SRI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE SELF-GUIDED TOUR 281.997.5970 • VisitPearland.com INTRODUCTION The Sri Meenakshi Temple welcomes visitors from all over the world. The Temple is open 365 days a year. Visiting hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each day. Appropriate clothing should be worn to show respect to the Temple and to the Deities. Suitable clothing should cover the shoulders and knees. You must remove your shoes before going into the Temple, but socks are allowed. Photos are permissible. Organized services occur on Sunday. During the week, devotees come to the Temple at various times to pray. When entering the Temple, always go to the left in a clock- wise circle. The significance of always going to the left is to keep ‘the god’ on ‘the right’. HISTORY The Sri Meenakshi Temple is the 3rd Hindu temple built in the United States since the 1970’s, which was the peak of the Hindu immigrant settlement in the United States of America. The Temple construction started on a 5 acre property in the 1970’s. The Maha Kumbhabhishekam (inauguration) was performed in June 1982. Many volunteers and devotees have contributed to the growth and development of the Sri Meenakshi Temple over the years. This Temple is the only temple off the shores of India dedicated to Meenakshi, who is the Goddess of Marriage. Sri Meenakshi is the symbolic representation of energy in the female form, manifesting the power of Shiva, who depicts matter. It is an exact replica of the Sree Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, India. The Hindu Temples in South India are all similar in structure with 4 corner temples that surround the main worship temple. In the front of the temples, the tall, intricately created main gateways or “Gopurams” make for great architectural sights. The granite you see throughout the property is all imported from India while the cement body is produced locally. BEGIN Start the self-guided tour at the back entrance of the Main Temple Complex, away on the opposite side from Bailey Road. Enter and go to the left. Walk around to the front entrance of the Main Temple. 1 The MAIN TEMPLE is the primary worship center within the complex, located in the center. In the four corners of the temple, there are four smaller temples. The Hindu religion dates back to about 1900 BCE to 1400 BCE. It is considered to be the oldest religion in the world and also the most tolerant. Temple teaches similar principles as other religions: peace, love for each other, and that the world will become a better place for everyone to live. Because the local Hindu population is so diverse, along with the main deity Sri Meenakshi and Lord Siva of the Shivite traditions, Lord Venkateswara, or Lord Vishnu, along with Padmavathy of Vaishnava traditions are also consecrated in the temple. The temple has become a confluence of the several traditions of worship. There are currently 16 gods and goddesses celebrated at the Sri Meenakshi Temple. Hindu worship is primarily an individual act rather than a communal one, as it involves making personal offerings to the deity. 2 Enter the Temple through the MAIN DOORS. Remove your shoes if you are still wearing any, but socks are accepted. Puja (pooja) is the traditional, religious, ritualistic observation conducted by the priests as prescribed by the sacred scriptures of Hindu Dharma. Puja is the act of showing reverence to the God through invocations, rituals, prayers and offerings. A deity is an image consecrated to be filled with cosmic energy and serves as the focal point for honoring and communicating with God. 3 INSIDE THE MAIN TEMPLE there are 4 main shrines which are dedicated to Shiva, Meenakshi, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. In Hinduism, there is a ‘pantheon of gods’, symbolizing many concepts and sections of Hindus pray to them as their ‘Ishta Devathas’, or favorite, personal deities. There are people who visit the Temple who believe in Hinduism, and then there are visitors who also practice other religions. Different people profess affinity to particular deities within the Temple; performing rituals as part of their worship. You may see people presenting a prasadam, or offering, to the shrine of their deity. This can come in the form of jewelry, fruit, flowers, or a sari. 4 In front of each deity, you will see an OFFERING PLATE with a flame and also a bowl of powder that will be used for the tilak, or marking, that signifies which god they worship. The devotees of Shiva apply sacred ashes, the devotees of Vishnu apply sandalwood paste, and the worshippers of Shakthi apply a red turmeric powder. The tilak is applied in various patterns which represents their affinity to a certain god or