Chinmaya Mission Austin (CMA) hosted a joyous and spirited Holi festival celebration on March 25, 2023.
Families and friends congregated in the spirit of community and service at Chinmaya Sundaram - the multi-acre oasis in the heart of Austin that Chinmaya Mission Austin calls home - to host and partake in a celebration that filled the hearts and bellies of young and old alike!
From bouncy house to cupcake decoration, facepainting to kites, henna booths to old-fashioned carnival games, there was something for everyone!
The heavenly aromas from the on-site kitchen lured festival-goers to the back patio where an army of volunteers worked tirelessly to prepare and serve delectable snacks and home-cooked favorites like masala dosa and chole-puri.
The celebration culminated in an explosion of colors, laughter and hugs on the sprawling green lawn - a scene that truly exemplified Holi’s message of harmony, unity, forgiveness and new beginnings.
In keeping with the Mission’s motto of giving “maximum happiness to maximum people over maximum time”, the proceeds from this event will benefit CORDUSA - a Chinmaya Mission initiative that facilitates sustainable development activities and self-empowerment programmes in rural communities in the Indian subcontinent.
Chinmaya Mission Austin (CMA) is part of the global Chinmaya Mission organization. Inspired by the vision of His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, the goal of the Mission is to make available the timeless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta - the knowledge of Universal Oneness - to individuals of all backgrounds.
To this end, CMA offers a wide array of spiritual enrichment and self-development activities based on Vedantic principles for all age groups.
This includes weekly Bala Vihar classes for school-aged children, Shishu Vihar classes for preschoolers, discourses (satsangs) and study groups for adults, Vedic/Bhagavad Gita chanting classes as well as lectures and workshops by eminent Acharyas from across Chinmaya Mission.
The on-site Sri Soma Sundareswara Temple is staffed by two priests and offers daily worship and traditional Puja services to the expanding Austin Hindu community.
Registration for the 2023-24 Bala Vihar, Shishu Vihar and weekly classes will open in mid-June.
In August 2023, CMA will offer a lecture series titled “Life Management Techniques”, based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, by Pujya Swami Swaroopananda, the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission.
SwamiJi is a dynamic teacher of Vedanta and an eloquent speaker who blends authenticity with accessibility, theory with practice and logic with heart.
The talks are open to all and will be held from 7:30 PM-8:30 PM on Aug 24th-27th at Chinmaya Sundaram.
More information on programs at Chinmaya Mission Austin can be found on their website (http://www.chinmayaaustin.org/).
