• Deepavali Festival • Navarathiri Saraswathy Pooja• Puratassi Festival

• National Day Award Winners

02 • New appointments

A record 121 volunteers were honoured at the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) Volunteer Awards Ceremony, held on 6 August 2011 at SAFRA, Mount Faber and attended by over 500 volunteers and guests.

Guest-of-Honour for the gala evening Mr Chan Chun Sing, Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, presented the awards to the volunteers.

The Award of Excellence, HEB’s pinnacle award, recognizes individuals who have set excellence benchmarks in volunteerism. The Award of Excellence was also presented to the following persons:Mr Naliya Sitaram; Mr Balakrishnan Ramasamy ; Mr Vijayakumar Krishnasamy ; Mr Nithiyanandan Nallan; Ms Rajamanickam Santha ; Mr P S Somashekaran ; and Mr K Muthulingam. A Posthumous Award of Excellence was presented to the family of the late Mr K Rajangam, who had served as a volunteer for over 50 years. Entertainment for the gala event was provided by well-known artistes like Srilekha Parthasarathy and Shriram from India as well as local musicians from SIFAS. A short film that encapsulates the essence of volunteerism was screened too.

The HEB Volunteer Awards, first introduced in 1999, recognizes the efforts of volunteers who serve at HEB administered temples and facilities, including the Ashram, and Saraswathy Kindergartens. The awards also recognize volunteers who have rendered invaluable community service during various ancillary activities – these include cultural, social, welfare, and inter-faith events. More than 300 dedicated volunteers have been recognized with the Volunteer Award since it was first introduced.

HEB VOLUNTEERS HONOURED AT GALA DINNERDEEPAVALI EDITION - 2011A Publication of the Hindu Endowments Board

HINDU NEWSINSIDE PAGES

ABOUT THE... LATE MR K RAJANGAMThe late Mr Rajangam will fondly be remembered for his volunteer work with the Sri Mariamman Temple. Half a century of unstinting service to God and the community – his legacy is one that will be difficult for anyone to emulate. Mr Rajangam would come to the Sri Mariamman Temple daily after work and stay until the concluding prayers each day. Whilst there, he would do whatever he found needed to be done to keep the temple operational. This was a man who would go out of his way to ensure that devotees’ needs were met. Mr Rajangam played a huge role during the 1971 and 1984 Consecration Ceremonies of the temple. When the temple underwent restoration works

between 1983 and 1984, the late Mr Rajangam provided assistance to the sculptors from India. Many will also remember the hours each time he spent planning for and assisting with the preparatory works for religious events. There are many dedicated young volunteers that he had personally trained - volunteers who are well versed in temple rituals and religious procedures – all thanks to the magnanimous spirit of the late Mr K Rajangam.

03 • STT goes online• Ashram Annual BBQ 2011

05 • Fire Walking (Thimithi)• Health Fair

• Kindergarten Games Day • Project Bhakti Workshop• Bursary Awards

• Swamiji Udit Chaitanya’s visit• JnanaVelvi 2011

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09 • Home Hundial• Upcoming Celebrations

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• Key Events (English &Tamil)11-12

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The Excellence Award winners

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Mr V R Lingam:Mr V Ramalingam had served the Board since 2002. A consultant electrical engineer by profession, he played a significant role in the Board’s Deepavali Light Up project.Mr Mohan Das Naidu:A lawyer by profession, Mr Naidu served the board for 6 years. He had participated actively in various discussions and contributed ideas that were well received.Major (Retd) M Thanaseelan:Known to all as Major Thana, he helped the board in successfully organising “Utsav” Street processions, which were held in conjunction with Deepavali celebrations.Mr Kirpa Ram Sharma:A leading business magnet in the commodity industry, Mr Kirpa Ram Sharma had served the Board for 6 years. He not only assisted the Board in organising Deepavali celebrations, he was also a donor for the celebrations.Mr A Arasappan:Mr A Arasappan served on the Board’s Temple Management Committees for the past 25 years. Though no longer a Board member, he continues to serve as the Secretary at Sri Sivan Temple.Mr K Kesavapany:Mr Kesavapany or “Ambassador Pany” as he is best known, served the Board for six years. He got the Board to collaborate with other organisations on various programmes. Mr P Kalimuthu:Mr Kalimuthu helped set up a Kindergarten jointly with HEB and Darma Muneeswaran Temple. He continues to be part of the Board’s Education Committee.

