On April 25th 2026, we celebrated the completion of yet another Bala Vihar year with an annual graduation ceremony. Our graduation featured student performances, skits and speeches to highlight what the students learnt this year, as well as an opportunity to thank the teachers and volunteers who shared their time and knowledge to make this a successful year.
The chief guests of this event were Mahadevanji and Vijiji, who visited us from the CMLA Rameshwaram branch in Tustin, CA. The afternoon began with the recitation of Gurusthotram as the guests were welcomed into our Bala Vihar center. We then sat down and completed the opening prayers, welcoming Gods and asking for their blessings. Mahadevanji then addressed the audience. He talked about the importance of Hindu scriptures and also taught us a small bhajan in English.
Afterwards, all the students sang bhajans dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Ganesha. We learnt these bhajans and several other bhajans during the year from our Shruti teacher and Balavihar coordinator Lakshmi Aunty. We concluded the first half of the ceremony with the annual passing of the light, or Shikshavalli, from the senior-most teacher downwards till the light reaches the youngest student. This symbolizes the passage of knowledge from one generation to the next. After the Shikshavalli, there was a ten minute intermission and snack break.
Alongside all the events at graduation, families signed up to bring food. There were delicious appetizers such as vada with chutney, gobi manchurian, and chai. During this time, people socialized and exchanged thoughts about graduation. They were also able to view student write-ups on the Hanuman Chalisa during this time.
After the intermission, the class performances began. We started with the Pre-Junior class, which talked about their favorite god and about alphabet values showcasing Hindu concepts and necessary life values. Following the Pre-Junior class was the Junior class, which performed a small skit detailing how Rama was banished from his kingdom during the Ramayana. For each character played they highlighted Dharma and Adharma attributes of that character.
Following the Junior class was the Intermediate class, which did an interactive quiz session with the audience. Topic of the quiz was characters in the Mahabharata and their Dharma and Adharma attributes. After the Intermediate’s session, the Senior class did slideshows on different parts of the Upanishad Ganga, which covered how one should live their life and what values they should uphold while living in this modern world.
After the final class performance, at the request of Mahadevanji, there was an impromptu recitation of Hanuman Chalisa by all Rancho Bala Vihar students. Parents and grandparents in the audience were happy to see that all the students from Pre-Junior to Senior classes had memorized Hanuman Chalisa as a competition during this year. Advik, a Junior student, won the entire competition and his knowledge of the Hanuman Chalisa shined through during the chanting. After the chanting, awards were handed out to all the students and gifts were given to the teachers and parent volunteers. Then, the session ended with the closing prayers, and aarati.
The session then broke for dinner. The main courses were idli sambar and poori with chana masala, and the dessert was ice cream and fruit. Everyone enjoyed all the delicious food, and people left the night knowing they had gained valuable knowledge and values which may be applied to their own lives. This event also will help our Rancho Bala Vihar branch gain more members in the near future.
Our Bala Vihar Graduation Ceremony was a wonderful fun-filled event. We look forward to next year. Hari Om.
--Viraj Garlapati and Vihaan Chaudhari
Photography by Karthik Garlapti and Mohan Mahalingam
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