Shri Krishna Vrundavana, Atlanta – 347 Aradhana Mahotsava – September 15, 2018

As you all know Rayaru Aaradhana is being celebrated all over the world, and at different parts of United States. As Kumudha had commented, on 15th September it is being celebrated in Atlanta. Please join if you are close by and share pictures.

Shri Krishna Vrundavana, Atlanta , 347 Aradhana Mahotsava of Sri Raghavendra Swami is celebrated on September 15, 2018 and it is , All Day Grand Celebration!

At 9 a.m Pooja Sankalpa, 9.30 Panchamrutha , 10 a,m Raghavendra Ashtottara, 12 Mahapooja , 1 Annadana, 3 p.m to 6 p.m, cultural events, 6. 30 Ranga pooja, 7 p.m Pallakki utsava, 7.30 Ashtavadhanna seva, 8.30 Annadana.

The grand celebration is on september 15, 2018 at

S Convention Center 540 Access Road
Cumming GA 30041

Devotees can call 678-648-5198 for more info.

2018 Aaradhane Celebrations at Home

From the day of my accident, the one and only thing in my mind was will I be able to perform Aaradhane, will I be able to do our Beloved Rayaru seva, will I be able to walk. All my prayers were answered except for Rayaru giving me the ability to sit down. I am still unable to sit down, the leg and especially ankle swells a lot if I either walk, stand or even sit for a long time without raising my leg.

So, I used to sit on a chair and do pooje, My husband sat down. Since I know so many songs and there was no way I could sing them all everyday, I chose 5 songs for each day. Started with Sankalpa, Vishnu stotra, Lakshmi Stotra, Shree Yanthrodhara Stotra, followed by Rayaru Stotra and all other songs. In the night followed by Thogire Rayara, Swami Lali and Mangalam for Rayaru.

We started our seva from Sunday since that was when the Aaradhane celebrations was taking place in our Maryland mutta. On Sunday and Monday we visited the mutta, participated in all day celebrations. Will post pictures soon from the temple.

As always, there is an abundance of fruits, coconut and flowers here in USA. We brought all kinds of flowers and fruits for pooje. I decided to do 108 pradakshina namaskaras every day. We ( My Husband and I) planned to do seva for 5 days, however I couldn’t continue the 108 pradakshina namaskaras after 3 days.

On Monday, during the pooje, I was also asked to sing at the temple. For the very first time in my life I sang with a mic in a temple. I sang ” Raya Baro and Kori Kareve”. For someone who speaks at conferences and on big stages regularly, singing in a temple felt like a huge achievement like out of this world. I feel blessed.

It was indeed challenging to continue 108 pradakshinas and so I stopped after 3 days. I heard so many miracles, saw so many pictures from around the world, listened to so many songs, it was just unbelievable. I also met so many devotees of Rayaru at the temple and so many followers of this blog. Many came personally to me and talked, thanks a million.

Tell me how you performed seva for our Rayaru? What miracles did you hear? what miracles happened?

As promised pictures from seva at my place attached below.

Day 1 preparation.

Day 1 Pooje.

Day 3 Pooje and food

Day 4 pooje

Day 4 Pooje

 

Shree Krishna Janmasthami Pooja Links

Shree Krishna Janmasthami this year is celebrated on Sunday September 2nd.

I have posted several posts for many years now, and this one has all the links for easy access to you all. Hope you all have a wonderful celebrations and get the blessings from our Lord Krishna. Click on the links below to get all information. May Lord Krishna bless us all.

1. Pooja preparation Tips and Tricks
2. Simple and easy mantras to chat during Shree Krishna Janmashtami
3. Pooja Details
4. All recipes

Update -2018 Mantralaya Aaradhane Pics

Uttara Aaradhane picture from Mantralaya.

 

Poorva Aaradhane and Madhya Aaradhane Pictures from Mantralaya. All credit to the admins who shared this, I am just reposting them here for the benefit of those who don’t have access to Facebook and other messaging apps.

Poorva Aaradhane Rayaru.

Madhya Aaradhane Rayaru. The Vrindavan was decorated all four sides.

Shri Raghavendra Swami Aradhana Mahothsavam – 26th and 27th 2018

SBAT temple here in Maryland is celebrating our Beloved Raghavendra Swamy Aaradhane on 26th and 27th. Attached below is the invite. If you are close by in the DC area please visit. And let me know as well, so I can meet you at the temple.

Upcoming Shravana Masa Festivals – August – September 2018

As per Uttaradimatta Panchanga, this year in Vilambi Nama Samvatsara, Shravana Masa starts from August 12th and ends on September 9th

There are many festivals during this month and as always I will re-post slokas, pooja details and many more details a few days before each of these important dates. Here is a list of important dates and festivals during Shravana Masa 2018.