HEB would like to put on record its gratitude to the above mentioned past members for their valuable contributions and guidance.

NEW Appointments... HINDU ENDOWMENTS BOARD (HEB) The following persons have been appointed to serve on the Hindu Endowments Board, with effect from 1st June 2011 to 31st May 2013:

Chairman : Mr S Rajendran Vice Chairman : Mr M Param Secretary : Mr Avadiar Pongenan Finance Member : Mr Thanabalan Ladamuthu Members : Mr Shekaran s/o Krishnan Dr T Chandroo Mr Ramachandra Hegde Mr Rajan Krishnan Mr Rangareddy Jayachandran Mr N Anandaraja Ms Rajamanickam K Vemala Dr Vellayappan s/o Karuppiah Mr Rajandeeran s/o Kanayan Ms Balakrishnan Madhubala Mr S Ramanathan Mr Vijayendran s/o Krishnan

The primary function of the HEB is to administer its 4 Temples Sri Mariamman Temple (SMT), Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (SSPT), Sri Sivan Temple (SST) and Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple(SVKT). The Board also manages 2 kindergartens (Saraswathy Kindergarten & Saraswathy Darma Muneeswaran Kindergarten) and Ashram, a half way house for recovering drug addicts.

HINDU ADVISORY BOARD (HAB)The following persons have been appointed to serve on the Hindu Advisory Board, with effect from 1st June 2011 to 31st May 2013:

Chairman : Mr Raja Ram BawajeeVice-Chairman : Mr R DhinakaranSecretary : Mr S RameshMembers : Mr P P Raj Mr Satish s/o Appoo Dr Jayaram Lingamanicker Mr S Lakshmanan Mr N Prushuathamun Mr S Nallathamby Asst Prof N Ganapathy Dr T Tamilselvan Mr Selvam s/o Varathappan

Mr A PalaniappanEx - Secretary (HAB)Ex - Member (HEB)

AWARDThe Commendation Medal

Dr Uma Rajan, PBM, PBSAdvisor, HEB - UTSAV Street

Parade Committee (Deepavali Light-up)

AWARDThe Public Service Star (Bar)

Mr S RajendranChairman, Hindu

Endowments Board

AWARDThe Public Service Star (Bar)

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NATIONAL DAY AWARD WINNERS!

TRIBUTE TO PAST MEMBERS:

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SRI SIVAN TEMPLE GOES ONLINE Devotees of Sri Sivan Temple (SST) will soon be able to book their puja services from the comfort of their homes with the introduction of an Online-booking portal. The SST On-line booking facility is scheduled to be launched shortly, making it the first Hindu temple under the umbrella of Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) to embrace IT technology.

With the introduction of the online portal, devotees will be able to select the kind of prayer service they need, the choice of prasadam, food requirements for guests, make payments and receive acknowledgements for their bookings, via internet.

Kudos to SSTI members Mr Suresh Venkataraman and SST staff Mr Ashok Kumar, who worked on the project.

“Our primary purpose was to give access to the devotees to the services available in the temple, ease in booking of services and in receiving the acknowledgement of payment. This service will also help in securing

MR S R NATHAN PRESENTS TOKEN Of APPRECIATION TO HEB

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SAshram residents celebrated their second Annual BBQ at Sembawang Beach on 18th June 2011. The turnout was approximately 100 people, which were made up of residents, ex-residents, their family members, Ashram’s volunteers, staff and Management Committee members.

Everyone including the children had a fun-filled time, mingling and getting to know one another, enjoying and playing with balloons and sparklers. Family members were happy that Ashram had organised such an event. It gave them a chance to meet not only their loved ones but also interact and share experiences with others who are

ASHRAM ANNUAL BBQ 2011facing similar challenges.

One highlight of the event was the Certificate Presentation Ceremony. Ashram Chairman, Associate Professor Dr. N. Ganapathy gave away Certificates of Attendance to nine residents who participated in Ashrams’ very first Basic IT Literacy Course. This course was designed and conducted by a management committee member, Mr. K. Jayabalan.

Furthermore, as it was the eve of Fathers Day, Ashram also organized a cake-cutting ceremony for all fathers present. It was certainly an evening to remember for one and all.

