News
from Abroad
London
(U.K.)
It is the practice in London to mark the house where a person
of eminence has lived by putting up a plaque bearing the name
of the person, the period of his living in that house and
the reason for which he is famous. As per this practice, a
commemorative blue ceramic plaque was put up by English Heritage,
a non departmental body of the British government, on No.
49, St. Stephen's Avenue in Shepherd's Bush, for this is where
Sri Aurobindo had lived for three years - 1884 - 1887 - while
attending St. Paul's School. The ceremony took place on 12
December 2007, and began with a brief speech by an historian
from English Heritage, followed by a speech by Dr. Girija
Shettar on Sri Aurobindo's life, particularly about the years
he spent in England. The plaque was unveiled by Ms. Mounnou
Bhandari, who grew up in the Ashram and was privileged to
have been in close contact with the Mother from her childhood.
She is also the granddaughter of Rishabhchand, who was one
of the early sadhaks of the Ashram and who was asked by the
Mother to write a biography of Sri Aurobindo. Mounnou Bhandari
recited some stanzas from Guru Stotra in Sanskrit before she
unveiled the plaque. The unveiling ceremony, which was attended
by about 35 people, was followed by a brief meditation.
Noida
(U.P.) - January 2008 Programmes
Republic Day Celebration organized by the
Noida Branch
Spiritual Discourses
29 December 2007: A programme of Devotional Songs / Bhajans
on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo by Mrs. Kuntala Dasgupta was
held at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan on Saturday, the 29th December
2007 from 6:15 to 7:15 pm. About 30 devotees and their families
participated in the Programme.
1 January 2008: New Year Special Collective Meditation was
held on Tuesday, the 1st January, 2008 from 9:30 to 10:00 am.
About 35 devotees and their families took part in the above.
After the Meditation, Sweets and Calendars of The Mother were
distributed to all the persons.
Daily Reading of Savitri at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan: Previously,
'Savitri' was being read at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan once in a week
by Mrs. Vishnu Priya Sanyal. From January '08, 'Savitri' is
being read daily at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan from 5:00 to 5:30 pm.
Education
Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan: Picnic & Fun-Day
On first Sunday of the New Year, the 6th January 2008, the Children
of Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan went to 'Rose Garden' and participated
in the picnic arranged there. The children were then taken to
the movie 'Tare Jameen Par' and also enjoyed the delicious meal
provided thereafter.
Health
Free Eye Check-up on every Sunday at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan: Starting
6th January '08, a free Eye Check-up on every Sunday for two
hours from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm by Dr.P.S.Chauhan, Eye Specialist
and Project Director, National Blindness Control Programe, Govt.
of India, has been started at the Sri Aurobindo Bhavan. In the
month of January '08 One hundred and five individuals got benefited
by the above.
Health Check-up of the Children of Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan:
On Saturday, the 19th January '08, Health Check-up of the 101
students of Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan was carried out by
Dr. Anju Malik and free medicines to the needy children were
provided by Lioness Club (Siddhi), Noida.
Treatment by Acupressure Therapy: Acupressure Treatment for
two hours daily from Monday to Friday by Mrs. Sudha Kesharwani
at the Sri Aurobindo Bhavan is going on well. While giving treatment,
she is also using sharing relevant quotations of The Mother
& Sri Aurobindo and the persons coming for acupressure treatment
are evincing keen interest in them.
Development of Women:
Agarbatties, Candle, Chalk and Toys Making Classes: From 14th
January '08 agarbatties, candle, chalk and toys making classes
have been started at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan. About 20 girls are
learning the same.
Sewing & Tailoring Classes: Sewing & Tailoring Classes
are being conducted daily from Monday to Friday at Sri Aurobindo
Bhavan by Smt. Jaya Nigam. About twenty ladies / girls are learning
the same.
Other Activities:
Besides above, regular activities of Meditation with the Mother's
music daily in the morning and evening, library, Playing of
spiritual audio-video CDs etc. are being held regularly.
Madurai
(Tamil Nadu)
The Madurai Centre conducted a non-residential Children's Camp
on 27 and 28 December 2007. There were 40 participants from
classes VI to IX. The sessions included "Physical culture",
"Mental Gymnastics", "Honing the Senses",
creative activities, "Thirst to Learn", "Origami",
drawing and painting, "Science-Toy Making", "Sudoku"
etc. The response from the children was overwhelming and they
all insisted that such camps in future should be held more often
in future.
Chennai
(Tamil Nadu)
The Chennai branch arranged the following talks during the month
of December 2007.
