The grand celebrations
of Tiru Kalyana Mahotsavam of the deities Goda- Sri Ranga Mannar;
Shri Maha Lakshmi-
Shri Lakshmi Narayana PerumaaL;
Sridevi, Bhudevi- Sri Srinivasa, at the Ashtalakshmi Temple, Sugar Land, TX on Sunday, January, 13, 2013
With the divine grace of Shri Lakshminarayana PerumaaL and the divine grace and Mangalasasanams of our Acharya ji, Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamy ji, Houston was once again a divine abode this week.
It was a weekend of color, frolic and glory of the celestial wedding ceremony of Goda- Ranga Mannar, Shri Maha Lakshmi and Shri Lakshmi Narayana and the great Tiru Kalyanam of Sri Venkateshwara with Shridevi and Bhudevi, performed for the happiness and auspiciousness of the society and the community at Shri Ashta Lakshmi Temple from 1/11/2013 to 1/13/2013.
Friday evening, 1/11/2013- Mehendi:
Mehendi is the beautiful experience that everyone gets when participating in the wedding celebrations, at the onset of the celestial weddings. Here, everyone can participate, irrespective of caste creed or race.
Volunteers from the Ashtalakshmi temple participated in designing beautiful patterns of Mehendi or Henna on the palms and hands of those interested in decorating their hands with the colorful Mehendi accompanied by song and dance, in a very colorful way. The mood for the grand celebrations upcoming was onset with these decorations on the palms as well as preparation of garlands in a beautiful pattern that adorned the deities as well as the dais and Tiru Kalyana mandapam.
Saturday, 1/12/2013
On Saturday 12 th Jan, the morning celebrations of Bridal Shower or adorning the Pellikuthuru were conducted, adorning the celestial bride Goda devi with the divine Tirumajjanam or auspicious bath with vedic chantings of Sri Suktam in praise of Goddess Lakshmi in the form of Goda devi, who arrived on earth to bring the purushakara of the Lord Shrimannarayana closer to the hearts of the devotees with her beautiful Pasurams or prayers, followed by the decoration of the Goddess Goda Devi in a beautiful manner that only the devotees' hearts can perceive and pour it out in the form of prayer, decoration and praising the glory of the Goddess Goda Devi born in Sri Villi Puttur in love with Lord Ranganadha.
After adorning the Goddess Goda Devi beautifully with koppu, kaanjivaram Peethambaram, and long plait with decorations like stars plucked out from the celestial abode and adorned on her beautiful braided plait, and garlands of flowers- poomalai or kodai decorating her long plait, she was the beautiful bride ready to receive Ranga Mannar.
Saturday evening was with celebrations of receiving of Bridegrooms Sri Ranga Mannar, Sri Srinivasa, Sri Lakshmi Narayana, all in the form of Shri Lakshmi Narayana. The vedic pandits Hanuma Swamy, Yugandhara Swamy and Sampath Kumar Swamy explained the pravara or lineage of Goda and Ranganadha and it was followed with exchanges of gifts and sweets and dry fruit and nuts followed with songs or Keertanas in praise of the Lord by shishyas of Smt Rajarajeshwari kalaga, who sang on Saturday evening at the Ashtalakshmi temple. The melodious songs were followed by a feast to the eyes and ears by the rendering of dances performed by the Vedantam Kalakshetram of Ashtalakshmi Vedic Learning Center.
Students from Vedantam kalakshetram dance school performed with the debut by Five of their students, Nityaa Kodarapu, Puneeta Goli, Neeharika Venuturupalle, Yogita Marri and Anjana Solipuram who danced to the Jathi Swaram - Ragam - NaaTaa, tAlam - Adi, Composed by Eleswarapu Narayanappa. this was followed by another beautiful performance by Aparna Sesanka Kambhampati and Sahiti Rudravajjhala to the keertana, Koluvaitiva Ranga Sai in Shanmukha priya rAgam, Adi tAlam, Composed by Sri Devulapalli Krishna Sastry.
The next dance was performed by Shriya Gullapalli, Samantha Rudravajjala, Milinda Nutalapati, Niharika Pakala and AamaniShree Pillutla who presented Ramayana Sabdham to MOhana rAgam and Adi tAlam.
In the end, Pavalimpu seva was offered to Goddess Alimelu manga and Lord Sri Srinivasa with the renderence of Annamayya Keertana Palukutenela talli in Abheri rAgam and Adi tALam by Smt. Padmaja Sharmi Vedantam.
Sudesh Pillutla did the compering for the program with great introductions to the music and dance forms. Music was arranged by Drs. Aparna Tamirisa Kandada and Ranga Kandada to build a tempo of Bhakti for the grace of Lord Srimannarayana to all the devotees and the society.