Mr S. Venkataraman Mrs. Rhama Shankaran

devotees’ data bank,” says Venkataraman.

The new SST website will also provide comprehensive data on the various ‘homams’ and ‘abhishekams’ why certain rites are performed and what are the rituals connected with each of them. Research work on this was carried out by committee member Mrs. Rhama Shankaran, who spent almost two years to research and compile the contents.

The programme is flexible enough to be adapted for use by other HEB temples. ‘We will offer consultation and modify the programme to suit the specific requirements that are unique to each temple,’ said Venkataraman.

Former President Mr S R Nathan, presented a token of appreciation to Mr R Dhinakaran from the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB). Mr Nathan made the presentation on behalf of the President’s Challenge 2011 in appreciation for the donation of $200,000 contributed jointly by HEB, Kewalram Chanrai Group, Sri Krishnan Temple, Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar Temple, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Chettiar’s Temple Society, Sri Sivadurga Temple, LISHA and Q’s Advertising. With this contribution, the Board and its various partners have contributed more than $1million towards the President’s Challenge Charity over the last 10 years.

Gift from The Heart Since July 2010, HEB has been running the project, “Gift from the Heart”. This project involves giving out monthly food ration packets to needy and deserving families. Staff and residents of Ashram were involved in the packing and delivery of the food rations.

About 80 families are benefitting from this project. Families in need of this assistance can contact Ms Hema at 67539730 for details.

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DEEPAVALI COMES TO LITTLE INDIADeepavali Light Up Switch On Ceremony, the event which marks the start of the Deepavali festive season, was held on 23 September 2011. The ceremony, which was held at Kinta Road, attracted a huge turnout. With a spectacular display of pyrotechnics, the street lights were turned on by Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister of State for Finance and Transport. A cheque for $200,000 was presented for President’s Challenge 2011 jointly by Kewalram Singapore Limited, Chettiar’s Temple Society, Sri Siva Durga Temple, Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple, Sri Krishnan Temple, Sri Manmathakaruneshwarar Temple, LISHA, Q’s Advertising, and the Hindu Endowments Board. Highlights of the evening included cultural performances by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and a road show by artistes from Vasantham, a Mediacorp channel.

NAVARATHIRI SARASWATHY POOJA CHILDREN’S COMPETITION AT SRI SIVAN TEMPLE

Sri Sivan Temple conducted its annual Saraswathy pooja childrens’ competition at the temple premises on 2nd October 2011. Children between the ages of 3 and 12 were invited to participate in the events which included

various competitions.

Parents of the children had a chance in joining the festivities by showcasing their talents in flower tying, rangoli and henna art.

Local celebrities including Ms Soundravaili, Mr Bimal and actor Mr Yugendran added flavor to the event by judging and hosting the children’s competitions. All the children enjoyed the show put on by a balloon artist who gave away balloon sculptures to those present.

Goodie bags and attractive door gifts were distributed to the more than 500 children. Everyone present enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast and lunch served that day.

PURATASSI AT SRI SRINIVASA PERUMAL TEMPLE

Devotees Participating in special prayer Annathanam (blessed meals) served to devotees

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“By having the event a few hours earlier the devotees were able to fulfil their vows and go to work the next day without having to take a day off,” said Dr K Vellayappan, Chairman of Sri Mariamman Temple.

Thimithi, which has been celebrated by Hindus for over 170 years, is the culmination of over 3 months of

celebrations and prayers. It depicts the trials and tribulations of certain chapters in the Hindu Epic the “Mahabaratha”. During the 3 months period, various scenes from the Mahabara tham are enacted in the temple. Held in honour of the goddess Draupathi, it is a test of faith and penance.

fIREWALKING - THIMITHI fESTIVAL 2011

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NAVARATHIRI SARASWATHY POOJA CHILDREN’S COMPETITION AT SRI SIVAN TEMPLE

The Hindu Endowments Board’s Medical Counseling Service organized a Health Fair at the PGP Hall on Sunday, 4 August 2011. A record 512 people registered for the event which featured for the first time 11 different health screening stations. The participants, most of whom were senior citizens, especially enjoyed the health talk and skit which were held that day. A healthy cooking demonstration by a trained chef attracted many curious observers. All participants were treated to a sumptuous lunch and were given well stocked goodie bags.

