For the first time ever, an adhiveshan for children aged from 3 to 5 years was held on Saturday 7 December 2002 in London.
This adhiveshan was simply an opportunity for children to prepare and perform. It was not only about enhancing their satsang knowledge but opening up their personalities and boosting their confidence. It also encouraged their parents to spend more time with their children, which is so crucial at this age.
Adhiveshan packs consisting of colorful pages together with audio cassettes were prepared to help the children learn. The categories to be tested were carefully chosen to take into account the learning power, and concentration span (especially during judging) and the fun aspect.
The first two categories, Satsang Essentials and Satsang Culture were intended to test their basic knowledge of satsang. The second category was practical so the children who were less vocal would feel at ease.
The third category of Satsang Mukhpath was optional and was created to challenge these children who were above the basic level.
The fourth category was Satsang Talents and children were free to choose as many activities as they wanted from story telling, singing, card making and coloring.
The fifth category was Sports and Games. It was amazing how after such an active day they found energy to participate in this.
Careful planning went into creating the right atmosphere to relax the children. The judging areas were colorfully decorated and all the judges were hand-picked for their gentle mannerism. They were offered training on how to encourage the children to convey what they knew. The children were escorted throughout the day by co-sanchalaks or parents. They were judged in groups of three to make it less daunting.
In total, 94 children took part and the adhiveshan brought about positive changes in many children. One balak whose speech was delayed was taught by his sister. Their combined efforts not only earned him four trophies, but according to his parents, helped him overcome his speech problem.
It was astounding to see that at least 75% of the children participating gained 70% or more in the Satsang Essentials and Satsang Culture categories. A further 20% of the children gained over 90% or more in the same categories. There were even three-year-olds amongst both of these groups.
In total, 240 trophies were awarded and despite the challenging nature of the adhiveshan - for the children, parents and sanchalaks - it proved to be a grand success.