REPORTS FROM THE D.L.S. BRANCHES
INLAND BRANCHES
Ahiwara (Chhattisgarh): During the month of March 2008, the Branch continued its regular activities of daily Satsanga, and special Puja and collective Japa of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra on Ekadasis. It also conducted special Puja on Sri Maha Sivaratri.
Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The Branch organised two Yogasana Training Camps by Sri Swami Dharmanishthanandaji at two different locations in morning and evening from January 18 to 25. There were 108 trainees. It also held a public talk of H.H. Sri Swami Nirliptanandaji Maharaj at Sri Kameshwar Temple Hall on 29th February. Swamiji visited some devotees at their residences where many other devotees had also assembled. The visits were more in the spirit of warm get-together of members of Sivananda family.
Ambala (Haryana): The daily Satsanga of the Branch had additional features of half an hour collective Japa of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra on Sundays, Siva Mantra on Mondays, Sri Hanuman hymns on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Bhajans on Thursdays, and Mantra Japa on Fridays. A special Satsanga was organised on 25th March, the foundation day of its Satsanga Bhavan. The monthly video Satsanga was on 9th March. Social work through two homoeopathic clinics was continued.
Badakuanl (Orissa): In addition to the daily activities of 2-time Puja and recitation of various Stotras in the morning, afternoon and evening sessions, the Branch conducted, on Thursdays, Paduka Puja in the morning and weekly Satsanga in the evening. Paduka Puja on Sivananda Day, Mantra Japa on Chidananda Day and Bhagavad Gita Parayana on the second Sunday were the other regular activities. It also held a mobile Satsanga at the residence of a devotee and Bhagavad Gita Parayana in a nearby village.
Baripada (Orissa): The Branch conducted Paduka Puja on Thursdays and the monthly Sadhana Day on the first Sunday every month. It arranged special Paduka Puja, Narayana Seva to 50 poor persons and other programmes on its Foundation Day on 2nd January. It continued distribution of medicines in a leprosy colony.
Bhanjanagar (Orissa): The Branch held the weekly Satsanga on Sundays with Svadhyaya of “Ponder These Truths”, Ekadasi Satsanga with recitation of various hymns, and the monthly Sankranti Satsanga with Sri Sundarakanda Parayana. The 340th monthly Sadhana Day was on 24th February. The 58th Foundation Day of this Branch, which was the first D.L.S. Branch in Orissa, was celebrated on 25th January with Paduka Puja, Havan and Prasad Sevan by all the 300 participants.
Bhavanagar (Gujarat): The weekly Satsanga at the Branch was on Saturdays, and at two Satsanga Kendras on Wednesdays and Fridays. Paduka Puja is performed on Chidananda Day. The Branch deputes on request a prayer team after the death of any person or some crisis in personal / family life. Daily at two-three places Shanti Prarthana (prayer for peace) is attended by the members of the Branch. It continued social service through Sivananda Homoeopathic Dispensary treating free about 50 patients daily, and daily Yogasana class. The special activities were: (1) Sri Swami Dharmanishthanandaji’s Yogasana Training class in two sessions during February 13-19—200 participants, (2) special Puja on Sri Maha Sivaratri, (3) Sankirtana on Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Jayanti, and (4) distribution of fruits and biscuits to 350 patients of the local Civil Hospital.
Bikaner (Rajasthan): Regular activities: 2-tme Puja, daily Satsanga, Paduka Puja and Bhajan-kirtan on Sivananda Day, Mahamrityunjaya Mantra and Gayatri Mantra Yajna and distribution of sweets and fruits to the poor on Chidananda Day, Matri-Satsanga on 11th and 29th March with Sri Sundarakanda Parayana and reading Sikh scriptures, financial aid to poor students, Sivananda Spiritual Library, and Yogasana Class.
Special Activities: (1) Sri Maha Sivaratri: Daylong programmes of special Puja, ‘Om Namah Sivaya’ Mantra Japa, Rudra-abhisheka, etc. (2) Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Jayanti: Svadhyaya of his biography, Mahamantra Sankirtan with dance, etc.
Chatrapur (Orissa): In addition to the daily Satsanga and the weekly Satsanga on Thursdays, the Branch held 10 mobile Satsangas in two months. Paduka Puja on Sivanada Day and Chidananda Day, and Sri Sundarakanda Parayana on the Sankranti day were the regular monthly activities. The Branch also organised special Satsangas in its Satsanga Bhavan on the New Year’s Day and on 6th January on the visit of H.H. Sri Swami Nirliptanandaji Maharaj. It conducted special Puja on Sri Vasanta Panchami, 11th February.
