The patriotic spirit was retained ten days after the day of Indian Independence, when on August 25, about 35 children of the Amrita Bala Kendra presented a short cultural program depicting India.
The program got off to a great start with the lighting of the lamp by Br.Avyayamrita Chaitanya, the head of the Mumbai Ashram centre. Addressing the audience that comprised of the parents of the program participants, Swamiji spoke of how, in ancient times, value education imparted by the guru or teacher to his shishya or disciple was part of the formal education. The Amrita Bala Kendra is a medium whereby the essence of our ancient scriptures can be imparted to young children, he said.
Swamiji’s speech was followed by speeches by the children in English, Hindi and Marathi. The topics were varied such as “The India of my Dreams’, ‘What is True Freedom?’ and ’65 years of Indian Independence’. The children then sang a couple of bhajans that had a soothing effect on the audience. Thereafter, a dance-skit portraying the incredible Indian spirit in times of crisis was presented. A medley of patriotic songs and a slide show about India’s greatness were a part of the dance-skit that added a nationalistic flavor to it. Finally, the National Anthem was sung. Snacks were given to all those assembled and the event concluded on a patriotic note.
