BALAGOKULAM (HSS) AZ TIMES - May 2016

VOLUME 1 l ISSUE 4

M AY 2 0 1 6

H I N D U

S WAYA M S E VA K

S A N G H

Balagokulam AZ Times HINDU DHARMA FOR KIDS, TEACHERS & PARENTS

Family Camp HSS

2016

KIDS CLICK

photography workshop HSS Teams participating in

ugadi clebrations E HOM to P

R

S:

DIE EM E t

ec rot

fro n i k s

r e m Su m n Ta

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spotlight

dr. MANOHAR SHINDE JI 1

Spotlight Promoting the understanding of India’s Civilization, Religion, and Culture through Education

Dr. Manohar Shinde Founding Chairman Dharma Civilization Foundation           



MBBS from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, 1968 General psychiatry from the Menninger school of psychiatry, Topeka, KS, 1979 Child Psychiatry Fellowship, UCLA School of Medicine, 1981 Specialty Board Certification in General & Child psychiatry, 1981 & 1984 Was on teaching clinical faculty of UCLA & USC schools of Medicine and at the “Institute for contemporary psychoanalysis” (ICP) Completed PhD in Psychoanalysis from the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute, 1989 Special expertise in the field of Eating Disorders.

Worked as a Medical Director in many institutions.

Was primarily in Private practice in Glendale (Los Angeles), CA Fully retired in July 2010 after 29 years of practice.

Currently, devoting almost all of the time, in the spirit of a “Vanaprasthi”, under the auspices of Dharma Civilization Foundation (DCF), a non-profit charitable foundation, which is working towards building academic infrastructure in American mainstream universities, to promote accurate and authentic education in the field of Hindu Studies, Dharma Studies and Indic Civilizational Studies.

On the Board of Trustees of many other Indo-American institutions in USA such as SEWA International etc.

Ekam Sad Vipra Bahudha Vadanti 50 Moreland Road, Simi Valley, CA 93065 | 805-433-7351 | info@dcfusa.org | www.dcfusa.org

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Disclaimer

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Contents

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M AY 2 0 1 6

hss events Family camp 2016 family camp reviews Person of the month Story kids click event hinduism Yoga pose of month

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Balagokulam AZ Times news letter is community information purposes (non-commercial purpose) only for Balagokulam people in Phoenix, AZ and not intended for any other purpose nor for any other location.

Content appearing in this News Letter if taken from other sources ( credits to source are given), respective content owners own the intellectual property rights to the material and Phoenix AZ Times cannot certify the accuracy of the material published from 3rd party sources including any on sourced/ linked publications/site.

Balagokulam AZ Times and/or HSS do not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality, accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information, product or service represented in this publication. The information provided in Balagokulam AZ Times Magazine is for educational or entertainment purposes only.

Anyone using the information in Balagokulam AZ Times , whether medical, legal, business or other, does so at his or her own risk, and by using such information agrees to indemnify Balagokulam AZ Times and HSS, and its content providers from any and all liability, loss, injury, damages, costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising from such use.

No Implied Endorsement : Balagokulam AZ Times news letter does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to Balagokulam AZ Times belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Balatgokulam AZ Time and/or HSS, its staff or HSS related entities.

Events

HSS & Balagokulam’s Family Camp 2016 (On April 1, 2016) HSS Phoenix has conducted a family Sanghik. The weekend was full of action and satisfaction. Total of 144 people from 44 families came together in the weekend to have a wonderful time knowing each other, practising healthy living and exchanging pleasantries.

The familly get together was a memorable one. It has given the opportunity to interact with each other and know about the rich heritage and tradition of Hindustan.

SEWA SDM Camp (On April 23, 2016) Diabetes has become a nightmare for everybody. Millions are suffering from this due to the modern lifestyle. Diabetes is referred to as a lifestyle disease. Diabetes can be controlled through healthy living.

Sewa International USA - Phoenix has conducted Stop Diabetes Movement camp on at Venkat Sri Venkata Krishna Kshetra Temple . The camp was conducted under the auspicious guidance of VYASA Yoga University Guru Subbarao Nemai.

Eve

s Events

ents

Participation in Ugadi Celebrations (On April, 2016) Ugadi celebrations conducted by the Arizona Telugu association and Kannada Sangham was attended by 100s of families who have participated enthusiastically and graced the occasion by making it a grand success. A special dance performance of Krishna Leela was performed by the Balagokulam team in AZ Telugu Association which was enjoyed and appreciated by the audience.