Date Speaker
Topic
01.12.2007 Shri
M.K. Ramaswamy "World
of Creation"
02.12.2007 Shri
S. Rangarajan "Involution"
09.12.2007 Director
Venkat "Deathless
Rose"
16.12.2007 Shri
M.K. Ramaswamy "Her
Wish - Her Aim"
23.12.2007 Shri
M.K. Ramaswamy "Her
Wish - Her Aim"
30.12.2007 Erwadi
Radhakrishnan "Surrender"
Jaunpur
(U.P.)
A seminar on "Sri Aurobindo's Yoga for new seekers"
was conducted at Jaunpur in U.P. on 6 January 2008. Dr. A.K.
Mishra presided over the seminar while Shri S.P. Srivastava,
the Deputy General of Police was the chief guest. Dr. J.P. Singh,
Chairman of Sultanpur branch, Sri Aurobindo Society was the
main speaker. Approximately 100 participants, including doctors,
advocates, teachers and social workers, attended the programme.
Andhra
Pradesh
Monthly pamphlets on Sanskrit and Integral Yoga are being published
by the Society Centres at Kovvur and Eluru respectively for
the past two years.
The Rajahmundry Centre has started a monthly pamphlet in Telugu
from January 2008, covering topics from Sri Aurobindo's 'Savitri'
and 'Integral Health' as well as general topics related to Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother's teachings.
Delhi
branch -Navakriti School
An orientation programme on what constitutes the essence of
integral education was held for parents on 9 December 2007.
In an interactive process, using elements of theatre, dance,
music and poetry, Navakriti teachers demonstrated how teachers
and parents were led to increasing self-awareness and self-enquiry
in the process of facilitating the child's growth and learning.
This in turn creates an environment for the child's joyful awakening
into exploration and enquiry of the self and the world. Partho
and Vijaybharti from Sri Aurobindo Institute for Integral Education
and Management spoke to parents about the nature and necessity
of integral education. The urgent need of the hour is to change
people's mindset and re-evaluate conventional education which
tends to exclusively focus on academic goals and achievements.
This creates a uni-dimensional way of being in which large parts
of the child's being remain ignored and neglected. The integral
system on the other hand aims at facilitating the emergence
of a creative, independent, joyful, sensitive and conscious
learner who, with the passing years, becomes more and more clear
about what work he has come to do in the world.
Delhi Branch, as a collaborative partner of the Delhi International
Arts Festival which was held in Delhi from 7 to 23 December
2007, hosted the Percussion Ensemble event by Lalgudi Ganesh
and party at its Hall of The Life Divine on 16 December 2007.
Shruti Foundation held two workshops on 9 and 10 January 2008,
on "Nada Empowerment Vedic Meditation", "Beeja
Mantra" and "Drishti Yoga" at the Delhi Branch.
Sultanpur
(Uttar Pradesh)
Dr. J.P. Singh from Sultanpur Branch delivered a lecture at
the Post Graduate Mahatma Gandhi Dental College, Puducherry,
on 27 November 2007 on "Cause of Worry and Tension and
the Remedy".
Khandwa
(Madhya Pradesh)
Khandwa Branch of Sri Aurobindo Society organised a 2-day Seminar
on the 11 and 12 of November 2007, to celebrate the first anniversary
of installation of Sri Aurobindo's relics at the Bhawan. The
main speakers were:
Talk By Topic
Shri Sujanmal Ratanpura a)
All Life is Yoga
b)
Significance of Installation of Sri Aurobindo's relics
Shri Bharat Singh Jhala a)
Greatness of Avatara in the field of Avidya
b)
The Mother and Her Work
Shri Manoj Sharma India's
Destiny in the light of Sri Aurobindo
Dr. Suman Kocher a)
Sri Aurobindo on Children
b)
Our Collective role in the work of
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Dr. Parashar How
to Unite with Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
At night Shri Manoj Joshi sang some bhajans.
Purnea
Branch (Bihar)
Shri Narayan Lal Das, secretary, Purnea Centre, was interviewed
on 3 Dec. 2007 by A.I.R. Purnea,\ in the programme 'Aaiye Miliye'.
The interview was on "Sri Aurobindo's Life - his politcal
involvement and the Supramental Yoga and its relevance today".
Padrauna
(U.P.)
The Padrauna Centre organized a seminar on 16 Dec. 2007. Dr.
J.P. Singh, Chairman of the Sultanpur branch, spoke on 'Yoga
and its objectives in the light of Sri Aurobindo'. Mrs. Mohini
Singh, Chairperson of the Padrauna Centre spoke on her experiences
of Pondicherry. Shri R.K. Singh conducted the proceedings. About
160 persons including students and women attended the programme.
The talk was followed by a questions and answers session.
