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Volume 28 May 2011 Number 2

D/FW HinduD/FW Temple Hindu Society “Ekta Mandir” Website: www.dfwhindutemple.org 1605 N. Britain Road, Irving TX 75061 Telephone: Metro (972) 445-3111, Fax: (972) 445-3100

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 154246 Irving, TX 75015-4246 Monthly Events

Every 6:00 PM Satyanarayan /Katha Every Pradosh 6:30 PM Puja & Abhishekam Every Shashti 6:30 PM Murugan Abhishekam Every Chaturthi 6:30 PM Abhishekam First Wednesday 10:30 AM Vitthala Abhishekam & Puja First Friday 10:00 AM Mahalakshmi Abhishekam First Friday 6:30 PM Abhishek BY Ilangai Thamizhar Group First Saturday 3:30 PM Amrit Vaani First Sunday 10:30 AM Serva Devta Archana First Sunday 4:00 PM Puja- Group Second Saturday 10:00 AM Balaji Abhishekam (Andal /Chakratalwar ) Second Saturday 5:30 PM by Omkar Satsang Mandal Second Sunday 10:30 AM & 1:30 PM Arya Samaj Havan Third Thursday 10:00 AM Dattatreya Paduka Abhishek Third Friday 8:45 PM Durga Jagarta Third Saturday 4:00 PM Gita Reading-Gita Sanskar Third Saturday 6:30 PM Ayyappa Abhishekam & Puja Third Sunday 4:00 PM Gayatri Puja Fourth Friday 1:00 PM Naadhopaasanaa ( with 15 Mins Break for aarati) Fourth Saturday 3:30 PM Sunder Kand Path 6:00 PM Bhajans by Sanatan Satsang Samaj Fourth Sunday 3:30 PM Arya Samaj Havan

PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMAIL IDs FOR RECEIVING TEMPLE UPDATES Due to the increasing administrative and mailing costs, we are planning to communicate Temple Events, Publications (Archana) and other relevant information electronically. You do not have to be a member to subscribe to this list. Please send your full name & email IDs to the following email address: [email protected] Thank you -Temple Management

BI-ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA ON PAGE 19.

Temple Hours

Mon – Fri: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM & 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM Aarati: 12 Noon and 7:30 PM, Daily

