A Sacred Vigil from Moon to Sun

As the last day of the year approached, a deep sense of completion filled us all. Endings matter. How we close a chapter is as important as how we begin the next. A year is filled with joy and pain, growth and challenges, and it deserves to be consciously acknowledged and concluded.

On the final night of the year, we walked together to the top of the hill under a full moon. There, above our water reservoirs—our precious source of life—we gathered in silence. Fire was lit at the center, and we formed a circle, like a living mandala around the fire.

Beforehand, each of us had written down the aspects of ourselves we wished to leave behind: fears, weaknesses, habits we wanted to transform. These were held quietly, waiting to be offered

The boys formed the outer circle, symbolizing their role as protectors. They danced the Tandava, the dance of Shiva—powerful and intense—awakening courage, strength, and fearlessness. Holding a torch in the left hand and a knife in the right, they embodied the eternal balance between life and death, action and awareness. Their dance was a vow: to care for the community and prepare themselves as future protectors and providers.

When the Tandava ended, the inner circle of girls and mothers rose to dance Kaoshikii. This deeply spiritual dance uplifts the mind, harmonizes the body, and awakens inner strength. As the dance unfolded, the younger children joined in, and the circle blossomed into a living flower. Together we danced Lalita Marmika, singing the mantra “Everything is Love,” arms outstretched to welcome the new year.

Silence followed. Sitting together in meditation, each person offered their written intentions into the fire—releasing the past with the promise of renewal.

After this formal farewell to the year, we opened a window to the village celebrations. The children spent some time enjoying the lively atmosphere of the town before returning. We did not stay long, as we wished to welcome the new year again—this time with the rising sun.

At 5 a.m., ” Walking quietly through the darkness felt like stepping into a fairytale, moving toward light through a mystical doorway.

The older children began the early-morning chanting of Babanam Kevalam—“Love is All.

We walked counterclockwise, forming a moving mandala as the sky slowly brightened. The older children arrived first as guardians of the night,

As the sun emerged, we sat once more in silent meditation, welcoming the new year with clarity, purity, and a sense of presence.

Beginnings matter. How we start a day, a year, or a new phase of life shapes everything that follows. We sang “Happy Birthday” to the year and celebrated in our own way: with good food, music, rest, and gratitude, watching the sunlight fill the world.

Endings matter just as much. That morning, we watched the sun rise, saw the new year arrive with a smile—and it smiled back.