Japa Maala

Manojavam Sloka – Activity

Aim of the activity – To make the group I children understand the importance of Namasmarana and how the Lord’s name can protect us at all times and help us accomplish the most difficult tasks.

Materials required – Beads, strings, scissors

Japamala Making Activity

Gurus should narrate stories from the life of Lord Hanuman explaining how He was able to accomplish the most difficult tasks by taking the name of Lord Rama. Explain to the children that doing any activity by taking the name of the Lord gives us the necessary courage, determination and intelligence to perform that task with ease and confidence.

1. Distribute 27 beads (it could be 26 regular beads and one Guru Bead that is slightly bigger or of a different color than the regular one) and a string to every child.
2. On a flat and clean surface, ask them to place the 27 beads for stringing.
3. Tie the End Knot in the string and ask each child to thread the beads starting with the first bead.
4. Ask them to slowly add the beads to the string chanting Jai Shri Ram continuously with every bead stringing.
5. Once the 26 beads are done, the Gurus should help the children with the Guru bead and the tassel.

Debriefing – Suggested Questions

1. Did you enjoy the activity?
2. Do you think the Japamalas that you have made is charged with positive energy? Why?
3. What happens when we do any activity by taking the name of the Lord?

Here the focus should be on chanting the name of the Lord during the entire course of the activity. At the end of the class the japa malas can be handed over to the children to be kept in their altar. The children can be asked to chant any mantra of their choice – the Gayatri Mantra or Om Shri Sairam or Aum Namah Shivaya or Jai Shri Ram 27 times everyday. The children can be asked to do specific chantings like Shri Ganeshaya Namaha on Ganesh Chaturthi 108 times (27*4) using this Japamala.