2 D/FW Society Message from the President Management Dear Devotees, Chairman Trustees My pranams to all of you. 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the Mahalakshmi Prathishtapana of our Temple. We are planning a three Vinoda Kumar 817-589-2517 day ceremony with special pujas during the Memorial day weekend, May 27-29th. This is a great source of pride and joy for all of us, we are Secretary grateful to all who have steered us to get the Temple to this level. We wanted to celebrate this in a grand memorable manner, with a three day Rajiv Gaind 972-392-7860 ìDhanyavad and Hindu Melaî event recognizing the hundreds who have worked behind making our Temple the Best Place of Worship and Members monument of Hindu Culture in US. However we had to limit it to a three Asha Ram 972-252-1500 day event of religious activity only. We look forward to everyoneís participation in making this a grand success. Dr. N. K. Monga 214-368-8563 Harshika Bhatt 972-462-1383 As the nation moves towards the Go-Green Culture, we are also Jyoti Bhatia 972-867-3224 joining hands in the effort by launching an Energy Savings Program. Manoj Parikh 972-298-2011 We are proud to inform that the Temple has been awarded an ìOncor Grantî to replace the existing Lighting and HVAC systems with new Ranna Jani 817-926-5086 energy saving units. With this roll out we are expecting a significant Rajyam Rao 972-401-3897 savings in utility bills. Tushar Basu 817-354-6068 With the inauguration o of the new Vidya Vikas building on April 10th by the Irving Mayor Mr. Herbert A.Gears, our Temple has attained another Executive Committee Milestone in the ongoing efforts of transferring our rich religious culture and heritage to the future generations. The vision of the founding fathers behind the Vidya VIkas is being taken to another level. The Vidya Vikas President Management team is working with the Temple Management to Bhasy Nair 512-750-9978 incorporate several new activities to make the best use of the additional 16 classrooms. The Library is also given a face lift with this renovation. Vice President (I) I thank the Construction committee, the people who have contributed Anita Singhal 817-261-9174 their time and efforts from outside as well as the Past EC and BOT members for all their efforts in making this dream come true for our future generations. Vice President (II) For the first time in the Temple History, we also performed a Gayatry Khemchand Nangrani 972-742-5680 Havan with 108 Kundies, in the multipurpose hall in the first floor of the new building. The power of Bhakthi was amply demonstrated to anyone who saw the Poojas that afternoon. The National Gayatri Parivar team Treasurer worked with the Temple Priests and devotees to make this a grand success. Kumud Gupta 817-571-6945 We have completed another quarter with several major religious Joint Treasurer activities this year. Even during the severe winter days in February, the Mukund Patel 214-357-2844 daily pujas were not interrupted; Temple remained open for limited hours. Pujas for Shivaratri were well attended in March.. On Saturday, a Secretary Mahamrtyunjaya humam was also done. The and Anand Bazar brought in more of younger generation compared to past years and Omana Nair 972-444-0662 was celebrated with great zest and enthusiasm, with professional DJ Ex-Officio and live radio coverage. The this year attracted an Sandhya Patel 972-506-9141 unusually large crowd. Akhand Ramayan Pooja, Pooja, Chaitra , the 108 Chalisa chanting, Ram Navami Committee Members and all other regular poojas were conducted with a lot of participation and support. A. L. Somanath 817-545-3735 While we are reaching out to new horizons like new buildings and Anul Apte 817-919-2333 activities, we are also aware of several pending maintenance issues Chandra K. Bandar 214-295-7448 and tasks that need to be completed. The water-logging problem in front of the Temple was addressed during the Yagnasala construction phase. Dilip Yadev 972-315-3339 We look forward to your support and guidance as we try to complete Jayakumar 940-382-2505 and revamp our Audio Systems, Mural Projects and others. Kanti Wani 817-608-0244 Kishor Fruitwala 972-234-1211 Kindly visit our new website at http://www.dfwhindutemple.org for upcoming events. As always kindly help us by sending us your valuable MVL Prasad 469-464-7829 comments and suggestions to [email protected]. Once Niranjan Tripathy 940-382-7305 again, my sincere thank you to all the volunteers and devotees who Prasanna Pannicker 972-226-4277 make it all possible, from the day to day poojas, to running major events, Rajyalakshmi Rao 817-488-4850 to serving Mahaprasad, to making Naivedyam, getting supplies, keeping Satyanarayana Bodla 817-571-4626 our temple clean..You are the Heart and soul of the Temple. I am blessed to be a part of this great organization. Shakuntla Kalia 214-441-3227 Sharad Sevak 972-255-7270 Sincerely Sudesh Sharma 972-279-4134 Swati Pandit 817-267-0264 Bhasy Nair Vinod Kumar 817-366-0641 Bhasy Nair (President) Vinubhai Soni 817-453-1376 3 4 D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY “EKTA MANDIR” CORDIALLY INVITES YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND FRIENDS TO JOIN Lecture on "Sunderkand ki sundarta- beauty and mysticism of Sunderkand " & /MEDITATION WORKSHOP for Arthritis, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Weight Management BY ACHARYA VIJAYJI

Tuesday May 31st to Sunday June 5th PROGRAM TUESDAY: 7:45 PM TO 9:30 PM - SECRET OF SUCCESS THRU HANUMAN CHALLISA WEDNESDAY : 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - YOGA WORKSHOP THURSDAY/FRIDAY: 7:45 PM - 9:30 PM - LECTURE ON SUNDERKAND SATURDAY: 10:30 AM -12:00 PM - LECTURE ON SUNDERKAND SUNDAY: 10:30 TO 11:45 AM - CONCLUDING LECTURE

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TEXAS INDO-AMERICAN PHYSICIANS SOCIETY (T.I.P.S.) And THE DFW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY Invite you to the 16th ANNUAL HEALTH AWARENESS & SCREENING FAIR Celebration of Cancer Survivor’s day Sunday, June 5th, 2011 (7: 45 am – 12 noon)

DFW Hindu Temple Cultural Hall 1605 N Britain Road, Irving TX 75061. Tel # 972-445-3111 REGISTRATION 7:45 am HEALTH SCREENING 8:30 am - 12:00 noon

• Blood Test* • Pap Smear (Cervical Cancer)* $25.00 o Metabolic Profile/ CBC/ • Peripheral Artery Disease $5.00 Cholesterol $15.00 • EKG* $25.00 Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) $10.00 o • Nutritional Counseling Free o Thyroid function (TSH) $10.00 o Hemoglobin A1C $10.00 • Eye Exam/Hear Test Free • Dental Screening- Free (Adult & Children) • Urine Test (Kidneys)* $5.00 • Asthma Screening Free

Obesity (BMI) screening and counseling, Blood Pressure Check, Bone Marrow Donor Registry Enrolment for Free Mammogram for low income, uninsured or underinsured patients by the Asian Breast Health Outreach Project

