On May 8th 2016, CMDFW celebrated the joyous occasion of 100th Birth Anniversary of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda at their Chinmaya Chitrakoot ashram in Irving, Texas. There were 600+ members in attendance. Since it was also Mother’s Day, it had additional significance.
Pujya Gurudev’s padukas were brought into the hall in a palakhi (palanquin) to resemble the custom in Pune where He gave the first talk. The day started with Gurupaduka puja. There were 11 puja yajaman families, the highest ever. Swami Sarveshananda performed the puja with Ashaji & PB Ghateji in attendance. The yajamans were joined by 100+ families who participated in the Samashti puja.
The puja was immediately followed by a tree-planting ceremony to commemorate Gurudev’s special birthday.
The other major highlight of the day was the cultural program presented by Balavihar teachers from different sessions. Over 100 teachers participated. The performances were well-practiced, well-orchestrated, well-choreographed, and well-acted. They almost looked professional. The show included a mixture of music and dance presentations. The performances depicted the variety and breadth of Indian culture from north to south and east to west through their unique costumes and ways of devotion.
The program ended with Mahaprasad.
The decoration, presentation and atmosphere were befitting the enormity of the special occasion of Gurudev’s birth centenary. It was a truly memorable event.
