.

Ganesh Chaturthi Puja (Fifth Anniversary Celebration) Saturday 6:00 - 8:00 pm The Puja also marks the Fifth Anniversary of Shanthi Mandir. Mid-Missouri Marathi Mandal serve as host organizers (see details below). Contact: Vellore S. Gopalaratnam, vsgopal@aol.com (446-0663) if you would like to contribute to the devotional program. Contact Chandra Rawlani, rawlani.chandi@gmail.com, (446-5960) for assistance with dinner/Prasad preparation.

Brain Teasers Compiled from the Web by Vellore S. Gopalaratnam 1. There is a barrel with no lid and some wine in it. "This barrel of wine is more than half full," said Curly. "No it's not," says Mo. "It's less than half full." Without any measuring implements and without removing any wine from the barrel, how can they determine who is correct?

Ashtami Puja Saturday 10:30 am - Noon Look for details on our web site one week before the event.

Dusshera/Vijaya Dashami Sunday, 10:30 am - Noon Look for details on our web site one week before the event.

Oct. 26

Karva Chauth Look for details on our web site one week before the event.

Nov. 6

Deepavali Puja Saturday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Look for details on our web site one week before the event.

Come celebrate

Shanthi Mandir’s 5th Birthday with

Ganesh Chaturthi Puja 6:00 p.m. ­ 9:00 p.m.

Saturday September 11, 2010

2. What 7 letter word becomes longer when the third letter is removed?

3. A farmer was asked how many melons he had sold at market that day. His reply was: I've had four customers today, and each bought half of my remaining melons, plus a half melon.

The farmer sold all of his melons at market that day. How many melons did the farmer sell assuming he sold only whole melons?

4. How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.

5. Three Masters of Logic wanted to find out who was the wisest amongst them. So they turned to their Grand Master, asking to resolve their dispute. “Easy,” the old sage said. "I will blindfold you and paint either red, or blue dot on each man’s forehead.

When I take your blindfolds off, if you see at least one red dot, raise your hand. The one, who guesses the color of the dot on his forehead first, wins." And so it was said, and so it was done. The Grand Master blindfolded the three contestants and painted red dots on every one. When he took their blindfolds off, all three men raised their hands as the rules required, and sat in silence pondering. Finally, one of them said: "I have a red dot on my forehead." How did he figure out his answer?

Answers on Page 7

The Program 6:00 pm

6:45 pm 7:15 pm 7:35 pm

8:15 pm 8:30 pm

Sthapana Puja Mahendra Joshi will officiate the puja to be performed by the Naik family. Mid-Missouri Marathi Mandal serve as host-organizers for the puja Ganesh Bhajans by Sai Bhajan Group Devotional songs by Smt. Nalani Ramprasad Open song/bhajan time - Contact Vellore S Gopalaratnam at (573) 446-0663 for participating in the open time devotional singing (vsgopal@aol.com) Aarti HTCC Updates and Prasad/Dinner Contact Chandra Rawlani for help with Prasad (573) 446-5960 (rawlani.chandi@gmail.com)

Please join us on August 29 at 4:00 pm at Shanthi Mandir to make the Ganesh idol, mushika vahana, modaks and other decorations out of clay

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

(August 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 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