In Kannada Association Yugadi celebrations, Balagokulam kids along with adults participated in many cultural activities. Kannada Members from HSS enthused the occasion with their active participation. The occasion provided the opportunity to know and understand the culture and tradition of Hindustan.

Kids Click (On April 30, 2016) HSS Phoenix has conducted a workshop on photography for the children. IT was an excellent opportunity for the children to understand the technics of photography. The workshop has left the children thrilled with the power of photography.

The workshop gave hands on experience to the children in the various aspects of photography.

Children were able to learn the basic skills and etiquette of photography. Many a children got inspiration and would like to pursue photography as a hobby. The workshop ended with a pizza party.

Event Photos

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FAMILY

CAMP

By HSS

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Event Photos

FAMILY

CAMP

By HSS

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Review

FAMILY CAMP REVIEW

By Ananya Patil

This unique opportunity to stay along with and get to know wonderful personalities is a life time memory to cherish. Despite so many people, it was extremely well organized, from start to end.

The food was delicious and the events were full of fun & knowledge.

It takes enormous efforts and coordination to provide such an experience. “Sangathan main Shakti hain�.

The daily programs were packed and meticulously planned into morning, noon and evening sessions. There were many creative activities and innovative games that kept us engaged throughout.

Morning session provided WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

On 1st April 2016, we attended HSS AZ family camp. Away from city, in the woods, inspirational slogans and beautiful rituals, it as very exciting experience indeed. It was a huge family gathering attended by over 160 members from different shakhas. good stimuli with chanting shlokas, yoga, outdoor games, tasty breakfast and crispy chat with friends.

Noon and evening programs provide opportunity to explore new skills and know yourself.

It also provided eye opening insights in to many activities we do in daily life but little or no awareness of reasons behind them. I especially enjoyed, get to know bingo, skit on Shivaji Maharaj, treasure hunt, marshmallow tower, ad-mad show, outdoor

games, baudhik and dandiya.

It will always remain in my memory as a true family event. Two days vanished in no time. But in my mind I will never miss it, as every week there is mini family camp that gives me every opportunity to explore myself more. See you all at shakha.

Proud to be Hindu. Jai Hind.

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Review

FAMILY CAMP REVIEW

By Shreya Vijayvargiya

I had lots of fun during camp! As soon as I got to camp, I was really excited! I met my friends and I was having a great time!

We did lots of fun activities such as the photography class and the Mahakhel! The food was delicious and I slept with all my friends which was fun, too. I liked family camp because I met lots of new people and we all acted like a family together. Working in groups was also really fun! My most favorite part of camp was the Shivaji skit, dances, and dandia! I also learned more about India’s

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history through the India and Shivaji skit. In family camp, I experienced new activities, new people, and kindness to everyone, and I think that is the most important part about family camp.

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Review

FAMILY CAMP REVIEW

By Akila I am Akila from Ramakrishna Shakha.

Our family attended HSS family camp at Payson,AZ from April 1st to 3rd.We had an awesome experience on those 3 days.

We started the camp with an introduction game where we were able to know each other. Everyday we began with surya namaskar,yoga and exercises. Every part of the camp was planned well and executed. We would like to thank every one of them for spending their valuable time and hard work.

We had a debate session where we learnt about how to give a bouddhik. The experiences from others were greatly helpful. We also had games which help us to think intelligently and emphasize the importance of team work. We had a session for mind relaxation also. The Mahakhel was extremely good. It had the scope for both physical exercise and intellectual thinking. We played in teams and we were WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

able to know the glimpses from Shivaji Maharaj life.

Our cultural evening was divine,peaceful and enjoyable. Every shakha rendered a geet and perfomed dance or drama.

All our Balagokulam kids performed a skit which was extremely brilliant.We also had a dandiya night.I would like to appreciate everyone for planning such a wonderful evening.

The food was prepared fresh and it was purely home style.I would like to thank all the people who prepared delicious and yummy food. We as a family enjoyed a lot.

All the indoor and outdoor activities were different,new and exciting. It was a learning experience.

The kids activities are perfectly planned.They had a photography workshop,art and craft activities and different kinds of mind games based on their ages. They were able to know more about our Indian culture and heritage. They enjoyed all the outdoor and indoor activities. We were able to see how kids like to attend balagokulam from a visual presentation. Bouddhik was extemely helpful for us which was explained with short stories and examples.

