“Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava, Atithi devo bhava”. The traditional Matru puja is based on the above verse of the Taittiriya Upanishad which says that “May you be the one who worships mother, father, teachers and guests as God”.
On October 20, 2018, Matru Puja was conducted in Amrita Vidyalayam to strengthen the bond of love and respect between mothers and their children. The traditional lamp was lit along with the chanting of Dhyayamo and Aum Amriteshwaryai Namah. Br. Avyayayamrita Chaitanyaji performed the Guru Paduka Puja by offering Panchamrut (water, milk, curd, honey and ghee) and flowers at the Holy Lotus feet of Amma while the Guru Stotram was chanted by one and all. Thereafter, Swamiji spoke about the significance of this puja in the present day context, where children, distracted by the technology at hand do not spend quality time with their mothers and thereby forget to care for their simple needs. He reminded students of the countless sacrifices Mothers willingly make in order to lovingly raise them. Swamiji then guided the children to wash the feet of their mothers. Students worshipped their mothers by applying chandan and kumkum on their feet. They performed aarti with diya and agarbatti and garlanded them. The emotional mothers hugged and kissed their children and blessed them wholeheartedly. The beaming faces of the children and their mothers was a treat to the eyes.
Later, teachers, parents and students participated in the rendering of Amma’s bhajans. Aarti was performed by teachers and the ceremony ended with the chanting of Shanti Mantra. Prasad was distributed to all.
