"Chinmaya Omkara", 8705 Merrillville Road, IN 46410
info@chinmaya-nwindiana.org
219-808-3431, 219-513-8647
"Chinmaya Omkara", 8705 Merrillville Road, IN 46410
info@chinmaya-nwindiana.org
219-808-3431
219-513-8647
We are very excited to start another year of Chinmaya Bala Vihar (and the many associated programs). Our session runs every year from September to May, and it’s never too late to join even if classes have already begun. REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW FOR 2023-24.
Bala Vihar is a group of children, meeting once a week, at a set venue, for 60-90 minutes, for the sole purpose of learning our precious culture, spiritual wisdom, and related values through stories, games, quizzes, crafts, bhajans, hymns, shlokas, skits, dances, etc.
Bala Vihar inculcates the values of Sanatana Dharma, as taught in our scriptures-Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta, Upanishads, Epics and Puranas-helping us to grow into responsible citizens of tomorrow.
Bala Vihar classes for various age groups are conducted by trained sevaks and sevikas. These voluntary dedicated workers impart to children, the glory of our rich culture, aiming at character formation and reverence for our ancient heritage. Additional activities that help to reinforce the vision of Bala Vihar include cultural shows, Geeta chanting competition, and Bala Vihar residential or day camps.
The Curriculum for Chinmaya Bala Vihar has been refined over the last 50 years. It is structured and based on our scriptures, with a focus on how scriptures apply to our daily lives.
This precious age is one where children are innocent and full of life.While they start out anxious of the new surroundings, they quickly latch on to our caring teachers who instill in them the love of God. Even at this tender age, the teachers help to inculcate reverence for our culture through coloring, simple prayers, and fun songs and dances.Through creative means, the children readily identify our Gods and the qualities they represent. At the end of the year, both teachers and students have tears borne out of the bond that was created between them.
We all know that ‘A is for Apple’ and ‘B is for Boy,’ but in Balavihar, the children learn that “A is for Aspiration, B is for Brotherhood, C is for Cleanliness,” and so on. Simple, but fundamental values are taught and emphasized through stories and coloring. Children are introduced to the wonder of Vedanta in an age- appropriate manner through hands-on activities and demonstrations. They learn that just because something is not seen does not mean that it is not there. Therefore, our minds need to be focused to see the beauty within all of us.
Through the Ramayana, the world’s oldest epic, Lord Rama teaches us the values of the perfect person. The children track the path of Lord Rama from childhood to marriage to exile to the war with Ravana, culminating in his crowning as King. Embedded in the story is so much symbolism. How are the 3 pairs of brothers in the Ramayana different? What attracts Vibhishana, to Lord Rama? Why is HanumanJi the greatest devotee, and how can we be like him? The children will amaze you with their deep appreciation of the glories of Lord Rama.
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Thousands of years ago, King Parikshit heard Srimad Bhagavatham from Shri Shuka. The Bhagavath Mahapurana is considered to be among the purest of our scriptures since it invokes devotion to Lord Vishnu, through His incarnations. Bala Bhagavatam guides young minds through the stories of Lord Vishnu. They learn to own up to their actions and to ask for what they need and not what they always want. Even at this young age, the content from this class teaches the children what is meant by Dharma and how we can all live responsibly and meet our potential.
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What is a symbol and why have them? Why does Lord Ganesh have big ears and why does He travel on a mouse? Why does Lord Shiva have Mother Ganga flowing from His hair? Our scriptures are filled with hidden gems of knowledge, and these treasures are unlocked as children explore the deeper meaning behind all that they see in Hinduism. All these symbols are of the One Lord who pervades all and teaches us to live a life of harmony, fulfillment, and happiness. The children will be able to actually teach their parents about the meaning of our religion.
Mark Twain once said, “India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition.” Few countries can boast of the diversity in array of languages, and through our many sevaks/volunteers, we offer instruction in several of them. Our language options for this year include: Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Marathi.
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Mahabharata is an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra war and the fates of 2 sets of cousins, who enter into the battlefield. This is a Dharma-Yudha or the war for Dharma. It is full of various characters from warriors, to devotees, from ruthless kings and princes, to brave women. It offers so many valuable life lessons, as Lord Krishna, a key character in the epic, goes about guiding everyone on the path of Dharma. The Gita class being the next year, the children will get a good understanding of the entire story and its characters and the deeper symbolism.
“Hindu Culture – An Introduction” – an amazingly simple yet deeply informative book by Swami Tejomayananda, explains various concepts from the ancient, time tested and still relevant culture and philosophy of our Vedas. Swami Tejomayananda gives us a deep and sensitive insight into Hindu Culture using simple words and analogies that appeal to the head and heart of the modern reader. It deals with topics like the basis of cultures, fundamentals of scriptures, symbolism of deities, significance of festival, role of temples, indicators of Dharma, understanding of the caste system, analyzing the characters of the Mahabharata & much, much more.
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The Curriculum for Chinmaya Bala Vihar has been refined over the last 50 years. It is structured and based on our scriptures, with a focus on how scriptures apply to our daily lives.
One God, Many Forms; We Can, We Must!
Alphabet Safari
Bala Ramayanam
Sri Hanuman, the Super Superman!
Bala Bhagavatam
Krishna Krishna Everywhere & My 24 Gurus
Symbolism in Hinduism
India, the Sacred Land
P.O. Box Mr. God & Keys to Success
Yato Dharmah Tato Jayah! (Where there is Dharma, there is Victory)
Hindu Culture
DROP – Dependency, Regret, Obsession, Pessimism; Yuva Govindam
Youth: Keeping the Balance; Selected excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita
The Chinmaya Mission Northwest Indiana Center was established in 2002. It has now evolved into an organization serving the entire Indian community in Northwest Indiana. Chinmaya Mission is an excellent opportunity for spiritual learning.
"Chinmaya Omkara", 8705 Merrillville Road, IN 46410
info@chinmaya-nwindiana.org
219-513-8647, 219-730-8276
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