May

May 10

As we look to the end of the school year, wanted to take a moment to thank you all so much, for bringing your kids to HATS every Sunday. It is your commitment and dedication that makes it so very enjoyable for all of us here. A special thanks to the two teenage volunteers - Aashni and Rani who helped run the classes smoothly. From attendances to weekly updates on the website to preparing questions for the tests, both the girls were like solid pillars on which the class rested on. Last but not the least, a shout out to Anuji who helped us with her expertise in teaching us the Hanuman Chalisa. She was a constant support throughout the school year, despite some minor set-backs towards the end of the year.

This year the class was on Ramayana. Who doesn't know the Ramayana? We all know the story and that Ramayana is one of the holy scriptures of Hinduism. But in this class, with a little encouragement the kids did a lot of "Thinking". We focused on what the scriptures teach us and how what we learn that can be applied to our everyday life. We had a lot of interesting discussions and questions like why did Rama not mind his own business and had to get between the fight of Sugreeva and Vali? Who is Rishi Augusta... Is he from Maine?

Towards the end, the kids showed a lot of resiliency and creativity amidst the virtual challenges we are all dealing with. They did a wonderful virtual class presentation on a character they picked from Ramayana and shared, who the character is, what they like and dislike about the character. The kids put in a lot of effort in their findings, with many dressed up as the character they presented ... all of which culminated into reciting the Hanuman Chalisa without looking in the books. Here is the link to the recording, once again - Dharma 4B HATS Class (2020-04-12 at 08:35 GMT-7)

Instead of the usual end of the year celebration with Root beer ice cream floats, kids were rewarded with watching two movies - Ramayana (Ramayana - The Legend of Prince Ram) and Hanuman (Hanuman).

On the annual day - May 17th, we plan to have a very short class - get thoughts from the kids on what worked and what didn't this school year,and finish off watching the remainder of the movie.

Enjoy the summer and stay safe. Look forward to seeing you all back in Fall for the 2020-2021 school year!

Warm regards,

- Debbie and Anu Auntie.

May 3

We had the final test on Ramayana, today and two kids - Adhrith and Jas got perfect scores. Please text me if you want to know your child's score.

Adhrith also participated in the Ramayana Olympiad and ranked in the top 15 percentile. Way to go, Adhrith!

We had a late start to the test as some students were unable to join us, until later. As a result, we ran out of time for the Hanuman movie. We got as far as 1hr 45mins. Here is the link to the movie should the kids want to watch the remaining 20+ mins, at their leisure. Hanuman Full Movie | Hindi Movies 2019 Full Movie | Bollywood Movies | Animated Movies

Should you want, please don't forget to send in your submissions for the Annual day.

Thanks.

April

April 26

Today we did a complete review of the Ramayana in preparation for the final test next week, May 3. Then, we took a short practice test so the kids know what to expect and how to do the online test. We ended class by watching part of the movie Hanuman, and they were disappointed we couldn't finish the movie. Please make sure the kids are ready for the test next week as it will be closed notes. The test will start at 9:45 am sharp so kids can finish the movie.

April 19

As we get close to the end of the school year wanted to call out a few items -

1. Next week, May 3rd, is the final test. This will be an online test. We had a practice test last week and the kids did well. Please insure that the kids are there, with their cameras turned on, at 9:45 AM.To help me score the individual responses, kids will need an e-mail address (either parent's e-mail address is fine, as I can match it back to the respective kids).

2. I possible encourage your kids to join the Global Ramayana Olympiad being held via zoom - https://www.facebook.com/100002091469177/posts/2833855080027513/?d=n

3. The Annual day is on May 17th and we have already submitted our Class presentation. In addition -

All HATS students have the option to submit ONE of the following: ARTS, WRITING, or VIDEO project.

-Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, May 12th.

-On May 17th (Annual Day date), we will share all student submissions on the website

-Teachers will hold a wrap up call that day with their students and can see some of the submissions as a class together. This will not be a formal class, but an informal, fun, end of year celebration.

For more details on the project guidelines, submission method, and other information, please visit the HATS Annual Day page on the HATS website: https://sites.google.com/site/hatshsmn/annual-day-2020

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, in the interim. Else will look forward to all the kids participating on Sunday May 3rd for the Final Dharma 4B test.

April 12

We had our Class presentation on 04/12 per schedule. It was a pleasure to see the kids dressed up as the character they chose from Ramayana. Kids introduced the character, their role in Ramayana and what they liked and disliked about the character. It was encouraging to see how much thought the kids put into the characters that they chose and showcased their enterprising spirit by sharing not only what they liked, but also what they disliked about the character. The characters ranged from Rama, Lakshman, Sita to Mandodari, Shabari and Ahilya. The video is uploaded on the Annual day site, for all to enjoy - https://sites.google.com/site/hatshsmn/annual-day-2020.

April 5

Wish you all a very happy Hanuman Jayanti.

Under normal circumstances, we would have been celebrating Hanuman Jayanti in the Assembly this weekend and how suitable to have had our Dharma - Ramayana class presentation to coincide with it. Unfortunately we are not under normal circumstances. To maintain some level of normalcy, and give credit to the kids that have been practicing so tirelessly while showing great resilience, we will continue with our Dharma 4B class presentation this weekend, albeit virtually. We encourage the parents to be present with their kids for the duration of the class and let the kids present the character they have chosen, virtually. They can choose to dress up as the character (as per original plan) and/or make an artwork to show creativity in their own way, to aid their presentation. We will end the class with all of the kids chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. This session will be recorded and the link shared with HATS to be uploaded on the HATS "Virtual" Annual Day site. To maintain etiquette, only the child presenting will be un-muted and all others would be muted. We request the parents to please help maintain the appropriateness. We also encourage all parents (and grandparents or uncles/aunties) to attend, if possible - while maintaining the required distancing guidelines.

