During the holy month of Shravan, over 121,000 boys and girls up to the age of 14 participated in and attended the 2,282 separate Bal and Balika Parayans held at BAPS centers throughout India. Focusing on the Satsang Diksha, a shastra written by Mahant Swami Maharaj, the three-day Bal and Balika Parayans comprised programs designed by the BAPS Children’s Activities Central Office.
The parayans focused on verses 209 to 212, which Swamishri has written especially for children. The parayans began with a procession in which balikas and balaks reverently paraded the Satsang Diksha shastra around the parayan location, which the children had themselves decorated. The Bal Parayan would then start with singing of the dhun and prarthana.
One of the program’s main attractions was the theme song, featuring a grandparent and some little kids playfully introducing the day’s theme. Then, on each of the three days, the child selected as the main speaker would sing a verse from the Satsang Diksha and elaborate upon it through prasangs, stories and couplets. Along with the main speaker’s explanations, engaging videos also helped the children in the audience understand how to apply the Satsang Diksha’s teachings in their daily life.
The daily themes for the parayans were avoiding bad company, excelling in studies, and becoming an ideal child. Kids were inspired to keep good friends, limit screen time, stay away from harmful addictions, be productive, concentrate on their studies, manage their time better, be humble, do seva, and behave well.