Bala Vihar 2026–27 — Weekly Announcements

Navaratri at CMDFW — October 11–20

• Daily chanting of Lalita Sahasranama Stotram at Chinmaya Saaket, Sunday, October 11 to Monday, October 19, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
• On Saturday, October 17, the chanting is at Chinmaya Chitrakoot at 4:00 pm.
• Vijaya Dashami pooja on Tuesday, October 20 at Chinmaya Saaket, 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
• More details: Navaratri 2026 at CMDFW.

GSK Watch Party & Garba Night

• Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 5:30 pm at Chinmaya Chitrakoot.
• An opportunity for all volunteers, participants and attendees to watch the GSK video and take part in Garba Raas that evening.
• Free to all participants and CMDFW families. Registration is required to help us plan — please register at events.cmdfw.org.

Public Service / Non-Political Announcement — Voting

“The service of our country is the service of the Lord of Lords.” As Chinmaya members, being part of our local community means getting involved in the process. VOTE. Specific things to think about, especially if you have college-age kids:

• Does your college student have a voting plan? If your child is away at college and needs a mail-in ballot, that application also goes by mail and must be received (not postmarked) by October 23. Does your child have stamps? A printer? Start this process early and make your plan now.
• More information: VoteTexas.gov
• Questions, or need help with the process? Contact Lakshmi Ananthakrishnan at 502-386-4490.

CMDFW Blood Drive

Chinmaya Mission SEVA has coordinated a Carter BloodCare drive at Chinmaya Chitrakoot. Members from any center may donate. See the event page for eligibility and the sign-up link.

• Chinmaya Chitrakoot — Sunday, October 25, 8:45 am to 1:00 pm. 900 N. Beltline Rd, Irving, TX 75061.
• Check eligibility before signing up. Donors must be at least 16 years old and in good general health, and 16-year-olds need written parental consent. If you have traveled to India in the past three months, you are not eligible to donate. Questions? Contact seva@cmdfw.org.

Walkathon T-Shirt Design Contest — Theme: Bhagavan & Me

• The t-shirt design contest for our Chinmaya Mission Walkathon is here. The Walkathon raises scholarship funds for our Bhutanese and Nepalese outreach students, supporting their education and growth.
• Show your creativity by designing a t-shirt that celebrates this year’s theme, Bhagavan & Me — let your design reflect your personal connection with Bhagavan and how His presence inspires love, faith, devotion and guidance in everyday life.
• Reminders: designs must be created in pencil. If AI is used in design development, the original pencil design must also be submitted.
• Open to PreK–12. Submissions are due Sunday, November 1, 2026, to walkathon@cmdfw.org. See the flyer on the event page for full rules and specifications.
• The winning design will be chosen by Hari ji and Sanjana ji and featured on the official Walkathon t-shirt. Questions? Reach out to Nupoor ji or email walkathon@cmdfw.org.

High School Lock-Ins

• Lock-In 1 of 2 — Friday, November 13, 2026, 8:00 pm to 6:30 am (overnight) at Chinmaya Saaket.
• Lock-In 2 of 2 — Friday, February 5, 2027, 8:00 pm to 6:30 am (overnight) at Chinmaya Saaket.
• Dates for the Middle/Elementary School lock-ins are being reworked. We’ll update you once the new dates are finalized.

Mark Your Calendar — CMDFW Annual Banquet

• Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 5:00 pm at the Westin Stonebriar in Frisco.
• Swami Ishwarananda ji from Chinmaya Mission Los Angeles is our keynote speaker.
• We invite you and your family to attend. More details will follow on the event page.

CORD USA Winter Service Visits 2026

• CORD (Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development) USA Winter Service Visits will be held from Monday, December 21 to Saturday, January 2 at the CORD Deuladiha (Odisha) Center, India.
• Applications are now open for students!
• Details were shared with families by email. This is a unique and transformative opportunity for students to experience selfless service at CORD. It’s time-sensitive, so if you’re interested, please submit your application right away.
• Questions? Reach out to the CORD-Dallas Coordinator at dallas@cordusa.org.