Amma’s 56^th Birthday Celebrations at the Sri Sivan Temple, Geylang Ave 2

Amma’s 56th Birthday was celebrated with great happiness on the 27th of September, 2009 at the Sri Sivan Temple. This year, Amma’s Birthday coincided with Navami, the 9th day of Navaratri – a double celebration of the arrival of our Guru, the embodiment of the Divine Mother in our midst. 

The M.A Centre was abuzz with activity on the 26th of September, the eve of Amma’s Birthday, as volunteers gathered together all the items for the programme and made several trips to the Sri Sivan Temple to set everything up. Although it involved a lot of hard work late into the night, Amma’s presence was so strong that the hardest jobs were done with ease. There was undoubtedly a spirit of oneness of being Amma’s family, making the volunteers realise that distance was immaterial between Amma and Her children in any corner of the world.

On 27th September 2009, the morning programme started at 8:00am with the Ganapati Puja followed by the Guru Paduka Puja and Abhishegam. Hundreds of Amma’s children queued up to perform abhishegam at Amma’s Padukam, our sankalpa of our Mother’s Lotus Feet. The abhishekam was followed by Amma’s ashtotharam and melodious bhajans.

At 9:00 am, a Saraswati Puja and Homam was conducted which saw the participation of about 300 people.  Adults and children offered their books at the altar of Amma & Sri Saraswati Devi to seek the blessings of Guru and God on the auspicious day of Navami. Just after the Homam, almost as an answer to many prayers, the participants were able to watch Amma’s Pada Puja live from Amritapuri on Amrita TV.  Following the Saraswati Puja and Homam, a hearty lunch was served to all who were present while a free health screening took place.

The afternoon saw the children busy taking part in drawing and colouring competitions.  To commemorate the International Day of Peace, which falls on 21 September 2009 across the world, the theme of the competition was “Peace and Harmony”.  There was no doubt that some adults wished they could participate too as lovely and inspirational pictures were drawn and coloured in.  Prizes were presented to winning participants by Mrs Shanmugam, a senior retired teacher from Chennai who judged the competitions.  The winners of the drawing competition were Manasvini, Velu and Sri Vidya while the winners of the colouring competition were Vinay, Sneha and Athira.

As children let their creativity flow on canvas on the ground floor of the hall, the 2nd  floor saw volunteer doctors and nurses offering free health screening services for all those who walked in. Atleast 100 people registered and availed for this free health screening offered on this blessed day. 

The evening programme began after the Annual General Meeting of the Society was concluded.  The Annual General Meeting saw a review of the various activities of the Amriteswari Society over the last year and ended with the election of the next Management Committee.

Following the Guru Paduka Puja, Pustaka (Book) Puja and the chanting of the Sri Lalita Sahasranamam, a Prayer for World Peace was lead by various religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore.  A Prayer for Peace has been observed for several years now on Amma’s Birthday in commemoration of the International Day of Peace.  

This auspicious Prayer for World Peace was followed by a prize giving ceremony to reward the winning entries for an essay-writing competition organised by the Amriteswari Society entitled “Give Peace a Chance”.  The Amriteswari Society had invited youth from various schools across Singapore to choose one of two sub-themes “Peace amongst Religious/Racial Groups” or “Peace with Nature”.  Students were encouraged to write about why that aspect of peace is important in today’s world and to explain how youth around the world can play a part in finding practical solutions to achieving peace in that area.

The top three winning prizes as well as tokens of appreciation for the schools from which the winning entrants came from, were presented by our Guest-of-Honour, Mr Gopinath Pillay.  The 2nd Prize winner was Palavannanathan from Riverside Secondary School while the 3rd and 1st Prize winners, Sunny Moharty and Samyuktha, were from Global Indian International School (East Coast).  The content, style and maturity of thought seen in their essays was truly impressive!

The day’s programme reached its climax with a resounding bhajan session followed by the cutting of Amma’s Birthday Cake. All of Amma’s children – young and old- sang “Happy Birthday” with all their hearts.  It really felt as though Amma’s photo had come alive for us. The cake cutting was followed by Amma’s Arathi. As devotees lined up to take their Prasad from Amma’s altar, the video of Amma singing “Khol Darwajja” was played. Soon, everyone joined in the singing and clapping as Amma’s wonderful beat of Love soared our hearts to a whole different plane of ecstacy. 

Amma’s Birthday was in every way a celebration from deep within our hearts and minds. Amma’s Birthday is the happiest day for Amma’s children around the world and the message always imbibed from our Mother is that whenever we work together as a family, whenever we celebrate together as a family, Amma is with us, guiding us and urging us forward to do our best, to join hands and move forward as beads in a chain to spread Her noble message of Love and Compassion to the world in every small way possible. 

                                               
Humbly Offered At Her Lotus Feet...
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MATA RANI KI JAI!!!