OM NAMO BHAGAVATE PANDURANGAYA BALAJI VANI Volume 4, Issue 2 February, 2010 HARI OM January started with New Year’s Balaji Abhishekam, a celebration which benefits the entire year. Pongal/Makara Sankranti were celebrated on January 14th, at the Balaji Temple with a homa and Shri Shiva Kavacha Abishekam ceremony in the morning and Rudrabishekam in the evening. The morning ceremony featured a new Shiva kavacham, made in India and kindly donated to the Balaji Temple by Phani and Ramakrishna Yadlapalli for the occasion of Makara Sankranti. The homa was performed by N. Swamiji outdoors, and attendees were blessed with perfect weather, the full sunshine brilliantly illuminating the beautiful new kavacham. The evening Rudrabishekam was well attended, with many devotees enjoying the ceremony and receiving Shiva’s blessings. This ceremony was greatly enhanced by Lakshmi Kary’s generous donation of fourteen gallons of fresh cow’s milk from Sacramento. Swamiji explained the significance of Pongal/Makara Sankranti: The Pongal festival in South India is a day of triumph. Symbolically, the Makar Sankranti first harvest is offered to the Almighty—and that is Pongal. This is the spirit of Karma Yoga. Pongal is the festival during which the landlord Om Namastestu Bhagavan Visvesaraya Mahadevaya distributes food, clothes and money among the laborers who work for Trayambakaya Tripurantakaya him. What a noble act! It is an ideal you should constantly keep Trikagni Kalaya Kalagni Rudraya NilKanthaya before you, not only ceremoniously on the Pongal day, but at all Mrityunjaya Sarvesvaraya Sadadhivaya times. Be charitable. Be generous. Treat your employees as your Sriman Mahadevaya Namah. bosom-friends and brother workers. This is the keynote of the Pongal Om I bow down to Lord Shiva, who is the creator and festival. You will then earn their loyalty and enduring love. The day protector of the universe, who is the greatest among Gods, prior to the Makara Sankranti is called the Bhogi festival. On this day, who has three eyes, who is the annihilator of all the three old, worn-out and dirty things are discarded and burnt. Homes are worlds, one whose throat is blue, who is the conqueror of cleaned and white-washed and lovely designs are drawn with rice- death, who is the Lord of all, who is propitious who is flour on the door front. The roads are swept clean. These practices possessed of all marks of greatness and who is the greatest have their own significance from the point of view of health. But, here among Gods. To Him my prostration. Swamiji reminds us that it will not do to attend to these external things alone. Cleaning the mind of its old dirty habits of thought and Om Naagendra haaraaya thriloochanaaya feeling is more urgently needed. Burn them up, with a wise and firm bhasmaangadhaaraaya maheshwaraaya | resolve to tread the path of truth, love and purity from this holy day Nityaaya shudhdhaaya digambaraaya tasmai onwards. This is the significance of Pongal in the life of the spiritual nakaaraaya namahshivaaya || aspirant. If you do this, then the Makara Sankranti has a special Salutations to Shiva who wears a serpent as garland, who is significance for you. The sun, symbolizing wisdom, divine knowledge three-eyed, whose bare body is covered with ashes, who is and spiritual light, which receded from you when you reveled in the darkness of ignorance, delusion and sensuality, now joyously turns forever pure and the very embodiment of sacrifice. on its northward course and moves towards you to shed its light and warmth in greater abundance, and to infuse you with more life and energy. In fact, the sun itself symbolizes all that the Pongal festival stands for. The message of the sun is the message of light, the message of unity, of impartiality, of true selflessness, of the perfection of the elements of Karma Yoga. The sun shines on all equally. It is the true benefactor of all beings. Without the sun, life would perish on earth. It is extremely regular and punctual in its duties, and never claims a reward or