HEALTH fAIR 2011

More than 4,000 devotees took part in the annual Thimithi, also known as Fire Walking Festival, at the Sri Mariamman Temple on 16 October.

The devotees set off at about 7pm from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road to the Sri Mariamman Temple in South Bridge Road to walk across a pit of burning coal before

Prepartions before the sacred walk

A devotee crossing the firepit

Walk of faith

cooling their feet in a trough of milk placed at the end of the 4-metre long fire pit.

The Chief Pandaram of Sri Mariamman Temple was the first to walk across the smouldering coal, carrying the “Karagam” on his head. A few persons from different faiths too participated in the fire-walking ceremony.

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KINDERGARTEN ANNUAL GAMES DAY & fUND RAISING 2011Saraswathy Kindergarten & Saraswathy Darma Muneeswaran Kindergarten held its annual Games Day and Fund Raising Carnival in May 2011 at the grounds of Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple.

260 students ranging from 3 to 6 years (Pre-Nursery to K2) took part in a total of seven events such as pick & drop balls, flipping the hoops, sack

race, crawling through the tunnel, obstacle race. The Guest-of-Honour, Mr V Alagian, who is a parent and donor, gave away the medals.

The Kindergartens together with the Parent Support Group (PSG) set up stalls on that day to raise funds for the kindergarten. The proceeds will be used to improve the Kindergartens’ IT facilities and purchase better teaching

aids.

The parents sold food and drinks to raise funds. There were fun and games for all. Many walked away with prizes and it was indeed a fruit-ful and fun filled occasion and an unforgettable experience for the children, parents, guests, volunteers and everyone who were there.

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PROJECT BHAKTI WORKSHOP

• Sri Siva Durga Temple (Potong Pasir)• Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple (Toa Payoh)• Sri Muneeswaran Temple (Queenstown)• Darma Muneeswaran Temple (Serangoon North)• Sri Siva Krishna Temple (Marsling Rise)• Saraswathy Darma Muneeswaran Kindergarten

(Yishun) (for 5-8 year olds only)• Hindu Endowments Board (for 11-15 year olds only)

About Project Bhakti:• Project Bhakti classes are conducted in English• Classes comprise games, stories, quizzes, puzzles, bhajans and shlokas• $25 per child per semester (1 semester = 12 Sundays)• Free transport available for most locations

Project Bhakti classes are held on Sundays, from 9am to 11am, at the following locations:

Sunday, 25th September – Dressed in their best traditional attire, around 120 children aged between 5 and 15 years old attended the annual Project Bhakti Workshop 2011 at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple premises. After having attended the Project Bhakti classes at their respective centres throughout the year, all the children gathered together for this one-day event, packed with fun-filled and meaningful activities based on our Hindu culture. Starting with prayers and mass bhajan singing, the kids partook in various activities such as maatru puja, making

colourful “thoranams”, and learning about Navaratri, the significance of making a kolu and the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet. Post lunch, the children (divided into various teams) set off on an Amazing Race, where they participated in numerous activities put together by NUS’ Hindu Society.

The highlight of the day was the drama competition put up by the students from each Project Bhakti centre. In the weeks leading to the workshop, teachers toiled hard to train the

children and parents also chipped in to help with the costumes and make-up. The hall was packed full with parents, children and guests. Celebrity judges Prithiviraj, Mohan and Shamini from Vasantham Central had a tough time deciding the winner. Finally, students from the Saraswathy Darma Muneeswaran Kindergarten emerged as the champions to the resounding applause from the audience. All the children who had attended the Project Bhakti classes throughout the year were presented with certificates and goddie bags.

For details, please contact Mr Vivek Kumra at Telephone : 62963469 ext 212

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HEB continued to be part of a joint bursary award programme with Singapore Buddhist Lodge, Jamiyah Singapore and Taoist Federation. This year over half a million dollars of bursary awards were distributed to more than 1,000 primary and secondary school students in two separate Bursary Awards Ceremonies. This joint effort started more than a decade ago.

Former President S R Nathan and Mr Dai Bing, Charge D’ Affairs Minister-Counselor, Embassy of China in Singapore, were Guests of Honours at the separate events for Secondary and Primary levels. Several million dollars had been given out to needy students since commencement of this project.