Satsang Sabha in the presence of H.H.108 Bhavi Acharya Shree Shree Nrigendraprasadji Maharaj (Vadtal) & Holy Saints On Friday, June 10th, 2011, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM at Cultural Hall, D/FW Hindu Temple, 1605 Britain Road, Irving, TX 75061 5 6 D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY “Ekta Mandir” Cordially invites you, your family, and friends to Dallas, Texas Satsang

7 D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY , “ Ekta Mandir ” , Cordially invites you, your family, and friends to join us for THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL EVENTS Vat Savitri Vrat Monday, June 13th, 2011 Puja @ 7:45 PM Ends on Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 Puja @ 7:45 PM

Devshayani (Ashadhi) Jaya Vrat Begins Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 Vitthala Abhishek Puja @ 6:30 PM Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 10:30 AM Ends on Sunday, July 17th, 2011 Puja @ 6:30 PM Dattatreya Abhishek On Thursday, July 14th, 2011 @ 11:00 am Satyanarayan Puja @ 6:00 pm Gita Homam On Saturday, July 16th, 2011 @ 8:45 am Varalakshmi Vratam On Friday, August 5th, 2011 @ 7:15 pm On Friday, August 12th, 2011 @ 6:00 pm

Aadi pooram(Andal Thayar) Saturday, August 6th, 2011 Balaji & Andal Abhishek @ 10:00 am Friday, August 12th, 2011 Satyanarayan Puja @ 6:00 pm @ 7:45 pm

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 KEVDA (Haritalika Vratam) @ 5:00 pm Swarna Gowri Vratam @ 6:30 pm Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 8 Gowri Puja Celebration @ 9:00 am 9 INAUGURAL CEREMONY PICTURES OF MULTI PURPOSE FACILITY BY MAYOR HERBERT A. GEARS ON APRIL 10TH, 2011

10 D/FW Hindu Temple Vidya Vikas School Corner a a

Vidya Vikas continues to grow in size and quality, thanks to the support of the parents and teachers and volunteers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for dedicating their Sundays to the school. Without you the growth of the school is not possible. T hank you teachers and volunteers for all your hard work, dedication, passion and desire to educate the next generation. Our introductory Pre-K class for the 4 year olds was a GREAT SUCCESS !!!! The children learnt about our religion, culture, Gods and values through instruction, stories, pictures, art and craft. They picked up on the shlokas and bhajans very quickly. Amazing how quickly they learn and what intelligent questions they ask !! th Vidya Vikas Classes will be conducted in the New Building starting Sept 11 . ! We are very excited about it. Work is ongoing to equip the new classrooms. If you would like to donate for this GREAT CAUSE, please contact us at vvikas2004@yah oo.com.

4 - 18 year old Vidya Vikas Children chanting prayer and singing bhajans at the Inaugural ceremony

Registration instructions for the Sept 2011- to May 2012 school year Registration is open throughout the summer. Please go online to http://vidyavikas.kattare.com and enroll your children. Detailed instructions are available in the Student Registration Info section. The FAQ is also a good source of information. We will be at the Temple on the following Sundays outside the school office starting at 11.00 am to 12.30pm.. June 26th , July 24th, August 7th, 21st & 28th of 2011. Please bring a check book for payment of fees

Minimum age to register in religion class is 4 years by August 31st and 5 years for all other classes. If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]. You can also check out the FAQ and Student Registration Info sections on our website at http://vidyavikas.kattare.com

We offer the following classes Religion for children ages 4 to 18.

For chil dr en of age 5 and above, - Language classes - Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu. - Tabla, SAT & Dance and Geetha Chanting - Yoga, and Geetha study classes for Adults 11 An Introduction to and its Recent History in DFW Ratha Jatra, the of Lord is celebrated every year at , the temple town in Orissa, on the second day in the bright fortnight of the first monsoon month (Asadha) of the Indian lunar calendar. The presiding Deities of the main temple, Srimandira, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess , with the celestial wheel Sudarshana are taken out from the temple precincts in an elaborate procession to their respective chariots. The huge, colorfully decorated chariots are drawn by hundreds of thousands of devotees on the Bada Danda, the Grand Avenue to the , some two miles away to the North. After a stay of seven days, the Bahuda Jatra celebration takes place, when the Deities embark on a return journey on these chariots, to their abode in Srimandira. Ratha Jatra is perhaps the grandest festival on earth, when the presiding Deities of the temple set out from within the sanctum to mingle with millions of their devotees. It is also the time when the supreme divinity manifests himself in the Yuga to emancipate humanity. A glimpse of Lord Jagannath on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious. Saints, poets and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival where even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages.

