Tuesday the 4th of October 2011 was a pleasurable day for the Balvihar students of Adelaide, as we met at Rosefield Uniting Church for the annual Balvihar camp. Every child who attended it took back memories they will never forget, whether it be Gautamji’s knowledge on the life of Lord Skanda, or the bhajan we learnt, or where the temples for Lord Skanda are.
There were, overall, about 25 people on the day. Once we had entered the room, it felt peaceful and calm. I knew that we would learn a lot that day. We were divided into three teams; Saravana (my team), Karthikeya and Shanmuga. Each team had approximately 8 or 9 people, with one team leader (from the older group) and two group leaders from within the group. We started off with some prayers and then Gautamji taught us about Lord Skanda.
Some of the major activities we did were the bhajan, the craft and the quiz. We learnt the bhajan as a group and then practiced it in our individual groups. Our team put amazing effort into it and I am proud to say that we achieved 10 points! In craft we made a peacock feather stained glass window and a vel (a mace which Lord Skanda used to defeat the three asuras).
Gautamji taught us a lot in those few hours. I wasn’t sure what to expect and what we could be learning, but Gautamji was an excellent teacher and explained things in an easier way for the little kids. We learnt about the birth and life of Lord Skanda and the 6 different temples and their locations. There was so much information that was conveyed to us, that in the end it was hard to recall what we needed for the quiz! The content was useful and I am sure I will remember it for a long time.
Overall, it was a great experience. In the quiz, the Shanmuga team came first with a total of 42 points, my team (Saravana) came 2nd with 40 points and Karthikeya came 3rd with 38.5 points. Again, it was an amazing experience and I am sure everyone enjoyed it!

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