We will use the same google link as last week - https://meet.google.com/jqz-xzxb-xqe

Below is the list of characters and the order of the kids presenting -

1. Sohum- Tulsidas

2. Gunnu- Dhasharatha

3. Hansika- Kaushalya

4. Samaira- Kaikeyi

5. Aarna- Sumatra

6. Sejal- Manthara

7. Yesh- Ravana

8. Maya- Mandodari

9. Kartikeya- Khumbakharna

10. Vishnu- Indrajit

11. Adhrith- Rama

12. Jas- Lakshmana

13. Vidhya- Sita

14. Prisha- Urmila

15. Aryaman- Hanuman

16. Nandini- Ahilya

17. Sumana- Shabari

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, in the interim. Else please looking forward to a great presentation day!

March

March 22

Today we had our first online class and kids were very excited to be able to connect with one another again.

• We started the class with the usual morning prayers and then moved to revise our class presentations. We also all chanted the Hanuman Chalisa.

• Then we moved to answering questions, kids had from the Lesson plan that was shared previously.

Questions answered during class were -

Why did Rama leave Sita behind?

• We shared that Rama was pressed between his duties and responsibilities. He was after all the ruler of Ayodhya and in order to fulfill his duties and be the leader for the people of Ayodhya given the time period he lived in, with a heavy heart he had to let go part of his responsibilities and leave Sita in the forest. It may not have been the right thing to do, but sometimes we need to make some tough decisions and choices.

Why did Rama not have a chariot?

• Rama lived very simply in the forest and was very confident of his abilities. Unlike Ravana who had a big ego and loved to move around in great pomp and show, Rama was true to his roots and focused on what was right instead. At the right time, when all the gods observed that Rama was fighting for dharma, Indra asked his charioteer to take his chariot and help Rama. This shows that when we follow the path of dharma, help comes to us from all sides.

Who were Luv and Khush?

• When Rama returned to Ayodhya and became the king with Sita his wife, he had two sons, Luv and Khush. He didn't know about them, since they were born when Sita went back to the forest.

Lesson plan for March 22

• Repeat 1. and 2. from the March 15 lesson plan.

• 3. Read Chapters 33-34 and try to answer the questions below -

• Why was Sita banished?

• Who were Luv and Kush?

• Why was Rama forgiving towards Ahilya, but not towards his own wife?

March 15

1. Revise the Hanuman Chalisa and try to say it without looking/reading from the book.

• All the kids know the Hanuman Chalisa, but a few need to look into the books for the last verses. For the class presentation, there will be no books, so kids will need to memorize the full Hanuman Chalisa. Here is a link to the Hanuman Chalisa -

• https://youtu.be/COFUVofVDos

2. Practice their respective characters for the Class presentations. Kids need to know for their respective characters -

• Name of the character

• Role of the character in Ramayana

• What they liked about the character

• What they disliked about the character

3. Read Chapters 31-32 and try to answer the questions below -

• What is it we learn from the chapters that we can apply to our everyday lives today?

• Why was Lakshmana sad when he saw Ravana on the battlefield?

• Why was Vibhishana sad for Ram?

• What do we learn from the simplicity of Rama?

• Why was Vibhishana not happy to be the king after Ravana?

• Why didn't Rama accept Sita back as his wife?

• Why did Sita agree to walk through fire?

• How is Diwali - the Festival of Lights connected with return of Rama to Ayodhya and coronation of Rama?

• How did Hanuman find the value of Rama's name?

March 8

After Hanuman puts fire to Lanka, many people advise Ravana to return Sita to Ram including vibhishan, mandodari and his grandfather. Sugreeva, being very hot headed, tries to fight Ravana alone, and loses. Ram tells him not to be impulsive, and use his army with him. Then, Rama sends anghada to talk to Ravana. Anghada told Ravana that ram was a very forgiving person and if he returned Sita, Ram would forgive him. When Ravana refused and attempted to kick Anghada out, he could not and anghada said he would not leave until his message was understood. Then Ravana sent an illusion of rams head to Sita, and tried to get her to marry him by convincing her Rama was dead. Then, the illusion disappeared because the first attacks started. The battle started, and it lasted 14 days. Meghanada played many tricks and illusions on Ram and Lakshmana, but they did not work. He then shot them with poison, but the poison only made them unconscious. However meghanada thought he had killed them, so then he went to Ravana and Ravana showed the bodies of the unconscious Ram and Lakshmana to Sita. However, Sita is told they are alive, and Garuda woke up Rama and Lakshmana. Then, Ravana woke up his brother kumbhakarna and convinced him to fight. However, Rama soon killed him.Then Ravana sent his son to kill Rama and Lakshmana. Meghanada used the brahmastra and again knocked Rama and Lakshmana unconscious, he thought they were dead again. Rama soon woke up bit Lakshmana did not. Rama and Hanuman soon learned of glowing herbs that could revive Lakshmana. As soon as Hanuman heard this, he quickly left to go find the herbs. When he reached the mountain, it was dark and he could not find the herbs so he decided to lift the entire mountain and bring it back to Rama. On his way back to Lanka, when he was flying over ayodhya, Bharat saw him and thought he was a Rakshasa and shot him down. When he fell slowly to the ground, Bharat heard him saying Rams name repeatedly, and therefor removed the arrow and revived him. Then, Hanuman proceeded on his journey to Lanka. When he reached at sunrise, in a short time, the herbs were identified and Lakshmana healed. Meghanada was extremely angry to hear that the brothers had once again survived. So, to buy time, he produced an illusion of Sita beheaded and disappeared to perform a yajna. Vibhishana told Rama of his tricks, and they decided to go find Meghanada and disrupt the yajna. They found and attacked the yajna,and meghanada decided to kill Lakshmana before continuing. However, after fighting for a while, Lakshmana hurled the Indra-Astra at Meghanada, and killed him. This is where we stopped reading. For homework, please memorize your lines and be ready to present them online.

