Every Sunday from morning,The Atrium, an apartment complex in Thiruvanmiyur is filled with the sounds of Bhajans (devotional songs) and slokas (prayers) by a group of children.
This is from a Balavikas session, where the children learn to say their prayers from Kamala Iyer, a 73 year old woman.
The classes begin with a sloka and bhajan to the God Ganesha, followed by sloka and bhajan to other Gods. The students are also taught to recite the Hanuman chalisa in praise of Lord Hanuman. The session ends with a story from Hindu mythology. She even hosts games at the end of a few sessions. These games are usually related to mythology or Gods. For example, guessing the names of the God after listening to a description, completing a mythological story and so on. The children love to listen to her stories and enjoy the games.
What’s so special about the classes, you may ask. The fact is that at the age of 26, Iyer mami, as she is affectionately called, lost her eyesight. But sShe continues her services undeterred.
Mami, who knows 7 languages (Tamil, English, Malayalam, Hindi, Sanskrit, Malay and Thai) has learnt Braille. She likes to cook and she also enjoys travelling. She stays with her husband and a live-in maid who helps her with cooking and household chores.
She is a life member of the Chinmaya Mission. She started teaching children through the mission and now she conducts her own classes in her apartment at The Atrium.
The classes are free and anyone is welcome to attend. Children as well as adults can learn from mami. Currently the classes are being held only for the children / adults of The Atrium. The classes are held in a pavilion near the entrance of the apartment, which is located on Kalakshetra Road in Thiruvanmiyur.
Mami tells Children “You should be disciplined and punctual and should pray everyday. You should have a goal in whatever you do and should have a positive attitude to life.”
After the summer vacation, the classes will resume by the end of July.