WINTER CAMP OF DENZONG BAHA’I INSTITUTE OF SIKKIM

 by Sanjay Agarwal

21-day Winter camp organized by Denzong Baha’i Institute of Sikkim began on 20th December 2009 at Baha’i School, Tadong. The camp will go till 9^th January 2010. The participants are from Sumbuk (South Sikkim), Pachey (Pakyong) and Gangtok. A camp of this kind was first started at Saramsa (Ranipool) in December 2000 by the Denzong Baha’i Institute of Sikkim. The participants were from Bhutan, Darjeeling, and Sikkim then. But in the later years to make it convenient and manageable the Institute decided to decentralize  it and have it in different centers. For the past three or four years, for the people of Darjeeling, it has been organized in Darjeeling itself and for Sikkim in Sikkim itself.

This is a spiritual empowerment program. Here, participants are taught to be tolerant and encourage fellowship among the people irrespective of caste, creed, color, religion, race, and nation. They get insights into the concept God is one, man is the creation of one God, and the source of all religion is one. In the camp, classes are conducted using a participatory method. The participants are divided into different groups. For each group, one tutor is appointed to coordinate the class and help the class get ahead on the right track. Each group has to go through a systematic sequence of courses from level 1 to level 7. The materials they study are designed for different subjects. They are as follows:

Level 1: Reflection on the life of the spirit.

Level 2 : Arising to serve.

Level 3 : Teaching children’s classes, Grade I

Level 4 : The twin manifestations.

Level 5 : Teaching children classes, Grade II

Level 6 : Teaching the Faith.

Level 7 : Walking together on a path of service.

These materials represent the experience gained by the institutions in raising up individuals capable of working for the benefit of their families and society.

Mr. Samir Pandey, Mr. Ramesh Pradhan, Mr. Nikhil Rai, Mrs. Hemlata Pradhan, Mr. Rohit Chettri, Mr. Binod Pokhrel and Mrs. Devikala Lama are helping as tutors in the winter camp of Sikkim,2009.