HAPPY DIWALI

NAVARATRI 2014

Navaratri festival was celebrated at Sri Gnanananda Niketan.

During Navaratri festival, on the sacred day of Saraswati Puja, as per tradition the scriptural texts of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads etc were placed for offering puja. Ashtottara-sata-namavali archana of Sri Saraswati was offered.

Devi Mahatmayam was chanted with devotion by Kum. Vishnupriya and Kum. Radhika. The parayana was followed by soulful rendering of Sri Kamalamba Navavarana Kirtanas of Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar by Smt. Ranganayaki of Bangalore. Swami Nityananda Giri explained certain passages of the Navavarana Kirtanas.

On Vijayadasami day, Sri Saraswati Ashtottara namavali puja archana was offered again,. besides archana to Sri Dakshinamurthy, Sri Sankaracharya and Sadguru Gnanananda. 

VISIT OF GERMAN GROUP TO NIKETAN

A German group of  fourteen seekers led by Dr. Christian Hackbarth visited Sri Gnanananda Niketan in the month of Aug 2014. Swami Nityananda Giri conducted classes on "Nirvana Shatkam" of Sri Sankara.

"Nirvana Shatkam" is a short prakarana grantha giving quintessence of Vedanta. At the end of each verse, it reiterates that one who has the abiding Awareness of the Self in the manner explained in each of the six verses is a Guru, a Brahma-nishta. His state is without any reference to his caste.

The emphasis is on the basic fact that Atman is Infinte Awareness and therefore it has no relevance caste. One has to completely get over his identification with the physical body and the caste to which it belongs.

Swamiji explained the meaning of "Nirvana Shatkam" in English and Dr. Christian Hackbarth translated the same to German.