The hospitality was splendid.

I can imagine how much preparation and hard work were there from each one of them. As a whole it is a wonderful and awesome experience ,we are looking forward to attend more family camps in future too.

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Review

FAMILY CAMP REVIEW

By Mrityunjay

This passage is about my first experience of the family camp. On the first day of camp I woke up at 6:00 a.m. and went to the AnnaPurna hall for the Eesh Vandan and Yoga.

When my dad and I reached the hall my dad had some tea and I had hot chocolate.

After everyone was done with there tea and hot chocolate we sat down for the Ekatmata Stotram. We also sang the shakha geet. I had enjoyed the experience of singing the glories of the great people of India. After we were done with the geet, a swayamsevika came in and told us to do some specific warm ups and then we did some surya namaskars. Then we were taken outside to play

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games. One of my favorite Games was the Ninja game.

After we were done with the games we all went to our cabins to take a bath. Then I went back to the Annapurna hall for Breakfast. We had a very delicious meal. After that my friends and I went to the game room. After that I took photography lessons.

When we were done with the lessons we went to get our lunch. After that we played some games and did crafts.

cultural evening and I played the role of Chatrapati Shivaji.

I was little nervous but it all ended quite well. We all played dandiya and danced before going to bed.

Next day I couldn’t get up early and missed going on a hike. Before I realized it was time to wrap up and say bye to the good friends I made.

After lunch we packed and unfortunately had to leave.

In the evening we celebrated

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Person of the month

Jijabai Eternal Mother Symbol of Faith and Courage Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale (January 12-1598-June 17, 1674), sometimes referred to as Rajmata Jijabai or even simply Jijai, was the mother of Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire.

Jijabai, born on January 12, 1598 was a daughter of Lakhojirao Jadhav in presentday Sindkhed Raja Buldhana district of Maharashtra State.

As per the customs of that age, she was wed at an early age to Shahaji Raje Bhonsle, a nobleman and military commander under the Adil Shahi sultans of Bijapur Sultanate in presentday Karnataka. She was his first wife. Jijabai gave birth to eight children, six daughters and two sons. All the daughters died in infancy and only the sons Sambhaji and Shivaji grew to adulthood.

She wholeheartedly supported her husband’s cause. Shahaji had tried to establish a state on the ruins of the erstwhile WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

Nizamshahi sultanate.

However he was defeated by the combined forces of the Mughals and Adilshahi.Later

Shahaji became a sardar in Adilshah’s army. He settled in Karnataka and got married again. As per the treaty he was forced to move south.

In order to continue the struggle, he deputed her as queen regent.

The elder son Sambhaji remained with his father.

Shivaji left Bangalore along with his mother, a council of

ministers and chosen military commanders. When they arrived in Pune it was full of jungles and wild beasts.

She encouraged cultivators to settle. She renovated the Kasaba Ganapati temple.

A red sandstone palace of moderate size known as Lal Mahal was also built. She gave a number of decisions in legal and administrative matter known as majhars.

Jijabai was a very pious and intelligent woman with great vision for independent kingdom. She inspired Shivaji by telling stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Balaraja. Inspired by her, Shivaji took the Oath of Independence (SWARAJYA) in the fort temple of lord Raireshwar in 1645 when he was 17. In Shivaji’s impeccable, spotless character and courage, Jijabai’s contribution is enormous.

Jijabai’s elder son Sambhaji was killed while on a military expedition in Karnataka by Afzal Khan. When Shahaji died, Jijabai wanted to commit sati - burning oneself in the husband’s pyre, but Shivaji stopped her from doing so by his request.

Jijabai is widely credited with raising Shivaji in a manner that led to his future greatness. She died soon after coronation of Shivaji on June 17, 1674. Shivaji was heartbroken by her death 14

Story

Bharat Bharat was the son of Shakuntala and Dushyant.

Dushyant was the king of Hastinapur and Shakuntala had been found and raised

by Kanva rishi and his wife.

Once while hunting in the forest, Dushyant came to Kanva’s ashram and saw Shakuntala. He fell in love with her. Shakuntala too fell in love with the king and they married. Dushyant had to leave for his kingdom.

He promised Shakuntala that he would come later and take her to Hastinapur.

Shakuntala missed him very much.

