By Karunika dasi
To encourage the youths of Mauritius to study Bhagavad-gita “As It Is”, ISKCON Mauritius organizes an annual national Gita essay competition and elocution contest, open to youths under the age of 25. The competition also aims at getting the students to understand how applying the teachings of Bhagavad-gita to their own life and to the world around them is beneficial to all. This year the title of the essay was: “Discuss the concept of sustainable development with reference to the Bhagavad Gita As It Is”. Those participating in the elocution contest were expected to speak on the five subject matters of Bhagavad-gita, namely: The Supreme Lord, the living entity, material nature, eternal time and karma (action and reaction) for fifteen minutes.
The winners of both categories won a return ticket to Delhi sponsored by generous ISKCON supporters and ISKCON Delhi will take them on a one-week tour of Vrindavan Dham. The second prize winners were awarded a tablet loaded with all of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
For the past two years the competition has grown to include Bhagavad-gita verses recitation by children up to the age of fourteen.
The winners of all the categories were rewarded with shields and attractive gifts. Everyone who participated received a beautiful certificate of participation.
The 2013 competition prizes were awarded to the winners during a cultural event at the Octave Wiehe Auditorium, University of Mauritius on Friday the 13th of December. Six hundred guests, including The Honourable Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, Mr. Suren Dayal attended. The event opened with very melodious chanting of selected verses from the Bhagavad-gita by Raghunath (GKG) prabhu and his nama-hatta team. His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami, GBC for Mauritius, and other ISKCON leaders: His Holiness Bhakti Dhir Damodar Swami, His Grace Sankarsana Das Adhikari and His Grace Sriniketana Das Adhikari spoke on the Bhagavad-Gita’s importance and personally distributed prizes to the winners. The evening concluded with a theatrical performance by The Goloka Players, depicting the relevance of Bhagavad-gita today.
Photos of the event may be viewed here: https://picasaweb.google.com/103910011066538887470/AdventOfBhagavadGita201302?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCITFjcCnxO_dBw&feat=directlink