The three chariots are built from scratch every year with logs from specified trees brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla, by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights for performing this task. The construction of the chariots starts on Akshaya Trutiya, the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaisakha. This takes place in front of the palace of the King of Puri. On this day, the new agricultural season starts and farmers start ploughing their fields. This day also marks the beginning of the summer festival of the Deities, also known as the sandalwood festival or Chandan Jatra, which lasts for three weeks.

Chandan Jatra culminates in the Snana Jatra, the Bathing Festival on the full moon day of the month of Jestha. On this day, the three Deities descend from their sanctum sanctorum to a specially elevated platform close to the Eastern boundary wall of the temple, in full view of the devotees standing outside the temple compound, to be bathed in 108 pots of water brought from the golden well, following which they assume the elephant form (Gajaudharana Besa). From that day the Deities remain in symbolic and ritual convalescence for about two weeks, supposedly afflicted with fever. They are barred from view of the ordinary devotees. During this period, the Deities are given only roots, leaves, berries and fruits to recover from their indisposition. The day immediately preceding the ceremonial stepping out of the temple precincts by the Deities marks the formal ending of the period of sickness. The Deities are given a fresh coat of paint, and their eyes are painted in a ritual called Netrostava. The Deities are now fully recovered, and their reappearance for public viewing is known as the Nava Jaubana Darshana. The day for the great Festival, called Asadha Shukla Dwitiya, is the second day in the bright fortnight of the month of Asadha. It is typically in late June in normal years, but in every few years can occur in July.

Ratha Jatra starts with an elaborate and a spectacular process called the Pahandi – which represents the journey of the Deities to the world outside. Pahandi - literally, going forward in a step by step movement carried by a group of Sevakas to the accompaniment of the blowing of Kahali (trumpet), the clang of the Ghanta (metal gongs), and the beating of the Telingi Baja (drums). It is almost choreographed into rhythmic movement slowly rising to a crescendo. At first Sudarshana is brought out and placed in the chariot of Subhadra followed by Balabhadra, Subhadra and finally Jagannath. As the Deities step out of the main entrance of the temple, the Sinhadwara – Lion’s Gate, the teeming devotees, bhaktas go wild with ecstasy, chanting the name of the Lord in a loud chorus.

The second phase of the festival is an equally colorful and elaborate ritual is known as Chhera Pahanra. The King of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja Divya Singha clad in spotless white, carried in a silver plated palanquin approaches the chariots, offers his prayers to the Deities, and cleans the platforms with a golden broom. The ritual goes back to the 12th century when the Emperor of Orissa, Anantvarman Chodagangadeva declared himself to be the servant of Lord Jagannath and ruled the land as His representative. The ritual is also a public demonstration of the unique philosophy of integration and unity where there is no distinction of caste, creed or any other barrier during the entire festivities. 12 The final ritual in the celebration is the pulling of the chariots. The chariot of Lord Balabhadra is pulled first followed by that of goddess Subhadra. The climax of the day’s celebration is reached when the chariot of Lord Jagannath, Nandighosha starts its spectacular journey to the Gundicha temple. The Deities, after a seven-day stay at Gundicha temple, also known as their place of birth, commence their return journey, the Bahuda Jatra, on the tenth day of bright fortnight of . On his way back, Jagannath stops for a while at Ardhasini temple, popularly called Mausi Ma temple. The Deities don the golden attire or the Suna Besa. On arrival at the main temple, the gate is shut upon Lord Jagannath by his celestial consort Laxmi. Her anger, jealousy and frustration is channeled by her companions, represented by a group of servitors from inside. Another group representing Lord Jagannath responds with entreaties and endearments. The celestial couple finally makes up, and the Deities are allowed to return to their bejeweled throne, the Ratna Sinhasana. It is indeed a befitting measure of the reach of Jagannath, which means “Lord of the Universe,” that today Ratha Jatra is celebrated in over 90 countries. Since 2000 it has also become a part of the religious calendar of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hindu Temple. Jagannath worship started at the temple in a modest scale in the year 2000, with Deities provided by a local family. Eventually, in October 2002, following Murthi Sthapana and Prana Pratistha ceremonies, the Deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshan were permanently installed in the temple. This involved carving the Deities from sacred Daru (wood) from Orissa, and installing a Salagram (soul) of Lord in them. The elaborate three-day ceremony followed all rituals as prescribed by the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and his Rajaguru (head priest). With the installation of Jagannath Parivar, the temple now has Deities from all four Dhams of Hindu .