MORE THAN 1,000 STUDENTS RECEIVE BURSARY AWARDS

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SIVADAS-HEB EDUCATION fUND

Mr Sivadas Sankaran, a Singaporean philanthropist, through his Will, has created a Trust to help disadvantaged Hindu children get a head start in life.

The Sivadas-HEB Education Trust is a pre-school financial assistance scheme for children aged 18 months to 6 years old. It is open to Singaporeans and permanent residents and payment will be made directly to the Children Development Account (CDA) or to the kindergarten or childcare centre the child is enrolled in.Application forms can be obtained from the Hindu Endowments Board, 397 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218123 or contact Ms Hemma (Tel: 62963469 ext. 202) for more details.

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Under the auspices of the Hindu Endowments Board, the Sri Sivan Temple, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and the Singapore Dakshina Bharatha Brahmanana Sabha (SDBBS) jointly organised Jnana Velvi 2011 – a series of lectures by Swami Omkarananda.

The lectures were held between 19 and 25 June at the Sri Sivan Temple. Swami Omkarananda also delivered a special lecture on 19th June at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, as part of Vasantha Utsavam celebrations.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed Swamiji’s lectures that were simple and sprinkled with ample spontaneous quotations from several Tamil and Sanskrit scriptures.

Swamiji Udit Chaitanya’s discourse on Bhagavat Gita in Malayalam was held at the PGP Wedding Hall from 30 May to 4 June 2011. The spiritual talk, held in the evenings, was organised by the Singapore Malayalee Hindu Samajam, jointly with the Hindu Endowments Board.

Swamiji Udit Chaitanya, is known for his ability to explain in simple terms the in-depth meanings of the rich Hindu scriptures. He also is skilled in reaching out to young minds and guide them in analyzing the rich contents of the Hindu scriptures. In order for the youth to have a better understanding of the Hindu scriptures, he will refer to other scriptures as well such as the Vedantas and Upanishads and other valuable teachings of the sages, where a similar subject might be discussed differently.

In his recent talk in Singapore, he spoke on the technique of “Managing Your Life With More Positive Energy”. The talk aimed to provide listeners with some techniques to manage their mind, face failures positively and to fight their way to success more confidently.

Citing from the Bhagavat Gita, Bhagavatham, Bhaja Govindam

JNANA VELVI 2011

SWAMIJI UDIT CHAITANYA’S DISCOURSE ON BHAGAVAT GITA

and the Upanishads and Vedantas, Swamiji guided the audience to bring their mind out of their imaginary life, and to focus on planning for the future rather than spending time lamenting on worries of what might have happened in the past. He explained that the body and mind are different - the body is the part of cosmic energy and the mind the conscious energy. Thus by keeping the mind strong, one can find the solution to any problem that he/she face, he said.

Swamiji also taught the audience some simple yoga techniques that can be practised on a daily basis, for a healthy mind and body . The 5-day event ended with a “Vidya Gopala Puja” for children where Swamiji explained the meaning and importance of the mantra and taught the children to perform the puja to attain good control of the mind, concentration in studies and success.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Swamiji Udit Chaitanya has been conducting his lectures in Singapore.

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HOME HUNDIAL PROJECT LAUNCHED

Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore, has launched a Home Hundial project to raise funds for its Maha Kumbabishegam to be held in 2013. Devotees came forward to lend a helping hand to raise funds for the temple by taking home a hundial (donation can). The temple hopes

Gita Jayanti, which propagates the teachings of the Bhagvad Gita, held a special Krishna Manjiri event on October 8 at the GIIS Auditorium to celebrate the glory of Krishna in his myriad forms. The cultural evening comprised a kaleidoscope of music, dance and drama presented by local and overseas artistes.

GITA JAYANTI CELEBRATIONS

to raise $200,000 through the Home Hundial Project.

This will be the third Kumbabishegam for the temple since it moved to its current location in Toa Payoh from Somerset in 1986. Kumbabishegams are held once in every 12 years after the temple undergoes major repairs

and restoration works. Ancillary facilities are refurbished to improve the Temple services. To finance the restoration and redevelopment works, funds are raised through various religious and special projects like the Home Hundial project.

Gita Jayanti, which is conducted under the auspices of the Hindu Endowments Board, held an international Bhagvad Gita Forum on October 22 to promote the teachings of the Bhagvad Gita.

