Sadhana Rajamoorthi
KEDAR, PENNSYLVANIA, May 7, 2006: The Chinmaya Mission Members celebrated “Mother’s Day and Seva Day” on Sunday, May 7, 2006. About 100 families gathered to celebrate Chinmaya Jayanthi in commemoration of Swami Chinmayanandaji’s 90th Birthday, and the children honored their mothers in a grand Mathru Puja for Mother’s Day. The program began at 10 am with a Paduka Puja, followed by Mathru Puja led by the resident Acharya Swami Siddhanandaji. Swamiji gave a short talk on the importance of the occasion and the greatness of the Mother such as unconditional love, the essence of nurturing, unselfishness, tenderness, compassion, patience, nobility, and self-sacrifice. The mothers sat on chairs, and their children sat on the floor in front of them as they performed a complete Devi Puja. The children washed their mother’s feet, and performed the entire Puja with sincere devotion towards their mother. During the Puja time we could see all the mothers closed their eyes as they remembered their mothers. The children sang Mathru Panchakam composed by Adi Sankaracharya, and chanted Matru Stavanam composed by Swami Tejomayanandaji. This was followed by a DVD presentation of Swami Chinmayanandaji’s story-telling, and then Arati. A sumptuous lunch was prepared and served by the fathers, who tirelessly worked to make the occasion enjoyable and memorable. At the end of the day’s festivity, the children prostrated to their parents, seeking their blessings… “Mathru Devo Bhava, Pithru Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava, Adhithi Devo Bhava” — worship mother, father, teacher and guest as God.