On August 11, 2007, a number of teachers, from music teachers to dance teachers, from karate instructors to math teachers, met at Keshav Smruti where they received an opportunity to learn the Hindu concept of a guru.

As a part of the Guru Vandana celebration, The Southwest chapter of Hindu Education Foundation, a project of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh invited many teachers from the Houston community to attend the Guru Vandana Utsav.. Students, who attend balagokulams, or the weekly activities of HSS politely requested their teachers to attend Guru Vandana, where teachers truly experienced a unique event

To commence the Utsav, Acharya (teacher) of DAV Montessori school, Sri Sone Rao and vice president of HSS Houston chapter, Sri Subhash Gupta were invited to the beautifully decorated altar where they lit two silver lamps. Following this initial lighting, each teacher was invited to the front of the Keshav Smruti hall along with their students, where teachers followed suit and each lit a lamp. The lighting of the lamp symbolized the darkness they have dispelled and fire they have awoken in their students. After the lighting of the lamp, students offered bouquets of flowers to their teacher, which further conveyed the respect and love each student had for his or her teacher. Before returning to his or her seat, every teacher was given an introduction of his or her teaching profession by his students.

With all teachers recognized, the cultural portion of the Utsav commenced. Several kids, including Ayush Sharma, Nikhil Jaiswal, and Shiven Danayak, chanted shlokas (mantras), each shloka containing a meaningful message, honoring the guru. To explain the meaning of these shlokas, Subhash Gubba presented a short speech, on the role of guru in the disciples’ life. “The word Guru,” he explained, “can be divided into two Sanskrit words Gu and Ru. Gu means darkness or ignorance while Ru means the remover. Therefore the Guru is the one who removes darkness and ignorance, and replaces with light and knowledge.”

As to provide a visual demonstration of the significance of the guru, several students performed a well rehearsed dance, while other students, dressed in the attire of gurus and shishyas (disciples) from the vedic times, portrayed the relation gurus had with their disciples. One of the actors, Ayush, who represented Sage Dhoumya, in his white dhoti and long beard, was paired with his disciple Aruni, who was played by 5-year-old Ishan. Ayush commented on the preparation for his role, “I had fun with my friends every time we met for practice. I even learned the story behind Aruni’s devotion to his guru, Sage Dhoumya.” The roles were choreographed by Dr. Pramod and Usha Pathak. “Working with kids has always been something I’ve enjoyed,” Usha Pathak explained, “and with the parents’ support and kids’ enthusiasm, this cultural program was a success.” “The Hindu concept of guru has been present for thousands of years,” explained Dr. Pramod Pathak, a scholar of Indian history, “even today in the year 2007, we can learn from the examples set by our ancestors.”

To conclude the cultural portion of the program, Hindu Education Foundation coordinator and local attorney Amit Misra presented a short talk on the concept of the guru. In describing the uniqueness of Hindu tradition, Amit Misra told listeners, “The role of knowledge in Hindu tradition is unique from Western tradition. In both Greek and Biblical mythology, the acquisition of knowledge by humans was the end of human innocence. In Hindu tradition, the acquisition of knowledge is beginning of our spiritual evolution toward moksha.”

For more information on HSS visit www.hssus.org or www.hindueducation.org for Hindu Education foundation.

Several chapters of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh hosted African American guest speakers to commemorate February as Black History Month. These events were opportunities for Hindu Americans to learn about the history and struggles of Black Americans in shaping their successes and challenges of today.

• Volunteers of Sri Krishna Shakha, Folsom in Sacramento, CA observed Black History Month by inviting US airforce veteran & current President of the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District, Chris Clark for a presentation. He spoke about his family’s experiences and struggles, while also emphasizing community engagement, the need for a conscious effort to learn about other cultures, and how people in power can influence building stronger communities

• Jijamata Shakha volunteers in Peoria, AZ, honored African American community leaders in a special session. Corporate leader Bridget Reeves was the chief guest. Bridget spoke about several instances of the Black Community’s contributions in the areas of innovation, science, and lesser-known fields. The session was highly interactive, and Bridget answered several questions from HSS volunteers

• Volunteers of Aadi Shakti Shakha in Harrisburg, NC celebrated Black History Month in a specially organized event. Three District Judges, a State Senator, a State House Member, and the head of the International Minority Coalition of Charlotte joined and shared their experiences with the group

HSS chapters nationwide observed the annual tradition of celebrating Raksha Bandhan as Universal Oneness Day, which symbolizes the bonds and shared responsibilities of safeguarding one another by exchanging a thread known as “Rakhi.” Below are some highlights –

• 50 HSS volunteers and Hindu community members in Cleveland OH tied rakhi – the symbolic thread of protection – to firefighters, policemen, and city officials. They also set up a display of the Hindu civilizational expo, called Darshana. Mayor Edward Kraus of the City of Solon thanked the HSS for “sharing traditions and ongoing contributions to our shared vision of a harmonious community.” Solon Fire Chief, Mark Vedder proudly displayed a Rakhi tied to his vehicle from last year’s celebration. “This Rakhi is more than a thread; it’s a daily reminder of our noble duty to protect and serve,” he noted.