Mangala Gowri Vrata

All details for this festival can be found here:

Vrata Details.

• August 14th – Tuesday

• August 21st – Tuesday

• August 28th – Tuesday

• September 4th – Tuesday

Nagara Chathurthi & Panchami

Pooja Details.

• August 14th Tuesday – Nagara Chathurthi

• August 15th  – Wednesday– Nagara Panchami

Shravana Masa Lakshmi Pooja

Pooja Details.

• August 17th – Friday

• August 24th – Friday

• August 31st – Friday

• September 7th – Friday

Vara MahaLakshmi  Pooja Vrata

Vrata Details.

• August 24th – Friday

Sree Raghavendra Swamy  Aaradhane

Aaradhane Details

• August 27th – Monday– Sree Raghavendra Swamy Poorva Aaradhane

• August 28th – Tuesday – Sree Raghavendra Swamy Madya Aaradhane

• August 29th – Wednesday– Sree Raghavendra Swamy Uttara Aaradhane

Sree Krishna Jayanthi – Sri Krishna Janmashtami

Janmashtami Pooja Details

• September 2nd – Sunday

 Please refer to the closet temple or other calendar to find the dates of the festivals in the country you are living. These dates posted are based on Indian Standard Time.

Update : Nagara Chauthi/Panchami

• • • August 1st Monday– Nagara Chathurthi

    • August 2nd Tuesday – Nagara Panchami

 

Nagara Chauthi is the fourth day of the Shravana masa. On this day married women take head bath and wearing wet clothes (or washed clothes separately) which makes it very pure, either do the pooje to the snake hootha or place a silver idol of Nagappa and continue. Unboiled milk or raw milk, haldi,  soaked kadale, gejjevastra and flowers are offered to the idol of Nagappa. Women who do the pooje on this day fast as well. This is how we do the pooje in Madhwa houses. No fried items are prepared during this day. Women also prepare thambittu and do aarathi to Nagappa using the same. All this needs to be done in madi.

P.S: No Kumkum is applied to Nagappa on Chauthi. The gejjevastra is prepared by applying Haldi. No deep fired items as well.

Next day being the Nagara Panchami, everyone in the house performs the pooje; including children. If you are offering milk to the idol of Nagappa; it is customary to do the pooje to Nagappa as soon as you wake up, take a shower and even before drinking your coffee in the morning. As done in the previous day, place a silver plate, keep the idol of Nagappa. Pour 3 times milk, water, haldi, kumkum, gejjevastra, flowers and kadale. Prepare the thambittu and do the aarathi.

P.S:Kumkum is applied to Nagappa on Panchami. The gejjevastra is prepared by applying Kumkum. No deep fired items as well.

It is also customary to draw images of Nagappa on the front door, hosthilu and also near the place you worship using rice paste. Haldi, kumkum, gejje vastra and flowers are applied to these as well.

Lord Krishna was playing ball with his friends, when suddenly the ball got entangled in the high branch of a tree. Krishna volunteered to climb the tree and fetch the ball. But below the tree the river Yamuna was flowing in full glory, in which the snake Kalinga was living. Nobody dared to go near that place. Lord Krishna ignoring the warnings of his friends jumps into the water. The dangerous ‘Kalinga” serpent comes up. But Krishna was ready and jumping on the snake’s head, starts dancing on its head. Kalinga realizes the strength of Lord Krishna and pleads with Krishna: “Please, do not kill me.” Krishna takes sympathy on Kalinga and after taking a promise that henceforth he would not harm anybody, he let the snake go free into the river again. Hence, Nag Panchami is also commemorated as a day of victory of Lord Krishna over Kalinga the legendary snake.

What to eat during Nagara Chauthi?

So, here are the items you can prepare during this day, when you are not supposed to fry anything.

• Mosaru Avalakki
• Cucumber Kosambari
• Gojju Avalakki
• Rava Idli

What to eat during Nagara Panchami? No frying on this day as well. And no dish made out of Vermicelli or Shavige.

• Festival Recipes

To prepare Thambittu follow this procedure:

• Thambittu or ತಂಬಿಟ್ಟು
  

P.S: Nagara Panchami Haadu/Song is posted here

• Nagara Panchami Haadu

https://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/2008/01/13/gojju-avalakki/Go

Updated : Bhimana Amavase or Gandana pooje – August 11th 2018

Bhimana Amavase or Gandana pooje, is an important pooje performed by unmarried women and newly married women for 9 years after their marriage. It is performed on the new moon day or amavase in the month of Aashada masa. This year it is on August 11th 2018 Saturday.

