We begin a new phase today. Paramacharya Ceyonswami shared news from the Lambodara Kulam with updates on new information for improved methods of gold leafing on granite, news on the peetam being made in India for the crystal lingam and the on-going astrology work to our sishya with various aspects of their lives.

Our Nikon D-50 has a new zoom lens and delivers amazing, sharp images. We bring you today a slide show and movie relating to Iraivan

Part Three of the Washington DC mission focuses on the Swadhyay Pariwar’s National Youth Convention, held on Saturday, June 16th.

Arumugaswami and Sivakatirswami began early in the morning with a breakfast meeting with our hosts New Jersey zone Swadhyay Pariwar members Ramesh Bhimani and Digant Joshi, on the left. On the right, is Manish who now lives in the Netherlands.

We want to thank Ramesh and Digant for sponsoring the travel and hotel and their constant care and attention to our needs, and letting Hinduism Today have access to these events. We had a great meeting of minds in the spirit of Hindu Solidarity and spiritual brotherhood of sevaks all working hard for Sanatana Dharma and the next generation.

It was just a few blocks walk from our Washington Court Hotel to the the Congress buildings where the Youth parade was to begin.

There were young people there from every zone and state across the nation. Groups wore hats colored in yellow, red, blue, green, purple. These colors represent the five “revolutions” that come through Swadhyay which means literally “study of the self.” The five revolutions are social, political, economic, spiritual, emotional.

Read more at their web site http://www.swadhyay.org/

One of several “social experiments” conducted by the Swadhyay Pariwar is to perform devotional visits, which they call “Bhaktipheri.” Recently they have been, through these visits, promoting “Trikal Sandhya.” This means to perform a prayer to God, three times a day, morning, noon and evening.

“Trikal Sandhya is an expression of gratitude to God for: a gift of memory at dawn, a gift of energy at noon and a gift of peace at night.”

We had been told weeks before that there might have been some limit to the numbers allow by the city officials, but we see no limits here!

The current head of Swadhyay Pariwar, Didiji arrives to inaugurate the parade.

She lights the torch that leads the parade. The Washington monument is in the back.

The parade begins. We are not sure what to expect and run ahead to get pictures and video from the front.

Swadhyay Pariwar has many positive affirmations they use to remind everyone of their inner and outer work and purpose. “God is With Me and Within Me.”

This one expresses the core teaching of their founder: that God lives in each human being and that the foundation of Swadhyay is to discover, revere and live up to the “indwelling God” inside of you.

As it turned out the parade was huge! Groups from each zone from states across the country just kept coming and coming.

“God is Within Me and the Same God is in Others; so Other is Not Other but He is my Divine Brother!”

In the end, 8,000 Swadhyayi’s marched passed the finish line of the parade.

Later that afternoon we went early to the Verizon center to hold interviews with some youth, which in the Swadhyay Pariwar understanding includes children anyone up to age 30.

This is Ami Majmudar. She recently married and is now a school teacher in Ohio. She previously lived in California and knew our sishya there and the Hotranatha family will remember her.

Ami was very articulate about what she had learned and gained from the Swadhyay Pariwar and how it had changed her life.

This is Raaghav Pandya, aged 13 from New Jersey. He was also very articulate about his understanding of his religion.

Vishal Mody, 26 from Illinois, shared with us his experience in going to India to live at the Swadhyay Pariwar’s Vidya Peeth (university) for two years.

Keshav Pandya, 11 from New Jersey.

Darshan Patel is from San Jose, California, and one of the coordinators for the Pariwar activities there.

Vinesh Desai, active in coordinating youth activities. He has been with the Swadhyay Pariwar from a young age in Bangalore, India.

Ranna Patel from San Jose, is on of the ladies very active in teaching youth in the Bal Vihar Kendra (meetings of children between the ages of 3 and 14). She talked about the Swadhyay Pariwar’s high respect for the mother role in the family as she is the key to keeping a spiritual atmosphere in the home.

Nina Kadakia, Pennsylvania. She told us about the Swadhyay Pariwar monthly meetings called the “Myla Kendra” when all the mothers and ladies meet to talk about issues at home, children rearing and education of their children.

You will hear these interviews later in the Digital Edition of Hinduism Today.

We then went into the main Verizon center stadium. Didiji arrives and drives around the stadium with bright smile greeting everyone.

People kept pouring in. The projected attendance of five to ten thousand swelled until we looked around and saw an estimated twenty thousand in the stadium!

Didiji on stage is welcomed, after which she gave an hour-long discourse in Hindi which focused on the meaning of selfless service.

The youth perform a dance drama

More massive coordinated marching-dance numbers by youth from various states across the USA. So much energy and joy! Looking around, the stadium was filled to 85% capacity.

It was quite fantastic… impossible to capture by camera..

At the end of the evening, we meet Didiji briefly and give her a copy of What is Hinduism and the Hindu History Lesson and our booklet, All about Kauai’s Hindu Monastery.

Stay tuned for more on these events in the next edition of Hinduism Today.

The Wailua from above. Albezia trees in full bloom.

Silpi helper Kumar

Ti in the distance

“Please contact Sadhaka Dandapani right away if you want one of the last seats on the 2008 Asian Odyssey. You can email him (danda@hindu.org) or call him on 1-808-822-3012, Ext 239. It’s NOW or never!”