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