EDISON, NEW JERSEY, May 30, 2006: Memorial Day weekend for Hindu Student Council attendees proved to be both inspiring and informative for the 16th year in a row. This year’s theme of “Unity” attracted university students and professionals from all over the U.S. The press release explains the focus of this year’s camp, “Yoga and meditation every morning set the initial tone of tranquility and calmness. Thought-provoking afternoon sessions, on topics such as the fundamentals of Hindu dharma as well as its portrayal in the media, the importance of emotional intelligence, and the essence of karma yoga. The evenings were dedicated towards contemplation and relaxation through student-led bhajans and aarti, followed by the traditional HSC garba-bhangra night and campfire. The weekend as a whole was a complete mosaic of the Hindu culture and religion.”
Featured speakers included a presentation by Dr. Indranil Basu-Ray, a faculty member in medicine at the Harvard Medical school, about using meditation as a tool for a successful life, Swami Tadatmananda, founder and main teacher of the Arsha Bodha Center with a humorous rendition about karma yoga, and HSC’s founder, Kanchan Banerjee, speaking about Hindu dharma. HSC’s 2004-05 International President, Samir Rawal, also spoke on emotional intelligence.
Nupur Garg, one of the participants and a senior at MIT, describes the camp as “a place for spiritual, educational, social, intellectual and physical growth.” Deepayan Chakraborti sums up the experience, “The camp was a perfect blend of not only gaining insight and knowledge about Hinduism, but also getting a chance to have discussions and interact with like-minded people. This helped me to look at my faith and beliefs in a totally new perspective and also make some very good friends.”