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INTERNATIONAL YOGA FESTIVAL SPECIAL
March
1-7, 2006 |
The annual International Yoga Festival, organized
jointly by the Uttranchal Tourism and Parmarth Niketan
Ashram in Rishikesh, took place in from March 1- 7 at
Parmarth Niketan Ashram, presided over by H.H. Pujya
Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji.
This years' festival included nearly 300 delegates from
28 countries across the world, including USA, Canada,
UK, France, Germany, Australia, Russia, China, Korea,
Romania, Italy, Argentina and South Africa.
There were 16 esteemed yogacharyas who also came from
across the world; however, the majority of yogacharyas
were from India, as it is to India the world is turning
for the divine nectar of the ancient science and art of
yoga.
The Festival began on the 1st March
at a beautiful inaugural ceremony graced by the presence
of revered saints and also the Honorable Minister for
Tourism of Uttranchal, Shri T.P.S. Ravatji, Honorable
Chief Secretary Uttranchal Shri Ramachandranji, and the
Honorable Principal Secretary, Tourism of Uttranchal,
Shri Alok Jainji.
Purnahuti of yagna is performed at
the inaugural function
(left) Purnhuti of
Yagna was performed by Pujya Swamiji with Pujya
Brahmachari Brahmaswarupji,
Shri
Ramachandranji, Chief Secretary, Uttranchal and
Shri Suresh Oberoiji.
(right) inaugural lamp is lit
by Pujya Swamiji with Hon. Tourism MInister, Pujya
Brahmachariji and Honorable Chief Secretary Uttranchal.
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Clockwise from top:
Shri Chandru Kewalramani of London offers a
garland to Pujya Brahmachariji; Sadhvi
Bhagwati comperes the program; Shri Suresh
Oberoi garlands the Honorable Tourism
Minister. |
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Pujya Swamiji gives words of inspiration to all the
delegates.
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Pujya Swamiji gifts the Honorable Chief Secretary divine
books and discusses humanitarian projects in Uttranchal |
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(left to right): Pujya Swami Munishanandji; Honorable
Chief Secretary, Shri Ramachandranji, Pujya
Brahmachariji; Pujya Swamiji; Shri Chandru Kewalramani;
Honorable Tourism Minister, Shri T.P.S. Rawatji in Pujya
Swamiji's jyopri.
The participants were not only taught by the learned
teachers, but they were also touched by the deep wisdom
of the ancient teachings themselves and transformed by
the divine atmosphere in the holy land, on the banks of
Mother Ganga, in the lap of the Himalayas.
During the
one week festival, the participants imbibed the nectar
of:
Kundalini Yoga
Iyengar Yoga
Meditation
Pranayama
Yoga therapy
Pranic healing
Yoga nidra
Nada yoga
Reiki
Tai chi
The participants were blessed with the presence, satsang
and divine words of revered saints and spiritual
masters, including H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand
Saraswatiji, H.H. Pujya Sri Shankaracharyaji, Bhanpura
Peeth, Swami Divyanand Teerthji, H.H. Pujya Swami Veda
Bharatiji and H.H. Pujya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji.
Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and
Pujya Sri Shankaracharyaji gave inspiring talks as well
as profound and deep question-answer sessions in which
the audience was free to ask any question in their
minds. It was truly an eye-opening, enlightening
experience for all.
Pujya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji came
also and led a beautiful meditation session as well as
gave darshan at the aarti on several occasions.
Pujya Swami Veda Bharatiji also came
and led a beautiful meditation.
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Clockwise from top:
Pujya Sri SRi RAvi Shankarji is given a warm
welcome at Parmarth; Pujya Swamiji tries to
garland him, but instead he garlands Pujya
Swamiji; audience sits in meditation as Sri
Sriji leads the meditation |
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Pujya Swami Divyanand Teerthji,
Shankaracharyaji Bhanpura Peeth comes and gives
inspiring, uplifting and thought-provoking talks as well
as giving satsang/question answer sessions with Pujya
Swamiji.
The yogacharyas included Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
from
Hollywood, USA, Shri Birjoo Mehta from Mumbai, special guest renowned Vedantist
Dr. David Frawley (Pt. Vamadeva Shastri) from
USA, Sensai
Sandeep Desai from Mumbai, Sadhvi Abha Saraswati from Rishikesh,
Sadhvi Bhagwati Saraswati from Rishikesh,
Rohini Khatri from Hyderabad, Bhavini Kalan
from South Africa, Brahmachari Vishwa Pal Jayantji, and many more.
Students in the Kundalini Yoga class, led by Gurmukh
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Students in Birjoo
Mehta's Iyengar yoga class, performing
postures and also watching Birjoo give
instruction.
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Shri Birjoo Mehta
demonstrates shirshasan |
Sadhvi Bhagwati
gives an introduction to meditation |
Further, the participants spent a week filling every
cell of their bodies with the sacredness and divine
charge in the land where for millennia saints and rishis
have come and attained enlightenment. They have lived
for a week in Uttranchal, the land that is truly heaven.
One of the highlights of the week was
the divine Ganga Aarti ceremony each evening. At
Parmarth Niketan, each evening we celebrate our "Happy
Hour" with yagna and Aarti on the banks of Mother Ganga.
It is a time in which, regardless of one's religion or
culture, inevitably one finds peace, joy and divine
connection.
Saints, dignitaries and participants
gather on the stage for the Ganga Aarti
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Divine Yagna and Ganga Aarti
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Shri R.S. Toliaji,
Chief INformation Commissioner of Uttranchal comes
for divine Yagna and Aarti |
Pujya Swamiji
blesses Dr. David Frawley |
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Pujya Shankaracharyaji
and Pujya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji join Pujya
Swamiji and the participants for divine
GAnga Aarti |
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Another highlight of
the Festival was the morning walks with Pujya Swamiji
and the divine Rishikumars in the Himalayan forests.
