11TH ANNUAL DAY OF YOGANJALI NATYALAYAM , Pondicherry, India

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11TH ANNUAL DAY OF YOGANJALI NATYALAYAM

AND

36TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANANDA ASHRAM

PONDICHERRY, INDIA 4TH JULY 2004

 

The Yogic dictum of “Karmasu Koushalam” or “Skill in Action” was fully exemplified by the performance of nearly 300 students of Yognat during the 11th Annual Day Celebrations of Yoganjali Natyalayam and 36th Anniversary of Ananda Ashram held on the 4th July 2004 at Kamban Kalai Arangam, Pondicherry, India. An appreciative audience of more than a thousand persons sat through the six-hour presentation spellbound by the beauty and skill of performances by the young students aged 4 to 20 years.

Twenty seven members of the Yognat faculty, nine musicians and 8 staff members of Yognat and ICYER contributed their mite towards the perfect performance through dedicated long hours, days and weeks of practice bringing to a fruitful culmination the perfect planning and execution by the director Kalaimamani Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

“Our Fine Arts are the greatest asset of India and we are second to none in the fine arts” said Shri K Lakshminarayanan the Honorable Minister of Education, Tourism and Art & Culture, Govt, of Pondicherry. He praised the work of Yognat in giving the youth of Pondicherry their valuable cultural heritage and spreading the message of Yoga and Indian culture throughout India and the world. He also complimented the high standard of perfection that was present in the performance by even the tiniest of tots. He noted that it was the noble efforts of Dr Swami Gitananda Giri and Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani that had inculcated a great sense of awareness about Yoga and the Cultural Arts in Pondicherry. He commended Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani for following in the footsteps of his illustrious parents.

The former Education Minister Thiru S P Sivakumar strongly recommended that the Pondicherry Government take necessary steps to have Yogacharini Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani honoured at the highest level nationally. He reminded everyone that Amma had been awarded the Kalaimamani during his tenure and requested the present incumbent Shri K Lakshminarayanan to add a feather to his cap by making sure that Amma was honoured with the highest possible award nationally.

The Honorable Members of the Legislative Assembly Shri R Siva and Shri AM Krishnamurthy also spoke on the occasion and felicitated Yognat and Ananda Ashram on their services for the benefit of all sections of the Pondicherry public.

Dr Asana Andiappan, President Tamil Nadu State Yoga Association remembered Yogamaharishi Dr Swami Gitananda Giri with gratitude and advised the youth to take up Yoga teaching as a profession that can be very lucrative as well as satisfying.

Dr Panch Ramalingam, President of the Pondicherry Psychology Association praised Amma for attracting students from all over the world to Pondicherry to learn Yoga and the Indian culture rather than her leaving the shores of India for personal gain. This is the real spirit of sacrifice and we are proud to have eminent persons like her in Pondicherry said he.

Yogacharini Maitreyi of the Arkaya Awareness Centre, Chennai and Yogini Sabrina Grifeo of the Gitananda Yoga Centre, Italy also spoke on the occasion and remembered the yeoman service of Swamiji and Amma for the cause of Classical Yoga worldwide. Yogini Sabrina had also brought ten of her students from Italy to attend the celebrations.

Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Chairman Yognat read out the Annual Report and noted that the Yogic and cultural seed planted by Swamiji in Pondicherry during 1968 is now providing sweet, ripe fruit to all members of our society irrespective of caste, creed, or sect under the able guidance of Amma. He also explained how students of Yognat are taught in different classes based on age and seniority of study and the different sections are named after eminent personalities in the respective field so that the youth may remember their spiritual and cultural forefathers. The Yoga sections are named after Maharishi Patanjali, Srila Sri Kambaliswamigal, Kanakananda Swamigal, Agastya Rishi, Shankara Giri Swamigal and Gitananda Swamigal while the Carnatic Music sections are named after Thiagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Sastri and Purandaradasar. The Bharatanatyam sections are named after Rukmani Devi, Bala Saraswathi, Adyar

Lakshmanan, Sivananda Pillai, E Krishna Iyer, Ponnaiya Pillai and Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani.

