Moved to North Carolina

While we were in India, as I mentioned we visited NR Colony Mutta almost everyday we were in Bangalore. The day we were supposed to fly back, I had tears in my eyes since there was no way in Maryland I could visit temple everyday, not even possible every week. The Rayaru mutta is quite far and takes almost an hour drive on toll road. Lord Almighty and beloved Rayaru heard my prayers. 

Due to COVID the past two years I have not traveled for work and there is no need in the near future also for me to travel. Our Daughter who will be soon doing her Senior year in Residency asked why we shouldn’t move to North Carolina so we could be close to her. We thought not a bad idea, found an amazing new Apartment and moved 3 weeks back. Our Maryland home is there as is, we have not rented or sold it. We will visit our home quite often and hopefully move back once our Daughter finishes her residency in 2 years.

This home in North Carolina is just 6 mins from the Shree Venkateshwara temple and Shree Krishna Vrindavana, NC. We visit both temples 2-3 times a week. It has been amazing being part of the Thursday evening Rayaru Bhajane at Shree Krishna Vrindavana. Yesterday, at Shree Krishna Vrindavana we witnessed Amavasysa Durga Pooja. It was the first time ever I recited Shree Lalitha Sahasranama.

The first visit to Lord Venkateshwara temple, as I was looking at the Lord and thinking ” I didn’t get to see you in India, we were nervous visiting Tirupathi, you at least are going to give me darshana here every week”. A flower from the right side of Lord Venkateshwara fell. It was amazing and I just can’t express my happiness.

If you are in North Carolina, let me know we can meet. Hope to see some of you. I already met a couple of extended family at the temple last week who follow the blog.

https://www.svtemplenc.org/#/home

https://skvnc.org/

 

Endu Kambeno Enna Salahuva Tande Udupiya Janana

I have been singing this song ever since I returned from Udupi. What an amazing experience, I have never felt such feeling ever. Seeing Lord Krishna in Udupi is truly a divine experience.

Lyrics in Kannada and English below:

ಎಂದು ಕಾಂಬೆನೊ ಎನ್ನ ಸಲಹುವ ತಂದೆ ಉಡುಪಿಯ ಜಾಣನಾ|
ಮಂದಹಾಸ ಪ್ರವಿಣನಾ ಇಂದಿರಾ ಭೂರಮಣನಾ||

ದೇವಕಿಯ ಜಠರದಲಿ ಬಂದನ ಆವ ಪಳ್ಳಿಲಿ ನಿಂದನಾ|
ಮಾವ ಕಂಸನ ಕೊಂದನಾ ಕಾವನಯ್ಯ ಮುಕುಂದನಾ||೧||

ಕಢಲ ದಡ ದೋಳೆಸೆವ ರಂಗನ ಕಡಗೋಲ್ನೆಣನ ಪಿಡಿದನಾ|
ಮೃಡ ಪುರಂದರ ರೊಡೆಯನಾ ಈರಡಿಗಳಲಿ ಶಿರ ವಿಡುವೆನಾ||೨||

ಪೂರ್ಣ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞರಿ ಗೊಲಿದು ದ್ವೊರಕೆ ಮಣ್ಣಿನೊಳ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದನಾ|
ಭವಾಣಕೆ ಪ್ಲವನಾದನಾ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ವೆಂಕಟ ಕೃಷ್ಣನಾ||೩||

Endu kāmbeno enna salahuva tande uḍupiya jāṇanā|

mandahāsa praviṇanā indirā bhūramaṇanā||

dēvakiya jaṭharadali bandana āva paḷḷili nindanā|

māva kansana kondanā kāvanayya mukundanā||1||

kaḍhala daḍa dōḷeseva raṅgana kaḍagōlneṇana piḍidanā|

mr̥ḍa purandara roḍeyanā īraḍigaḷali śira viḍuvenā||2||

pūrṇa prajñari golidu dvorake maṇṇinoḷa prakaṭisidanā|

bhavāṇake plava nādanā prasanna veṅkaṭa kr̥ṣṇanā||3||

Dwadasha Namaskara By Shree Purandara Dasaru

Amazing small song on Dwadasha Namaskara to Lord Almighty written by Shree Purandara Dasaru. My Jayu Aunty shared the lyrics and we asked to record the same and Aunty shared the recording as well. Which I have posted on Youtube. Thanks so much Aunty for sharing the lyrics and also the tune.

ಒಂದು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಇಂದಿರಾ ರಮಣನಿಗೆ

ಎರಡು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಗರುಡ ವಾಹನನಿಗೆ

ಮೂರು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಮುಚಕುಂದನಿಗೆ

ನಾಲ್ಕು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ನಂದತನಯನಿಗೆ

ಐದು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಯದುಕುಲಾನಂದನನಿಗೆ

ಆರು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಅನುರೂಪಹಾರನಿಗೆ

ಏಳು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದ ವರದನಿಗೆ

ಎಂಟು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ವೈಕುಂಠಪತಿಗೆ

ಒಂಬತ್ತು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಕಂಬುಕಂಠ ನುಗೆ

ಹತ್ತು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಭಕ್ತರೊಡೆಯನಿಗೆ

ಹನ್ನೊಂದು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಪನ್ನಗಶಯನನಿಗೆ

ಹನ್ನೆರಡು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರವು ಶ್ರೀಹರಿ ನಿಮಗೆ

ಇಷ್ಟ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರಗಳನ್ನು ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಮಾಡುವೆನು ತಪ್ಪು ಕ್ಷಮಿಸು, ಪುರಂದರವಿಠ್ಠಲ ||

