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| RATHA YATRA OF LORD JAGANNATHA BALADEVA AND SUBHADRA |
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In keeping with the traditional Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha a miniature ratha was made for the little children at the temple.
Later a slightly larger Ratha was constructed for Lord Jagannatha to be used for the school drama.
The children had heard stories of how Srila Prabhupada, as a child would celebrated the Ratha Yatra in the little by lanes of Kolkata.
So our little children decided to imitate him by having their own Ratha Yatra festival.
Its been 17 year now that this festival has been celebrated at school.
Teachers bring an offering or two make a ‘Chhappan Bhog’ offering for the Lord.
Children bring fruits or flowers as an offering for the Lord. The older students help Mataji paint and decorate the Ratha.
Teachers join in to organize the flower decorations. Once Lord Jagannatha is well fed with the Chhapan Bhog, He is brought on to the Ratha where the ‘arti is performed.
And then the children line up to pull the ratha around the circumference of the temple.
Different classes post themselves at different points around the temple and make offering on behalf of their class.
All through, a roaring kirtan keeps child ren on their toes and dancing and singing glories of Lord Krishana.
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| GURU PURNIMA |
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for us Teacher’s Day is a day for the felicitation of the Guru, or teacher and thus we celebrate it on Guru Purnima which is actually the appearance day of Srila Vaeda Vyas.
Children organize a special cultural program for the teachers after which they take over the care of the various children, leaving teacher free for the day.
Special mementos and gifts are organized for the teachers by the children.
Teachers take off after half day at school for a special lunch at Govinda’s restaurant.
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| JHULAN YATRA |
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the Radha-Krishna swing Festival is a big event at the Vaishnava temples across the country.
ISKCON has been celebrating this festival as Srila Prabhupada instructed.
Elaborate decorations are made and a silver jhula or swing is placed amid the decorations.
The deities of Radha andKrishna are placed in the Jhula and are swung gently by all in turns.
A similar festival is set up at the school for our little kids wherein the Gymnasium is decorated with veils, plants and fragment flowers.
A swing is plased high with a garlanded picture of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasunder, the deities of Vrindavan dham.
A smaller jhula is also placed amid the floral forest to house Sri Gopalji, the school deity of Laddoo Gopal.
Glorious kirtan plays continuosly while children come class-wise and swing swin.
Sri Gopalji in turns.
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JANMASHTAMI
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celebrating janmashatmi at school simply means enacting the naughties pastime of Lord Krishna : stealing butter and breaking the butter pots.
A pot full of sweet butter is hung high on a rope.
The children then form a pyramid and a boy who has been chosen to play the role of Krishna stands atop the pyramid and amidst cheering and kirtan he breaks the pot and distributes to his band of butter thieves.
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| DUSSEHRA
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this auspicious day marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. And our students celebrate by
burning an effigy of Ravana chanting the glories of Lord Rama. Preparations being well in advance
wherein eco friendly material is collected to male Ravana ‘s effigy. On Dussehra he’s razed to the
ground with fireworks, marking the reign of auspiciousness.
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