Students prepare for new term with pooja

During the school vacation (which started in July) students have been involved in regular devotional and recreational activities at the temple grounds in Tunapuna. They will do Saraswatie Pooja (Devotion to the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge) on September 3 at 7 am as part of their regular Sunday morning service. According to the ESM’s PRO, Nirmala Harrylal, the executive will be giving lectures on the topics of “Violence in School,” “The Importance of a Good Education,” and “Time Management.”

She noted that the executives agree that students need to approach the new term thinking positively and with an attitude to achieve.

Speaking on the importance of devotion, she said the goddess Saraswatie is the consort of Lord Brahma (Lord of Creation) and is the Goddess of Wisdom and knowledge. “She is considered as the personification of all knowledge — arts, sciences, crafts and all skills,” she said.

Saraswatie is seen as a beautiful and elegant presence, pure white in colour, clad in a white sari, seated on a white lotus, representing purity and brilliance. She is depicted with four hands.

In one hand she holds a book and in the other a rosary. With her other two hands, she is seen playing the “veena” (musical instrument). Her vehicle is the swan and sometimes a peacock is shown accompanying her.

The swan is known for its exceptional characteristic of being capable of separating water from milk. This indicates that we should be able to segregate the bad from the good, Harrylal added.

Harrylal noted that Saraswatie pooja before the school term reopens will bring a sense of spirituality to the students.

The number of students participating in temple activities has grown within the last two years. The ESM has been searching for new ways to keep the students active during the course of the year. It is the hope of the executive that the Goddess Saraswatie blesses students with divine knowledge to make the right choices which will enable them to work towards a better society in Trinidad and Tobago.

As customary, all participating children will receive a stationery hamper. In addition three deserving children will receive grants from the “Mahant Ramdass Educational Fund.”