Students of the different sections participated in the spellbinding banner dance where the youngsters formed intricate and artistic patterns using Yogasanas in a great example of teamwork. They also presented various items such as the Pushpanjali, Natyanjali, Keerthanams on Krishna and Shiva, Padams on Madurai Meenakshi and Muruga, Bhajana Natyam as well as Kavadi Sindhu and folk dances. The highlight was the performance of the Saveri Varnam on Lord Muruga by the senior most students who brought out the beauty of the choreography in an exemplary manner. The amazing Yogasana group tableaus presented by the senior boys were also well appreciated by the packed audience of more than a thousand persons. Dr Ananda noted that this type of Yogic group activity was ideal for the youngsters as it helped sublimate the invidualistic “I” for the sake of the team “We” and develops the qualities of creativity, adjustability,

adaptability and coordination that are essential in the “Real world”.

The honorable dignitaries distributed various prizes and awards on the occasion to students of the Natyalayam who had achieved merit during the concluded year.

 

YOGANJALI NATYALAYAM AWARDS 2004

BEST FAMILY AWARD 2004 – Sri Om Shakti Sekar and Family

YOGA VEERYA AWARD 2004 - G Revathy

BEST BOY STUDENT 2004 - R Chandrasekar

BEST GIRL STUDENT 2004 - U Gokila

BEST BOY OF SUMMER INTENSIVE 2004 – U Muthu Pawan Kumar

BEST GIRL OF SUMMER INTENSIVE 2004 – A Vidya

100% ATTENDANCE DURING 2003-2004 - R Balaji and A Ganesh

 

MICHAEL DANCKWERTS MEMORIAL YOGA & CULTURAL EXCELLENCE AWARD 2004

Pa Ragaramya and R Balaji

MICHAEL DANCKWERTS MEMORIAL YOGA SCHOLARSHIP AWARD 2004

G Dayanidy and S Kaviarasan

SILVER MEDAL FOR COMPLETING FIVE YEARS OF STUDY AT YOGNAT

P. Bhuvaneshwari, S.S. Lothika, S.S. Monica, N. Nivedha @ Heera, Nivetha Kannan, U. Parinita, V. Sushmitha, A. Saranyalakshmi, V. S. Narasimman, V. Yasritha and Dr. S. Jayachandran

 

SANGEETHA SAMRAT BEST YOUNG VOCALIST AWARDS 2004

T Ramachandran and N Nivedha

 

SANGEETHA SAMRAT MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP 2004 - L Kanmani

 

2nd Prize: SANGEETHA SAMRAT AWARDS 2004 -K Rajeswari and R Shalini

3rd Prize: SANGEETHA SAMRAT AWARDS - SS Lothika, Anjana Balaji & R Swathi

4th Prize : SANGEETHA SAMRAT AWARDS 2004 - S Vidya Shankari

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOGNAT POINTS PRIZES 2003- 2004

 

Maharishi Patanjali Section

1 S. Divakar

2 Mouthu Pawan Kumar

3 D. Venkatesan

4 Samiksha Kapoor

5 S. Kaviarasan

6 R. Balaji

 

Yogasri Kambaliswamigal Section

1 A. Ganesh

2 S. Vidhyashankari

3 S. Krishna Prasad

4 R.V. Krithiga

5 U. Roshini

6 K. Nivedha

 

Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj Section

1 S. Vaishnavi

2 J. Ashwin Kumar

3 S.M. Nandhini

4 N. Arul Jothi

5 P.M. Sanjai

6 S.M. Arunachalam

 

Sri Shankara Giri Swamigal Section

1 D. Reena Joseph

2 S. Geethakala

3 K. Guna

4 K.Y. Sudhamon

5 I. Krishnaveni

6 S. Vinetha

 

Yogamaharishi Kanakananda Swamigal Section

1 R. Lalithakumari

2 S. Haritha

3 R. Danmathi

4 A. Mohan

5 S. Aditya Kumar

6 M. Balaji

 

 

WEST BRANCH (Maharishi Agastya Section)

 

Saturday and Sunday Batch

1 T. Mrithika

2 S. Kirthiga

3 N.S.K. Roobini Sri

4 M. Preethi

5 G. Hamsaveni

6 P. Abirami

 

Tuesday and Thursday Batch

1 S. Reshma

2 Debolina Pal

3 S. Namrata

4 Ashrulina Pal

5 A. Rajeshwari

6 R. Shalini

 

Tuesday and Thursday Batch

1 K Santhosh

2 M Manibharathi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/i_am_here