The current Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, Swami Swaroopananda was in London between 13 September and 23 September 2018 to conduct a captivating series of talks in English that unfolded the beauty and depth of the much-loved Hanuman Chalisa, along with various other events.
His visit began with an insightful weekend retreat near Milton Keynes for 18-35 year olds on the topic ‘Journey into Health’ that explored the deep relationship between the mind and how our thoughts influence our physical wellbeing.
Between 17-22 September, nearly 1,000 attendees of all ages travelled daily to hear Swami Swaroopananda expound on the spiritual depth and power contained within the verses of the popular Hanuman Chalisa at the Dhamecha Lohana Centre in Harrow, Middlesex. Uncovering the relevance of the verses in modern times and the strength one gains through chanting the Chalisa, the venue was filled with enthusiastic listeners on every evening of the talks at which dinner prasaad was also served daily.
Swami Swaroopananda also conducted a series of early morning talks at the Chinmaya Mission UK London Centre, ‘Chinmaya Kirti’ in Hendon on the ‘Tapovan Shatakam’ a beautiful uplifting hymn on the much revered, austere Master and Guru of Swami Chinmayananda.
Swami Swaroopananda’s 2018 London visit concluded with a fun-filled Festival of Hanuman that attracted hundreds of families throughout the day on Saturday 22 September. There were plenty of Hanuman-themed games, story-telling sessions, activities, arts and crafts and workshops for toddlers, children, teenagers, healthy food demonstrations and talks conducted on a variety of themes including, 'Graceful Ageing', 'Raising Little Hanumans' and 'Journey into Health’, all aimed at inspiring attendees to live their lives as Hanumanji did, devoted to a noble goal.
The festival culminated in a beautiful two-hour musical recital of the Hanuman Chalisa in different melodies before Swami Swaroopananda delivered his final spell-bounding talk on the Hanuman Chalisa that left the crowd uplifted and revelling in the glory of Lord Hanuman.
