Sri Chakra The Source of the Cosmos The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY Blossom 23 Petal 4 December 2018 Blossom 23, Petal 4 I Temple Bulletin 3 N Past Temple Events 4 T Upcoming Temple H Events 6 I 2019 Pocket NEW! S Calender 7 Steps Towards Our I Granite Temple 8 S S Aiya’s Vision 9 U What does Japam do? 11 E The Vedic Grove 13 The Science of the Breath 16 Ganaamritam 18 Gurus, Saints & Sages 22 Naivēdyam Nivēdayāmi 27 Kids Korner! 30 2 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam • 6980 East River Road • Rush, NY 14543 • Phone: (585) 533 - 1970 Sri Chakra ● December 2018 TEMPLETEMPLETEMPLE BULLETINBULLETINBULLETIN Rajagopuram Project Temple Links Private Homa/Puja Booking: As many of you know, Aiya has been speaking about the need for a more permanent srividya.org/puja sacred home for Devi for a number of years. Over the past 40 years, the Temple has evolved into an important center for the worship of the Divine Mother Rajagopuram Project (Granite Rajarajeswari, attracting thousands of visitors each year from around the world. Temple): It is now time to take the next step in fulfilling Aiya’s vision of constructingan srividya.org/rajagopuram Agamic temple in granite complete with a traditional Rajagopuram. With the grace of the Guru lineage and the loving blessings of our Divine Mother, now is Email Subscriptions: the right time to actively participate and contribute to make this vision a reality. srividya.org/email The new Temple will be larger and will be built according to the Kashyapa Temple Timings: Shilpa Shastra. By following the holy Agamas, more divine energy than ever will srividya.org/calendar be attracted into the Temple, and the granite will hold that energy for 10,000 years, bringing powerful blessings to countless generations into the future. Event Livestream: srividya.org/live As Maha Periyava has beautifully explained: “Temple Renovation, Reconstruction, Kumbabhishekam, etc. are all considered extremely noble deeds. We all Summer Youth Camp (VSI): should do whatever we can towards these and earn Punya Karma. Whatever srividya.org/camp we offer, it may be a brick, but as long as that brick is there in that temple, we will spend that much time (thousands of years) in Kailash or Vaikuntham.” Online Donation: To learn more, please visit srividya.org/rajagopuram. To contribute or set up srividya.org/donate monthly donations, please visit srividya.org/donate and select “Rajagopuram Learning at SVTS: Building Fund” from the menu. If you would like to offer your time or expertise towards this noble endeavour, please contact Natarajan Mama at (585) 533 - 1970. srividya.org/learn Alaya Nirmana Ganapathi Pujation where He will be installed ntinuing since. Sri Amma had advised the Temple to organize a daily puja for Sri Maha Ganapati to take place on the loca in the new Granite Temple. This daily puja commenced on the auspicious full moon day on May 28 and has hebeen Rajagopuram co Project ksha from Aiya, Guruji or Gurugaru are welcome The Temple Board & Administration would like to invite all disciples to offer their love and devotion towards t ails. by taking part in performing this daily Ganapati Puja. All who have received mantra di and encouraged to sign up to do the puja on the day(s) of their choice. Please contact the Temple Administration for det Connect With Us (585) 533 - 1970 www.srividya.org (416) 628 - 3786 [email protected] Sri Vidya Temple Sri Vidya Temple Sri Vidya Temple 3 Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam • 6980 East River Road • Rush, NY 14543 • Sri ChakraPhone: • (585) [email protected] 533 - 1970 Blossom 23, Petal 4 PAST EVENTS ... September 2018 to December 2018 Navaratri 2018 4 Sri Chakra • [email protected] Sri Chakra ● December 2018 Sept Vinayaka Chaturthi Vinayaka Chaturthi festivities began this year at 9am on a Wednesday morning 12 with Kalasa Stapanam and Tarpanam in the temple’s Yagnashala. This was followed by a grand Vanchakalpa Ganapathi homam. All the devotees present were given the opportunity to do tarpanam, milk abhishekam and offer modhakams into the homam. Both the Mula murthi Ganapathi and Utsava Ganapathi received a beautiful alankaram post abhishekam. In the evening, stunningly dressed Utsava Ganapathi received His Parikrama puja, which included the offering of melodious bhajans for each upachara, and then went out in procession. Over 150 devotees were present to celebrate this beautiful day. Oct Dwajarohanam Dwajarohanam, the flag hoisting ceremony before the 2 Brahmotsavam of a temple, fell on a Tuesday this year. Around 150 devotees were able to attend and witness this eventful ceremony. Just like previous years, Aiya made his unique mixture of several dravyams and drew the Dwajam (flag) using this in the Yagnashala. Everyone then proceeded into the main sactum where the Dwajam was hoisted and the Dwajasthambam was decorated with the Bhairava Trishula, Rudrakshas, malas, flower garlands and charams, ceiling kunjalams and flowers. Ganapathi Thalam was recited