20th ANNIVERSARY Of TAOIST fEDERATION (SINGAPORE) CUM GRAND INTERfAITH DINNER

Mr R Bawajee, Chairman, Hindu Advisory Board receiving the token of appreciation from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

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VARISAI

HEB temples offered varisai to Arulmigu Rajamariamman Temple (Johor Bahru) on the occasion of their Maha Kumbhabishegam (Consecration Ceremony) on 12 Jun 11.

SRI MUNEESWARAN TEMPLE KUMBHABISHEGAM

Former President S R Nathan, who was Guest-of Honour at the event, receiving a momento from Mr V Devaraja, President of Sri Muneeswaran Temple (SMT) and Mr P. Avadiar, Vice President SMT Also in the picture is Mr S. Chandra Das, Patron of SMT.

NAVAKSHARI MAHA YAAGAM

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Navakshari Maha Yaagam held annually to further sanctify the various deities at SVKT was held in April 2011. Highlight of the prayer was the divine presence of principal procession (utsavar) deities from the 3 other HEB Temples – Sri Mariamman Temple, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Sri Sivan Temple.

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Date of Pooja/Festival Day of Pooja/ Festival

Pooja/Festival Temple

26 October 2011 Wednesday Deepawali All 4 Temples

26 October 2011 Wednesday Kethari Gowri Viratham Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

27 October 2011 to 2 November 2011 Thursday to Wednesday Skanda Festival All 4 Temples10 November 2011 Thursday Annabishegam SMT & SST8 December 2011 Thursday Thirukarthigai Deepam SMT,SST &SVKT

10 December 2011 Saturday Thirukarthikai Vaikanasa Deepam SSPT

21 December 2011 Wednesday Sani Peyarchi SST & SVKT22 December 2011 to 28 December 2011 Thursday to Wednesday Andal Maargazhi Visha SSPT

22 December 2011 to 1 January 2012 Thursday to Sunday Dhanvanthri Homam SSPT1 January 2012 Sunday English New year All 4 Temples5 January 2012 Thursday Sri Vaikunda Ekadasi SMT & SSPT8 January 2012 Sunday Aruthra Tharisanam SMT,SST & SVKT15 January 2012 Sunday Thai Pongal All 4 Temples22 January 2012 Sunday Thai Amavasai SST7 February 2012 Wednesday Thaipusam SSPT20 February 2012 Monday Maha Sivarathiri SST

10 March 2012 to 22 March 2012 Saturday to Thursday Bramotsavam SSPT23 March 2012 to 1 April 2012 Friday to Sunday Vasantha Navarathiri SST

31 March 2012 Saturday Sri Rama Navami SSPT5 April 2012 Thursday Panguni Uthiram All 4 Temples

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KEY EVENTS DURING THE MONTHS Of AIPPASI TO PANGUNI 2011 IN HEB TEMPLES

KEYEVENTS

Hindu Newsletter Editorial Team:Mr S Ramesh; Ms Ranee Govindram

Contributors:

Mr Siva Krishnamsamy (Sri Mariamman Temple); Ms Gauri Gupta (Sri Sivan Temple); Mr Anantha Sayanam (Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple); Mr R Uthayakumar (Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple); Ms Padma Rajendran (Saraswathy Kindergarten – Toa Payoh); Ms Elizabeth Gabriel (Sarawasthay Darma Muneeswaran Kindergarten – Yishun); Mr Anil Singh (The Ashram, Half-way House); Ms Anasuya; Mr V Palanisamy.

After a hiatus of almost two years, the Hindu Endowments Board is pleased to re-launch the Hindu Newsletter, with the aim to create a greater awareness of activities in our temples and as a communication tool to reach out to the community at large.

In this issue, we begin with a tribute to our many volunteers, who over the years have sacrificed family time to serve the temples. The Volunteers Awards Ceremony, which was held on 6th August 2011 is small way for HEB to express its gratitude to volunteers and supporters.

We also bring you stories for our youth group - the newly-introduced Project Bhakti classes for teenagers. Response for this project has been good and through knowledge-based and fun-filled activities, we hope to instil in our youth leadership qualities and a better understanding of the Hindu religion.

fROM THE EDITORIAL DESK......... The Hindu newsletter is not just for our Hindu readers. Through this medium, we hope to promote inter-racial and inter-religious harmony by actively participating in activities that are beneficial for our community. One example of such joint activities is the presentation of bursary awards to over a 1,000 students by HEB in a joint effort with the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, Jamiyah Singapore and the Toaist Federation.

