namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

By Govardhan Giri das

At Krishna-katha Desh, we are experiencing new highs in the field of training Krishna's children.

A few years back, we had a small children's class with about 15 students, mostly children of our congregation members. It had to be stopped due to unavoidable reasons (read - caught by the authorities !!!) and somehow it took us years to get back again.

However, with some good planning and homework, we started our "Bhaktivedanta Paatshaala" with 40 students last April. We have four groups divided age-wise and a separate syllabus for each group. Now the paatshala has a strength of more than 80 students. Our congregation members children are only about half of that number. The others are "outsiders" - so to say.

The classes are held once a week in two hour sessions starting with arati. The sessions include sloka recitation, Krishna's pastimes, bhajan singing, drawing/painting and philosophical interaction for the eldest group. We also conducted a yoga workshop for the children during their mid-term break. The children are finding the classes very stimulating and the parents are thankful that the children are getting involved in some way.

To cap the successful year, we conducted a Bal-utsav where every paatshala student took part in one capacity or the another. It was a three-hour program including Bharatnatyam dance, bhajans, skits, sloka recitation, and the tiny tots dressed as Krishna in different lilas. It was a grand show with the children really performing at their best.

We also have sessions for the teachers with visiting Maharajas to inspire them about the importance of teaching children the basics of Krishna Consciousness. Children and teachers, and the managing committee also, had an exclusive session with HH Jayapataka Maharaja when he visited. Maharaja enthralled the children with some wonderful dramatic narrations of Krishna's pastimes. HH Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja, during his recent visit, also addressed the teachers and spoke about the importance of their role in training the next generation.

Apart from benefitting the children, we find that we are attracting new people to our congregation through our paatshala. Many parents are interested to have their children learn slokas and bhajans, so they enroll them and slowly, they also start to attend our special programes and festivals. In this way, we are hopeful that both purposes will be served !!! Sometimes children are instruments in inspiring their parents.