Excitement is in the air as students in prepare for the first ever Sahasra Deepika Spelling Bee! The bee, which targets very needy students in the 9th standard, is a fun, unique and competitive way to gain fluency in written and spoken English. Dr. and Mrs. Ramakrishna have been busy traveling to schools around Bangalore to talk to hundreds of students about the program. In the above photo, Dr. Ramakrishna is explaining the rules to a 9th standard class. The children's enthusiasm is truly inspirational. Help us make this program a success! If you or your business would like to sponsor the Spelling Bee, please contact us. Click here to see photos and read more about the program.

Volunteers from Youth for Seva helped make Diwali, the Festival of Lights, truly enjoyable for the kids at SDI. The merriment included games, balloons, and lots of sweets. The volunteers also discussed the meaning of Diwali with the children. The highlight of the evening was of course the traditional lighting of firecrackers and sparklers. Many thanks to the volunteers, who took time from their own celebrations to be at Sahasra Deepika.

My name is Raghavendra. I was a young boy when I joined here. I was playing in fields and watching the cricket matches. And then Mathaji [Mrs. Ramakrishna] came there and saw me alone in the fields. Mathaji came and talked with my mother and I joined here luckily. I was 8 years old and studying in 2nd standard. When I arrived here I felt very nervous and was very afraid of people. Mathaji and Pithaji [Dr. Ramakrishna] talked to me gently and now I am relaxed. My hobbies are reading storybooks, old epics and puranas. Read more by Raghavendra here.

Hoi-Fei Mok, a Wellesley College senior, spent a week at Sahasra Deepika this summer. A talented violinist, Fei agreed to play a concert for the kids. They sang along to favorite tunes like Twinkle Twinkle little Star. This was the first time the kids had seen a violin. Exposure to the arts is essential to a child's cultural and intellectual development. If you have a talent to share with our students, please contact us to arrange a performance.