An offering to the Guru, the teachers, by HSS of Houston
Guru, in Sanskrit, means a Teacher, a Spiritual master and a Mentor. Vandana means Salutations. Hence Guru Vandana means Salutations to the Teacher through expression of love, gratitude and reverence towards them. This program provides a platform for students to acknowledge the role played by their teachers in shaping their lives.
For teachers, Guru Vandana is a moment to get a first-hand look at one of the time-honored Hindu tradition of “Guru-Shishya Parampara” or the noble role played by the Teacher, a “Guru” in contributing towards a growth of a student or a “Shishya” in every aspect of his life.
It is also a great opportunity for parents to rekindle in their children, the noble and deep-rooted values of the Hindu way of life which is referred to as Sanatana Dharma or universal law which is all-inclusive in nature and does not exclude anything.
The Hindu culture recognizes human wellbeing and freedom as of paramount importance versus the prominence of God as the essential purpose of God is to create reverence in a person. Being reverential is far more important than what you are reverential towards. Therefore, Guru Vandana is a humble effort to express our earnest reverence to all our teachers whom we have always recognized as a very important part of our life, to the extent, we say: “acharya devo bhava”, which means a teacher is like god. Even though, if there is one thing we cannot say enough to our teachers, it is ‘THANK YOU.’
The Guru Vandana event was organized in the spacious gymnasium hall of Woodcreek Elementary School in Katy Texas on May 5th 2018. The event was attended by 28 teachers from the various Katy ISD schools. A Katy ISD board member Mr. Scott was also present for the program. A Marathi language school teacher and a teacher who imparts classes in moral values at a leading institution in Katy according to the Hindu Dharma were also felicitated. 150 people attended the program.
There was a very beautifully decorated Ganesha idol at the entrance of the hall. The presence of idol of Lord Ganesha at the entrance made the whole atmosphere very pure and calmed the minds.
Every auspicious event in the Hindu culture is commenced with the Ganesh Stuti – a prayer chanted in the praise of Lord Ganesha and lighting of the lamp ceremony. Lord Ganesha is the remover of all obstacles and the lamp represents the holy flame that ignites the blaze of knowledge and dispels the darkness of ignorance within us. The program was inaugurated by lighting of the lamp by Dr. Phaneendra Ji Kondapi, from the University of Houston.
The inauguration was followed by a soulful recitation of Ganesha Vandana or the invoking of Lord Ganesha who is the remover of all obstacles and to bless the event as it started.
What better way to express joy and gratitude to your teachers and elders then to present before them the very knowledge and art that they have imparted to us.
The inauguration of the program was followed by cultural events that gave a glimpse of the rich Hindu culture and heritage.
Saraswati Vandana
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom, and learning. She is a part of the trinity (Tridevi) of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. All the three forms help the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva to create, maintain and regenerate-recycle the Universe respectively.
Invoking the goddess of knowledge and learning and seeking her blessings at this auspicious occasion set the tone for the wonderful presentations of yoga, dance, and music to follow.
Yogasana
Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. The word yoga itself means “union”: of then individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or spirit. Though many people think yoga only as physical exercise – the asana or postures that have gained widespread popularity in recent decades – these are only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul.
The Yogasana performers ages ranged from 6 years to 13 years. It was a wonderfully choreographed presentation of various poses and formations that the performers achieved in the show. The presentation had a very nice rhythm to it. The performers achieved some very difficult poses like the chakrasana, shirshasana and drew a wide range of applause from the audience.
Instrumental Music
It is said that music knows no geographical bounds. Music speaks a universal language and can be enjoyed and appreciated by one and all from across the world. Audience got a delightful experience of this adage next.
The music performance was a harmonious union of the east and the west. The performers were playing both traditional Indian instruments like the sitar, harmonium and the tabla as well as the violin, viola, and the keyboard from the west. The compositions were again more traditional Hindustani classical style, but the notations were in the western tradition for the players playing the western instruments.
Saraswati Vandana – A veneration through dance
Classical music performance was followed by a splendid rendition of Saraswati Vandana presented through dance. The dancers presented the various forms and manifestations of the Goddess Saraswati. The depiction of Goddess Saraswati as the goddess with many hands showering her blessings was a sight to behold.
Shlokas – A prayerful recital
The cultural program ended with the recitation of some meaningful shlokas from the Vedas and the Upanishads. The young chanters praised the importance of Guru in one’s life and in achieving the higher planes in life. They also invoked blessings for the entire universe and prayed for the health and happiness of the entire universe.
