INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT, INC (ISSA).
                      Not for Profit organization (Tax Exempt # 35-2177294)  Web site # http://spiritualadvancement.org             
           7952 Foster Street, Morton Grove, IL 60053, USA  E-mail: 108@sfsai.org


A Grand celebration of 108 Sundarkand Mahayagya by ISSA

On the occasion of Shri Hanuman Jayanti, International Society for Spiritual Advancement (ISSA) celebrated its 2nd Annual 108 Sundarkand Mahayagya on Saturday, April 19th, 2008 at Hari Om Mandir, Medinah, IL. More than 350 devotees recited the holy Sundarkand from Sant Tulsidas’s Shri Ramcharit Manas, simultaneously in unison.

All the devotees were greeted by youth volunteers by offering aachman (taking holy Ganga jal), sindur tilak on their forehead, tulsi kanthi-mala,  angavastra (Ram naam shawl) and a copper kalash with paan leaves and coconut to offer to the Lord Ramchandra and mother Janki. The program commenced at 8:15 AM with Hari Naam Sankirtan by Shri Girish Bhatt, a well known classical bhajan singer of Chicagoland accompanied by Mathuresh Das, a devotee of ISKCON and Program Director of ISSA. They were soon joined by Ramanand Ji (Dr. Rama S. Dwivedi), Ram Shraddha Das, Raju Bankapur, Inderjeet Gurtatta, Jaiprakash Balakrishnan, Anju Balakrishnan, Bhavna Mantri, Anjana Savsani, Angad Gurtatta (the youngest one), Raj Sawsani and Bhadra Shah.

Swasti Vaachan was performed by the head priest of Hari Om Mandir and Mathuresh Das welcomed the special guests and all attendees. Maneesha Sharma, a youth volunteer welcomed the distinguished guests with bouquets of flowers: HH Swami Sharananand Ji(Cinmaya Mission); HH Ram Kamal Das Vedanti Ji Maharaj (Shri Ram Mandir at Varanasi, India); Mr. Jagdish Rai, Head of Chancery at the Consulate General of India at Chicago; Sarvashvarya Das (Dr. Satyanarayan Gupta) from Gainesville, Florida,; Shri Jaychandra Raj (a renowned astrologer from India); Dr. Pradheep Kumar Chhalliyil (from GeneTic ID Iowa).

After the welcome address, HH Swami Vedanti Ji and Swami Sharananandji blessed the gathering. This was followed by a Bharat Natyam dance performance of ‘Shree Ram Chandra Kripalu Bhaj Man’ by Sachi Patel, and aawahan (invocation) of the Anant Koti Brahmand Nayak Bhgwan Sri Raghvendra Sarkar and all his paarshads by Ramanand Ji. The recitation of the Sundarkand led by Ramanand Ji and all participants began at 9:30 AM. At the conclusion of the Sundarkand, Mathuresh Das and Babu Sarkar (an eight year young Hanuman bhakta) led the recitation of Shree Hanuman Chalisa.

Mr. Hardev Ji from Hari Om Mandir sang a devotional bhajan in the glory of Lord Shri Ram followed by very spiritual, melodious and energetic bhajans were sung by Bhavna Mantri, Anjana Savsani and Bhadra Shah, that made many attendees to dance in ecstacy. A wonderful rendition of ‘Duniya chale na Shree Ram ke bina’ by Raju Bankapur, a well known singer of Chicagoland, set everyone in a transcendental mood. A wonderful shabad from Guruvani was sung by Inderjeet Gurtatta accompanied by Angad Gurtatta on key board. Other bhajans by Sarvashvarya Das , from Gainsville, Florida; Sanjay Sharma, Girish Bhatt Ji, Mathuresh Das. Upon hearing the melodious bhajan, “Phulon Men Saj Rahen Hain Vrindavan Vihari.” of Ramshradha Das from ISKCON, the whole temple was in ecstacy and dancing.