Chennai, Anna Nagar (Tamil Nadu): The Branch held its monthly Satsanga on 30th March at its Sivananda Yogalayam. It included prayers, Bhajans, a talk, etc.
Gangtok (Sikkim): The Branch, in association with another social organisation, organised a 3-day Yoga Camp from March 21 to 23, which also included question-answer sessions on Vedanta.
Jaipur, Malaviya Nagar (Rajasthan): The Branch conducted Matri-Satsanga on Fridays, daily Svadhyaya, and Paduka Puja, Havan and Mahamantra Japa on Sivananda Day and Chidananda Day. Poor-feeding was done on all Thursdays. Sivananda Homoeopathy Dispensary continued treating many patients daily. The Branch also organised special programmes of devotional songs and distribution of Prasad on 20th January.
Jaipur, Raja Park (Rajasthan): Regualr Activities: Daily Srimad Bhagavata Katha in the morning, Sri Siva Purana Svadhyaya in the afternoon and Satsanga in evening with one hour collective Japa of Mahamrityunjaya Mantra on Thursdays, Sri Sundarakanda Parayana on Saturdays, and Sri Ramayana Svadhyaya and Japa on other days; the weekly Satsanga on Sunday morning with Gayatri Mantra and Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Havan and recitation of various Stotras; Matri-Satsanga on Mondays; Swami Sivananda Charitable Homoeopathic Dispensary by Dr. Saxena and Dr. Dalela (832 patients were treated in March); daily Yogasana class by Smt. Sarla Singhvi; Swami Sivananda Spiritual Library; supply of dry rations (65 Kg. foodgrain, 15 Kg. sugar, 2 Kg. edible oil, 1 Kg. tea, etc)., to a leprosy colony; financial help to 24 destitute widows, distribution of food daily to the poor and monthly scholarship to 80 students.
Special Activities: (1) Vedanta Discourses from March 3 to 9 by a Revered Swamiji; (2) Sri Maha Sivaratri: special Puja and Rudra-Abhisheka in the morning, Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Havan, nightlong Puja, etc. (3) Phalgun Utsav: Matri-Mandali celebrated it with Holi songs, flowers, Prasad, etc. (4) Holi Mahotsav, the traditional rituals and Puja, and gaiety.
Kantabanji (Orissa): The Branch conducted its weekly Satsanga on Sundays with Bhagavad Gita Svadhyaya.
Khatiguda (Orissa): The Branch held its weekly Satsanga on Thursdays, a mobile Satsanga on 8th March, and Ekadasi Satsanga with recitation of Sri Vishnu-sahasranama Stotram. On 2nd March was the Sadhana Day with 12-hour Akhanda Kirtan of Mahamantra and Narayana Seva. On Sri Mahasivaratri, Paduka Puja was performed in the morning and ‘Om Namah Sivaya’ Mantra Japa was done throughout the night.
Khurja (U.P.): The Branch conducted Satsanga with meditation and Svadhyaya on Sundays, Sankirtan in the afternoon by Matri-Mandali and in the evening by men on Ekadasis. It continued daily Yogasana class for men in the morning and for women in the evening.
Mandasahi (Orissa): The Branch held its weekly Satsanga with Bhagavad Gita Svadhyaya on Sundays, and the monthly Sadhana Day regularly. It had special Satsanga on Sivananda Day and Chidananda Day. It organised special programmes on 4th March, the Foundation Day of the Branch.
Nabha (Punjab): The Branch conducted regularly the weekly Satsanga with Bhajan-Kirtan, meditation and Svadhyaya of ‘Awake! Realise Your Divinity!’ on Sundays.
Nandini Nagar (Chhattisgarh): The Branch had daily 2-hour Brahma-muhurta session from 4.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. with prayer, meditation and recitation of various Stotras, weekly mobile Satsanga on Thursdays, Matri-Satsanga with Sri Sundarakanda Parayana on Saturdays, and with Sri Vishunu- sahasranama Stotram and Bhagavad Gita Parayana on Ekadasis. The monthly 6-hour Akhanda Kirtan of Mahamantra is on 3rd every month. Specal Havans were on 25th February and 14th March. On Sri Maha Sivaratri, 12 hour Akhanda Japa of ‘Om Namah Sivaya’ Mantra was done from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6-hour Puja was performed along with Bhajan-Kirtan at night.
