Contents:

Guru-Purnima at
Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas
The Guru is defined as "One
Who Removes Darkness"; Guru-Purnima is the day chosen to honor all such
Enlightened Masters. At Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, the events of 11th
July, 2006 were dedicated to our most important spiritual treasure:
Sadgurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati.
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Swami Vishveshwarananda and Kumari
Somashekhari during Guru Puja |
The
morning began with the worship of Gurudev Swami Omkarananda's silver Padukas
in the Omkarananda-Shanta-Durga Mandir. Puja and Abhisheka by the Ashram
Pandits were assisted by the participation of Swami Vishveshwar-ananda,
Swami Satchidananda and Kumari Somashekhari. The eternally Divine Presence
of Swamiji Omkarananda was felt in all hearts and worshipped with affection
and devotion. The Paduka Puja concluded nicely; the Padukas were adorned
with bilva leaves and fragrant flowers, including a lotus flower.
This simple, elegant and
pure ceremony, occurring on Full Moon Day this year was offered to the
Divine Master Swamiji Omkarananda Saraswati with love and gratitude. Prasad
was shared with all at the end of the celebration.
Science
Olympiad Foundation Award for Omkarananda Saraswati Nilayam
The National Cyber
Olympiad (NCO), an annual event organized by the Science Olympiad
Foundation (SOF) in New Delhi, is a nationwide talent search contest
that promotes cyber savvy talent amongst school-age youth. This year,
the competition was conducted by the Department of Computer Science at
Omkarananda Saraswati Nilayam in which the students of Classes IX to XII
participated.
The NCO appointed Miss
Sangeeta Adhikary, HOD, Computer Science as the School NCO In-Charge to
conduct the examination. At the end of the contest, The Science Olympiad
Foundation selected Miss Adhikary as one of the "Best School NCO
In-Charge" administrators; faculty members from schools in 22 SOF Zones
in India and abroad were eligible for this award. The SOF presented
Sangeeta Adhikary with a trophy, cash award, and a letter of
appreciation for her continuous support of Science and IT education. The
teachers assisting her were presented with a certificate; the toppers in
each class received both a medal and a certificate from SOF.
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Swami Vishveshwarananda
and Miss Sangeeta Adhikary |
H.H. Swami Vishveshwarananda,
President, Omkarananda Saraswati Charitable Trust, Km. Somashekhari, Director,
Omkarananda Saraswati Natya Kala Academy, the School Management, Principal Col.
(Retd.) D.L. Sachdeva, and the staff congratulated her on this impressive
achievement; Swamiji is giving his blessing for her continued success.
Independence
Day Festivities:
Omkarananda Saraswati Nilayam
India completed 59 years of
independence on 15th August, 2005; the celebrations at Omkarananda Saraswati
Nilayam heartily endorsed this momentous and memorable occasion. The performance
of Vande Mataram had special significance today, as it is our National Song and
the singers of Class VII and Class VIII gave a worthy recital which was given
thunderous applause by the audience.

Students of Omkarananda Saraswati Nilayam
performing Dances during 15th August
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Swami Vishveshwarananda and Swami Nara-simhulu
distributing prizes to the students in presence of Km. Somashekhari and
Principal Sachdeva |
A beautiful Garhwali Dance by
the girls of class VI was followed by a speech given by Parikshit Rawat of Class
VIII. Parikshit stirred the audience with his patriotic words and heart-warming
oration. Another exceptional performance by the students, this time a Rajasthani
Folk dance continued the day's ceremonies; a group song by the students of Class
VIII-B also gave the spectators more feelings of national pride and joy.
The prizes for academic
achievement were awarded to the toppers and runners-up of each class for the
class sessions from 2005-2006; later on in the programme, the toppers and
runners-up of classes VI to XII were given certificates and cash prizes. Each
student was commended for his or her individual achievement and overall
contribution to the excellent standing of the Omkarananda Educational
Institutions.
The "unity in diversity" that
is the cultural and spiritual heritage of India was appropriately celebrated by
folk dances from the different states. Then the chief guests, Swami
Vishveshwaranandaji and Swami Narasimhuluji gave speeches which emphasized this
unity and national devotion; encouraging the students to dedicate themselves to
assisting the continued growth and expansion of their nation.
Next, the children from Horizon
House dazzled the audience with a special choreography; a grand finale, with all
the participants of the day's celebration joined together in song, concluded the
entertainment portion of the festival.
In closing, the respected
Principal, Col D.L. Sachdeva, gave a vote of thanks to all participants,
teachers, parents and invited guests for their collaborative efforts in creating
a successful and enjoyable Independence Day celebration.

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