Sunday, 1/13/2013
The three tiru Kalyanams have come to a grand success with the performance of the Celestial Wedding ceremony of the Lord Ranga Mannar taking the hand of Goda Devi, Sri Lakshmi Narayana with Sri Maha Lakshmi and Sri Srinivasa with Sridevi and Bhudevi. It is not so much as the physical form in the human terms but it denotes that, knowledge should be coupled with devotion, and knowledge should also be followed with action. Shrimannarayana is the body of knowledge, and Goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi who are the Goddesses of Wealth and Property are akin to mind and matter in the spread of the devotion and Sanathana dharma, which is the traditional body of knowledge, which belongs to everyone, irrespective of caste or creed or race and needs to be protected for us to be protected. The very act of the celestial wedding is not for the joy of Paramatma alone, but for the auspiciousness of devotees and society as well, and finding Paramatma in the happiness of those who feel the presence of God within them.
It also is a blessing to the society in sharing the oneness of the Paramatma in union with our divine mother, who gives us body and energy and they both reside in our heart as one form, inseparable and all pervading.
The ceremonial Wedding was followed by a sumptuous Prasadam lunch-Tadiaradhana, caterimg organized by volunteers, with food served on banana leaves to a large extent and delicious food items such as Puliyogare, Sambhar, Saadam, curries, pickles, curd (not yogurt!), Kesari, Papadam. There were delicious Prasadams served on the earlier two days too, with Puliyogare, Upma, Pickles.
With the divine grace of Shri Lakshminarayana PerumaaL and the divine grace and Mangalasasanams of our Acharya ji, Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamy ji, Houston was once again a divine abode this week.
It was a weekend of color, frolic and glory of the celestial wedding ceremony of Goda- Ranga Mannar, Shri Maha Lakshmi and Shri Lakshmi Narayana and the great Tiru Kalyanam of Sri Venkateshwara with Shridevi and Bhudevi, performed for the happiness and auspiciousness of the society and the community at Shri Ashta Lakshmi Temple from 1/11/2013 to 1/13/2013.
Friday evening, 1/11/2013- Mehendi:
Mehendi is the beautiful experience that everyone gets when participating in the wedding celebrations, at the onset of the celestial weddings. Here, everyone can participate, irrespective of caste creed or race.
Volunteers from the Ashtalakshmi temple participated in designing beautiful patterns of Mehendi or Henna on the palms and hands of those interested in decorating their hands with the colorful Mehendi accompanied by song and dance, in a very colorful way. The mood for the grand celebrations upcoming was onset with these decorations on the palms as well as preparation of garlands in a beautiful pattern that adorned the deities as well as the dais and Tiru Kalyana mandapam.
Saturday, 1/12/2013
On Saturday 12 th Jan, the morning celebrations of Bridal Shower or adorning the Pellikuthuru were conducted, adorning the celestial bride Goda devi with the divine Tirumajjanam or auspicious bath with vedic chantings of Sri Suktam in praise of Goddess Lakshmi in the form of Goda devi, who arrived on earth to bring the purushakara of the Lord Shrimannarayana closer to the hearts of the devotees with her beautiful Pasurams or prayers, followed by the decoration of the Goddess Goda Devi in a beautiful manner that only the devotees' hearts can perceive and pour it out in the form of prayer, decoration and praising the glory of the Goddess Goda Devi born in Sri Villi Puttur in love with Lord Ranganadha.
After adorning the Goddess Goda Devi beautifully with koppu, kaanjivaram Peethambaram, and long plait with decorations like stars plucked out from the celestial abode and adorned on her beautiful braided plait, and garlands of flowers- poomalai or kodai decorating her long plait, she was the beautiful bride ready to receive Ranga Mannar.
Saturday evening was with celebrations of receiving of Bridegrooms Sri Ranga Mannar, Sri Srinivasa, Sri Lakshmi Narayana, all in the form of Shri Lakshmi Narayana. The vedic pandits Hanuma Swamy, Yugandhara Swamy and Sampath Kumar Swamy explained the pravara or lineage of Goda and Ranganadha and it was followed with exchanges of gifts and sweets and dry fruit and nuts followed with songs or Keertanas in praise of the Lord by shishyas of Smt Rajarajeshwari kalaga, who sang on Saturday evening at the Ashtalakshmi temple. The melodious songs were followed by a feast to the eyes and ears by the rendering of dances performed by the Vedantam Kalakshetram of Ashtalakshmi Vedic Learning Center.
Students from Vedantam kalakshetram dance school performed with the debut by Five of their students, Nityaa Kodarapu, Puneeta Goli, Neeharika Venuturupalle, Yogita Marri and Anjana Solipuram who danced to the Jathi Swaram - Ragam - NaaTaa, tAlam - Adi, Composed by Eleswarapu Narayanappa. this was followed by another beautiful performance by Aparna Sesanka Kambhampati and Sahiti Rudravajjhala to the keertana, Koluvaitiva Ranga Sai in Shanmukha priya rAgam, Adi tAlam, Composed by Sri Devulapalli Krishna Sastry.
The next dance was performed by Shriya Gullapalli, Samantha Rudravajjala, Milinda Nutalapati, Niharika Pakala and AamaniShree Pillutla who presented Ramayana Sabdham to MOhana rAgam and Adi tAlam.
