On The Vertex Of Faith
Contributed By - Radhika Bukka
Om Gana-Nam-Twa Ganapati Gum Hava-Mahe Kavim Kavina Upa-Mas-Ra Vasta-Mam Jyes-Thara Jum Brahma-Nam Brahma-Naspata Ahna Shroon-Van-Noti-Bhi Sida Sada-Nam
The most awaited auspicious event in the valley, the Maha Kumbhabhishekam of Maha Rajagopuram of the very famous Maha Ganapathi Temple of Arizona, was held from April 18th to April 22nd of 2018. The five day ceremonies were a feast to the eyes and filled bliss into the souls. Revered priests from many different cities across the US and India, including a 93 year old former priest at Sri Madhurai Meenakshi Amma temple, were present to conduct and participate in these holy rituals. All the events on all five days were conducted at a very large scale. It is said that one should have purva janma punya phala to be witnessing a Maha Kumbhabhishekam. Blessed are the people of Arizona, as this 54 feet tall magnificent Maharajagopuram now captures and spreads the divine grace across the land.
The Maha Kumbhabhishekam means consecration of the deities in the temple. Kumbhadenotes the shikhara of the temple, Abhishekam is the ritual bathing orSamprokshanam. This pious ritual infuses cosmic divine energy into the deities.
Sri Sri Bodhinatha Velanswamy of Kauai Adheenam presided over the events and has given divine discourses. We all know that the main Maha Ganapathi Deity in the temple was given by Sri Sivaya Subrahmuniya Swamy, the founder of Kauai Adheenam, in the year 2000.
The ceremonies started on Wednesday with Mangala Vadyam, Sri Vighneswara Pooja, Punyahavachanam, Pravesha Bali, Vaasthu Shanti, Panchagavyam, Sri Mahaganapathi Homam and poornahuti, followed by many homas, abhishekas to all the deities in the temple on all the days.
On Friday evening there was Lalitha Sahasranama, Soundarya Lahari chanting along with Lalitha Trishati kumkuma pooja, 108 Sumangali pooja, Deepa pooja and Bhagavati pooja. That evening, the temple reverberated with chantings of Shakti.
Saturday witnessed a very unique seva, Yaennai Kappu Vaibhavam for Ganesha and Lord Shiva. It is applying of oil to both the deities by all the devotees. Later in the afternoon that day was samuhika satyanarayana pooja, along with many other homas, yagashala activities. Thousands of devotees attended these events.
On the Maha Kumbhabhishekam day, devotees thronged the temple in thousands. The muhurtam was from 11:00 -
11:15 am. The air was filled with divine chantings and tranquility. Devotees eagerly waited to be sprinkled by the divine abhisheka jala from the Maha Rajagopuram. The elaborated rituals included chanting of the divine Vedic mantras, Maha kumbhabishekam and sanctification of deities with the sacred waters from the Kalashas. After the kumbhbishekam, prathama abhisheka to Lord Ganapathi and Shiva was conducted.
Later in the day, pancha kalyanotsavam for Shiva-Parvati, Srinivasa-Padmavati, Valli-Devasena Sametha Subrahmanya Swamy, Nataraja-Sivagami, Sita-Rama was performed.
The five day celebrations were also marked by cultural events by various veteran and budding artists of the valley. It was a divine gathering resembling festivities during the royal times in India.
Such a grand event was held very systematically, with all provisions for the humongous crowd that turned out for the event. The Maha Kumbhabhishekam commitee along with all the volunteers have done a surreal job right from directing the traffic to providing food. It was a result of great dedication by the volunteers, as many of them rented places and stayed in the nearby areas to help with the activities in the temple that lasted from early morning to late night on all 5 days. Volunteers and the temple committee need to be appreciated to eternity, for this herculean event was pulled off with such an ease. At least they made it appear so. It was a pious culmination of divine grace and human effort.