AVM extends Diwali celebration with Swamiji’s arrival

This year the celebration of Diwali continued in Atmiya Vidya Mandir till November 21, the entire school campus settled in fiesta mode while the twinkling lamps remained illuminated brighter…As if the New Year had set its foot on the threshold to bring abundance of joy and happiness. In addition, the AVM campus wore the radiant crown of festivity bejewelled with new resolutions and new aspirations. It was that eventful day when Param Pujya Swamishree arrived at AVM to bless the choicest children and craving souls with His divine darshan.

The AVM family seemed to have no bounds of joy acknowledging the fact that AVM always stays on the first page of Swamiji’s diary as, even amidst the extremely busy schedule and unstable health conditions, Swamiji always shows His wish to visit AVM. On 21^st morning, when Swamiji arrived at AVM, He was first welcomed by the vibrant kids of grades one to five. There was a floral carpet laid by the devotional hearted Didis and housemasters for Swamiji. The Junior-hostel prayer hall gleamed with the divine presence of Param Pujya Swamiji and other saints accompanying Him. After that, the small kids offered garland to Swamiji and chanted a few Swamini Vaato which brought a benign smile on Swamiji’s face.

Thereafter, Swamiji’s lotus feet moved towards the main prayer hall where students from grades 6^th to 12^th along with housemasters, teachers and other AVM family members were waiting eagerly for Swamiji’s darshan. As soon as Swamiji arrived, the Prayer Hall reverberated with clapping and everybody savoured the sight of Param Pujya Swamiji bowing in front of the deities. Then He moved towards the stage and gazed everyone with His encompassing divine aura, at once the occasion became sublime with the Divinity Personified.

First of all, the class 12 students got the golden opportunity to be near Swamiji and make this glorious moment turn into a lifelong memory with a snapshot. After that, Tarun Sir presented school-report narrating a few incidences of alumni of AVM who, despite being in the real world outside, are still deeply grounded onto the values and morals instilled in them at AVM. While listening to Tarun Sir’s report, Swamiji’s face beamed with a broad smile and He clapped with His charismatic gesture of happiness.

Then arrived that long-awaited moment when Dhwanit bhai and Dinal bhai of class 12 offered their prayers to Swamiji on behalf of all the students and asked for His blessings for their upcoming board exams. Thereafter, all elated hearts in the Prayer Hall remained spell bound to listen to Swamiji’s entrancing speech which was no less than a unique address to every individual. Answering all those unexpressed queries, Swamiji convincingly explained all the students to keep their senses positive and to remain in the company of good friends. Swamiji also emphasized on power of prayers being the most fundamental and the strongest way to resolve all the problems of life. By giving examples of His own student life, Swamiji explained to all that they should refrain from watching movies and always avoid laziness.

Thus, when the programme ended, everybody left the Prayer Hall with an elated experience-eyes a little more enlightened with holy sight of Swamiji, ears a little more serene, echoing with golden words of Swamiji, speech a little more refined with convincing injunctions of Swamiji, heart a little more elevated with divine blessings of Swamiji, and the soul a little more uplifted with mesmerizing presence of Swamiji.

Seema Ma’am