Introduction

In 1992, Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda’s advice to a family moving to the state of Iowa where there were very few Indians, was: “Do not worry. Just start a Bala Vihar and families will join.”

In July 1993, Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda inquired of a child from Iowa City if the city had a Chinmaya Bala Vihar. A week later, the first Chinmaya Bala Vihar in Iowa City was started in an apartment. In 1994, it moved to a home. Since then, it has grown steadily in numbers.

Swami Sharanananda (CM Chicago) has guided the center’s activities and curriculums. Major Hindu festivals are celebrated, Divali being the biggest of them all. Mother’s Day is celebrated at CM Chicago’s “Badri” ashram with all the families from CM Chicago’s Badri and Yamunotri ashrams, and the CM NW Indiana center.