New Delhi, Vasant Vihar: The Branch continued the pattern of its Sunday Satsanga of Sri Sundarakanda Parayana on the first Sunday, meditation training on the second, study of Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj’s teachings on the third and a spiritual talk on the fourth Sunday. And on 30th March, the fifth Sunday, a question-answer session was arranged.
Raichur (Karnataka): The members have done Japa of ‘Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama’ Mantra 1000 times daily throughout the month of March.
Raipur (Chhattisgarh): The Branch conducted, on Sundays, the weekly Satsanga, on Mondays Nama Sankirtana and Bhajans, and on Ekadasis special Puja and Sri Vishnu-sahasranama Stotra Parayanam. It organised from February 16 to 19, 4-day special programmes on the occasion of consecration of Sri Rama Panchayatan in its Siva temple. On 16th, a Shobha Yatra was taken out. On 17th and 18th, special Puja with Abhishekam was performed, and Prana Pratishtha was done. On 19th, after Nagar Sankirtan, a large scale Bhandara in which for five and half hours Prasad was served to all. Sri Swami Devabhaktanandaji, Sri Swami Shivadasanandaji and Sri Swami Atmaswarupa- nandaji graced the entire function.
Salipur (Orissa): Regualr Activities: Twice-a-day Puja; Brahma-muhurta prayer-meditation, morning session of Kirtan, Japa, recitation; evening Bhajan-Kirtan, study class; weekly Satsanga on Sundays; monthly activities of Sri Sundarakanda Parayana on the first Saturday, complete Bhagavad Gita Parayana on the first Sunday, Paduka Puja and one hour chanting of ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya’ Mantra on Sivananda Day, and Sadhana Day on the fourth Sunday. Swami Sivananda Charitable Hospital treated 265 patients during March.
Special Activities: (1) Sri Maha Sivaratri: special Puja and oblations with 1000 names, recitation of various Stotras, 3-hour Akhanda Japa of ‘Om Namah Sivaya’ Mantra, and a mobile Satsanga. (2) Yoga Camp: A Yoga training Camp was organised in a local college on 22nd March in which 214 students participated.
Sheragada (Orissa): The Branch conducted weekly Satsanga and one Sadhana Day in February. It also arranged Sri Saraswati Devi Puja. It continued its social service through Homoeopathic Clinic.
South Balanda (Orissa): The Branch held its weekly Satsanga on Fridays, Paduka Puja on Sivananda Day and Chidananda Day, and Paduka Puja in the morning and 3-hour Akhanda Japa of Sri Mahamrityunjaya Mantra in the evening on the Sankranti day. 3-hour Akhanda Sankirtan of Mahamantra was on 22nd March. It also held a special Satsanga on Purnima. On Sri Maha Sivaratri, there was 12-hour Akhanda Japa of ‘Om Namah Sivaya’ Mantra followed by a special Satsanga.
Sunabeda, Ladies Branch (Orissa): The daily programme of the Branch was Puja followed by Srimad Bhagavata Patha and Japa in the morning, and one hour Sankirtan of Mahamantra followed by recitation of Gita and Japa in the evening. The weekly Satsanga at the Ashram was on Wednesdays, mobile Satsangas on Saturdays and Shishu-Vikas Satsanga on Sundays. It conducted Paduka Puja and Sri Vishnu-sahasranama Stotra Parayana on Ekadasis. Every month on Chidananda Day, 12-hour Akhanda Japa of Sri Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is done from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. With great enthusiasm many children also attended Sri Saraswati Puja on Sri Vasanta Panchami. On Sri Maha Sivaratri, Havan and Paduka Puja were done in the morning. 24-hour Akhanda Japa of ‘Om Namah Sivaya’ Mantra with Sankirtan during the night hours, and nightlong Puja were the other main programmes.
Surendranagar (Gujarat): The Branch held daily Satsanga in the evening, and discourses on Sri Ramayana on Sundays. As part of the Golden Jubilee programmes, it distributed Jnana Prasad booklet Nama Mahima and Japa Mala, and has arranged to feed cows, dogs, birds, as well as ants and insects, even in many surrounding villages.
Varanasi (U.P.): The Branch conducted its fortnightly Satsanga on 9th and 23rd March, and also mobile Satsangas on two other Sundays.
Wabagai (Manipur): The Branch organised a Mantra writing competition in which 50 students took part.
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