Ondu namaskāravu indirā ramaṇanige

eraḍu namaskāravu garuḍa vāhananige

mūru namaskāravu mucakundanige

nālku namaskāravu nandatanayanige

aidu namaskāravu yadukulānandananige

āru namaskāravu anurūpahāranige

ēḷu namaskāravu prahlāda varadanige

eṇṭu namaskāravu vaikuṇṭhapatige

ombattu namaskāravu kambukaṇṭhanuge

hattu namaskāravu bhaktaroḍeyanige

hannondu namaskāravu pannagaśayananige

hanneraḍu namaskāravu śrīhari nimage

iṣṭa namaskāragaḷannu bhaktiyinda māḍuvenu tappu kṣamisu purandaraviṭhṭhala ||

Harihareshwara Temple, Harihara

On the return journey from Sondha, and Sirsi, we visited the Harihareshwara Temple. This Temple at Harihara (near Davangere) is said to be built in 1223–1224 century by Polalva, a minister of the Hoysala Empire King Vira Narasimha II.

Harihara is also the ancestral place of my Husband’s family and he had fond memories of this place.

We once again talked to priest, got permission to take pictures and videos. The temple houses the deity Harihara, one half is Vishnu Hari and the other half is Shiva Hara. The right half is Shiva and left half is Vishnu. Shiva holds in his hand, the thrishul which you can see and in the left hand, Vishnu holds the shankha or the conch. There is also Lakshmi just below the hand of Vishnu and Parvathi below the hand of Shiva.

According to the priest we talked, a demon named Guhasura lived in this place. Guhasura prayed and got blessings from Lord Brahma with his penance and obtained a boon. It was impossible for either Hari (Vishnu) or Hara (Shiva) to alone kill him. Guhasura then started troubling all gods and humans. In order to overcome Lord Brahma’s boon and eliminate Guhasura, Vishnu and Shiva together took the form of Harihara , came down to earth and killed the demon.

As you see in the video the architecture of this temple is mesmerizing. We just couldn’t comprehend how the temple was built in the 12th century and how they could have even moved the huge stones from one place to another. A miracle in itself.

Take a look and enjoy the architecture of our amazing temples. It was raining all through when we visited this temple. Harihara is around 15 kms from Dawanagere.

PRATHYAKSHA GODANA at Udupi

During our visit to Udupi, we stayed 2 nights and almost 3 days. We stayed next to the temple, so we could walk several times to see Lord Krishna. It was important so we could make sure our Father was not strained much. He has slowed down especially after my mother passed away. He also has lost sight in his right eye due to Macular Degeneration. Making sure he was comfortable was key for both of us.

My Father had a strong desire to do PRATHYAKSHA GODANA at Udupi and also donate for Gograsa food for the calf and cows again at Udupi. We also decided we should also do the same, and so my Husband did the GODANA (Uttama Kalpa). We also gave for lot of other sevas in the evening.

You can see the details of sevas on the webiste : https://krishnapuramatha.org/sevas/

We were blessed to be able be part of the Rathotsava ( will post video), Chamara Seva and Thotilu seva done by Shri Vidyasagaratheertha Swamiji (Present Swamiji) (Since 1971).

I didn’t take any pictures inside the temple. We were allowed to film the GODANA and the Rathotsava in the night. I always took permission before taking any pictures. Will next post Rathotsava video.

Like I said earlier, I have never felt such happiness anywhere in the world. It was truly a experience I will carry through out my life.

Please see below video of the GODANA we did.

NR Colony Rayara Mutta, Bangalore

Each and every day I was in Bangalore, I visited NR Colony Mutta. It has a special place in my heart. We have done so many Kalyanotsava, Rayaru seva and also Anna Muhurtha for my Daughter here in NR Colony mutta.

The Alankara on special days, the brindavana adorned with flowers, or just brindavana with a minimum Tulasi Hara on Ekadashi brings in so much devotion towards Rayaru. The Gandha Lepana on Akshaya Tadige was just awesome.

I truly miss going to Rayaru mutta everyday. On one occasion, while my Daughter ( who visited India with us for just 4 days) and I entered the Mutta, white flowers fell from Rayaru brindavana. We both saw that and were ecstatic. Rayare Gathiyu Namage.

A few of the pictures I took is shared in the video below.

Nanjangud Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutta – Chickpet, Bangalore

On May 12th which was Ekadashi and Thursday we decided to do some shopping in Chickpet. We used the metro rather than taking either an Auto or taxi. Metro stop is just a few yards from Chickpet. 

My Husband had been to the Raghavendra Swamy mutta in Chickpet and kept insisting me we should visit. I kept saying we have already visited NR Colony mutta, it’s okay. He stopped by and asked a man standing nearby where the mutta was, and the person asked us to turn right and there it was Chickpet Rayara mutta with an unbelievable history.

We donated for Anna Dana and Gograsa Seva in the temple.

A unique brindavana which came from Mantralaya. The remaining shila from Rayaru brindavana in Mantralya was used to construct the brindavana here. After Rayaru, the 3rd peethadipathi Shree Sumatheendraru (1731) built the Prana Devaru and shree Varadendraru built the brindavana as history says. This mutta is also called as Rajkumar Mutta. He used to visit this mutta every fortnight and get blessings from Rayaru. 

With permission from the mutta authorities I filmed the Video and took pictures. It was amazing to offer 8 Deepas to Rayaru also. You can see the same in the video. 

If you get a chance to visit Bangalore, and Chickpet, visit this almost 290+ years old Rayaru temple. 

The address of the temple: 613, Old Taluk Cutchery Road, Chickpet, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560053, India