In an atmosphere brimming with devotion, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) of Bay area organized on September 9th a grand Ganesh Puja performed by children at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple. The colorful setting was made serene yet lively by the sacred chants from the Hindu scriptures and the collective focus of the participants to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesh. The increasing participation seen year after year necessitated the Puja to be organized in two batches this time. Over 600 children along with about 1500 family members participated in the event with great enthusiasm.
Lord Ganesh is one of a dearest form of the God in Hinduism. Worshipped as the God of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, Lord Ganesh’s birthday is traditionally an occasion of huge celebration with the day marked as Ganesh Chaturthi. This puja was part of commemorating Lord Ganesh’s birthday.
Ganesh Puja by HSS has always been a unique and innovative event since children actually get to perform the Puja themselves, with their parents by their side to assist them. Puja, which is an integral part of worship in Hinduism, traditionally involves various procedures, which on this occasion the children get to perform on their own – and they did do so quite zealously. Instructions necessary for performing the Puja were given step-by-step making the process not only easy and fun to do but also quite enlightening. Being able to understand the significance of the rituals greatly interested the participants. The excitement among the little participants was palpable. For a five year old, Abhishek, from San Jose this was an event that he was looking forward to since Lord Ganesh is his favorite God. For Ruchir from Cupertino, giving bath to the little Ganesh idol that he was given for the Puja was the best thing he liked about the Puja. For many others the stories told to them during the Puja made the occasion even more memorable.
True to the belief that human service is the best service to God, all the proceeds from this event is being channeled for relief to the Katrina hurricane victims.