Celebrating 150 years Theosophical Society and 100 years ITC – a sacred place

Come and join us in the weekend of the 23rd of August to celebrate the 100th birthday of the ITC in a weekend full of inspiring talks, music and dance and of course there will be cake!

Two festive days
The summer of 2025 will be a remarkable season in the history of the Theosophical Society (TS), with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the TS, at Vancouver, Canada, from 23 to 27 July. Following this, an additional auspicious event will take place celebrating 100 years ITC Naarden, the European home of the TS from 22 to 24 August. Tim Boyd, the International President of the TS, will be Keynote speaker, leading a unique programme on different aspects of the history and work of the ITC. This special occasion provides an ideal opportunity for old and new European friends to meet and celebrate together.

Tim Boyd will open the programme with a reflection on the history of the TS and an outlook to its future, followed by Arend Heijbroek on aspects of the history of the ITC. ITC is a learning organisation in its own right. It appears that the focus of the work changed in different periods, which of course raises the question of what impulses may be expected for the future. And what remains central.

Over lunch time there will be a festive gathering and presentation of new features at the centre. Following this, Isolde Sültemeyer will talk about Rukmini Devi Arundale who was head of the ITC for over 50 years and share insights and discoveries about her connections with Rabindranath Tagore and Mrs. Mary van Eeghen, who donated her estate to the theosophical society. Isolde, who lives in Australia, has compiled an extensive archive on Rukmini through much research in India and Europe.

One of the most visual aspects of Rukmini’s work was the development of the Bharatanatyam temple dance as an art form, which was a revolutionary act at the time. Leela Samson, one of her pupils and biographer, will join us online from Adyar to elaborate on Rukmini’s role in reviving and elevating this ancient art form and help us gain a better understanding of its spiritual aspects. Bhavajan Kumar, a talented and accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, will first demonstrate this art form, highlighting the spiritual aspects, followed by a performance.

During the second day, special attention will be paid to work and experience with finer energies. Tim Boyd will give an overview of the work of the different TS centres in the world, each with their own unique role. Then Ingmar de Boer will explore the aspect of the Sacred in our consciousness and how that relates to what is Sacred in a place like the ITC.

In the afternoon, Trân Thi Kim Diêu, former chairman of ITC will chair a session, where several TS officers will share some of their experiences in a sacred place, such as ITC Naarden. In the early history of the ITC, ceremonial work attracted the most attention. This has gradually changed. Parcival van Gessel will outline how ceremonial work greatly contributes to the work of the TS.

Programme

Thursday 21^st (Arrival participants EFTS Council)

Friday 22^nd (Arrival international participants ITC programme)
18.00      dinner
20.00      Social gathering, meeting with old and new friends

Saturday 23^rd of August, 150 years TS and ITC 100 years programme
Tea and coffee breaks during morning and afternoon programme
8.00         Meditation
8.30         Breakfast
9.30         Welcome day visitors and coffee
10.00      Morning programme

• Opening Chairman ITC
• Tim Boyd: 150 years TS, a reflection and outlook
• Arend Heijbroek: ITC from past to future

12.00      Lunch and Festive gathering
14.30      Afternoon programme

• Isolde Sültemeyer: Spiritual Radiance from India; Tagore, Rukmini and the Naarden Centre
• Online from Adyar – Leela Samson: Rukmini Devi, the discovery of the dance
• Bhavajan Kumar: History and background Bharata Natya

18.00      Dinner
20.00     Bhavajan Kumar: Bharata Natyam performance

Sunday 24^th
Tea and coffee breaks during morning and afternoon programme
8.00       Meditation
8.30       Breakfast
9.30       Welcome day visitors and coffee
10.00     Morning programme

• Tim Boyd: sacred Places of the TS
• Ingmar de Boer: The Sacred and the Sacred Place

12.15      Lunch
14.00     Afternoon programme

• Contributions TS sections in Europe; experiences with sacred places.
• Parcival van Gessel: Ceremonial work at the ITC, its contribution to theosophical work

16.30     Departure

Our weekend programme ends at around 16:30 on Sunday before dinner. In the evening, there will be another Bharatanatyam dance introduction and performance by Bhavajan Kumar for the public at large, including teachers and pupils from dance schools. If you would like to attend this additional performance, please visit our special page to find registration details.

Registration
As we expect many guests from abroad, it is recommended to register in time as the number of places and lodging in particular, is limited. As we give participants travelling in from abroad, priority on lodging, we request our Dutch members to travel as much as possible from home both days. We will organise transport from the Naarden-Bussum railway station, for which you need to register. Lodging requests from Dutch members will be placed on a waiting list. On the 1st August, we will confirm Dutch applicants whether rooms are available.

Registration can be done through the link to the registration form: https://forms.office.com/e/FqSSY6LLZ6

Pricing and payment
More information on this can be found through the registration link above. Below you may find a quick overview of the prices for this event: