Sri Chakra The Source of the Cosmos The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY Blossom 9 Petal 1 October 2005 Temple Firsts Ourour thoughtsthoughts By Kamya Ramaswamy Dear Devotees, I’ve always thought the best things arose out of curiosity, although the more negative among us seem to believe it’s what killed the cat. Curiosity, mixed with a little intelligence and bravery, is what gets our questions answered and it’s what makes us smarter and bolder in the end. It fuels our need for learning. A hunger for answers about a host of topics was also what fueled the revival of The Sri Chakra magazine. It started with Vijitha and I sitting around in the temple yajnashala on a Saturday night, throwing questions back and forth at each other that we were too embarrassed to bother Aiya with. These were not only questions about spirituality, but also how to reconcile our spirituality with the pressures and culture of living in the West. Just how damaging (if at all) are egg-mixed foods to one’s body? If gold is so important for Hindus, why is a state of detachment from material objects so valued? If social drinking is a no-no, what is the deal with the viseshargyam in Sri Chakra puja? (I hear Bagalamukhi puja requires a straight shot of brandy!) Maybe it was the late hour that contributed to the philosophical turn of the conversation, but we knew others in the temple would be just as curious as we were about the answers to these questions. If you know the answers to these things, don’t tell us—write an article about it instead. It’s the one thing I appreciate about Catholicism, although most of my Catholic friends are struggling Catholics, at best— even if they’re not fans of the religion, at least they have been taught standard answers to the questions that outsiders are bound to ask. Meanwhile, how many of us Hindus know the scientific answer to why women shouldn’t enter a temple while menstruating? What about the importance of kum-kum, or what it’s made of? Any guesses as to why we wear it on the forehead? We’re not only curious about answers, folks—we need them. Abhi, Vijitha and I were honored when Aiya told us to revive his magazine, The Sri Chakra. We’ll do our best to let the ideas keep this thing afloat, but we need contributors to write some articles and put those ideas into fruition!! And if any of you kids are interested, we’re hoping to print a section called the Kids Corner with things written by you, and for you. This issue is all about firsts. Here, you’ll find stories from a plethora of devotees on their personal ‘firsts’ with the Rajarajeswari temple. Look for us on the temple website every other month and keep sending your articles and story ideas to [email protected]. I know, Aiya’s blessed feet are more dusty than shiny, but I thought I’d try to appease him with that e-mail address. We would like to thank the following people for their endless support and help in reviving this magazine: Aiya, Dharshan Logendran, Dinesh Kumar, Karunanathan Jeyakumar, Kathy Allen, Muralee Mahathevan, Soumitra Sengupta, and all the contributing writers! 2 Temple Firsts September Newsletter Past Month Events over. However, gifts for all the women in attendance had yet to be given out. Aadi Pooram, Sept. 7 Ganapathi Chaturthi, Sept. 7 The gifts were sponsored by Anita’s By Abhi Somaskanda By Kamya Ramaswamy family (from Montreal), partly in This year’s Chaturthi marked the celebration of her 16th birthday. Anita beginning of many beautiful ceremonies Aadi pooram is one of the special distributed all the presents in front of Vana at the newly built deck for the events at the temple that finds its charm in Durga. They consisted of a blouse piece, Ganapathi behind the temple. the female-centred tone of the a turmeric root, kum-kum, and a lime. Performing the first yagna in that homa celebrations. Every year in August we First they called all the little girls, who kunda since the Chandi homa before the celebrate the day that Devi became a hadn’t reached maturity yet. Then they temple was fully built, Aiya spared no woman—the day is full of snacks, and called all the kanya girls who were still offering (2780 aahuthis to be exact!) gifts for the females in attendance. unmarried. Next, they called the “recently The festival’s sponsors, Pravin and The celebrations began simultaneously marrieds,” who had been wed for 5 years Gratus, sat around the homa kunda with with the morning puja on August 7, or less. Three sumangalis received the Aiya, along with their family and and concluded by lunch. This year’s remaining