March 1

We started off class by chanting the Hanuman Chalisa twice, and encouraging the kids to recite it without their books.

Then we started practicing for the Class Presentation. All of the kids should have written their scripts, and should be working on memorization and correcting any edits we made in class. Please make sure your kids are practicing so they feel confident on stage.

Then we went back to learning about the Ramayana. Ravana was worried after seeing the damage Hanuman did, so he summoned his royal court for advice. He explained that he didn’t think he did something wrong in kidnapping Sita, but if he returns her then people will think he is weak, so the other option was to defeat Rama. Ravana’s ministers encouraged his second plan in fighting Rama, reminding of his power and previous victories. However, Vibhishana opposed them and told Ravana that it was bad to kidnap a woman and force her to marry him, but since Rama was forgiving, if Ravana returned Sita he would forgive him. Ravana got confused and told the court to meet again the next morning. Again, Vibhishana begged Ravana to release Sita, citing bad omens that had started when they kidnapped her. Again, Ravana ignored him because he was too proud to admit his fault. Then, Ravana’s wife, Mandodari, requested Ravana release Sita because Rama was a powerful warrior. Ravana told her that she is afraid because she is a woman, and he would be able to win against Rama. When Ravana reached his court, all the ministers told him what he wanted to hear once again. For the last time, Vibhishana begged Ravana to stop his plan, but Ravana told Vibhishana he was only jealous of him, and that Ravana never wanted to see Vibhishana again.

We stopped to discuss the lesson from this section of the Ramayana: we should always choose to support Dharma, even if it means we must leave loved ones.

Vibhishana left the court, and sought refuge with Rama. All the Vanaras told Rama to not trust a Rakshasa, but Hanuman told Rama that Vibhishana was a true Bhakta that followed Dharma. Vibhishana rushed forward to touch Rama’s feet and began describing war preparations in Lanka. Rama then told him that when he defeats Ravana, Vibhishana will become the next King of Lanka, and then performed the coronation ceremony of Vibhishana.

We related the story to what happens in our lives today. Like kids may have friends that will encourage them to do things that may not be right and there will be some that will always steer them in the right direction. One must be smart to use their judgement on who to follow. Also, if someone comes to you and asks for forgiveness, it is only right that we embrace the person and set differences aside.

When Rama was ready to build a bridge to Lanka, he prayed to Varuna, the Deva of the Ocean, to show him the best path. However, Varuna behaved arrogantly and refused to help Rama. After three days, Rama got angry and threatened to dry up the entire ocean with burning arrows. Now, Varuna got scared and apologized to Rama He showed him the best path told Rama that Nala, a Vanara, is a good engineer that can build the bridge. He promised to hold the weight of the bridge and ensure no dangerous animal will hurt Rama’s army. Rama accepted his apology and forgave him.

From this, we learned that while it is wrong to get angry, sometimes if people don’t help us or are misbehaving, it is okay to get angry so they correct their behavior.

February

February 23

We started the class like the previous week, chanting the Hanuman Chalisa twice, with each kid leading with two of the verses. The few kids that knew the Hanuman Chalisa well were encouraged to come in the front of the class and recite without looking into the book. Kudos to those kids and looking forward to the whole class reciting the Hanuman Chalisa without looking into the book.

We then started practicing for the Class Presentation. Kids who had completed their homework, came upfront and shared their characters. Please ensure that your kid completes the homework, so they get enough time to practice and feel confident when it's time to go on stage. Below is the list of characters and the order in which they will appear on stage.

1. Sohum- Tulsidas

2. Gunnu- Dhasharatha

3. Hansika- Kaushalya

4. Samaira- Kaikeyi

5. Aarna- Sumatra

6. Sejal- Manthara

7. Yesh- Ravana

8. Maya- Mandodari

9. Kartikeya- Khumbakharna

10. Vishnu- Indrajit

11. Adhrith- Rama

12. Jas- Lakshmana

13. Vidhya- Sita

14. Prisha- Urmila

15. Aryaman- Hanuman

16. Nandini- Ahilya

17. Sumana- Shabari

We then moved on to revising the qualities Hanuman showed when given the task of going to Lanka to find Sita. On reaching Lanka, Hanuman walked around Lanka trying to find Sita. He walked through the palace and discovered Vibhishana who was chanting the name of Rama. Finally when he made his way to Ashoka Vana, he observed Ravana come down and threaten a woman who looked sad and sitting under the tree guarded by a group of Rakshasis. Hanuman thought he had found Sita when he heard Ravana speak harshly to the woman and demanded that she marry him, to which the woman refused saying that she was already married and that her husband will come looking for her. After Ravana left, Hanuman approached the woman and gave his introduction by sharing the ring that Rama had sent. That brought tears to the woman's eyes and Hanuman was able to confirm that the woman was Sita.

We then moved to how Hanuman destroyed Ashoka Vana so that he could get captured and be taken to Ravana. It was not an easy task, as Ravana sent his army to first capture him and then his own son, Aksha, both of whom, Hanuman defeated. Then finally he let himself captured by Ravana's son Meghnath when Meghnath used the a Bhramastra to capture Hanuman. Once there, Hanuman showed his strength and wit, and then set the whole of Lanka on fire, sparing the tree where Sita was.

Hanuman then made his way back to Rama with the jewel Sita gave from her forehead. Looking at the jewel, Rama immediately recognized it was from Sita and hugged Hanuman. He showed his gratefulness to Human. They all went back to Sugreeva and started preparing for Lanka to get Sita back. We ended the class with how Rama, who is none other than an avatar of Vishnu prayed to Shiva but when Narada went to Kailash, he saw Shiva in meditation with the name of Vishnu. So all in all there is one just supreme being, two great Devas are forms of each other and none is greater than the other,. The place where Rama worshipped Shiva is called Rameshvaram, which has two meanings - 'Shiva who is the lord of Rama' and 'Rama who is Lord Shiva'.