Our yemple now celebrates this festival on the first Sunday following the actual Ratha Jatra day. The Bahuda Jatra is performed on the following Sunday. We also perform Pahandi, Parikrama, and all associated rituals for the festival on these days. During both festivals, the Oriya community members cook Mahaprasad (in full Oriya style) in the temple kitchen for all devotees. Other Jagannath pujas such as Akshaya Truitiya, Debasnana Purnima, Netra Utsova, other ceremonies including all Beshas, are duly performed under the guidance of Gajapati Maharaja and Rajaguru Mahasaya of Puri.

The worship of Jagannath, is deeply rooted in the arts, culture, and tradition of Orissa, giving us the opportunity to share some of these with the local community. The temple has hosted performances by world class dancers (Guru Ratikanta Mohapatra, Aruna Mohanty, Manoranjan Pradhan, Ydhistir Nayak, Pattnaik Sisters) and musicians (, Subash Das) as well as lectures by eminent Jagannath scholars from Orissa (Dr Chandrshekhar Rath, Dr. Rajat Kar, Dr. Abhina Sahoo). On June 21, 2005, we had the rare privilege to celebrate the Debasnana Purnima under the auspices of the King of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singha Deb and Rajguru Ji. Gajapati Maharaja also delivered a talk to the temple devotees on the Sanatana while Rajguru Ji advised temple priests on matters concerning the rites and rituals of Jagannath worship and Ratha Jatra. We hope that with the continued support of local community one day DFW is considered to be the preferred destination in North American to witness this grand festival.

Contents for this article are partly drawn from an article published by Dr. Subas Pani in http://rathjatra.nic.in, various online sources (www.purionline.com, www.salagram.net, ws.ori.nic.in/jagannath), and Jogasutra - Vol 2, published by JOGA (2008)

The following students of Vidya Vikas’s Gita Chanting Class participated in the annual Gita chanting Competition at Chinmaya Mission.

The winners and the participants were:

Aditi Krishnan (3rd), Divit Pai (1st), Rishita Gavara (1st), Divya Ravindra (1st),Geetika Vedula (2nd),Archana Murthy (2nd),Deepa Ravindra (1st), Aditya Murthy (2nd), Utkarsh Kaniyar (1st), Bhargav Vedula, Shubhranshu Mishra, Harsh Gopalan, Tadi, Shreya Chandrasekar, Madhavi Vedula. 13 D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY a "Ekta Mandir" a Cordially invite you, your family, and friends to join us in celebrating Ratha puja on the 3rd of July @ 7:00 AM and SHRI JAGANNATHA CELEBRATION

On Sunday, the 10h of July, 2011 @ 9.30AM 9.30 am Prabhu Jagannatha Abakasha Puja 10:00 am Odissi dance offering to the Deities 10.20 am Pahandi of the Deities to Ratha 10.45am Parikrama/ Ratha Yatra 12.00 Noon Maha Mangala Aarthi Lord Jagannatha MahaPrasadam will be served On Ratha Yatra day, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balavadhra and Subhadra along with all Temple Utsav Deities board the Chariot for a parikrama with the devotees. Please mark your calendar and plan to be part of this auspicious ceremony.

Be a Yajman and support our religious and cultural heritage Yajman - $151 Jagannatha sahasra nama - $101 Ratha Decoration - $51 Pahandi of Deity to Ratha - $51 Donor - $31 Deepa, coconut offering & Archana - $21 Archana - $11 Prasad on Bahuda Yatra - $301

Jagannatha Suna Besa and Bahuda Yatra will be on Monday, the 11th of July @ 6:30 PM

Prior to Ratha yatra, The following events marks the beginning of Rathayatra celebrationon Akshya Trutiya on, May 6th, Chandana & Ratha Anukula puja @ 6:30 PM

The day marks the starting of the construction and preparation of the chariot work for the Deities.

Devasnana Purnima & Anasara puja on Wednesday, June 15th @ 6:00 PM

Lord Jagannatha “” with 108 Kalasha of water followed by “Gajanan Vesha”, followed by Anabasara

Please contact the Temple @ 972-445-3111/ Swati & Niranjan Tripathy @ 940-368-3698 14

| D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY | “Ekta Mandir”

Cordially invites you, your family and friends to Participate in the JANMASHTAMI CELEBRATIONS

PROGRAM Monday, August 22, 2011 ` 9:00 PM to 11:45 PM: Bhajans by various groups Midnight Aarati & Jhula

Sunday, August 28, 2011 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon: Nand Mahotsav & Bhajans Govinda Aala (This event will be outside the temple)

