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October, 2009
USA & Canada
During this year’s Diwāli celebration, the San Jose Bal Mandal performed the māhāpujā rituals for both the Laxmi and Chopdā Pujans. The impressive feat was one that had been in the making for over a month before the event. Twenty-six balaks ranging from 7 to 10 years of age were selected for this honor. In order to make it possible for the balaks to learn the shlokas, P. Achalmuni Swami had transliterated the entire māhāpujā ceremony for them. Then, to aid with the pronunciations, MP3 files were given so they could practice along with the audio to perfect the rāg.
For the next month, there was great collaboration by the santo, kāryakars, and parents in order to have the balaks ready by Diwāli. The balaks were dressed in jabho-lengho for Laxmi Pujan and in red dhotis and the Swaminarayan upavastra for Chopdā Pujan. Under the guidance of P. Achalmuni Swami, the balaks performed at a very high level. After they finished, the audience erupted with applause. Their accomplishment shows that with a little initiative, along with some effort and coordination, we can take our bal mandal activities to the next level. Kudos to the San Jose bal kāryakars for going above and beyond!
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