The invited teachers were seated on the stage against the splendid backdrop of colorful decoration and the HSS banner. All the students who had invited their teachers were seated in front of their respective teachers in a semi-circle. The students then in the traditional Hindu way, applied tilak to the teacher’s forehead and lighted a lamp displayed in a decorated thali (plate) and circled the thali around their face. The teachers blessed the students by showering rose petals on their head.
It was a sight to behold. The entire atmosphere was charged with a feeling of gratitude.
The students expressed their gratitude towards their teachers. One could also sense a feeling of gratitude from the teachers as they lovingly showered petals and extended their blessings for having received such worthy students. The parents were filled with gratitude for the teachers as well who were molding the students to become the citizens of tomorrow who would follow the path of Dharma and take their rightful place in the society.
All the teachers were also given a token of appreciation for them to behold and remember.
The event was graced by the auspicious presence of Shri. Amit Mishra ji who was the guest of honor for the program. Amitji was born in St. Louis and brought up in Houston. He graduated from George Washington University. He did his law studies from UT Austin and currently practices as a law professional in Houston. He lives in Houston with his wife who is a Pediatrician and their three children. He is also HSS National Public Relation in charge.
Amitji in his short but meaningful address reminded the audience of the importance of a guru in one’s life. In his indomitable style, he recounted the days when he was growing up as a Hindu kid and today when there is more awareness about the Hindu way of life amongst the world at large.
Fun Time
Dandiya Dance
The next event was a unique experience for the teachers and the students as well. All the teachers and students participated in the Dandiya dance. The students showed the teachers how to hold the sticks and the steps they have to take in the dance. After a few minutes of adjustments, it was a sight for the ages when the teachers and the students were playing Dandiya together. The joy on their faces can only be compared to bliss. With every contact of the stick, new bonds were being made and old bonds were becoming tighter.
Another memorable event for the teachers and their spouses was the saree stall where the female teachers were draped in traditional sarees and male teachers wore a traditional pagadi (hat) in maharaja style. The couples had their pictures taken afterwards. The joy and satisfaction of being a part of a rich tradition was writ large on everybody’s face.
One of the teachers liked the saree so much that she requested if she could keep the sari on for the rest of the event. That is a testimony in itself.
Teachers also got a chance to have a hands-on experience with another Indian art, Rangoli. Rangoli is a design that is created in front of the house as one of the welcoming gestures. It can be created using different things like colored rice grains, flours, sand or flower petals. Bright colored sand was used at this stall.
Cultural Exhibition
A very nicely put together exhibition giving a glimpse of the rich Hindu tradition and culture was on display. The exhibition showed the progress that ancient India had made in the field of art and the mastery in temple making out of stones. The exhibition also presented the progress that Bharat had made in the field of various sciences like chemistry, surgery, astronomy, physics, and mathematics. The exhibition recounted and reminded the audience the significant contributions that scientists and seers from Bharat had made toward the advancement of various streams of science.
Traditional Bharatiya dinner was served at the end of the program. The highlight of the dinner was that a variety of the dishes were made by the male members of the Kailash and Keshav shakha.
It was a joyous atmosphere as everybody mingled during dinner time and teachers and students and their families sat together and got to know each other better and as teachers also got to know some more about their students and their culture and traditions.
Feedback
The feedback that was received from the teachers during and after the program sums it up for all.
At the end of the Guru Poojan event itself, the teachers were asked for their reactions. One teacher captured it best probably for all the other teachers as well. He said that he did not know what to expect when he accepted the invitation. He had some ideas in his mind but what he experienced was a very enriching experience for him and something he will cherish for the rest of his life.
The Katy ISD board member Mr. Scott had a very thoughtful response to the event. He said, “In the number of years he has been on the Katy ISD board he had the opportunity to attend many events. But besides the graduation ceremony, the Guru Vandana program was the first meaningful program he had attended.” That comment speaks volumes of the depth and meaning that is associated with the age-old tradition of the Guru-Sishya parampara. It also speaks highly of the effort that was put by all the volunteers of the HSS in planning and presenting the program in such a way that it brought out that essence and was conveyed to the audience meaningfully.
HSS organizes weekly shakhas every Sundays from 4.30-6.30pm at 26100 Tina Ln, Katy, TX 77494.
https://www.facebook.com/Balagokulam-2036567656584080
Also every Saturdays from 9.00-11.00am at 4018 Westhollow Pkwy,Houston, TX, 77082.
Thank you!