• HSS chapters in the San Ramon CA area celebrated Raksha Bandhan collectively by hosting 12 first responders. Children and youth volunteers tied them to the rakhi. All the 140 attendees enjoyed a traditional, festive lunch

• The Connecticut chapters of the HSS partnering with other Hindu community organizations visited the Norwalk and Milton Police Departments to honor the staff by tying rakhis, as the bond of “protection, obligation, and care”.

• Members of the Hindu-American community in Livermore CA, including the HSS and the Hindu Community and Cultural Center – Shiva Vishnu Temple, visited the Livermore Police Department to offer their greetings to the community’s protectors—police officers, firefighters, and first responders as part of the Raksha Bandhan celebration. “We were honored to share in this Hindu tradition, where Rakhis were tied as a symbol of unity. We also appreciated their prayers for our well-being and safety”, says the Livermore Police’s post on social media

• HSS volunteers from Austin TX visited APD’s Office of Community Liaison (OCL) and celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson, Community Engagement Officer, Lt. Fausto Rodriguez, and other department members. The volunteers showered wishes and tied Rakhi (Protection) wristbands on their wrists to symbolize the bonds shared between the protectors and the public

• Hindu American youth belonging to HSS Aurora IL visited with Aurora police officers and firefighters, honoring them with rakhis and sweet treats in gratitude for their service to the community. In the nearby town of Naperville, the local HSS chapters organized a similar ceremony outside the Naperville Police Department.  Having witnessed this annual tradition several times, Naperville’s Fire Mark Chief Puknaitis remarked, “I have a collection of rakhis that have been presented to me over the years”

• HSS chapters in Edison NJ celebrated Raksha Bandhan with the Piscataway Police Department to extend their appreciation for the first responders. Volunteers in HSS uniforms and traditional outfits tied rakhi to 20 first responders. In a similar celebration in Parsippany, the children volunteers got to shake hands with police officials and peek inside the police car

• Through the efforts of Shivaji Shakha, the HSS received a proclamation for its celebration of Raksha Bandhan as Universal Oneness Day from Mayor Susan Landry of the City of Campbell CA

ROCKAWAY, NJ, USA, January 17, 2023 /– On January 16th, 2023, ‘Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA, (HSS) Youths’ received the ‘2023 Service Above Self MLK Youth Leadership Award’ from Aurora (IL) Mayor Richard Irvin. This award was given to youth groups and youth leaders for their Community Service and efforts in promoting ‘Diversity-Equity-Inclusion’ (DEI). HSS Youth received this award for their food drives, highway cleanup, cultural education and, honoring of school teachers & first responders, and other service activities in 2022.

Since its inception in 1989, HSS has focused on inculcating its members to practice universal values of Hinduism, such as humanity, equality, inclusivity, and serving the needy in the society they belong to. Over the years, HSS, through its local chapters and members, has worked for society by conducting food drives, cleanup projects, health awareness events, tutoring, and helping people during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently with government authorities to conduct successful vaccination drives.

HSS youths that received the award observed that the award was only an acknowledgment of being part of the society and that, just like MLK said, “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now,” and that serving society was more fulfilling than the award itself.

HSS volunteers at Roseville & Rocklin, California, celebrated MLK day with the local community and community leaders. They also helped the event organizers in the setup and cleanup. The youth chanted Hindu prayers for “peace for all and unity”, which were appreciated by the participants.

The Lewisville community in North Texas celebrated the 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This year the theme was “Living the Dream: It Takes a Team.” Hindu Education Foundation (HEF), a project of HSS, continued the partnership with the MLK committee of North Texas to co-sponsor and co-host the event this year in collaboration with the local school district. The event was attended by elected officials from 3 neighboring towns and the school district superintendent. This civic event is planned as a non-political inter-Faith event to celebrate the ideals of Dr. King, such as eliminating all forms of prejudice, equality of races, equality of gender, sustainable development, and international peace.

HSS Dallas team partnered with African American museum in a Realizing the Dream – Healthy Expo. The HSS volunteers conducted a few sessions of Yoga and SNY, explaining the simple breathing techniques, their benefits, and how they can be practiced. Many people attended and gave very positive feedback.

HSS member and volunteer Mr. J. R. Sandadi was invited by the Indiana Christian Leadership Conference (ICLC) to represent the Hindu community for the 54th MLK Day celebration service at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Sandadi, expressing his gratitude for Martin Luther King Jr., spoke on this occasion and offered a Hindu prayer of peace and unity for all. Sharing his experience, Mr. Sandadi quoted MLK, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” He further said, “MLK’s inspiration is not limited to a day, but is experienced all the time while serving the society.”

On Saturday, June 5, 2021, with the help of 22 volunteers, HSS (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) and Sewa International participated in the DuPage County Adopt-A-Highway to make a positive impact in Aurora.

Find more about the news coverage here.