Vivekananda Vidyapith’s 29^th Annual Function

(April 30, 2005; 5:00 p.m.; report written by Nisha Parikh)

On Saturday, April 30^th, 2005, Vivekananda Vidyapith celebrated its 29^th Annual Function. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of countless individuals—teachers, volunteers, parents, alumni, and students—the program was a great success.

The program commenced with the auspicious singing of the Pranam Mantras and the Shanti Mantras. As the vibrations of the recitation continued to resonate through the auditorium, Master of Ceremonies, Sheela Krishnan, welcomed parents and guests and introduced the first item of the evening, the Suryashtakam, presented by the Sunday choir. The students began with the chanting of the powerful Gayatri mantra. This was followed by the singing of the hymn, interwoven with beautiful alankaras and accompanied by the sweet sound of the flute and the vibrant tabla.

Next, students presented recitations including the Song of the Sannyasin and a poem on peace, both written by Swami Vivkenanda. They spoke with poise and confidence, and their voices captured the depth of Swamiji’s profound and powerful messages. As the first set of recitations came to a close, the curtains opened, and the eyes of the audience were greeted by bright red, green, and orange costumes that filled the stage. Saturday and Sunday schools girls performed a Garba or folk dance, in praise of the divine beauty of the Mother of the Universe.  The program continued with students presenting additional recitations, followed by an address given by Dr. Vandana Jani, whom we fondly call Aunty. She thanked all those who helped with the program and spoke of the numerous practices and rehearsals that went into creating this function. She spoke of the students’ experiences, the memories they created, and the lessons they learned from not only these moments, but in realizing the truths and values behind their presentations.

Then came the moment many were waiting for, the presentation of the play, Yashodhara. Directed by Dr. Vandana Jani, this beautiful play captured the emotions of Princess Yashodhara as she waited for the arrival of her husband, Prince Siddhartha, who had chosen years before to leave his family and his royal belongings in search of salvation. This he did in order to find an answer to why man suffered, to experience the ultimate Reality behind the ephemeral, to find the ultimate Truth. He returns now, not as a prince, but as an ascetic, as Buddha, the “Awakened One.” Through the delicate yet intense dialogue, the play captured the anguish, the painful memories, and the fears of the brave wife Yashodhara, whom the world had forgotten. Many stories of the great Lord Buddha have been told, but here, the story of his wife, Princess Yashodhara, was unveiled. The audience watched, their eyes transfixed on the actors and the beautiful stage settings, holding their breath for the next scene. It was truly a remarkable performance.

After the play was the intermission, during which the audience enjoyed a delicious dinner and ice cream in the cafeteria, and children were treated to delicious cherry pies.

The Master of Ceremonies for the second half of the program was 12^th grader Satvik Patel, who began by introducing the Saturday choir, which presented the bhajan, Ramachandra Jaya. With melodious voices, they enthusiastically sang, praising the lotus-eyed one, Lord Rama. This was followed by more recitations, and the second production of the evening, a short play by the little children, called The Little Red Hen, a story of friendship. Students wore adorable head dresses of different farm animals. Mr. Farmer related the story of how the little red hen helped her friends on Friendship Day. Our little farm animals taught the audience what it means to be a true friend by singing nursery-rhyme-like songs: a true friends is someone who keeps a secret, keeps a promise, is a good listener, and shares. Really, the students did a wonderful job.

After the children’s play, Dr. Mahendra Jani (Uncle) addressed the audience. He said that Vidyapith’s annual function is like Vidyapith’s birthday celebration.  When the Annual Function’s Souvenir booklet is published every year, we know how old the Vidyapith is! So far the Vidyapith has celebrated 29 annual functions and each function leaves tons of unforgettable memories in the minds of students. He also pointed out that life is a mixture of Reality and Make Believe.  A perfect balance of these two makes life complete. Mahendra Uncle then introduced the chief guest of the evening, Mrs. Maura D. Shaw, the senior editor of Skylight Publishing Company. Mrs. Shaw spoke of Sri Ramakrishna, his sincerity, and his inspiring teachings of self-worth, oneness, and perseverance.

After Mrs. Shaw’s warm words, it was time for the final item of the evening, a humorous play based on one of Sri Ramakrishna’s parables: Saccha Jhutha. As the curtains opened, a beautiful setting of a fishermen’s village was revealed. Soon, spectators’ eyes beheld colorful and authentic costumes of the village. The play began with a delightful fishermen’s dance. The story of the play was about a fisherman who was desperate to steal something to repay his debts. Upon being nearly caught in a wealthy man’s garden, he disguises himself as a sadhu (a holy man) only to find himself in more trouble. All of the participants did a wonderful job, and the audience laughed watching the comical scenes of the guards stumbling through their master’s garden at night, the feigned bravery of Bahadursingh, the villagers mistaking the thief for a real holy man, and the procession of enthusiastic devotees during which the thief attempts to escape.  The devotion of the simple-minded villagers towards him brought a total transformation in the heart of the fake sadhu, and in the end, he decides to live as a true holy man.

After the play, students presented a few more recitations of passages from Swamiji’s writings. The evening ended with the singing of “Arise! Awake!” by the students of Vidyapith. This anthem of the Vidyapith, written by Dr. Vandana Jani and composed by Mrs. Uma Ramakrishnan, proclaims the powerful message of Swami Vivekananda, a message of compassion and strength, faith and fearlessness, self-discovery and divinity. It was a wonderful way to close the celebration, and the audience dispersed with happy memories of yet another Vidyapith Annual Function!