Author:
Publication: Chinmaya Mission
Date: June 12, 2005
As New Chinmaya Mission Center Opens
in California Archana Dongre
Even the skies had become softer,
shielding everyone with a blanket of clouds from the harsh summer
Sunday, June 11, when the inauguration ceremony of the Chinmaya Mission's
new center "Mithila" began at 10.30 a.m., under specially erected
white canopies in the parking lot of Mithila's premises at 655 South
B Street here. The event began promptly when Swami Tejomayananda
arrived, accompanied by resident acharya Swami Ishwarananda and Br.
Girish Chaitanya and was welcomed by rows of white clad lady volunteers
of the center with diyas (lit oil lamps) in hand. The ceremony began
with the children's choir singing welcome songs and Sanskrit prayers,
and after some customary speeches, the highlight of the day came when
Swami Tejomayananda was announced as being chosen to receive the "Hindu
Renaissance Award" as "Hindu of the Year" for 2005 by Hinduism Today
magazine. The entire audience of over 700 people stood in ovation, and
warmly applauded, with renewed enthusiasm, a sense of joy and pride in
the Chinmaya Center as well as its leadership. A plaque was handed over
to him by a representative of Hinduism Today, along with a saffron shawl
enveloping him with the warmth of the honor, and a letter from Hinduism
Today was read from the lectern.
The plaque reads: "Presented by
Hinduism Today to Hindu of the Year, 2005, Sri Sri Swami Tejomayananda,
spiritual leader of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, for fulfilling the
vision of his guru, Swami Chinmayananda, guiding the Chinmaya Mission's
exemplary teaching programs, inspiring the dynamic expansion of the
monastic order (including new swamis from the diaspora) and teaching
hundreds of thousands to be better Hindus."
Starting in 1990, Hinduism Today
has honored one eminent Hindu each year who has most impacted the
faith and spread its values, compassion and profundity across the
globe. Past renaissance winners are: Swami Paramananda Bharati ('90),
Swami Chidananda Saraswati, "Muniji " of Parmath Niketan ('91), Swami
Chinmayananda ('92), Mata Amritanandamayi Ma ('93), Swami Satchidananda
('94), Pramukhswami Maharaj ('95), Sri Satya Sai Baba ('96), Sri
Chinmoy ('97), Swami Bua ('98), Swami Chidananda Saraswati of Divine
Life Society ('99), Ma Yoga Shakti ('00), priest Sri T. S. Sambamurthy
Sivachariar ('01) and Dada Vaswani ('02), Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal
('03) and priest Pichai Sivacharya ('04).
The honor had sparked much love
and admiration throughout the event that ended around 12 noon with
a Chinmaya Pledge. Then Swami Tejomayananda formally opened Mithila,
leading everyone into the main shrine of Rama, Seeta, Lakshman and
Maruti. In his speech, Swami Tejomayananda, 55, said, "This is the
center of spiritual power, a real powerhouse, to create our future
for according to our vision. The vision should lead to positive action,
good ideas need the support of many hands and feet to bring them
into reality." Swami Ishwarananda, 40, said in his speech that this
new 7,000 sq. ft. facility is named Mithila, the birthplace of Seeta,
after the kingdom that shaped her exemplary character. The name is
in feminine gender, and "women will be given a chance, even a priority,
to worship the Deities here. Shri Rama stands for Viveka, the sense
of discrimination between right and wrong, Lakshman for non-attachment,
Seeta for purity (the word also signifies the color white in Sanskr
it), and Maruti is selfless service incarnate. The Chinmaya Mission
has 243 centers worldwide, 30 in US, and five in California including
Mithila.