February 16

We started off class by reciting the Hanuman Chalisa twice, with each kid taking turns in leading with two verses. Then we moved to having the kids present their homework, which was to write their script for our Presentation Day on April 12th. We had only a few that were prepared. Please help your child to complete the homework, if not already done so. For those that are ready with the script, please make sure your kid practices their script so they are prepared for the presentation.

Then we learned about Hanuman finding Sita on Lanka after a quick flashback.

Flashback: We quickly we went over the story of Hanuman losing all his powers and regaining them. Hanuman was a mischievous kid. One day he saw the Sun in the sky and thought it was a fruit. He leapt into the sky to eat it, but Indra furled the Vajra at him. He punished Hanuman by making him forget how powerful he is, but one day someone will remind him of his strength and he will regain his power.

Fast forward, to the present day of the Ramayana, and Hanuman was feeling insecure about his ability to jump across the ocean. However, Jambhavan encouraged him by saying he believed in Hanuman’s abilities, and the curse from Indra was lifted. Now invigorated, Hanuman felt confident to jump across the ocean. Similarly, sometimes we too feel under confident about our abilities, but we must surround ourselves with people that encourage us to try new things and believe in ourselves.

On his way across the ocean, Hanuman was first distracted by Mainaka Mountain, who told him to take a break. However, Hanuman said he wouldn’t rest until he has completed the work of Rama. Similarly, we must not be lazy and take many breaks while completing tasks. Then, Surasa tried to trick Hanuman, but Hanuman cleverly outwitted her and escaped. We should be like Hanuman and avoid distractions/tricks and continue to stay focused on the task at hand. Simhika attacked Hanuman while he was crossing as well, but Hanuman didn’t rest until he got the job done, and managed to escape Simhika’s stomach. Finally, Hanuman reached the island only to encounter his last obstacle. Lankini, the protector of the kingdom tried to distract him by showing him around the city, but Hanuman stayed focused on his job. Just like Hanuman, we shouldn’t be lazy, not rest and stayed focused Until we complete the task we have set to do.

Hanuman started walking through Lanka and entered the palace of Ravana. He finally reached a place surrounded by high walls. He saw a lady sitting under a tree, sobbing, and took the form of an insect to observe her more. Ravana started coming towards her and told her to fall in love with him, else he will kill her. She simply picked up a blade of grass and said she doesn’t value him as much as that blade of grass. Infuriated, Ravana told his Rakshasis to scare her. Hanuman started singing the story of Rama and Sita. He revealed himself to her, and told her that Rama and Lakshmana had been looking for her. Sita didn’t trust him, but he showed her the ring Rama had given him, and she believed him.

February 2

Last week in class we learned about meditation and how it relates to focus and attention. Attention has 5 parts to it:

• No talking

• Active Listening

• Raising hands

• Watching the speaker

• and keeping our hands to ourselves

If we use these components to improve our attention, we can meditate with full attention and improve our focus to use in other things in life.

our homework is to meditate every day and please finish last weeks homework if you haven’t already! Almost nobody had it done as of last week, so please try your best to finish it!

January

January 26

We started the class by repeating the Hanuman Chalisa multiple times, with each kid taking the lead with 2 verses.

Then we picked up from where we left off last week. With Rama killing Vali, Sugreeva was declared the king of Kishkindha. However, soon after Sugreeva’s coronation, he began to forget his promise to Rama and started to enjoy being a king - eating, drinking, enjoying and abstaining from fulfilling his responsibilities. Hanuman, the good friend that he was, reminded him of his duties. He then decided to call his army together in two weeks. Rama began to get impatient and send Lakshmana to remind Sugreeva of his duties. He however asked Lakshmana to be polite while talking to Sugreeva. Lakshmana couldn’t bear to see the sadness on his brothers face and went to search for Sugreeva right away. He was stopped by Angadh and asked to return later as Sugreeva was drunk. Hanuman also tried telling Sugreeva to come out. Lakshmana grew angry and gave a huge twang to his bow as a warning. That scared Sugreeva a lot and made him come to Rama immediately and apologize profusely.

Sugreeva then mobilized his army and sent them in four directions - North-East-West-South. Before they left, Rama gave Hanuman his ring and shared with him that in his heart, he felt that it would be Hanuman that would find Sita. Since many said that they had seen the chariot go in the Southern direction, Sugreeva got his best men in the group headed South. It had Hanuman, Jambavana, Nala and Angadh. The four groups dispersed and after a month, 3 of the groups returned without any news from Sita. The group headed South too was not successful in finding Sita. Until they came upon a dark cave with the other side looking like a magical city with streams and waterfalls. With the help of the Yogini that was guarding the city, the group was able to reach the southern most point, but there was still no sign of Sita. Tired and hungry the group began to lose all hope and was willing to give up. Then they heard a vulture named Sampati who was waiting to feast on the group should they die. Jambavana then yelled at the vulture for having such evil thoughts and shared the story of Jatayu who gave up his life protecting Sita when she was being kidnapped by Rama.

Sampati became very sad learning of Jatayu’s death as he was Jatayu’s older brother. Actually he told the story of how competitive the two brothers were and one day they challenged each other in who could reach the sun the fastest. Sampati was winning, but as he got closer to the sun, he started getting burnt. But in order to protect his younger brother he spread his wings and shielded Jatayu from the heat. So much so that his wings got so burnt that they lost its purpose and he could never fly again. So Sampati only waited for food that was weary to get. But when he heard about Jatayu's bravery, he decided to help the group. As he looked past the ocean and said that he could see a lady that looked like Sita as she seemed very sand and was sitting under the tree, crying. The group was though very tired to get across the ocean and began to get disheartened. At that time Jambuvana reminded Hanuman of his mythical powers.