In the end, Pavalimpu seva was offered to Goddess Alimelu manga and Lord Sri Srinivasa with the renderence of Annamayya Keertana Palukutenela talli in Abheri rAgam and Adi tALam by Smt. Padmaja Sharmi Vedantam.
Sudesh Pillutla did the compering for the program with great introductions to the music and dance forms. Music was arranged by Drs. Aparna Tamirisa Kandada and Ranga Kandada to build a tempo of Bhakti for the grace of Lord Srimannarayana to all the devotees and the society.
Sunday, 1/13/2013
The three tiru Kalyanams have come to a grand success with the performance of the Celestial Wedding ceremony of the Lord Ranga Mannar taking the hand of Goda Devi, Sri Lakshmi Narayana with Sri Maha Lakshmi and Sri Srinivasa with Sridevi and Bhudevi. It is not so much as the physical form in the human terms but it denotes that, knowledge should be coupled with devotion, and knowledge should also be followed with action. Shrimannarayana is the body of knowledge, and Goddesses Sridevi and Bhudevi who are the Goddesses of Wealth and Property are akin to mind and matter in the spread of the devotion and Sanathana dharma, which is the traditional body of knowledge, which belongs to everyone, irrespective of caste or creed or race and needs to be protected for us to be protected. The very act of the celestial wedding is not for the joy of Paramatma alone, but for the auspiciousness of devotees and society as well, and finding Paramatma in the happiness of those who feel the presence of God within them.
It also is a blessing to the society in sharing the oneness of the Paramatma in union with our divine mother, who gives us body and energy and they both reside in our heart as one form, inseparable and all pervading.
The ceremonial Wedding was followed by a sumptuous Prasadam lunch-Tadiaradhana, caterimg organized by volunteers, with food served on banana leaves to a large extent and delicious food items such as Puliyogare, Sambhar, Saadam, curries, pickles, curd (not yogurt!), Kesari, Papadam. There were delicious Prasadams served on the earlier two days too, with Puliyogare, Upma, Pickles.
The entire
Dhanurmasam was so colorful and beautiful specially with the decorations of
Vaikuntha Ekadasi and the delicious pongals and prasadams all along!
Our heartiest thanks to our Grand Sponsorors Anand Bhagavathula, Srinivas Vedala,
Arun Verma, Rajesh Ratnala, Murthy Divakaruni, Hariprasad Kotrike, Sripathi
Ramanujadasa with whose efforts,
the Grand celebration of Goda- Ranga Mannar, Sri MahaLakshmi- Sri Lakshmi
Narayana PerumaaL, Sri Srinivasa-
Sridevi and Bhudevi Tiru kalyanams were possible.
We offer our thanks to the pooja committee members lead by Smt. Lakshmi Medi, supported by Smt. Shobha Gadiraju, Shailaja Chary and team; decoration lead by Smt. Alivelu Kandalam and Shailaja Rao, and bommala koluvu decorated by Shailaja Rao, front desk helped by Renuka Rao, Chary, Sharmila Achyutha and Pavan Achyutha.
We thank our Treasurers Bhaskar garu and Prasad Gadiraju for attending to the details of expenses and activites.
We thank our food committee volunteers, lead by Harigopal Yadagiri, Hari babu and Manoj Kumar, who have also sponsored the food material for the entire festival and team for their excellent service and attention to detail and cleanliness. We Thank our procurement Team Lead Srinivas Gummadi.
We offer our thanks to the pooja committee members lead by Smt. Lakshmi Medi, supported by Smt. Shobha Gadiraju, Shailaja Chary and team; decoration lead by Smt. Alivelu Kandalam and Shailaja Rao, and bommala koluvu decorated by Shailaja Rao, front desk helped by Renuka Rao, Chary, Sharmila Achyutha and Pavan Achyutha.
We thank our Treasurers Bhaskar garu and Prasad Gadiraju for attending to the details of expenses and activites.
We thank our food committee volunteers, lead by Harigopal Yadagiri, Hari babu and Manoj Kumar, who have also sponsored the food material for the entire festival and team for their excellent service and attention to detail and cleanliness. We Thank our procurement Team Lead Srinivas Gummadi.
We thank
Communications team lead by Smt. Sita Madabhushi and supported by Sriram Nanduri who sent emails about
the event to everyone of the devotees in the mailing list well in advance and
followed up in time, and also informed the media.
These celebrations were possible with the
volunteering efforts, steered by the Sri Hanuma Swamy, Sri Yugandhara Swamy, Drs. Chary Tamirisa, Rajan Madabhushi, and volunteers under the able guidance of Drs.Renu Tamirisa, Alivelu and Ranga Kandalam, Aparna Tamirisa, Ranga Kandada, Vijay Narasimhaiah, Mr. Bangaar Reddy Aaloori, Cultural programs made possible by the guidance and
training offered by the cultural committee and board members, Shri
Vedantam Raghava, Smt Rajarajeshwari
Kalaga and collective participation
of number of volunteers and devotees
from Houston metro and neighborhood,
who have participated in the ceremonies and attended all three days making the
celebrations a huge success.
Reported by Uma Pochampalli