craves for recognition. If you imbibe these virtues of the sun, what doubt is there that you will shine with equal divine luster! He who dwells in the sun, whom the sun does not know, whose body the sun is, and by whose power the sun shines—He is the Supreme Self, the indweller, the immortal Essence. Tat Twam Asi—"That thou art". Realise this and be free here and now on this holy Pongal or Makara Sankranti day. February 11th to 14th we will celebrate the 6th Anniversary of the Sri Balaji and Mahalakshmi moorthies arrival from India. There will be a full program of events over the 4 days. For more details, see www.balajitemple.net or call (408) 203-1036. N. Swamiji receiving kavacham from Mr. and Mrs. Yadlapalli --Balaji Temple board MONTHLY EVENTS REGULAR ACTIVITIES February 6th, Saturday Temple open daily from 8.00 am to 9.00 pm Sundar Khanda & 108 times Sri Hanuman Chalisa 6:00 PM Daily Puja & Aarti February 7th, Sunday Morning 8:00 AM Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram 7:00 PM Afternoon 12:30 PM February 9th, Tuesday Evening 8:30 PM Ekadasi Sri Laitha Stotram & Sri Hanuman Puja 7:00 PM February 10th, Wednesday Every Monday Pradosham Shiva Puja 5:30 PM Rudrabhishekam (Shiva Puja) 7:00 PM February 11th, Thursday Maha Shivaratri Celebrations Every 3 hours (Thursday to Friday) Every Tuesday Rudra Abishekam, Shiva Panchakshara Mantra Japam, 6:00 AM Hanumanji Puja 7:00 PM Mrtunjaya Japam, Shiva Trisatinamvalli Puja, Bhajans & Kirtans.Please email temple to sponsor Puja Every Wednesday Meditation 7:30 PM th 6 Arrival Anniversary of Sri Balaji & Mahalakshmi Moorti Sri Balaji & Mahalakshmi Arrival Anniversary Diksha 6:30 PM Every Thursday Please email temple to take diksha Shri Sai Bhajans 7:30 PM February 12th, Friday Navagraha Puja & balaji Abhisekham 6:00 PM Every Friday February 13th, Saturday Santoshi Mata Puja 7:00 PM 108 Kalasha Abhishekam for Balaji & Mahaprasadam 10:00 AM Lakshmi Puja, Lalitha Stotram & Mahaprasadam February 14th, Sunday Every Saturday Balaji Sahasranamavalli Puja 7:00 PM Sri Venkateshwara 8:00 AM February 20th, Saturday Suprabhatam Seva & Vishnu Stotram Free Medical Check up, By Dr. A. Kumar 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM February 21st, Sunday Every Sunday Sri Subramanyam Namavalli Puja 7:00 PM Yoga & Childrens class by Pushpa Dhar 9:30 AM February 24h, Wednesday Bhajans, Puja & Aarti 7:00 PM Ekadasi Sri Ramanama Sankirtana 7:00 PM February 26th, Friday Every Sankasthahara Chaturthi Pradosham Shiva Puja 5:30 PM Sri Ganesha Puja 7:00 PM February 27th, Saturday Every Purnima Special Holi Purnima Sri Satyanarayana Puja 6:00 PM Sri Satyanarayana Puja 6:30 PM & Balaji Abhishekam Third Thursday of every month February 28th, Sunday Ekadasi Sri Ramanama Sankirtana 7:00 PM Vedic Anna Dana for India OUR PURPOSE The purpose of Balaji Temple is to form a Hindu Temple and Vedic Cultural Center on the Peninsula in the heart of Silicon Valley where people can come together to study and worship, regardless of our different backgrounds. Our aim is to promote the feeling of universal love and unity among all people. We will share the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads (sacred texts of India) with individuals of all ages and backgrounds. We will celebrate the One Truth behind all religions: that God is One and in all of us. Our worship services are free and open to all who wish to celebrate with us. All are welcome. Construction approved at 5004 N. First Street, San Jose, P.O. Box 1146, CA 95002 for our new temple. Construction to begin soon. Please donate generously to expedite this good cause. BALAJI MATHA BOARD MEMBERS President Sri N. Swamiji (408) 203-1036 Secretary Rajesh K. (408) 718-3655 Treasurer Padma G. (408) 242-8278 Exe. Member Sunita N (408) 202-5261 Newsletter Vinay Singh (510) 226-6801 BALAJI TEMPLE, 678 Cypress Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Ph. #: (408) 203-1036 or (408) 733-9266 Email: [email protected] http://www.balajitemple.net Non-Profit Organization N. Swamiji, Phani and Ramakrishna .