Once, lost in his thoughts, she forgot to serve Durvasa rishi when he arrived.

Durvasa had a very short temper and he cursed her, WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

“In forgetting to serve me, the one you were thinking of will forget you.”

Dushyant had forgotten Shakuntala because of that curse. He did not recognise Shakuntala when she went to Hastinapur. Thereafter, She did not have the heart to return to her father’s ashram and started living in sage Marich’s ashram.

Here, unknown to Dushyant, Shakuntala gave birth to a son named Bharat. He was a very brave child. He was not afraid of anyone or anything.

Bharat played with lion cubs everyday.

Dushyant had forgotten his wife Shakuntala and had no idea that he had a son.

Once, Dushyant happened

“Dushyant took Shakuntala and Bharat along with him to Hastinapur. Later Bharat grew into a great king. Our country’s true name is Bharat (pronounced Bhaarat), named after him. Bharat is remembered by all for his bravery ” to pass by the ashram. He watched a little boy playing with a lion cub. The boy opened the lion’s jaws by his hands and said, “O king of the jungle ! Open your mouth wide, so I can count your teeth.” Dushyant was very astonished by the child’s bravery.

Later Shakuntala came there and Dushyant realised that Bharat was his son. He was overjoyed at this and hugged Bharat lovingly. Dushyant took Shakuntala and Bharat along with him to Hastinapur.

Later Bharat grew into a great king. Our country’s true name is Bharat (pronounced Bhaarat), named after him.

Bharat is remembered by all for his bravery.

Source : kids.baps.org

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Event Photos

Kids Click!

Say Cheese!

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Event Photos

STOP DIABETES MOVEMENT

By SEWA

Event Photos

HSS TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN UGADI CELEBRATIONS

Q&A

Hinduism Volume 4

Hinduism is the oldest religion of this world. During the period when people in other areas were hunting down animals, the great Hindu sages, holy men and Kings were leading their people in virtuous life by chanting the vedas, carrying out great yagas (yagna) and medical research in Sittha, Ayurveda and also in astronomy.

Q: What is this I have read about Aryan and Dravidian Gods?

Were there different Gods?

Yes, there were different Gods. Aryan gods were Indra, Agni, Varuna, Soma, Surya or Vishnu, Ushas and Dravidian Gods were Shiva, Ma or Parvati, Murugan. There was never any major animosity between their followers. The WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

Tirupati temple in the south is a Vishnuji ka mandir while the temple at Kashi is a Shivji ka mandir. Modern day Hinduism is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures.

More about that later.

Q: Please tell when did other world religions enter India?

Jews are believed to have come into India 20

in 5 a.d. Christianity came into India in two phases. Phase one was believed to be around the first century a.d. Phase two was with the advent of the Portugese into India in 1498 a.d. During the first phase Christianity was mainly limited to modern day Kerala; these converts were mostly Brahmans and are known as Syrian Catholics today. Phase two started with the advent of the Portuguese and the British rule in India i.e. when Hindus were forcibly converted to Christianity. Rice Christians as Gandhiji called them. Islam entered the Indian sub-continent around the eighth century a.d. when Sind was conquered by the Arabs. However, Islam entered the Indian heartland only after the eleventh century a.d. Indian Muslims are a mixture of Afghans, Mongols and converted Hindus e.g. Bohri Muslims.

Q: Does Hinduism have a Pope or a founder like Prophet Mohammed?

No Hinduism does not have either. There is no central authority in Hinduism whose orders Hindus are bound to follow or nor is there one interpretation of Hindu philosophy. Nobody is excommunicated from Hinduism. Being an open and liberal religion, Hinduism is criticized more than other religions.

Q: Then how did Hinduism take birth and evolve?

An exact date of its birth cannot be given.

It is known that Hinduism is as old as this land. Seals of Lord Shiva have been found in Harappa. Some say it is 5000 years old while others say it is 6000 to 7000 years

old. I think it is atleast 6000 years old.

Ancient India consisted of the Aryans and Dravidians.

The Hindu scriptures were written by the Rishis of ancient times and have got passed down over generations eg the Sage Vyasa, author of the Mahabharat and the Geeta is credited with writing the Vedas too. The word Hindu came originated from the word Sindhu which is another name for the river Indus. May be people who stayed along the Sindhu (Indus) came to be known as Hindus.

