Sri Chakra the Source of the Cosmos

Sri Chakra The Source of the Cosmos The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY Blossom 18 Petal 4 December 2013 December Newsletter Since the last issue... is now released in Tamil! The English version will be available He also presided over Karthikai in late December or early January. Deepam on Nov. 16th. The mini-calendar cards are There wasn’t a lot of travel in Nov 21st was the first bit of already available for free. Aiya’s calendar during festival travelling Aiya did in a couple of Later in December, Aiya and season. He was in and around months, as he went to San Diego other devotees will be abroad for Rochester starting from the end for a private puja. the annual India Yatra from Dec. of August, and presided over He headed north over the next 20th to Jan. 4th. The focus this Ganapathi Chaturthi on Sept. 8. two days, attending a function for year is on the Navagraha sthalas The next three weeks saw him Sri Amma’s Nandalala Mission in South India. staying in town to prepare for in San Francisco on Nov. 23 and There is also a special puja Navarathri. After dvajarohanam 24. He also released a CD locally happening in honour of Aiya’s on Sept. 28th, he was grounded during that trip, and spent time in 70th birthday in Chidambaram on on temple property until the the Bay Area until Nov. 26th. Dec. 30th. It will most likely be at flag went down at the end of A similar CD release concert the Nataraja temple from 6:30 a.m. Navarathri in mid-October. usually happens in Toronto in to 1 p.m. IST. Aiya also presided over the first early December, but that event Lastly, look out for new policies and last days of Kedara Gowri will be postponed due to winter and procedures to soon be vratham (ending on Nov. 2), and weather concerns. Notice will be released, regarding the facilities throughout all six days of Skanda sent out in the Spring. for volunteers staying overnight Shasti (Nov. 3 to Nov. 8). The temple’s new calendar on temple property. Past Events All events by Abhi Somaskanda The annual Ganesh festival began at 9 a.m. Ganapathi Chaturthi, Sept. 8 with kalasa stapanam and tarpanam in the temple’s yajnashala. In front of the kalasams, facing the sponsors and homa kundam, a large turmeric Ganapathi was created and placed in a silver yoni peetam, surrounded by kush grass and lotus flowers. A bowl on the left side of the makeshift Ganapathi collected the consecrated water that devotees poured of over Him with each syllable of Ganapathi tarpanam, a text released by Guruji Sri Amritananda Natha a few years ago. Once tarpanam finished, the turmeric Ganesha was dissolved in the stream behind the temple, and homam commenced. After lunch, the uttsava Ga- napathi was adorned with a colorful dhoti, and decked out with shimmering jewelry. He was hoisted on the shoulders of delighted devotees shouting, “Arohara!” and taken in procession around the temple, treated to Everyone gathered at the Kashi creek to dissolve several sweets on the way. The evening concluded the turmeric Ganapathi after tarpanam was completed with maha prasadam. 2 Sharada Navarathri, Sept. 28 - Oct. 15 This year, the brahmotsavam’s focus was on different aspects of Mahal- akshmi. As per Sri Mathioli Saraswathy’s (Sri Amma) instructions, gooseberries were offered into the homam with each phrase of the Kanakadhara Stotram. In the morning, Aiya also performed the Sri Samputita Sri Suktam interspersed with the Kamalambika mula mantra and the Daridrya Dhwamsini sloka from the Durga Sapta Sloki. In the evenings, devotees conducted either the Sri Chakra Puja in the sanctum, or the Kanakadhara homam. Every day, one of the Ashta Lakshmi ashtottras was also chanted during the kalasa puja. Devotees accordingly adorned the main Devi murthi in the garba graham to reflect that day’s Lakshmi. Some of the alankarams included small dolls hugging Devi to represent Santhana Lakshmi, 16 different grains in bowls around the garba graham for Daanya Lakshmi, and gold-colored elephant statues on either side of Devi for Gajalakshmi. As usual, uttsava murthis were taken in procession for Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati days respectively. On Vijayadasami, the main pradana kalasam, built by smaller kalasams on top of the main clay one and adorned to look like Devi herself, was taken out in procession. About 1000 people turned up for the final day, making the parade around the temple more festive than in previous years. The last three days saw the avarohanam of the flag, theertam to cool down The main kalasam, made up of the uttsava murthis, and finally kulirthi, where maha abhishekam was performed smaller kalasams and dressed up like the Devi to the main murthis and the Maha Meru using at least 10 different items. Kedara Gowri, Oct. 13 - Nov. 2 As in years past, Kedara Gowri vratham began on Vijaya- dasami and