RIVERSIDE: Bhaktas arrived at 5:30 am Sunday at Riverside's Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti. Pandits Seshacharyulu Samudrala and Vipul Jani opened the program with Ganesh Puja. The devotees, who ranged in age from grandmothers to school-age children, had made a sankalpa to recite Hanuman Chalisa 108 times.

As more families arrived the Mandir soon filled to capacity. Attendance had reached 250 by the time musicians Kamta Rai on harmonium and Vilas Jadhav on tabla arrived to accompany the chanting. Program Organizer Usha Agarwal pointed out, "This is the 6th year we have observed Hanuman Jayanti." The chanting ended with recitation of Hanuman Ashtak. President Kishore Sehgal gave an enlightening talk about the significance of the festival.

"Hanuman Jayanti is the birthday of Hanumanji. He symbolizes the pinnacle of bhakti." Dr. Sehgal also explained the meaning of the first few stanzas of the Hanuman Chalisa. Kishore Sehgal also stressed, "On this day let us strive to be as single-minded in our devotion as Hanumanji. Let us pray that our hearts and minds be filled only with the divine essence of God.

Let us sing the glories of his faith and devotion and seek to emulate Hanumanji's boundless fidelity. "The most important message was that we should all act on these words and be Karma yogis. The musicians were thanked with gifts given by Festivals Committee Chairperson Sumathi Shaker. Announcements were made by Head Priest Shukavak Dasa and the President. The program concluded with two aratis; the first before Hanuman and the second LakshmiNarayan.