Hari Om Parents,
We started our class by writing Likhitha jaapa (writing the name of any Ishta devata god's name), then followed by daily prayers (Page 11 of My Prayers book) and Ganesha Panchratnam.
We continued our India, the sacred Land. We discussed various temples in India and we learnt about JyotirLingas. What is a JyotirLinga and the twelve Jyotirlinga temples and where are they located in India. Jyotirlingas are the divine places of Lord Shiva where he resides in different forms. The meaning of this particular word also resembles its meaning. The word 'Jyoti' means light which is also called 'radiance' and lingam or linga means 'sign' or 'image'. So the word Jyotir-linga means 'Radiant signs of Lord Shiva'. Each Jyotirlinga has its own unique significance.
1. Somnath Jyotirlinga- Located in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, this temple is considered the first Jyotirlinga.
2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga- Located in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, this temple represents the union of Shiva and Parvati.
3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga- Located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, this temple represents Shiva as the lord of time and death.
4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga- Located on Mandhata Island, Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh, this temple is shaped like the sacred "Om".
5. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga- Located in Dwarka, Gujarat.
6. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga- Located in Setubandh, near Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, this temple enshrines the Rameśvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar.
7. Vishveshwar Jyotirlinga- Located in Kashi(Varanasi) on the banks of river Ganga.
8. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga- Located on the banks of river Godavari near Nasik.
9. Baidyanatheshwara Jyotirlinga- Located in Parali.
10. BhimaShankar-Located near Pune.
11. Kedareshwar Jyotirlinga- Located in the Himalayas in the Kedar mountain ranges.
12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga- Located in Verul, District Aurangabad, Maharashtra, this temple is close to the Ellora caves.
It was time for our Gita Chanting by Swami Ji, we learnt shlokas 16, 17, 18 from chapter 5. It was about time for the Monthly program by Grade 1 kids followed by Pledge so we went to the Prayer Hall.
Few Links for learning to chant.
1. Ganesha Panchratnam (Page 30 in My Prayers).
1.1. Link to rendition with lyrics in English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4lZCKxeJFE or
1.2 Link: https://youtu.be/Oyo0FWP9fB8?si=ZaYVDepNkX0YWShI (play at lower speeds for kids to follow lyrics and hear clearly
2. Nirvana Shatakam (Printouts were shared)
2.1 https://youtu.be/rKx7K13OvQ4?si=lM6g_ZtX0kdF5Sfo - Uninterrupted Line Guided Chant - YouTube
3. Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 (1-29 shlokas) is available in the 2024-25 year handbook. The link to Gita by our swamiji is as below.
https://youtu.be/1RnjJPiI9y0?si=_IeXKqpWjrPoqNbO
Please make sure to send the below to every Balavihar class.
1. An empty notebook to write Likhitha jaapa and notes.
2. Two sharpened pencils.
3. Daily Prayers book.
4. Balavihar Handbook
Please join the class WhatsApp group by using the link below
https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0cfUe3NUDYCBwYVKD7tyg
The WhatsApp group will be our primary medium of communication. Please feel free to reach us on our phones/ via WhatsApp or you can reply to this email as well.
With Regards,
Shivram & Anuradha
