January 2023 began with a bang when for the first time in my life, my black beauty came home, my Mercedes A 160, which not only captured my heart but also gave me a new confidence of being able to drive around in Germany, having successfully managed to get a German driving licence. I was on the lookout for a new job nearby where I stayed and a close friend referred me there and helped me secure the position in the new company.
I went to the interview in my car. Having the car helped me change my job for better prospects and I was excited at the new opportunity the new colleagues and the new working atmosphere.
But at the time of joining the company on 1st April, I was down with Corona and had to shift my joining date by 11 days. During that time my friends staying close by helped me out with food and other stuff and I will always be thankful for having them around.
I started a Ram Raksha Chanting group from Gudhi Padwa this year and that group has grown into a wonderful, well-connected group where we meet online every Wednesday to chant Ram Raksha Stotra and Maruti Stotra. We also celebrated special occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi and Navratra, everything online.
In May, we went on a two-week trip to Pune for my son's thread ceremony. He was already 11 by then, but we had lost three years owing to the pandemic. So we decided to do the ritual this year with excellent planning by my husband, in-laws, and parents. The trip was short but could meet most of the relatives from both sides and it was a great catch-up for my son to meet so many people whom as a kid he hadn't met as we have spent many years in Germany.
In this thread ceremony, my husband's cousin sister gifted me the Bhagwad Geeta and that started my journey into this enchanting world of learning the chapters from Bhagwad Geeta from July this year. I was able to slowly recite the different chapters with the help of an online institution called Geeta Pariwar. All I had to do was commit 40 minutes of my time daily and now I can chant seven chapters from the Bhagwad Geeta. I spend time listening to different interpretations of those chapters and try to inculcate those values and morals in my daily behavior.
My mom visited me from June to August and I took her around to a few places in my car and with my friends. She loved the season and the time flew by like crazy.
We celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi at home as a family and I got many invitations from different friends this year for Ganpati Darshan. It felt like the good old times in Mumbai.
I participated in an online musical project by the talented musician, Nishad Phatak residing in Munich, and did recording for the Ganpati Stotra by going to a musical studio with many other fellow singers in July. It was a great experience and we all thoroughly enjoyed the process of practicing together. The final song gave us goosebumps and we were very happy to be able to sing for Lord Ganesha. The song was released during the Ganesh Chaturthi in September and all my near and dear ones liked the song.
My mother-in-law came to Germany in October. We celebrated Navratri together at home and visited Golu at a Tamilian friend's home. My mom-in-law was a great help and company for me in chanting the Bhagwad Geeta together as she had done it long back in 2016. She helped me to improve my pronunciation and taught me the meanings too. She also taught the 12th chapter to a group of kids and a group of my women friends during her tenure here. We both want the whole world to experience the joy of being acquainted with Bhagwad Geeta and try to encourage everyone to start learning to chant it properly.
We also celebrated Diwali together by calling over a few friends at home and visiting a few on other days. I took Diwali snack boxes and a small Diya as a gift to my colleagues at work. Everyone was pleasantly surprised and appreciated my gesture. After all, we Indians like to share and care, don't we?
We celebrated the Geeta Jayanti at my place on 23rd December where my mother-in-law and one more friend chanted all 18 chapters of Bhagwad Geeta by sitting for three and a half hours. There were a few other friends who had joined and it was an overall very satisfying and enriching experience.
On the personal front, I would say that it was a very spiritually enriching year for me and I want to explore more deeply into it in 2024. There are so many things that I don't know from my own Sanatan Dharma and I would like to equip myself better with the knowledge of the rich heritage of Bharat. I want to commit myself to becoming more spiritual and less materialistic. I would like to encourage people to find their true identity by introducing them to Bhagwad Geeta.
That's my true calling and purpose in life.
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