12noon: Aarati and Mahaprasad

For more information, Please contact Temple at 972-445-3111 15 D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY 2 “ Ekta Mandir ” 2 Cordially invites you, your family, and friends to

SHRI MAHOTSAV

From Thursday, Sept 1, to Friday, Sept. 11, 2011

PROGRAM

Thursday September 1, 8:30 am Ganesh Homam 10:00 am Ganesh Abhishek 11:00 am-noon Alankar, Archana & Bhajans 12 Noon Mahamangal Aarathi & Mahaprasad Thurs-Sat. September 1-10 6:30 pm Ganesh Archana & Bhajans Sunday September 4 10:00 am Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration Sunday September 11 11:00 am-noon Ganesh Visarjan

Puja Sponsorship

10 days Archana $ 101.00 Abhishek $ 31.00 Homam & Abhishek $ 75.00 Alankar & Archana $ 21.00 Homam $ 51.00

For more information, Please contact Temple at 972-445-3111 16 D/FW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY & Kerala Hindu Society of North Texas Cordially invites you, your family & friends for the Celebrations & Feast on Saturday, September 10, 2011 @ 10:30 AM at D/FW Hindu Temple Cultural Hall

Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated all over the state by people of all communities. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam. Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar. Story goes that during the reign of mighty asura (demon) king, Mahabali, Kerala witnessed its golden era. Every body in the state was happy and prosperous and king was highly regarded by his subjects. Apart from all his virtues, Mahabali had one shortcoming - he was egoistic. This weakness in Mahabali's character was utilized by Gods to bring an end to his reign as they felt challenged by Mahabali's growing popularity. However, for all the good deed done by Mahabali, God granted him a boon that he could annually visit his people with whom he was so attached. It is this visit of Mahabali that is celebrated as Onam every year.

LORD AYYAPPA

The advent of Ayyappa is unique in the annals of Hindu religion and peculiar to Kerala. According to some and folk songs of Kerala, Ayyappa was born out of the union of Vishnu and Siva. That story goes like this. While churning the ocean of Milk, Vishnu appeared as charming Mohini to entice the Asuras and keep them away from the Nectar. Siva was fascinated and succumbed to the beauty of Mohini; and Ayyappa is believed to have been born out of the union. Thus, Ayyappa is called Hari-Hara-Putra, son of Hari and Hara or son of Vishnu and Siva. Ayyappa is the third son of Siva; the other two are Ganesha and .

Ayyappa manifested Himself in various forms at various times. In Kerala, He descended as the child Manikanta and grew up to be known as Bhutha-natha which means Lord of the Elements; also know as Ayyappa which mean Lord of Senses; and also known as Darma Sastha which means Lord of Verities. Ayyappa has qualities of both Siva and Vishnu. He protects us from all evils. He grants refuge to His devotees, fulfilling all their desires. He endowed us with jnana leading to salvation.

The Prathishta of Lord Ayyappa is in Sabari-mala Temple in Kerala. This temple is situated on a plateau of about 40 feet in height to prevent from wild animals of surrounding thick forest. The deity faces east, and to enter it from east side, one should virtually climb up the hug eighteen granite steps. These steps are of about 8 inches wide and 60 – 70 inches long. These are not just ordinary steps and very much importance is attached to these 18 steps leading to the sanctum. The number 18 itself has special significance. The number is believed to signify 5 Indriyas, 8 Ragas, 3 Gunas, 1Vidhya, and 1Avidhya. This number18 can also be taken to typify the path of an aspirant explained in the 18th chapter of Gita. This number 18 may also represent the 18-day war of the . This number 18 may represent the 18 Puranas as well.

Not only but also people of other religious faith can offer worship at Sabari-mala. Thus, all man-made differences of religion, caste and creed are forgotten; only glory and grandeur of God shine. 17 PLEASE TUNE IN D/FW Hindu Temple Radio Program on AM 700

Every Saturday from 4 PM to 5 PM, the D/FW Hindu Temple is hosting our own radio program at 700 AM Radio Station. In addition to having Bhajans and information about the Temple and the Temple activities and upcoming programs, the objective is to open up a new media of communication between the Devotees in the Metroplex and the religious scholars and Pundits from far and near, who will be participating in this program. Please tune into AM700 from 4 to 5 PM every Saturday. Remember to provide us your feedback and valuable suggestions for improvement. If any of you like to sponsor the Radio Program for 30 min or 1hr. please email @ [email protected]. D/FW Temple thanks all those who have sponsored the Radio-Archana program for the past several months. Please contact the Temple to sponsor the program to celebrate the birthdays or anniversaries or other special occasions of your dear ones. Every Sunday at 12 noon, Temple Aarati LIVE on FM 104.9 Temple greatly appreciates Radio FUNASIAís Community involvement and the sponsorship for relay of Temple AARATI LIVE every Sunday at 12:00 Noon. For more information, please call Temple or Radio FUNASIA at 972-235-5555.

