Ramesh D. KalicharranIn the majestic hall of the imposingTulsi Mandir which exudes an ar-chitectural splendor and artistic el-

egance, another major marvel wasunfolding over last weekend. It wasone for the history books. As peoplegathered for the 20th session of theTulsi Mandir’s Ramayana Yajna, anair of expectancy enveloped the hall.The serenity that pervaded couldmatch that of Rishikesh, India. Everymember of the audience kept theireyes glued to the “Vyaas Aasan;” whiletheir ears rendered undivided atten-tion to the proceedings. No, the personof central interest was not a rock star;neither was he a celebrity. Rather, itwas a 11-year-old boy who walkedgracefully and occupied that hallowseat called the “Vyaas Aasan.” Pt. Dar-shan Maharaj delivered a stirring“pravachan” (sermon) that was partof the commemoration ceremony heldin honor of the Tulsi Mandir’s open-ing.

The young Pandit in the making, is theson if the Tulsi Mandir’s SpiritualLeader, Pt. Lakeram Maharaj, who is thefounder and visionary of the TulsiMandir. Pt. Lakeram said that he alsohad the privilege to read a Yajna when hewas at that age. The young Pandit, Dar-shan Maharaj, was in training since hewas 3 years old, observed his proud fa-ther. Pt Drashan read the night (Friday)before and made a huge impact on theaudience. Many of them returned the fol-lowing night (Saturday) to listen to hiserudition of the Hindu scriptures. Andthey were not disappointed.

Pt. Darshan Maharaj read from theKishkinda Kanda of the Ramayana, andsolemnly asked the capacity audience tofollow the noble examples of Shri Hanu-manji and Sugrieve. "We must pray tothe Lord with compassion and devotion,"he noted. Pt. Darshan also hinted thatthere had been a few criticisms of theMandir Project, but that these weresmothered by their achievements andhigh sense of accountability. Such criti-cisms only caused them to deepen theirresolve to build this masterpiece, which

will be a lasting glory to the Lord and theMandir’s devotees.

The young Pandit was not ruffled bythis major spiritual calling. And he hasbeen equally cognizant of his social re-sponsibility, too. He invited the Mandir’sdevotees and supporters, for example, tohelp him bring to reality a full kitchenarrangement at the Mandir. And they re-sponded admirably to his pleas.

What the young Pandit demonstrated,too, is that the chronology of “age” is notnecessarily a barrier to spiritual growth.

Once an individual is fired with devotionand a clear vision, he can achieve thegoals that he sets for himself. Old agedoes not necessarily mean maturity, nei-ther does a young age necessarily de-notes immaturity.

As a token of appreciation, Pt Dar-shan's friends at the Mandir, presentedthe young Pandit with a citation. Pt. Lak-eram Maharaj also received a citationfrom his devotees in recognition of hisstrong leadership, vision and accomplish-ments.

We commend Pt. Lakeram Maharajfor his astute leadership as well as all hisdevout followers for building this amaz-ing shrine, which is a living testimony toHinduism’s resilience, despite beingchallenged by multiple materialisticforces. Pt. Chandradath, the AssistantPriest, was also praised for his contribu-tion at the Tulsi Mandir. He too, is aneloquent speaker. The Chairman of theproceedings was Roy Brijlall, who, asusual, did an excellent job.

Humanitarian and CommunityLeader, Dr. Tara Singh, was very im-pressed with the Mandir’s progress andwith the verbal facility of the young 11-year old Pandit. "The young Pandit didnot only make his family and Mandirdevotees proud, but also, the entire com-munity.” Turning to the young Pandit,Dr. Tara notes: “You are an inspiration toall the young people here as well as to allthe adults.” Looking at the Mandir’s ar-chitectural grandeur, Dr. Tara furtherstated, “the Tulsi Mandir is the most ele-gant Mandir in New York City.” And theaudience spontaneously erupted in ap-plause.

Everything is Possible if we Keep our Focus and Determination:A 11-Year-Old Boy at the Tulsi Mandir Shows us the Way

The 11 year old Vyaas - Rajeev Maharaj (Darshan) on the 20th session of theYajna at the Tusli Mandir, located at 103-23 111th St. Richmond Hill NY 11419.

L to R - Roy Brijlall the MC, Pt. Lakeram Maharaj, the Vyaas, and Dr. Tara Singh A cross section of the audience at Tulsi Mandir during the 20th session of the Yajna

Pandit Lakeram Maharan flanked by Nirmala & Chandar Mohan.(R to L) Pandit Lakeram Ramdatt Maharaj Priest-in-charge of the Tulsi Mandir, his wife Karam Devi, his eld-est daughter Aartie, his younger daughter Priya, in front with Pagri & Vyaas Darshan extreme left is Kali.