This pooje is also called Bheemeshwarana pooje. This pooje is dedicated to God Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Mud models of Shiva and Parvathi in the form of a cone with a flat base are made, kept in the sun to dry and decorated with white dots made out of limestone paste, or sometimes with akki hittu(rice flour) mixed with milk. A thread immersed in turmeric paste, a flower and sometimes turmeric root are tied around the model for Parvathi. After the pooje, usually either the girls Mom or Mother-in-Law ties this thread to the girls wrists.

Those who have brothers, later in the evening worship the hosthilu or threshold of their house. They call it “Bhandara vadiyodu“. The girls brother brakes the bhandara and gives money to his sister.

The story for Bhimana Amavase goes like this:

In a city there was a king called Vajrabahu. He had one and only son called Vijayashekara, who dies suddenly while still young. The king and queen decide to perform his marriage; even though he is dead. But, who would marry a corpse, right? No one comes forward to marry him. A Brahmin couple, named Madhava and his wife Sushila have five daughters and nine sons. They are extremely poor and they decide to marry one of their daughters in marriage to the dead prince; in return they would get lot of money and can use it to feed their family.

This girl is left with her dead husband and than she prays to God Shiva and Goddess Parvathi with great devotion. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi ask her to perform this pooje; since she is in the forest and doesn’t have any money she uses clay or mud and performs the pooje. The dead prince comes back to life. The king, queen and everyone is now happy to see their son come back to life.

Now that you know why and how to do the pooje, tell the significance of this story to your daughter, perform the pooje, tie the thread across her wrist and bless her with all your heart.

Happy Gandana Pooje.

Here below is the step by step procedure to perform Diwasi Gowri pooje as per the book I have now:

1. Clean the place where you are going to perform the pooja, put an elaborate rangoli (ರಂಗವಲ್ಲಿ). Find links to various rangoli (ರಂಗವಲ್ಲಿ) here:

• Rangoli (ರಂಗವಲ್ಲಿ)

2. Place a wooden plank called Mane(ಮಣೆ).
3. On this Mane, place a silver plate and within the plate, keep the idols of Diwasi Gowri and Managal Gowri( if you are performing Managal Gowri).
4. Also keep 1 dry cocnout (Kobbari Battalu ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ ಬಟ್ಟಲು) as it is called in Kannada, 10 betel nut (adike ಅಡಿಕೆ), 10 betel leaves (villedele ವಿಳೇದೆಲೆ), 10 rounds of thread ದಾರ.
5. Now, worship the gowri and offer her 10 Kucchida Kadabu (ಕುಚ್ಚಿದ ಕಡಬು).
6. Next, tie 10 knots on the thread immersed in turmeric paste, a flower and sometimes turmeric root. For married ladies, 10 knots and unmarried girls 5 knots, and 5 rounds of thread.
7. Put this on the Gowri idol.
8. Perform Aarthi to Gowri. Offer your prayers, and do namaskaras.
8. Once, you finish all the pooja, usually either the girls Mom or Mother-in-Law ties this thread to the girls wrists or can also put it around her neck.

5th Generation of Sir Thomas Munro visited Mantralaya

Anyone who prays to our Beloved Rayaru, know a lot about Rayaru and his miracles. And of course about Sir Thomas Munro. I received this photos and text from Sri Rajaraman in our Rayaru whatspp group. So blessed to be part of the WhatsApp group, we receive our Beloved Rayaru Brindavana Darshana every single day without fail. With his permission posting the text he sent and also the pictures. All credit due to Sri Rajaraman.

In the second picture, look at all the women wearing Saress, flowers and Kumkuma. Truly amazing to see that.

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On 29th n 30July 5th Generation of sir Thomas Munro visited Mantralaya and took the blessings of Rayaru

Mantralaya village in Andhra Pradesh is a place where the `Brindavana’ of famous ‘Dvaita’ saint ‘Raghavendra Swami’ is located. When Sir Thomas Munro was the Collector of Bellary in 1800, the Madras Government ordered him to procure the entire income from the Math and Manthralaya village.[12][13]When the Revenue officials were unable to comply with this order, Sir Thomas Munro visited the Math for investigation. He removed his hat and shoes and entered the sacred precincts. Sri Raghavendra swamy emerged from the Vrindavan and conversed with him for some time, about the resumption of endowment. The Saint was visible and audible only to Munro, who received Mantraskata (God’s blessing). The Collector went back and wrote an order in favour of the Math and the village. This notification was published in the Madras Government Gazette in Chapter XI, page 213, with the caption “Manchali Adoni Taluka”. This order is still preserved in Fort St. George and Mantralaya.

Source : Wiki- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_Munro,_1st_Baronet