Jambuvan had known Hanuman since his childhood and knew how mischievous Hanuman was. The story goes that once Hanuman, reached for the Sun thinking it was a mango. When he got too close, Indra prevented him from getting closer by using his lightning bolt that hurt Hanuman. When Hanuman fell to the ground crying, his father the Wind god got very mad and stopped blowing. Everyone on earth stated choking and all went to Bhagvan for help. All the devas appeared and gave many boons to Hanuman - like he could get as big as he wants or as small as he wants, he could jump as high as he wants or as far as he wants, requesting the Wind got to give up his anger and start blowing.

Hanuman however continued to be mischievous and using his new found powers started to get on everyone’s nerves, creating more trouble for the Rishis. Finally fed up one of the Rishis cursed him that Hanuman would forget his powers and only remember them when reminded of them. Jambuvana thought this was the best time to remind Hanuman of his powers.

Homework: To start preparing for our Annual day, kids assigned their characters must bring a page written - that introduces the character, what role they played in Ramayana, what they like and what they dislike about the character. The idea is to get the kids thinking on what they have learnt so far.

January 19

Today we learned about background of Sugreeva, and the death of Vali.

Vali with the help of his younger brother Sugreeva ruled the kingdom of Kishkindha. Vali was married to Tara and had a baby called Angada. Sugreeva was married to Roma.

One day a Rakshasa named Mayavi came and started to create havoc in the kingdom. Vali with Sugreeva’s help started to chase the demon. Mayavi ran into a cave and Vali followed him. He told Sugreeva to stand guard at the entrance and not let Mayavi come out. A month passed and Sugreeva heard a cry of pain and saw blood coming out of the cave. Fearing the worst, Sugreeva blocked the cave entrance with a huge rock and went back to the kingdom. Everyone was heart broken, but after a while the Ministers and elders asked Sugreeva to be the king, since Angada was too small and a kingdom cannot go without a king. Sugreeva reluctantly agreed.

However Vali was not dead and when he came back and learnt that Sugreeva was the king he accused Sugreeva of taking the throne with a ploy of locking him in the cave. Sugreeva tried to reason and explain but Vali wouldn’t listen. He beat Sugreeva up and Sugreeva ran to the only place that Vali couldn't come - the Rishyamooka mountain . Vali couldn’t come close to the mountain, because of an earlier curse. Vali had killed another demon - Dundubhi, who was Mayavi’s brother and flung his body towards the mountain. Rishi Matanga’s ashram was on the mountain and got tainted with the demon’s remains. He cursed Vali that if he ever set foot on the Mountain then he would die.

Vali went back to the kingdom, put all but four of Sugreeva’s friends in the prison and forcibly married his wife Roma. Sugreeva went to the mountain and started living there with his four friends.

Rama and Lakshmana searching for Sita, reached the Rishyamooka mountain and Sugreeva sent Hanuman to meet them. After making sure that it wasn’t Vali who send the two princes, Hanuman brought them to meet Sugreeva. Sugreeva and Rama exchanged their stories and both agreed that they each were wronged by someone else; Rama by Ravana and Sugreeva by Vali. They decided to help each other out and promised to stay friends forever.

Upon Rama’s suggestion, Sugreeva challenged Vali. A fight ensued and Sugreeva got beaten very badly by Vali. Sugreeva had to run for his life and when he ran to Rama, he asked him why Rama didn’t help him. Rama said that they looked so similar that he couldn’t differentiate them and didn’t want to hurt Sugreeva. Sugreeva then decided to go again, this time wearing a garland so that Rama could differentiate him. Sugreeva again challenged Vali. Vali’s wife Tara warned Vali to be cautious. She thought something was amiss since Sugreeva just got beaten so bad and still came back for more. Vali didn’t listen to her and went out to fight again. This time Rama could tell who was Vali and shot an arrow when he could and killed him. As Vali lay dying, he told Rama that it was wrong for him to get into a fight between the two brothers. Rama told Vali that he had acted like an animal by not listening to Sugreeva, and then forcing Roma to marry him. Soon, Vali died, and Sugreeva was crowned King of Kishkindha.

At this point, we had some discussions - was it right for Rama to get into the fight between the two brothers and kill Vali? Rama was an avatar of Vishnu, so how is that he couldn’t differentiate between the two brothers the first time? What do we learn from this exchange and how can we apply it learnings in our daily life? Ask your kids what was discussed.

January 12

Thank you to all the parents that came to the conferences! In class, we reviewed the story of Sita’s kidnapping and what we can learn from her choices

1. We should not be stubborn: If Sita had not been stubborn and demanded that she had the golden deer, Ram would never have left, and Sita would be safe

2. We should not act in anger: When Sita got angry at Lakshman, she yelled at him and told him to go see if Ram was okay. If she hadn’t she again would have been safe

3. We should listen to elders:

   1. Ram told Sita the deer was a rakshasa, but Sita did not listen

   2. Lakshmana told Sita not to go out of the circle, but she did not listen

Because of these things, Sita was kidnapped.

We then covered the end of chapter 17 and start of 18. In these chapters, Ram and Lakshmana meet and fight the demon Kabandha, and meet Shabari.

From Kabandha, we learn that we should stay focused on our work and not be distracted by food!

Shabari was very devoted to lord ram, and she tasted every berry to make sure she only offered him the best ones. Lakshmana yells at her, but Ram accepts the berries.

From shabari, we learn that true devotion is respected by the gods because the heart is true.

Homework:

Please write or find the meaning of your hanuman chalisa verse!

Below is a link of a reading of the hanuman chalisa, please use it to learn it before our presentation day!

Link: https://youtu.be/COFUVofVDos

To see student names and assigned verses: CLICK HERE

January 5

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a good holiday break.

After a quick revision, we had our first test, and many of the kids did very well! Please look over their test with them and review any questions they may have. Kids that missed the test will have an opportunity to make it up next week.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are next week, so please try to make it. We will be going over the schedule for the rest of the year.