For us to keep the Hindu newslet-ter alive, we seek support from all our readers. We welcome your contributions – articles, pictures, heart-warming stories that would be of interest to the general reader for possible inclusion in the newsletter.

Last, but not least, we take this opportunity to congratulate the new HEB and Advisory Board Members on their appointments and kudos to

our Chairman Mr S Rajendran, Mr A Palaniappan and Dr Uma Rajan on being bestowed the National Day Awards. –

Congraltulations!

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20.2.12 ¾¢í¸û Á¸¡ º¢Åáò¾¢Ã¢ ‚ Á¡Ã¢ÂõÁý, ‚ º¢Åý §¸¡Â¢ø

10.3.12 to 22.3.12

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23.3.12 to 1.4.12

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31.3.12 ºÉ¢ ‚ áÁ¿ÅÁ¢ ‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

5.4.12 Ţ¡Æý ÀíÌÉ¢ ¯ò¾¢Ãõ ¿¡ýÌ §¸¡Â¢ø¸ª¢Öõ

þóÐ «Èì¸ð¼¨ª šâÂò¾¡ø ¿¢÷Ÿ¢ì¸ôÀÎõ §¸¡Â¢ø¸ª¢ø ³ôÀº¢ Ó¾ø ÀíÌÉ¢ Á¡¾í¸ª¢ø (2011-2012) ¿¨¼ÀÚõ Ţơì¸û §¾¾¢ ¸¢Æ¨Á Ţơì¸û §¸¡Â¢ø¸û

26.10.11 Ò¾ý ¾£À¡Åª¢

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26.10.11 Ò¾ý §¸¾¡Ã¢ ¦¸ªÃ¢ Ţþõ ‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

27.10.11 to 2.11.11

Ţ¡Æý Ó¾ø Ò¾ý

Š¸ó¾ º‰Ê Ţơ

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10.11.11 Ţ¡Æý «ýÉ¡À¢§„¸õ ‚ Á¡Ã¢ÂõÁý, ‚ º¢Åý §¸¡Â¢ø

8.12.11 Ţ¡Æý ¾¢Õ측÷ò¾¢¨¸ ¾£Àõ ‚ Á¡Ã¢ÂõÁý, ‚ º¢Åý ÁüÚõ ‚ ¨ÅÃÅ¢Á¡¼ ¸¡ª¢ÂõÁý §¸¡Â¢ø

10.12.11 ºÉ¢ ¾¢Õ측÷ò¾¢¨¸ ¨Å¸¡Éº ¾£Àõ

‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

21.12.11 Ò¾ý ºÉ¢ ¦ÀÂ÷

‚ º¢Åý §¸¡Â¢ø, ‚ ¨ÅÃÅ¢Á¡¼ ¸¡ª¢ÂõÁý §¸¡Â¢ø

22.12.11 to 28.12.11

Ţ¡Æý Ó¾ø Ò¾ý

‚ ¬ñ¼¡û Á¡÷¸Æ¢ Ţơ

‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

22.12.11 to 1.1.12

Ţ¡Æý Ó¾ø »¡Â¢Ú

¾ýÅó¾¢Ã¢ §†¡Áõ ‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

1.1.12 »¡Â¢Ú ¬í¸¢Ä Òò¾¡ñÎ ¿¡ýÌ §¸¡Â¢ø¸ª¢Öõ

5.1.12 Ţ¡Æý ‚ ¨ÅÌñ¼ ²¸¡¾º¢ ‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

8.1.12 »¡Â¢Ú ¬Õòá ¾Ã¢ºÉõ ‚ Á¡Ã¢ÂõÁý, ‚ º¢Åý §¸¡Â¢ø

15.1.12 »¡Â¢Ú ¨¾ô ¦À¡í¸ø ¿¡ýÌ §¸¡Â¢ø¸ª¢Öõ

22.1.12 »¡Â¢Ú ¨¾ «Á¡Å¡¨º ‚ º¢Åý §¸¡Â¢ø

7.2.12 Ò¾ý ¨¾ôâºõ ‚ ‚¿¢Å¡…ô ¦ÀÕÁ¡û §¸¡Â¢ø

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