goddess. Traditionally, the hands of the devotee will hover over the flame, then apply the tilak to their forehead before praying and/or making their prasadam. Each morning, the priests who live on-site practice their worship rituals. The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with the morning prayer, or Suprabhatam, which is a collection of hymns or verses recited to awaken the deity in Hinduism. Throughout the Temple, you may notice that various birds or animals are depicted alongside their deity. In the Hindu religion, this is symbolic of their vehicle, allowing them to get from Point A to Point B very quickly. FOUR SHRINES INSIDE THE MAIN TEMPLE 5 SHIVA, OR SUNDARESWARA (SIVA), is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. His shrine is on the left inside the main Temple. He is the Supreme Being within Shaivism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Shiva symbolizes the creative destruction of life and represents the matter and auspiciousness. Nandi, a bull, is Shiva’s mode of transportation. The bull represents strength. 6 MEENAKSHI is located in the center of the Temple. Goddess Meenakshi is the symbolic representation of energy in the female form, manifesting the power of Siva, who depicts matter. The two are the passive and active aspects of the Absolute Reality. Known as an Avatar of the Hindu Goddess Parvati - and consort of Shiva - who is worshipped mainly by South Indians. She is also one of the few Hindu female deities to have a major temple devoted to her - the far famed Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She is also considered the goddess of Marriage. Meenakshi is wed to Shiva by Vishnu. 7 VISHNU, OR VENKATESWARA, can be found to the right of Meenakshi’s shrine. He is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, and the Supreme along with Brahma and Shiva, Vishnu forms a Hindu trinity. Vishnu is considered to be the protector and sustainer of the universe. He is shown with four hands holding a lotus (petals symbolizing unfolding creation), a conch (primordial sound of every creation), chakra and a gada (sharp weapon and mace symbolizing the power to destroy evil.) Vishnu is depicted riding a Garuda (a holy bird, national emblem of Indonesia) which is one of the fastest flying birds. He uses this as his vehicle because when a devotee prays and asks for help, he quickly gets to their aid using the Garuda. 8 The shrine of LAKSHMI can be seen to the right of Vishnu, facing the center of the Temple. She is the wife and shakti (energy) of Vishnu, and is the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. The marriage and relationship between Lakshmi and Vishnu as wife and husband is the archetype for ceremonies and rituals in Hindu weddings. You will notice that she is shown with four hands, which represent the four goals of human life that are considered important to the Hindu way of life: dharma, kama, artha, and moksha. Her vehicle is an owl, which represents the significance of economic activity in the maintenance of life and also her ability to prevail in confusing darkness. 9 Shrines of NANDI (inside left) and GARUDA (inside right, pictured) are also present in the main temple, on either side of the entrance. Nandi is the sacred bull calf, gatekeeper and vehicle of Shiva. Garuda, the mount/vehicle of Vishnu, is a large mythical bird with eagle-like features. 10 Right outside the main entrance to the Temple, there is a STATUE OF NANDI AND A GOLDEN FLAGPOLE. Nandi faces the entrance to the temple and the shrine of Shiva inside. The golden flagpole flies the Temple Flag during the ten day cultural festival in April each year, Mahotsavam. The flag only flies during the festival to commemorate the observance of the event. The large teak doors to the Main Temple Complex are generally opened on the weekends and during major events, when many devotees come to visit the Temple. 11 CHALK ART is visible throughout the courtyard of the Meenakshi Temple, called Kolam. This is a South Indian style of painting using rice flour or chalk. A Kolam is a geometrical line drawing composed of curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots. During holidays and events, more complex and colorful patterns are drawn. 12 The TEMPLE COMPLEX includes four smaller temples in the four corners of the walled enclosure devoted to other deities. They are dedicated to Ganesha, Ayappan, Rama, Hanuman, Krishna, Nataraja, Navagraha, Murugan, and Durga. 13 The deity DURGA is found in the southeast corner of the temple. Also known as Devi or Shakthi, she is a main Hindu goddess. She is known as the warrior goddess, who is known for combating evil and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and the dharma of the good.