Our presentation day is April 12th. Please confirm if you are not able to make it. Here is the list of characters each kid will be portraying.

• Aarna- Sumatra

• Aryaman- Hanuman

• Adhrith- Rama

• Gunnu- Dhasharatha

• Hansika- Kaushalya

• Jas- Lakshmana

• Kartikeya- Khumbakharna

• Maya- Mandodari

• Nandini- Ahilya

• Prisha- Urmila

• Samaira- Kaikeyi

• Sohum- Tulsidas

• Sumana- Shabari

• Vidhya- Sita

• Vishnu- Indrajit

• Yesh- Ravana

• Sejal- Manthara

We finished the class by learning the meanings of the verses 1-26 of the Hanuman Chalisa.

December

December 8

We started off class by looking at some of the verses of the Hanuman Chalisa each student was assigned, and understanding the meaning of them. The kids that still need to present and their respective verses are:

• Vidya: 13-14

• Jas: 15-16

• Adhrit: 17-18

• Vishnu: 19-20

• Aryaman: 21-22

• Kartikeya: 23-24

Please talk to your kids to make sure they have understood the meaning of the verses.

Next, we learned about the kidnapping of Sita. Once Lakshmana left Sita, Ravana dressed up as a Sadhu and went up to the cottage. He asked Sita to give him some food, so Sita got a bowl of fruit and placed it outside the line Lakshmana had drawn and asked her not to step out of. The Ravana acted insulted saying if she put it on the ground she was being disrespectful and he would not eat the food. Sita explained her situation to him, but Ravana said that they were just excuses. She felt bad, and stepped out of the circle to give Ravana the food. As soon as she left the line, Ravana turned into his true ten headed form and grabbed her! He picked her up and forced her into his chariot.

At this point, we stopped and discussed the three mistakes Sita had made that was the turning point of the Ramayana.

• - She didn’t trust Rama when he said the deer was a demon

• - She didn’t trust Lakshmana when he said Rama was too powerful to be calling for help

• - She crossed the line Lakshmana had drawn for her protection

Then, she started screaming for help, and Jatayu, a vulture, heard her calling. He started attacking Ravana, but Ravana cut off both of his wings! Sita started pulling off her jewelry and dropping it to make a trail. Many monkeys picked up the jewelry and took it to their leader, Sugreeva, since monkeys love shiny things. Rama and Lakshmana returned, and got very worried when they didn’t find Sita at the cottage. They looked for Sita everywhere, and then came across Jatayu. Jatayu told them what happened, and then died in Rama’s arms.

We will continue the story after break.

Please ensure the kids are prepared for the test as soon as we come back from break on January 5th.

November

November 24

In class we reviewed all the characters we have learned and read about so far. Next we also reviewed all the previous chapters to help kids get prepared for the test on Dec 15th.

We then moved on to Chapters 14-15 where Rama along with Sita and Lakhsmana continued their stay for 10 years in the Chitrakoot forest. They visited many ashrams and rishis. All of them told Rama how the Rākshasas in the forests kept harassing them, and disturbed their meditation and Yajnas. Rama coming form the kingdom of Ayodhya, felt it was his duty to protect the Rishis. Rama therefore decided to find these demons and kill them. Sita was not in favor of Rama hunting down the Rākshasas. But Rama convinced her that no harm would come to them and it would help to make the Rishi's happy and get their blessings. While traveling through the Dandaka forests, Rama also came across Sutīkshna, who took him to Rishi Agastya as a guru dakshina that the Rishi had asked for. Rishi Agastya suggested Rama spend the last 2 of his 14 years in a place named Panchavatī on the banks of river Godavarī. He also gave Rama some weapons that would be used in his fight with Ravana.

Rama, Lakshmana and Sita trekked towards Panchavati. On the way, they met a giant vulture named Jatāyū. Jatāyū was a friend of Dashratha and promised to help them in any way he could. They took his blessings and continued on. At Panchavatī, Lakshmana constructed a beautiful hut for Rama and Sita and another one for himself. They began to call Panchavati their new home. One day, Ravana’s sister Shūrpanakhā happened to pass by and she saw Rama and Lakshmana. She was so impressed by Rama that she changed her demoness form into a very pretty lady and asked him to marry her. Rama refused since he was already married to Sita, and he didn't think Shūrpanakhā would want to be a second wife and serve Sita as a servant. So instead he asked Shūrpanakhā to ask Lakhsmana. Lakshamana also refused to marry her as he was already married to Urmila and was a servant of Rama. So if Shūrpanakhā married him she too would become a servant and will then have to serve Sita. Shūrpanakhā then got very jealous of Sita. She turned back to her natural self and was about to harm Sita, when Rama asked Lakshaman to cut off her nose and ears. Humiliated, Shūrpanakhā ran to her step‐brothers Khara and Dūshana and asked for revenge. They came with an army but were easily defeated by Rama and Lakshamana.

Akampana, a spy of Ravana, saw this and went and reported to Ravana what a great warrior Rama was. He had single‐handedly killed Ravana's step‐brothers Khara and Dūshana. He also mentioned how Rama's brother Lakshmana mutilated Ravana's sister Shūrpanakhā. He described Rama’s wife Sita as a very beautiful woman, and Rama loved her dearly. But he did not think Ravana should fight him alone because Rama was a great archer. Instead, he suggested that Ravana kidnap his wife and then Rama will die on his own out of sorrow because he could not live without her. Shūrpanakhā also came in and cried to Ravana as to what Rama had done to her. On one hand, Ravana was very angry to see his sister being hurt. And on the other hand, he now wanted to kidnap Sita and force her to be his wife.