continued for 21 days. Every day, different people performed the Kedara Gowri puja in front of Lord Ardhanareeswara. A mercury lingam, the main kalasam, and a Ganapathi sat in the mandapam, and this year, 21 different kalasams surrounded them, energetically connected by darba. On the final day, several devotees poured these kalasams over the Ardhanareeswara murthi, and after an elaborate alan- karam, sponsors sat down with puja trays and offered upacharas to Her. This year, 21 individual pieces of 21 different prasadams were offered to Sri Ardhanareeswara on copper plates surrounding the murthi. After the puja, suvasinis offered each other saris adorned with other auspicious items, each seeking the other’s blessings. is the interplay between Muruga Skanda Shashti, Nov. 3 - 8 and his two consorts, Valli and Devasena. He first marries For six days, each of Subramanya’s Devasena, and then courts Valli. six faces was worshipped with a separate sa- Finding out that He has done hasranama. Devotees sat around the uttsava this, Devasena is upset, and He murthi and offered flowers and akshadas appeases her by offering her for each name. On the final day, Muruga sweets. This reflects the inter- symbolically killed the demon, Suran, who twining nature of the three main represents one’s negative qualities. Aiya nadis in the body, the ida, pingala, used Muruga’s vel to chop off Suran’s head, and sushumna. Finally, all three as well as the banana tree he was hiding sat together on the mandapam, behind. Once Muruga returned, devotees and archana was performed. bathed him and homam commenced. After the final arathi, everyone One of the highlights of the festival enjoyed maha prasadam. 3 Tantra, Mantra, Yantra Karthikai Deepam, Nov. 16 Every year, the temple is illuminated by dozens of lights for Karthika Deepam. This festival commemo- rates the never-ending beam of light of the Eternal, or Shiva. The story goes that Brahma and Vishnu were challenged to find the end of this light. Brahma got tired of looking and lied, saying that he had found the end. Vishnu, on the other hand, realized that there could be no end to this light. At the temple, this light was replicated with a wooden Maha Meru placed on the top of the homakundam, adorned with mini lamps. Similar to Thiruvan- namalai, eight different shivalingams were also placed around the homakundam in the eight directions. The sponsor performed puja to each one, and everyone had a chance to do namaskaram at each location. All present could light lamps around the entire yajnashala and in the main sanctum, making this one of the most fun festivals One of the eight directional Shivalingams around the ho- to take part in. makundam, mirroring the eight sannidhis in Thiruvannamalai. Upcoming Events Event Date/time Location Thiruvempavai Dec. 9-18 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, indoors Ardhra Dharshanam Dec. 18 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, indoors Kids’ Raja Matangi homam Dec. 29 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, yajnashala Thai Pongal Jan. 14 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, garbha graha Maha Shivarathri Feb. 27 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, indoors In Three Months Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra will be Our special thanks and gratitude up on the temple’s website at the beginning of March to this issue’s volunteers: Aiya, 2014. Kathy Allen, Vilas Ankolekar, This magazine cannot keep publishing without Venkateshwar Babu, Smt. Geeta contributions! Articles, poems, stories and photos about any spiritual topic are welcomed. and Sri Ramesh Kutticad, Mohan The next deadline for article submission is February Murali, Abhi Somaskanda, and 10, 2014. Please e-mail us with your contributions or Vimalan Sothinathan. feedback about this issue at sri_chakra_mag@srividya. org or talk to Kamya or Abhi at the temple. Sri Gurubhyo Namaha! The Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam ~ 6980 East River Road ~ Rush, NY 14543 ~ Phone: (585) 533 - 1970 4 Tantra, Mantra, Yantra The Saint and the Goddess During the Vibhuti Saivaite Immersion (camp) in early August, Aiya spent time daily with the parent volunteers and discussed various spiritual topics with them. The Sri Chakra thanks Mohan Murali, one of the volunteer dads, for sharing his audio of these talks. would go and seek his blessings. After he finished the last puja of the day, an aide or assistant in the mat- Left: Periava in tam would come and bring only one his mid- handful of puffed rice to his hut. 30s or 40s That is the other thing, Right: Paramacharya lived in an 8-foot by Periava 8-foot hut, with a rope cot and an later in life, still aluminum plate. That plate would hale and be outside when the aide came with healthy the puffed rice.

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