every day during Dwaja Puja until the Dwajam was brought down at the end of Navaratri. Oct Sharada Navaratri 9-20 This year, the Brahmotsavam’s focus was on the Sri Chakra. Every day, several Sri Chakra Homams were performed. All initiates who were present at the temple were given an opportunity to participate in the homam. A total of 207 Sri Chakra Homams were conducted throughout this festival. The Devi murthi in the garba graham was adorned as a Mother Lalita. In the evenings, devotees conducted Navavarna puja every day. As usual, Utsava murthis were taken in procession on the 3rd day for Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi respectively. On Vijayadasami, the pradana (main) kalasam, built by multiple kalasams and adorned to look like Lalita, was taken out in procession. The entire festival concluded with Dwajavarohanam, dehoisting of the flag; Theertham abhishekam to cool down the Utsava murthis; and Kulirtthi, where maha abhishekam was performed to the main murthis and the Maha Meru using at least 10 different items. Oct NovKedara Gauri This year, the typical 21-day festival happened to be 20 18 - 6 days long and began on the evening of Vijayadasami after our temple’s Rathotsavam. To celebrate the unity of Lord Shiva and Devi after a dispute between them, devotees performed Kedara Gauri Puja every evening for 20 days to Ganapathi, Rasa Lingam, Maha Kalasam and Ardhanareeshwara. On the 20th day which coincided with Diwali, about 200 people were present to witness Sri Ardhanareeshwara receive maha abhishekam and a gorgeous alankaram. In addition, 21 sumangalis received prasadam including sarees, bangles, jewelry, combs, mirrors, fruits, other auspicious items and sharadu threads to be tied around their hands as the festival concluded. 5 Sri Chakra • [email protected] Blossom 23, Petal 4 Nov 7 - 13 UPCOMING EVENTS 14-23 Thiruvempavai December 23 Ardra Darsanam Skanda Shashti Raja Matangi Homam Each one of Lord Muruga’s six faces were worshipped 30 each day with sahasranama archana. The festival concluded with Sooran Por, the war between Lord Muruga and Asura Soorapadman that represents the January triumph of good over evil. Devotees reenacted the war 14 Thai Pongal in stages by carrying, running and dancing with Muruga and Soorapadman (Sooran in short) in the Yagnashala. Muruga’s vel was used to destroy Sooran, who *All events will occur at the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, transformed himself into a banana tree. Once Muruga NY, unless otherwise stated above. returned from war, he received maha abhishekam to cool himself down. In the evening, after Muruga rested from war, his Thirukalyanam was performed, which is the auspicious wedding of Muruga with his consorts Devasena and Valli. Devasena’s wedding occurred with a traditional homam and royal wedding sampradayas IN THREE MONTHS ... as she is the daughter of Indra, the king of Indraloka. On the other hand, Valli’s wedding occurred in front Devi willing, the next issue of the of a Ganapathi vigraham inside the Yagnashala near Sri Chakra will be up on the temple’s greenery as she resided in and got married in a forest. website at the beginning of March 2019. This magazine cannot keep publishing without contributions! Articles, poems, stories and Nov photos about any spiritual topic are welcomed. 22 The next deadline for article submission is February 1, 2019. Please e-mail us with your contributions or feedback about this issue at srichakra@ srividya.org or talk to Virroshi at the temple. Sri Gurubhyo Namaha! Karthikai Vratam The temple volunteers and devotees worked hard Our special thanks and gratitude to this to put their creativity into stunningly illuminating issue’s volunteers: the temple using dozens of tea candles, deepams and big lamps around the yajnashala and inner Aiya, Adheesh Ankolekar, Veena Ganeshan, sanctum. A large Shivalingam glowed atop the homa Keerthana Gnanapradeepan, Aparna Hasling, kundam along with eight Shivalingams representing Bharathi Kumaran, Muralee Mahathevan, the Digdevatas, directional deities, situated around Palaniappan Pillai, Vishal Sharma, Sashwathi the homa kundam. Volunteers drew a gorgeous Sriganesh, Skanda Sriganesh, Sarrangan rangoli kolam in front of the Dwajasthambam. Yoganathan, Temple Administration, and the Everyone had the blessing of witnessing a Thulasi Kitchen. 2-hour puja and to admire the beauty of this day. 6 Sri Chakra • [email protected] Sri Chakra ● December 2018 You can pick them The Sri Vidya up for free at the Temple Society temple or refer to 2019 pocket this handy-dandy calendar has virtual copy 2019 been released! above. Wall calendars will be released in English and Tamil closer to the new year. 7 Sri Chakra • [email protected] Blossom 23, Petal 4 Steps Towards Our Granite Temple Design 03 Contract We have contracted with Sri Ashok Mungara and his firm, Architects Construction Managers LLC of Houston, Texas, to come up with design concepts and a master plan for the new temple and the future temple property.