ST LOUIS: “Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya” means from darkness unto light. What better time than the auspicious occasion of Deepavali (or Diwali as it is commonly known) to remember this thought?
Bal Vihar of St. Louis with a tradition of 21 years celebrated this festival on November 10 at Mahatma Gandhi Center (MGC) with record 700 attendees. Bal Vihar students did a Diya project ahead of Diwali that raised funds for charitable institutes in US and India. Students prepared clay Diyas (lamp holder) during this project.
The day began with the students and teachers heading to The Hindu Temple of St. Louis. The priests led the prayers and students participated with great devotion. While the prayers were in full swing, a group of 40 volunteers were busy packing boxed dinner for all present. Another group of volunteers were preparing for the fire crackers distribution.
Once the puja was over, students came back to MGC. After the dinner everyone went outside for the fireworks. Soon, the place was lit with sparkles and joy was in the air.
Center for Indian Cultural Education – Bal Vihar of St. Louis is a non-profit organization. Since its inception in 1992 it has been serving the Metro St. Louis Indian community. The primary focus of this organization is to provide Indian cultural education to students age 5-18 and its application and integration with the global multicultural and multifaceted society.
Over last 20 plus years Bal Vihar has helped groom a breed of multi-cultural global leaders of next generation that have been shaped by the best of the cultures from East and West. The ultimate goal is “to make every child an outstanding citizen and to spread the song of peace and harmony around the world.
Raj Iyer