So Ravana agreed to Akampana's plan and then went to Uncle Māreecha, who had the ability to take any form at will. He asked Māreecha’s help in kidnapping Sita. Māreecha advised him against it as Rama is a follower of Dharma and what Ravana was about to do was against Drama. Ravana insisted and threatened to kill Māreecha. Māreecha saw his fate - if he followed Ravana then he would be killed by Rama and if not then Ravana would kill him. Māreecha chose to die in the hands of Rama - so he could atone of his sins. So Māreecha agreed to disguise as a golden deer and help Ravana kidnap Sita.

Both Ravana and Māreecha disguised as a golden deer went to where Rama and Sita were staying with Lakshamana. Sita saw Mareecha as the golden deer and wanted it. She sent Ram to hunt it. Ram warned Sita, but she insisted. He then told Lakshmana to guard Sita and make sure she was safe. Rama set out to hunt the golden deer. When he shot the deer, the deer using Rama's voice called out for help to Lakshamana. When Sita heard the call she told lakshamana to go help his brother. Lakshmana warned Sita that this is a ploy and Rama is a great warrior and not someone who would need help hunting a deer. But Sita again insisted that Lakshman go, so Lakshman finally drew a line that Sita would not cross and went in search of Rama. We will continue on what happens after the Thanksgiving break.

The homework is to find the meaning of verses of the Hanuman Chalisa assigned to them in class. They should describe them in there own words.

Have a good break!

November 17

Important dates to remember -

• First class Test is on December 15th

• Class presentation is on April 12th

Today in class we covered -

Rama tried to convince Lakshmana that he should return to Ayodhya, saying there won’t be anyone to take care of his mom when he leaves. Lakshmana, still refused, and said his wife Urmila will support Kaushalya, and he’ll go into exile with Rama. Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita stopped at the ashrama of Rishi Bharadvaja. Rama asked for his advice on where to stay. After Rishi Bharadvaja offered them food, and he told them that they should go to Chitrakoota to live. On the way to Chitrakoota, they stopped at the ashrama of Rishi Valmiki. Rishi Valmiki also told them that they would enjoy Chitrakoota for a part of their forest life.

Meanwhile, Sumantra reached Ayodhya, and snuck in to see King Dasharatha. King Dasharatha kept asking Kaushalya, Sumitra, and Urmila for forgiveness, and remembered how he had killed Shravana earlier, and his parents cursed him. After calling Rama six times, he fell dead. When he died, Rishi Vashistha told some messengers to tell Bharata and Shatrughna to come back immediately. When Bharat arrived, Kaikeyi smiled and said Dasharatha offered the throne to him. Bharata was confused, and asked about Rama. Kaikeyi then told Bharata the entire story. He was very heartbroken, and angry at his mother. However, Shatrughna told him that Manthara had poisoned Kaikeyi’s mind. He immediately went to Kaushalya and started crying. She was originally upset with him, but then realized that Bharata was not aware of his mom’s plans. Rishi Vashishtha asked Bharata to perform the funeral. After thirteen days of ceremony were over, Bharata said he will not become King of Ayodhya, and that everyone should look for Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita to bring them back. Only Rama should be the true King. Bharata set out with the army to look for Rama. Lakshmana heard them coming, and thought that Bharata was coming with an army to kill them. However, Rama didn’t believe that, saying Bharata would never do such a thing. Bharata walked towards them with bare feet, and they embraced. Bharata told them that he had no idea of the plans his mother had executed. Rama told him that he forgives him. Then he saw the three queens walking towards them in widows clothes. He was overcome with sorrow when he learned of the death of his father. Bharat then told Rama that the reason why he was here was to take him back to Ayodhya and become King. But Rama said that he wouldn’t go back until the exile was over because his father gave his life for it, and he wanted to fulfill his fathers wishes. He wouldn’t change his mind, and said those who believe in Dharma do not worry about gain or harm. Bharata was disappointed and asked for Rama’s sandals. He said that he will place them on the throne and rule in his name. If Rama did not return after fourteen years, he would commit suicide. Then Rama gave his sandals to Bharata, who placed them on his head with great respect. Since his brothers were leading the hard life in the forest, Bharata also decided he would wear clothes of bark and sleep on the floor for the next fourteen years!

We ended the class with Hanuman Chalisa. It is encouraging to see many kids know it till paragraph 10. In the next couple of weeks we will be practicing till paragraph 20. Kids will be reciting the Hanuman Chalisa on the class presentation day too.

Kids also picked the characters that they would be presenting on the Class presentation date. They are as follows:

• Aarna- Sumatra

• Aryaman- Hanuman

• Adhrith- Rama

• Gunnu- Dhasharatha

• Hansika- Kaushalya

• Jas- Lakshmana

• Kartikeya- Khumbakharna

• Maya- Mandodari

• Nandini- Ahilya

• Prisha- Urmila

• Samaira- Kaikeyi

• Sohum- Tulsidas

• Sumana- Shabari

• Vidhya- Sita

• Vishnu- Indrajit

• Yesh- Ravana

• Sejal- Manthara

November 10

Today in class we made a few date related announcements:

The presentation day is April 12th and the Test Day is December 15th.

All students present picked a character from the book to present about. The students will: Introduce the character, say the role they played in he Ramayana, why they chose this character, and what they like and dislike about them. This isn’t homework due the next class but continue to work on it. In class we covered chapters 9 and 10 in the book. These chapters include the wedding of Ram and his brothers and Kaikeya using her 2 boons to send Ram to the forest for 14 years and make Bharat the king of Ayodhya.

No homework but don’t forget to start thinking about what you are going to say about your character and what you are going to wear to dress up as them on presentation day!

November 3

Today revised all the main characters in Ramayana and introduced the project that the kids will be performing as the class presentation in front of assembly on April 12th, 2020. Please let us know if you will not be able to come to assembly and class that day.

Each kid will choose a character from the Ramayana -

• - introduce the characters

• - the role it played in the Ramayana

• - why they chose the character and

• - what they like/dislike about them.