North Texas Indian Physicians’ Charitable Foundation MEDICAL CLINIC

With the Support of the D/FW Hindu Temple Society CLINIC DATES: 1st AND 3rd SUNDAY ( CLOSED ON LONG WEEKENDS) TIME: 10:00 AM TO 11:30 AM (Registration & Checking) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CALL CLINIC @ 972-870-9500 ON SPECIFIED DAYS. PLACE: 1706 NORTH BRITAIN RD., IRVING, TX. 75061 ( ACROSS FROM D/FW HINDU TEMPLE )

0 Youth Corner - 0

Want to join the Youth Group?? Email us at [email protected]

This past year has been a busy one for the Youth Group.

To kick off the year, over the winter break, the Youth Group went to the North Texas Food Bank and delivered all the canned food collected during the Winter Canned Food Drive we organized in December.

Penny Wars made its debut this year. Penny Wars is a new charity fundraiser with Vidya Vikas. Penny Wars is easy, fun, and exciting for all the kids and has resulted in a lot of money to be donated to charity. Thanks to everyone who participated!

The Youth Group was present with our ever-popular fresh coconut water stand in the annual Anand Bazaar and Holi celebrations in March. We had a lot of fun with that.

Currently the Youth Group is helping out with the Walkathon on May 8th. Watch out for details on the CAR WASH by the DFW Hindu Temple Youth Group later on this year. Of course, we will have a lot of fun with that, too. Tithi program

18 $501 in memory of Dahyabhai Jogibhai Patel. Sponsored by his family. BI-ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING As required in the Temple Constitution, the Bi-Annual General Body Meeting of the D/FW Hindu Temple Society is scheduled for Sunday, June 12, 2011, at 1:00 P.M. in the Youth Center. All Founder, Life and Regular Members of the Society are requested to attend this meeting. Voting is limited to Members only. AGENDA

1. Prayer and approval of the minutes of the GB Meeting held on 3/13/2011 2. To receive and consider the Presidentís bi-annual report. 3. To receive and consider the Treasurerís unaudited statement of accounts. 4. To deal with any new proposals. 5. Vote of thanks and Adjournment Bhasy Nair President Notes: a) All known Agenda items as of the date of this publication are stated. b) Any new items or proposals submitted up to 14 days prior to the meeting will be announced on the Temple notice board. Please check for any new proposals. c) Members, please consider this as a personal invitation, in lieu or in a separate mail. d) Your presence and involvement in the General Body Meetings is vital to the management in executing the affairs of the Society. Suggested Donations For Services At The Temple For Puja Services at Home or Temple, please contact the Temple Office at Metro (972) 445-3111 Archana $ 11.00 Satyanarayana Puja (Private in Temple) $ 51.00 Archana (Sahasranama) $ 51.00 Shraaddha (Haranya) $ 75.00 Abhishekam (Sponsored) $ 51.00 Shraaddha (Tarapan) $ 31.00 Abhishekam (Temple Scheduled) $ 31.00 Thread Ceremony $151.00 Havan (Private Sponsored) $151.00 Upanayana at Home $200.00 * Havan (Temple Scheduled) $101.00 Vahana Puja $ 35.00 Hair Offering (Mundan) $ 51.00 Wedding (In the Temple) $401.00 Kalyana Utsavam in Temple $151.00 Wedding (Outside) $501.00** Namkaran (Naming Ceremony) $ 51.00 Sunday Mahaprasad $301.00 * Includes use of Yajnashala for the duration of wedding ** One pre wedding puja included. Advance payment required. Suggested donations for all puja services performed at home is $151.00

FACILITY RENTAL CHARGES Cultural Multipurpose Youth Class Time Yagnasala Center Facility (new) Center Rooms 8:00 am to 4:00 pm $700.00 $500.00 $400.00 $400.00 $40.00 8:00 am to midnight $1,200.00 $900.00 $651 for both per hour 6:00 pm to midnight $900.00 $700.00 Available during Temple Hours only

Kitchen Use Charges Cooking $300.00 Kitchen available only with Hall Rental. Service charge of $200.00 for Warming $150.00 Kitchen cleaning mandatory with use of Kitchen facility. Cancellation fees applicable, check with Manager for details. 25% deposit at the time of cooking, balance 24 hours before the use of facility