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Mealtimes also were savoured,
as they were taken in the beautiful gardens
at Parmarth, in the warm spring air.
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In addition to the
presence of revered spiritual leaders who came to
Parmarth as special guests to the Festival, including
H.H. Pujya Sri Shankaracharyaji Swami Divyanand Teerthji,
H.H. Pujya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji, H.H. Pujya Swami Veda
Bharatiji, and H.H. Pujya Brahmachari
Brahmaswarupji, we also had several distinguished
dignitaries come during the week.
The opening ceremony
was graced by the presence of the Honorable Minister for
Tourism Shri T.P. Ravatji, the Honorable Chief
Secretary of Uttranchal Shri Ramachandranji, and
the Honorable Principal Secretary Tourism, Shri Alok
Jainji.
During the week,
Honorable Shri R.S. Toliaji, the former Chief
Secretary of Uttranchal and currently the Chief
Information Commissioner, Uttranchal; honorable Smt.
Kanchan Choudharyji, the Director General Police
Uttranchal (and the first woman to hold such a high post
in the police force in all of India), and honorable
Shri Sanjeev Chopraji, Industrial secretary,
government of Uttranchal, all came to partake of the
divine Ganga Aarti as well as the special offerings of
the Festival.
The concluding
ceremony on March 7 was graced by the presence of the
Honorable Governor of Uttranchal, His Excllency Shri
Sudarshan Agarwalji, Honorable Principal Secretary
Forest and Environment, Shri S.K. Dasji,
Honorable Principal Secretary Home, Smt. Vibha Puri
Dasji, Honorable Principal Secretary Culture and
Charitable Affairs, Shri S.K. Muttooji, Honorable
Forest Secretary, Shri Randhir Singhji, and many others.
Pujya Swamiji garlands the Honorable
GovernorShri Sudarshan Agarwalji
with his divine wife Smt. Usha Agarwalji
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(clockwise from top): Pujya Swamiji
garlands Pujya Swami Munishanandji; Lily
Bafandi garlands Hon. Principal Secretary
Home Smt. Vibha Puri Dasji; Gurmukh Kaur
Khals garlands the Honorable Lady Governor.
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Pujya Swamiji gives out sacred
rudraksh malas to the yogacharyas, here to Gurushabd
Khalsa
All the yogacharyas received
beautiful books on the sacred land of Uttranchal,
sacred rudraksh malas, Ganga water and also a
beautiful appointment book/diary made by the
Government of Uttranchal.
His Excellency the Honorable
Governor has also been incredibly generous and
committed to helping our tsunami relief efforts (see
www.projecthope-tsunami.com for details). As a
gift for him, Pujya Swamiji prepared a special
picture frame with images of His Excellency opening
the first house in our reconstructed village of
Pannithittu, Pondicherry, and also a picture of the
full village layout. His Excellency has pledged his
support and Rs. 30 lakhs to help with the
reconstruction of amenities for village Pannithittu.
Then, His Excellency generously presented a check
for Rs. 15 lakhs as the first half of his pledge!!
Pujya Swamiji effusively praised the Honorable
Governor's vision, integrity, commitment and
selflessness.
A special highlight of the
Concluding ceremony and also of the entire festival
was the divine dance performance of Smt. Sonal
Mansinghji, one of India's most famous dancers. She
gave a breathtaking performance, dancing late into
the night in the middle of Ganga, on a stage
constructed just at Lord Shiva's holy feet.
(left)
Pujya Swamiji and the Honorable
Governor give her a flower garland and also a beautiful,
sacred rudraksh and gold mala. (right):
Honorable Lady Governor offers a beautiful shawl to
Smt. Sonalji;
Smt. Sonalji and her musicians
pose in front of Lord Shiva for a photograph with
Pujya Swamiji, His Excellency the Honroable Governor
and Lady Governor and Sadhvi Bhagwati
FILM ON PUJYA
SWAMIJI & HIS TEACHINGS:
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On April 17,
2004 at the Arclight Theater in Hollywood, USA a
film on the life and teachings of Pujya Swamiji
premiered to a sold out audience.
The film, titled, "A Day in the Light" is
produced and directed by Christopher Miglino.
The film has already
been shown to delighted and inspired audiences at the
Sedona Film Festival, the Indian Film Festival in
Los Angeles and several other film festivals in USA
and Europe.
See
www.adayinthelight.com
to order your own copy of the beautiful film.
Or, you can go directly to
www.amazon.com and order it from there
For more information,
email Christopher directly at
chris@yogamates.com
Click on the links
below for previews: |
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Bathing
in Ganga at Parmarth
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Itinerary
for Pujya Swamiji
for April - June 2006 |
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April |
May |
June |
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15-30 |
Rishikesh |
1-3 |
Rishikesh |
1-2 |
Rishikesh |
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5-7 |
South Africa |
4-19 |
Kailash Mansarovar yatra |
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10-30 |
Rishikesh |
20 - 30 |
Rishikesh |
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Email contact for program information:
parmarth@aol.com
*Note: Pujya Swamiji's schedule is always
subject to change at the last minute. Please be sure to
call or email prior to coming to Rishikesh, just to
confirm that He is there. |
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Contact
Information:
Phone: (0135) 2440077,
2440088, 2434301 Fax: (0135)
2440066
From abroad, dial: + (91-135) instead of (0135)
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