AKSHAYA TRITIYA ANNADANA AT SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN

Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious day on which many good things are supposed to have occurred according to our Puranas. “Akshaya” means “never diminishing”.

Akshaya Tritiya is a day on which special importance is given to dana or gifting away without expecting any return or recognition. It’s a virtue to be cultivated replacing the usual normal habit of hoarding. Of all such danas, annadana or gifting of food is considered to be the best.

On the sacred day of Akshaya Tritiya, 21st April, 2015 Annadana was performed at Sri Gnanananda Niketan to around 250 people from surrounding villages. School children from the nearby village also participated in the Annadana.

The Annadana on Akshaya Tritiya day at Sri Gnanananda Niketan was reported by the local tamil news media (Dinamani and Dinamalar). Few clippings from the same below:

AKSHAYA TRITIYA, SANKARA JAYANTHI AND ARADHANA OF PARAMAPUJYA SRI SWAMI SWAMI VIDYANANANDA GIRI

Tuesday, the 21st April 2015 is the sacred day of Akshaya Tritiya. 

“Akshaya” means “never diminishing”. In tradition dana or gifting away is

praised as the means for spiritual progress. Of all gifts, gifting of food or annadana is said to be the best.

Therefore at Sri Gnanananda Niketan annadana is organized for the people of the nearby villages on that auspicious occasion. It is done as Narayana seva or service to God to help increase our wealth of spiritual values. 



Sankara Jayanti will be celebrated this year on Thursday, the 23rd April 2015. 

It is an important day for all Hindus and especially for those who are in the path of Self-enquiry. At Sri Gnanananda Niketan, it is an important event of celebration. On that day, we worship Sri Adi Sankaracharya and in his honor, the celebration continues for few days.

On the morning of 24th April, Krishna Yajur Veda Parayana will be commenced. It will be concluded on 27th April. Four Vedic pundits will participate in the parayana as in the previous years.

Aradhana of Paramapujya Sri Swami Vidyanananda Giri will be celebrated on 28th April 2015. Swami Vidyananda Giri was blessed by Sadguru Gnanananda Himself as the Vedanta Acharya of the ashram and was the founding Chairman of Sri Gnanananda Niketan Trust.

These events have become regular celebrations at Sri Gnanananda Niketan. We heartily invite you to attend these functions and receive the grace and blessings of Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya.

Devotees desirous of sponsoring Annadana / Veda Parayana / Aradhana of Paramapujya Swami Sri Vidyananda Giri may send their contributions by cheque in the name of Sri Gnanananda Niketan and mentioning the purpose of their donation.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

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SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN

THAPOVANAM POST – 605 756 - VILLUPURAM DISTRICT - TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Tel: 00 91 – (0)4153 – 224938 - e-mail:  gniketan.office@gmail.com  

www.gnanananda-niketan.org - www.gnanananda-niketan.blogspot.in 

INVITATION FOR TIRUVACAKAM MUTTRODAL 2014

After completion of the Satsang Mandap at Sri Gnanananda Niketan in December 2011, during the past three years, “Tiruvacakam Muttrodal’, the group chanting of Tiruvacakam, has been a regular annual feature welcomed by all devotees. It has been a joyful event, a Gnana Yajna which charges the atmosphere with finest and exalted spiritual vibrations by the content of the devotional hymns.

It has been taking place in the Tamil month of Kartikai every year. This year, it will be the first week of sacred month of Margazhi month on Sunday, 21^st December 2014. In this particular month, Saivite and Vaishnavaite devotional hymns are sung early morning throughout Tamilnadu. This year the “Muttrodal” will take place just a few days before the commencement of the Aradhana Mahotsava of Sadguru Gnanananda at Tapovanam. The great Sage encouraged the singing of Tamil Saivite and Vaishnavaite devotional hymns at Thapovanam.

Eagerly looking forward to the celebration of the forth coming events, expressing our reverence to the sacred Arunachala and to Sadguru Gnanananda, and invoking their Presence and blessings in our lives, Tiruvacakam Muttrodal will take place this year on Sunday, the 21^st December 2014 (6th of Margazhi month). The single day function will be conducted under the graceful guidance of Pujya Sri Swami Omkarananda Saraswati of Swami Chidbhavananda ashram at Theni, Pujya Sri Swami Samananda of Tattvananda ashram at Madurai, Pujya Sri Swami Sadasiva Giri of Thapovanam.

The chanting will be performed from 9 AM to 5 AM by more than a hundred Sivan-adiyars (devotees of Lord Siva) from and around Tiruchirapalli, East Tambaram, Chennai and Arcot.

The program will be same as in the previous years. It will include Sandana kappu alankara of Sri Somaskanda (Lord Siva, Sri Parvati Devi and Sri Subrahmanya) seated on a Rishabha. In front, will be the four Saivite saints, Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Manickavacakar also in Sandana kappu alankara. It is a remarkable work of the sthapathi from Tirunelveli who makes the inner frames of the images in Banana stem and covers them with sandal wood paste shaping them into different murthis.

All are welcome to attend Tiruvacakam Muttrodal.

ARTICLE IN TAMIL ON SENKOTTAI AVUDAI AKKAL IN DINAMANI NEWSPAPER ( தமிழக ஞானப் பரம்பரையில் வந்த பெண் கவி: செங்கோட்டை ஆவுடையக்காள் )

An article is published in Dinamani Newspaper about Senkottai Avudai Akkal.

Shenkottai Avudai Akkal, a remarkable eighteeth-century woman saint from Tamil Nadu, was a self-realised advaitin who sang passionately about the ecstasy of spiritual union with the Absolute.

Reference has also been made to the publication of Sri Gnanananda Niketan ("Songs of Avudai Akkal")

You can read the entire article here

ANNADANA ON SKANDA SHASHTI DAY 29th OCTOBER

Annadana was performed to the children and their staff from the elementary schools at Kuchipalayam and Kudamurutti villages, near Thapovanam on the sacred day of Skanda Shashti day. Prayers were offered to Lord Muruga.

The annadana was sponsored by Sri Chandramouli from Toronto, Canada.



 

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.

 

VYASA PURNIMA GREETINGS