Editors: Anita Singhal, Swati Pandit, Harini Sreekanth 19 Irving, Texas Irving, 75015-4246 D/FW Hindu Temple Society P.O.154246 Box n “ Ekta Mandir ” n We cordially invite you to the following temple programs (monthly events are on page 2)

Day Date Time Events Friday - Sunday May 27-May 29 Mahalakshmi Shtapana 20th Anv. Saturday May 28 12:30 pm Lord Jagannath Puja Sunday May 29 3:00 pm Shrinathji Aradhana 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja Saturday June 4 1:15 pm Naadhopasanaa Tuesday June 7 6:30 pm Shashti Puja Fri. - Wednesday June 10 - June 15 KATHA Sunday June 12 1:00 pm Bi-Annual General Body Meeting Monday June 13 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja 7:45 pm Vat Savitri Vrat Begins Tuesday June 14 6:00 pm Satyanarayan Puja(Devasnana Purnima) Wednesday June 15 6:00 pm Lord Jagannath Anasara Puja7:45 pm Vat Savitri Vrat Ends Saturday June 18 6:00 pm Sankatahara Chaturthi Saturday June 25 1:15 pm Naadhopasanaa Tuesday June 28 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja Friday July 1 10:30 am Lord Jagannatha Navajoubana Darshana Sunday July 3 8:30 am Lord Jagannatha Ratha Yatra puja Wednesday July 6 6:30 pm Shashti Puja Saturday July 9 8:45 am Sudarshana Homam Sunday July 10 10:30 am Vitthala Abhishek 9:30 am Lord Jagannatha Monday July 11 6:30 pm Lord Jagannatha Bahuda Yatra Sunabesa Puja Tuesday July 12 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja Wednesday July 13 6:30 pm Jaya Parvati Vrat Begins Thursday July 14 11:00 am Dattatreya Abhishek (Guru Purnima) 6:00 pm Satyanarayan Puja(Guru Purnima) Saturday July 16 8:45 am Gita Homam Sunday July 17 6:30 pm Jaya Parvati Vrat Ends Monday July 18 6:30 pm Sankatahara Chaturthi Saturday July 23 1:15 pm Naadhopasanaa Monday July 25 6:30 pm Aadi Kritikai Murugan Puja Wednesday July 27 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja Saturday July 30 12:30 pm Lord Jagannatha Chitalagi Parba Sunday July 31 3:00 pm Shrinathji Aradhana Thursday Aug 4 6:30 pm Shashti Puja (Naag Panchami) Friday Aug 5 7:15 pm Vara Mahalakshmi vratam Wednesday Aug 10 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja Friday Aug 12 6:00 pm Satyanarayan Puja 7:45 pm Raksha Bandhan Saturday Aug 13 12:30 pm Balavadra Janma puja Wednesday Aug 17 6:30 pm Sankatahara Chaturthi Sunday Aug 21 6:00 pm SRI JAYANTHI Puja and Sahasranamam Monday Aug 22 9:00 pm Janmashtami(Bhajans, midnight Aarti&Jhoola) Thursday Aug 25 7:45 pm Lord Jagannatha Kaliyadalana pujas Friday Aug 26 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja Saturday Aug 27 8:30 am Sanitrayodasi Navagrahasanideva puja 1:00 pm Naadhopasanaa Sunday Aug 28 10:00 am Janmashtami Celebration 11:00 am Nand Mahotsav 12:30 pm Lord Jagannatha Krusna-Balaramabesa puja Wednesday Aug 31 Haritalika Vrat/ Kevada Teej/Swarna Gowri Vrat Thursday-Friday Sept 1 - Sept 9 6:30 pm Ganesh Puja & Bhajans(Ganesh Chaturthi Celeb.) Thursday Sept 1 8:30 am Ganesh Homam(Ganesh Chaturthi) 10:00 am Ganesh Chaturthi Abhishek, Puja Friday Sept 2 6:30 pm Shashti Puja Saturday Sept 3 9:00 am Gowri Puja Celebration Sunday Sept 4 10:00 am Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration Thursady Sept 8 7:45 pm Lord Jagannatha Parswaparibartana Ekadasi Friday Sept 9 6:30 pm Pradosham Shiv Puja

Saturday Sept 10 10:30 am Onam Celebrations

US Postage Paid Postage US Permit No. 217 No. Permit

Sunday Sept 11 6:00 pm Satyanarayan Puja Org Non-Profit Friday Sept 15 6:30 pm Sankatahara Chaturthi ,Teaxas Irving For Information Please call Temple at 972-445-3111 For event details, fliers and temple calendar please visit our web-site at dfwhindutemple.org