This was followed by the most awaited event for all devotees, the Ramkatha,”Navdha Bhakti” narrated by Ramanand Ji, that literally took everyone to the Ashram of Matang Muni, where Lord Rama was glorifying the devotion of mother Sabari. The essence of the Ramkatha is that unconditional surrender and unflinching faith in Spiritual Guru develops the pure love for the lord, and gives His great bahkti to the devotees. Lords bhakti is the only way to break the cycle of birth and death, and to attain His abode. In modern world, the recitation of Sundarkaand Paath and listening the Harikatha is the most trusted and easiest way to receive the blessings of the Lord and get over with calamities and miseries of life.

A havan (fire sacrifice) ceremony was performed for Anjaninandan Shree Hanuman Ji by chanting His mantra,”Sri Ram Dutaya Vidmahe Kapirajay Dhimahi, Tanno Hanuman Prachodayat, Hro Fat Swaha”, and accompanied by all the guests. At the end of the havan, purnahuti was performed. After the havan, Mathuresh Das and Ramanand Ji led the aratis for Sri Ramayan Ji, Hanuman ji and Shri Lord Hari. Nine arati thalis were prepared by Mrs. Pushpa Sharma and Aruna Dwivedi, and used to perform the arati simultaneously to make it convenient for all the attendees. After Bhog offering, followed Shri Narsingh Bhagwan arati sung by children of the devotees.

Mathuresh Das thanked all the guests and attendees for their participation and making it a very transcendental and memorable event. All guests were offered, a vaishnav prasadam, prepared at Swami Narayan Temple. All of the 108 yajmans were given a coconut, and a prasad bag with banana and apple. Mathuresh Das expressed his special thanks to Shri Ramesh and Smt. Anjana Savsani for coordinating the preparation of delicious prasadam.

Mathuresh Das, on behalf the ISSA, told this reporter that he received enormous appreciations from devotees for doing such a wonderful program that will be remembered by all for a ling time, but he attributed this success to the tireless work done by all of the volunteers. ISSA has expressed special thanks to Subhash Mantri and his team of Videographers, Rakesh Thakkar and Anand Vardaan Ananya Tiwari, who all volunteered for this event and Mr. Ajit Gandhi, who took charge of prasadam service. Satish and Meera Chander are gratefully acknowledged, who in spite of being so busy, helped tremendously in coordinating this event. ISSA is thankful to the President of Hari Om Mandir, Shri Vipan Wadhera and his wife and all other Board members of Hari Om Mandir, for their kind help and support throughout the preparation for this spiritual event. ISSA is very thankful to Dr. Dipak Bakane, MD, who accepted to be the Medical Officer-in-Charge for this event at Hari Om Temple.

The youth and adult volunteers team led by Mr. Inder Gurtatta, whose dedication and commitment was key for the success,  consisted of Abhist Dwivedi, Ajay Yadav, Anjali Gulati, Apoorv Dwivedi, Chinmayi Bhatt, Cynthia Gulati, Dusyant Sharma, Geeta Gundechia, Inderjeet Gurtatta, Jai Gundechia, Jayprakash Balakrishnan, Jenny, Maneesha Sharma, Manoj Gupta, Monika Jaiswal, Nilesh Champaneri, Nilesh Gheewala, Pinal Gheewala, Pushpa Sharma, Priyanka, Radhika Gundechia, Rani Gurtatta, Renuka Sharma, Sonali Gulati, Sham & Usha Sundar, Vinod Khandate

Last, but not the least, Mathuresh Das expresses his gratitude on behalf of ISSA, to ALL the GUESTS and the scores of devotees for their donation and time, without which a program of such magnitude and spiritual importance would not have been this successful. The working committee’s effort to accomplish its successful goal, in particular Anju Balakrishnan’s role as Administrative Secretary is gratefully acknowledged. The working committee consisted of following devotees:

Mathuresh Prabhu  (Program Director)
Anju Balakrishnan  (Administrative Secretary)
Dr. Pradip Kumar Chhalliyil
Satish Chander
Bhailal Patel
Ramshradha Prabhu
Jai Prakash Balakrishnan
Inderjeet Gurtatta
Anjali Gulati
Nand Gupta
Mr. Hardev Ji


Should you need more information about ISSA, or its programs, please visit our web-site http://www.sfsai.org/

** Attached Pictures