‘Vibrant India’ and ‘Crazy Kishkindha’ Summer Camps Conducted by G.O.D.

HOUSTON: Global Organization for Divinity Houston (G.O.D.) conducted three different fun “Gopa Kuteeram” summer camps in Pearland and Cypress areas this summer.

In the Pearland/Manvel area, “Vibrant India” was the theme for a 3-day camp (June 20-22) held at Namadwaar Prayer House for kids aged 4 to 10. The camp focused on India’s amazing indigenous, ‘natural’ diversity in various areas – language, food, music AND dance, art & architecture, clothing, geography/climate, religion and color.

The children participated in many activities based on this theme: they learned to sing and dance to the popular patriotic songs Vande Mataram and Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, where they learned lines in 15 different languages; they did Madhubani artwork, yoga, cooking, cricket  and kho-kho among lots of other fun activities.

The children visited the Asia Society Texas Center Museum for a field trip, to view the Transcendental Deities of India exhibit of Raja Ravi Varma paintings and contemporary art and photographs. They also participated in an Indian Deities Writing Workshop at the museum.

On the final day of the camp, the kids dressed up in varied regional costumes and presented all that they had learned during the camp.

At Cypress, the first camp was a 3-day “Crazy Kishkindha” camp for kids aged 8 to 12 at the Cy-Fair library (June 13-15). It was themed around Navavidha Bhakti in the Ramayana and the kids had lots of fun doing artwork, crafts and games themed around the nine ways of devotion. The Mission Monkeys game was a huge hit with the children. Here too, the participants visited the Asia Society Texas Center to view the Indian Deities exhibit.

A second 2-day camp was also held at the Cy-Fair Library for kids aged 4 to 7 was (July 18-19). This camp too was themed around “Vibrant India”. Apart from all the other activities, these younger kids also worked on some beautiful ethnic crafts.

Events at the camps were all conducted by inspired GOD and parent volunteers as well as several community organizations and volunteers who came forward enthusiastically to make it a fun experience for the kids – YogaOne Studios (yoga), Kala Art by Heart Classes (artwork), Nritya School of Dance (dance), Hot Off the Stove blog (cooking) and Asia Society Texas Center.

The camps and the information that the children learned during all the camps were greatly appreciated by all parents.

G.O.D. also conducts weekly Gopa Kuteeram heritage classes at Pearland/Manvel and Cypress on Saturdays. Classes for the 2014-15 year begin on September 13, for age groups 4-7 and 8-12. For further information and to register online, visit www.godivinity.org.