Here is the list of characters that kids can choose from or pick anyone else. Kids will need to identify their characters before winter break. With a variety of characters to choose from, hopefully no two kids will pick the same one.

• - Valya

• - Valmiki

• - Tulsidas (Ramacharitmanas)

• - Ravana

• - Kumbhakarna

• - Vibhishana

• - Shurpankha

• - Kubera

• - Shravana

• - Dasharatha

• - Kaushalya

• - Kaiyeki

• - Sumitra

• - Rama

• - Bharat

• - Lakshmana

• - Shatrughna

• - Sita

• - Vaishita

• - Vishwamitra

• - Meghnath/Indrajit

• - Parashurama

• - Hanuman

• - Sugreeva

• - Vali

• - Shabari

• - Jatayu

Then we talked about how Rama killed Tadaka and blessed Ahilya, and the birth and childhood of Sita.

One day, Rishi Vishvamitra asked King Dasharatha for help because the Rakshasas Mareecha, Subahu, and Tadaka were causing trouble with his yajnas. He asked for him to send Rama for help, and sent Lakshmana too. Rama was hesitant to kill someone he didn’t know, but Rishi Vishvamitra explained all of their evil deeds. A battle started between Rama and the Rakshasa Tadaka, and he killed her. Then Rama and Lakshmana protected Rishi Vishvamitra’s Yajna. The Mareecha came to the Yajna and started attacking. Rama fought him, and he decided to change his ways. He turned up to be a Rama devotee later on.

Then we started talking about Sita and her birth. Once there was a famine in Mithila, and people were starving everywhere. King Janaka began ploughing the land himself once some Rishis told him it wouldn’t rain until he did. While he was digging, he discovered a pot with a girl in it! He adopted her, and named her Sita, which means she who was born from a plow. King Janaka had also inherited a bow of Shiva, which was so heavy most people could not lift it. However, when Sita was little, she had grabbed it and walked around comfortably with it. Then, King Janaka decided that whoever could lift and break the bow could marry Sita. Vishvamitra went with Rama and Lakshmana to meet with King Janaka. Rama lifted the bow up, and while he was trying to string it, it snapped! Rama got married to Sita, and had a huge wedding!

After the wedding, Parashurama had gotten mad at Rama for destroying Shiva’s bow. Rama apologized, and Parashurama said that if Rama could string Vishnu’s bow, then it would be okay. Rama effortlessly strung the bow. Parashurama felt very guilty, and gave all his powers and weapons to Rama, and meditated on the Mahendra Mountain until his soul merged back with Vishnu’s.

October

October 27

Today in class we reviewed all the characters talked about so far in the year. We also learned about Shravana and the curse his parents placed on Dashratha. We also discussed the boon Ravana received and the same of his brothers.

October 6

Today we played some games celebrating Navratri and then learned about Tulsidas!

Saint Tulsidas’s mother died soon after he was born, so he spent a lot of his childhood as an orphan. Swami Naraharidas made him a disciple, and Tulsidas studied Hindu scriptures until Swami Naraharidas died. He then married a lady named Ratnavali. One day, Tulsidas came back from the temple to find his wife missing, because her father was ill. He crossed the Ganga river when it was flooding to get to her. She got upset when she learned of the risks he took to meet her, and told him if he loved Lord Rama as much as he loved her, he’d be a lot happier. He was shocked, and began worshiping Lord Rama. Tulsidas wrote a new version of the Ramayana called the Ramacharitmanas, a shorter version of Sage Valmiki’s Ramayana in Hindi. Then, he started teaching it to people in Varanasi. Some pundits were jealous, and said that scriptures should only be written in Sanskrit.

One night, the pundits sent thieves to steal the Ramacharitmanas, but two handsome princes were guarding it, Lakshmana and Rama. The thieves got scared, and eventually became devotees of Rama.

Now the jealous pundits were upset because Tulsidas worshiped both Shiva and Rama, and they forget that they were different forms of the same God. They placed the Ramacharitmanas under four Vedas in a Shiva Temple overnight. The next morning, the Ramacharitmanas copy was on the top, and Shiva’s signature was on the inside! The pundits felt ashamed, and asked the Saint for forgiveness.

Tulsidas kept on teaching the Ramayana, and he noticed one leper coming every day to his class. He realized that the leper was Hanuman! He asked Hanuman if he could meet Rama, and Tulsidas got to see him!

Tulsidas showed us that we should always have faith in God, no matter the problems in our lives, and that everyone should be able to learn Holy Scriptures in any language.

September

September 29

In class on Sunday we learned about rishi Valmiki and read chapter 2. We talked about who he was, how he got his name, and other things.

Homework is to write down one good deed you did this week to share with the class!

September 22

Namaste parents!

Welcome to another year of fun filled learning of Dharma! This year we will know more about one of our holy books - Ramayana. Debbie Auntie and Anu Antie will be leading this class, with the help of teenage volunteers - Rani and Aashni. We are all looking forward to a great year with these amazing kids.

We had a wonderful start to our first class!

We started the class with our morning prayers, and did another round of introductions to each other. We revised some of the learnings of the previous years. Then we talked about the avatars of Shiva and Vishnu, how they relate to the Ramayana. The ten or DashaAvatars of Vishnu are -

• Matsya (Fish)

• Kurma (Turtle)

• Varaha (Boar)

• Narasimha (Half Lion-Half Human)

• Vamana (Dwarf)

• Parashurama

• Rama

• Krishna

• Balaram/Buddha

• Kalki (Yet to Come)

They represent the evolution of life on Earth. It’s commonly known that life started on Earth in water, moved onto land and into higher intelligent forms.

As part of this year’s curriculum we will be learning the Hanuman Chalisa. We learnt the first two verses and will slowly make ourselves through the entire Chalisa. Please practice the Chalisa with them every week.

Looking forward to another great week!

Thanks,

Rani Mukherjee