Kathiravan 5.O - TN State Level Youth Camp

The Kathiravan 5.0 camp, a Tamil Nadu state-level youth empowerment camp was held from 23rd to 25th December, 2023. 15 to 25 year olds participated in this annual camp hosted by Chinmaya Mission (CM) Madurai at the serene campus of Mahatma School, Azhagarkovil. The camp was led by acharyas from Chinmaya Mission—Swami Anukoolananda (CIRS), Br. Vignesh Chaitanya (Chinmaya Mission Coimbatore), Br. Anand Chaitanya (CM Chennai) and Br. Jitesh (Chinmaya Mission Madurai). The motto of this camp was ‘Rise and Shine’ ,in line with its aim of guiding youth to seek the light within themselves.The camp commenced with an enlightening talk on ‘Temples beyond Religion’ by Dr. Pradeep Chakravarthy, an HR consultant and historian based out of Chennai. The temple is an architectural marvel, a place of divinity and culture where people unite as one to celebrate various festivities. He took the audience through ancient practices of India regarding temples, beautifully linking science with spirituality. Also, leadership and relationship lessons from the temple were pointed out.Another eminent speaker, Lt. Col. Shivakumar from the Indian Army encouraged the youth to pursue their dreams and contribute to the nation selflessly. He is currently guiding the youth wing of the armed forces, the National Cadet Corps. He inspired the audience with stories from his life. He also quoted Mahakavi Bharathiyar's work..The same day, the group trekked to the temple housing the guardian of the Azhagar hill, 18-step Karrupaswamy, and the Pazhamuthircholai, the sixth abode of Lord Murugan’s shrines, as said by the Sangam poet Nakkirar. According to our scriptures, the 18 steps signify the lifeless bodies of the 18 men who had come to raid the temple, sent by the King of Malabar centuries ago. The priests of the temple invoked the Kshetra Palakar through their ardent prayers. Karrupaswamy then killed the men and swore to protect the deity for years to come. The trek was refreshing for the body, mind and soul as it served as an escape from the cityscapes and bustling of the vehicles. The gush of the stream and rustling of the leaves in the forest were soothing to the ears. At the foothills, the participants were blessed with the darshan of Kallazhagar—Sundaraja Perumal on the auspicious day of Vaikuntha Ekadesi and witnessed the opening of ‘Vaikuntha Dvaram’—the door to the abode of Lord Vishnu.The next day the participants were taken to the splendid Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameshwaram via Keeladi Heritage excavation site, dating back to the Tamil Sangam Age. The youngsters admired the advanced lifestyle and culture of our ancestors. At Rameshwaram, everyone bathed in the holy teertham. The temple is renowned for the presence of 22 wells of Ramanathaswamy Theertham, which represent the 22 arrows in the quiver of Lord Ram..Devotees first immersed themselves in the Agniteertham, the primary seashore located near the temple, and then bathed in the 22 wells located within the temple. The day ended with a drive to Dhanushkodi, the southeastern tip of Pamban Island. The scenic view of the azure waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, the glistening sand and the foam of the waves at the shore were a treat to the eye. Ashore was the temple of Kothandaramar, where the coronation of the King of Srilanka, Vibheeshan by Lord Ram took place.On the final day, Swami Anukoolananda, head of the Chinmaya Residential School, Coimbatore, led a fun-filled session on building self-confidence. He explained the importance of individuality and stressed how we must identify our strengths and weaknesses by following the mantra ‘I am good, I am brave, and I am strong!’ Later, there was an interactive session with Mr. J. Ranjith Kumar, an accomplished para-athlete with various accolades in discus throw etc., the first to win a Commonwealth Games medal for Bharat. He was awarded the ‘Dhyan Chand’ award for lifetime service to the nation as a para-athlete in the year 2020. The para-athlete turned coach moved the crowd through his powerful speech on consistency, relentless efforts, and patriotism.The camp served as a platform for self-growth and transformation through a journey with people who made a difference in society. As Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda said, ‘What we have is His gift to us; what we do with what we have is our gift unto Him’.