bundles, after which the friends. The puja commenced with programme was slightly different due to function was complete and lunch was kalasa sthabana and a Ganapathi the presence of Mookambika Devi (in served. Tarpanam prescribed by Guruji that the South-East Agni corner beside utsa allowed all the devotees present to Ganapathi) and Vana Durga in front of the Varalakshmi Vratham, Sept. 19 sprinkle tirtham on a small, hand- flagpole. By Dinesh Kumar shaped, tumeric Ganapathi. In front of Mookambika was a huge Aiya continued with an elaborate spread of snacks. Vana Durga was sitting Varalakshmi Vratham or Sumangali homa, while everyone present circled on a rolling table in the centre of the Pooja is performed in the Southern Part around the deck offering a few of the temple during the puja. In front of the of India. This pooja is performed by 1008 modakas at a time. This was table was her bathing tub, and everyone married women for the health and long followed by a grand cirumambulation of was able to pour a cup of milk on her and life of their husbands. the temple for the final aahuthi, carried a thumb-sized Ganapathi statue. This year, on the 19th of August, this by Prasanna. What was interesting was that there pooja was performed in our temple. Afterwards, the abhisheka poured on was kusha grass in the milk. The temple This year 54 women performed the for more than a half an hour, with milk, was aptly packed—by the time everyone pooja themselves. A big lamp was pancha amrta, and turmeric water being there had finished pouring a cup of milk decorated like Devi, and Amma offered to both the outside Ganapathi, on her, the morning puja was nearly performed the pooja to that lamp. Each the uttsava Ganapathi, who joined in over. The abhishekam easily lasted one of the Suvasini’s who had already the festivities at the deck, and the hour. registered for the pooja were seated Astra Devata. The installed kalasa was After the abhishekam, they around the lamp, which was placed taken around the temple in typical dressed Devi up, picked her up and over the homa kunda on a platform. Saturday pooja style - umbrella, torches, started the procession around the temple. Each of the suvasini’s were provided with and all - by Gratus, and then finally Aiya explained why she was going a complete Pooja Set and a lamp with showered on the Ganapathis. around the temple—in the old days, a girl Devi’s face in silver. All 54 Sumangalis After lunch, the devotees worked hard who had just become a woman was taken did Shodasa upachara to create a colorful background through the village by her family because pooja to their individual lamps after decoration for the procession, and the it was a good way to show that she was Aiya chanted their Gotrams, names, evening commenced at seven with of marriageable age. and Nakshatrams. shodasa upachara puja intertwined with On this day, the morning and afternoon After the pooja the women tied the Ganapathi bhajans. The procession was pujas were almost congealed into one— sacred thread around their right wrist. blessed with a warm night and plenty of during the procession outside, the Aiya and Amma then blessed the devotees. The uttsava Ganapathi volunteers inside replaced the sannidhi Suvasinis. The suvasinis were given the enjoyed a whirl of laughter and dancing fruits and lauched into the Lalita Pooja set that they used to perform the around the temple. Sahasranamam. pooja to encourage them to continue the After giving Bali and offering The sannidhis gods were given blessed ritual in their own homes. naivedyam down at the deck once more, naivedyam and Aiya performed the bali the evening came to an end. puja, after which the official puja was 3 Temple Firsts Upcoming Events Sharadha Navaratri, Oct 3 By Kamya Ramaswamy Navarathri 2005 will pick up where the 2004 left off. Last year, the celebrations invoked and installed the 10 Dasamahavidyas into the homa kundam, where they have been residing for the past year. The Mahavidyas are 10 tantric aspects of Devi, among which our Devi Rajarajeshwari is one. As part of this group, she is known as Lalita, or Sodasi. The nine other devis around her range from the most ‘ugram’ renditions of the female form to the more ‘sattvik’ Chathurthi Pictures ones. Worshipping any of these devis as one’s ‘ishta-devata’ will bring one to moksha, although the manner and the length of time involved in doing this will vary. After invoking each of the The sponsors all pray as Aiya Dasamahavidyas last year, the temple shows the pancha aarathi to the will focus each day of Navarathri 2005 yagna.