01-28-2018 Hari Om Mandir Celebrates Basant Panchami, Saraswati Pooja & the Republic Day of India
Chicago IL: Right after a vibrant Lohri, Hari Om Mandir buzzed with activity once again on the 28th of Jan, 2018 to celebrate three Functions together, namely: Basant Panchami, Saraswati Pooja & the Republic Day of India. The temple was once again beautifully decorated to highlight the three different themes and keep up the spirit of each Festival.
Yellow, the color of Basant, was seen to dominate…Yellow flowers, the people dressed in Yellow, Yellow Food served as Prasad & Langar, the Deities adorned in Yellow etc etc. The walls were also decorated with kites flying high, to revive old memories from back home, when Kite Flying Competitions were held on Basant. The Indian Tricolor and the American Flag were also displayed with Pride to commemorate the 69th Republic Day of India.
This Day is also considered to be the auspicious day for Maa Saraswati – the Goddess of Wisdom, Learning & Knowledge. In order to bless all the children, a special Saraswati Pooja was organized by the Temple Management. Our two learned Priests, PtRaghubir Dave and PtDharmendra Brahmbhatt, recited Shlokas and sang Vandana in praise of Maa Saraswati, and prayed to the Goddess of Learning to bless ALL the children with knowledge, wisdom and progress in life.
A group of singers led by Bharat Dhutia, ShailenderBhatnagar, Geeta Dhutia and Mr. Atwal, sang beautiful songs to commemorate Republic Day and Basant. The soulful rendering of the song, “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” by Darshana Patel brought tears to the eyes, and everyone was drenched in the flavor of Patriotism. 
Other popular numbers like “Mera Rang De Basanti Chola” sung by Mr. Atwal, compelled the people to get up and dance with joy! Young Children from the HOM Hindi Class sang the Stuti of Maa Saraswati, accompanied by the tune played on the Key Board, deserved a special applause from the Congregation…thanks to the class teachers who work hard to prepare the students, and promote these Values amongst them.
The Program concluded with the singing of the Indian National Anthem, Saluting the Soldiers, Echoing Slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Matram”. Last but not the least, a sumptuous Lunch was served, which was relished by one and all.