By Chiraag Thakrar
NHSF Leeds President 11/12
Since the age of five, my mother actively encouraged me to recite the Hanuman Chalisa and have faith in Lord Hanuman. She had confidence that he would guide me in the right direction and give me the strength to achieve my goals. If ever there was a symbol of “a vision in action”, planning the North Zone Hanuman Chalisa provided the perfect opportunity to see this in practice.
After a phenomenal tour in Manchester and Bradford, this year the North Zone Hanuman Chalisa was held in Leeds, at the Leeds Hindu Mandir. From the outset the aims of the North Zone Hanuman Chalisa were to encourage students to actively practice Hindu dharma in a communal atmosphere whilst building firm bridges with the local community. For NHSF (UK) societies across the country, surrounding communities remain a firm foundation of support throughout the year. Through the hard work of the NHSF Leeds committee, and supporting NZ chapters, we saw similarly great awareness and relationships being built, no doubt benefiting future generations
The preparations were vast beforehand. The night before the big event, the day team conducted a long session of cleaning, setting-up and decorating. With the hall almost ready, there was something missing: Hanumanji. The fashionably late arrival of the murti (statue) at half past two in the morning gave the hall just the finishing touch it needed.
An early morning start allowed all of the North Zone chapters to meet old and new faces over breakfast before settling down for the starting pooja.
Following the pooja, Mr Chohan and the rest of his bhajan group made an energetic transition to kick start the 108 Hanuman Chalisas to be recited over the course of the day.
As the Hanuman Chalisas progressed the mandir became busier and snow began to fall, covering the mandir grounds in a thick blanket of snow. Not the first time the event had been exposed to snow, a similar occurrence happened last year, with a few spectators suggesting it was Hanumanji’s way of showing his presence and protecting us from any interruptions that may have spoiled the event.
It was a lovely feeling, seeing University students and the local community pulling together to make this event successful through selfless service. Countless numbers of people of varied ages and backgrounds were enthused to help, whether it was cooking puris in the kitchen,cleaning tables or singing the Hanuman Chalisa.
Towards the end of the day, the vibrant atmosphere and emotions were evident of the day’s success, something which would not have been possible without the support we received from the local community and the clockwork coordination carried out by the North Zone chapters.
I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all of those involved in making the North Zone Hanuman Chalisa 2012 as special as it was.