An ancient name of Hinduism would be Sanatan Dharam meaning that which has no beginning or an end, righteousness for ever. Today going to a temple would make you a follower of Sanatan Dharam. Sects like the Arya Samajis do not believe in idol worship but in the supremacy of the Vedas.

Q: Mama tell me something about the Vedas?

There are four Vedas. The Rig Veda (of Hyms 1028 in number dedicated to gods like Indra and Agni), Yajur Veda (knowledge of rites or can be called a priestly handbook), Sama Veda (Veda of Music) and the Atharva Veda is used as a manual by chief sacrificial priests and Brahmins.

The Rig Veda talks of the cosmic order called RTA. It means cosmic and sacred order. Later it came to be known as Dharma or righteousness forever.

Source : www.esamskriti.com WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

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Yoga of the Month

VAJRASANA

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Vajrasana HELPS IN DIGESTION Vajrasana comes from two words i.e. Vajra which means diamond or thunderbolt and asan means seat. Vajrasana pose is also known as Diamond Pose, Pelvic Pose, Thunderbolt Pose, Kneeling Pose or Adamantine Pose. This is a pose which forms the base of many other asans.

To name a few are are Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, Bhastrika (pranayam) and Child Pose (Balasan).

How to do Vajrasana * Sit on the floor on a mat or directly on the ground.

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* Fold your legs and sit in such a manner such that your heel touches your butt. * Place your hands on your lap exactly as shown in the figure above. You may let your palms face the sky as well. * Hold the sitting pose for two minutes (to start with).

You will feel a stinging pain in your feet if you are not habituated to sitting this way. You can stretch your legs and rest for a while and start again.

Vajrasana pose for almost half an hour.

It’s considered the best to do Vajrasana just after having food but you can do it at any time of the day.

Moving on to the second part, we will explain to you the benefits of doing vajrasana. Note : If you feel an intense pain in your feet, you can use a cushion.

* Don’t give up. Sit for a minimum of two minutes.

You should increase the minutes over time. It is even possible to sit on

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Yoga For

Diabetes

CALL NOW (602) 427 8863 (281) 769 8521

STOP DIABETES MOVEMENT CAMP By: SEWA INTERNATIONAL - PHOENIX This program has a format of 10days (2 hours per day) / 10weekends (2 hour per week) After successful completion of 3 SDM camps in Chicago last year, Sewa Phoenix is very pleased to announce the 2016 Stop Diabetes Movement Camp in collaboration with Vyasa.

For more information :

Phone : (602) 427 8863, (281) 769 8521 Email : phoenix@sewausa.org , Web : www.sewausa.org

All rights are reserved including right to change location and timings WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

wishesh24digital

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

hssphx@gmail.com

Balagokulam Every Child has the spark of divinity within...

Balagokulam is a forum for children to discover and manifest that divinity. Balagokulam will enable children in the US to appreciate their cultural roots, learn Indian values in an enjoyable manner and make good friends.

• To facilitate children to appreciate, learn and practice Hindu way of life.

• Instill pride and confidence in Indian children about their identity.

• Character building and leadership skills among children.

• Develop social awareness and connectivity in the society.

• Stronger bonding among Indian children.

• Awareness of our rich cultural heritage and traditions.

GAMES

STORIES

ARTS

CRAFTS

YOGA

BHAJANS

SHLOKAS

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Vivekananda Shakha at Ekta Mandir 2804 W Maryland Ave Phoenix AZ 85017 (602) 790-9205

Jijamata Shakha at Deer Valley Village Apartment 3010 W Yorkshire Dr Phoenix AZ 85027 (860) 471-4349

Kesari Shakha at 5955 W Ray Rd Suite #16 Chandler AZ 85226 (913) 484-1869

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Shivaji Shakha at Villa Salerno Apartments 17030 N 49th St Scottsdale AZ 85254 (602) 476-2240

Shakti Shakha at 16880 N 73rd Ave Peoria AZ 85382 (623) 330-0721

Contact us for more information: hssphx@gmail.com

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PUBLIC

SPEAKING FOR

YOUTH AND

KIDS!

Coming Soon!

Does your child feel shy participating in conversations?

Let your child participate in our comprehensive workshops which can help at various levels to stand out the competition.

PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR YOUTH AND KIDS! Location: 16880, N 73rd Avenue; Peoria, AZ 85382 Contact to register your kids in this workshop

hssphx@gmail.com WISHESH DIGITAL | MARCH 2016

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