Christmas is not only the time filled with prolonged celebrations and fun-filled activities, it is the season when we most deeply feel the significance of our loved ones in our life. A time to spread love among the mankind to evade all the hatred and bitterness. A time to reflect upon our thoughts and deeds and to celebrate the essence of a period which is the love of God for humanity. The verse of the Bible says “ For God so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in him will not perish but have eternal life.”When we think about the God’s eternal love for us, we too are encouraged to spread this love and care to others. When we are imbued with a thought of love and humanity, we are willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, to alleviate the sufferings of others and to give succor and support to the vulnerable ones.

Christmas is a time of merriment, love, sharing, and caring.

The fun and excitement of awaiting gifts from Santa are even much higher in kids. But for most children living in the orphanages and impoverished communities, Christmas is just not the same. Rishikul Yogshala celebrated Christmas this year in the touching companionship of such children at the Udaan NGO in Rishikesh, India. The purpose was to commemorate the spirit of giving and to spread the warmth of love, care, and support with the children of God.

Rishikul Yogshala truly believes in the concept of Karma which states that good deeds bring you good and has been involved in many karma yoga projects. Living true to its nature of being a ‘Karma Yoga Foundation’ the school extends strenuous support to each and every yoga enthusiast, despite their humble background through various yoga courses. Therefore, with a noble thought to make Christmas merriest for the underprivileged children and to share the joy of giving, an event was organized by our students at the NGO.

The bright Sunday morning brought with it celebrations at the Udaan Foundation where the students of Rishikul Yogshala celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. Udaan India Foundation is a Rishikesh based Non-Profit organization working with children from low-income communities in the field of communication. Their primary aim is to ensure a holistic, strong educational foundation for every school going child making them more responsible, compassionate citizens of tomorrow.

Reminiscing the principles of compassion and having a vision of doing everything with a positive mindset and from a place of love, Children at NGO conducted diverse cultural activities to truly spread some warmth this Christmas. The children were immersed in melodious carol singing, beautiful dance performances, and various fun-filled activities. A wholesome and enticing assortment of snacks and dishes were served to the children nurturing their well-being. Bringing smiles to their beautiful faces brought happiness to our souls but there was a moment of sadness also. Sadness because our present generation and future powers come from families where there has been little or no formal education, where education is not a priority and a common place for children to drop out of school in order to contribute towards family income. Udaan strongly believes in the power of education in changing the lives and through this mission strives to bring hope into the lives of people. A child’s journey at Udaan starts with Preschool level, continues throughout their schooling years and even supports them until they become workable.

One of our student Emisha was a part of this celebration and had the fortune of visiting the children. She shares her feeling low-spirited as only a few children have access to this opportunity. At the same time, she was immensely gratified that someone had taken a proactive approach to making a difference.

Another student Anna quoted, that we should appreciate everything in life.

The memorable day was made sweeter by the cutting of the cake, which was shared and relished by all.

We consider ourselves really fortunate having celebrated the spirit of Christmas in the company of such beautiful and innocent souls. Sharing the happiness with them was immensely blissful.