Priest Hired/Inauguration

[Guest guest]

Dear Prapatti members,

 

I posted a note in August to the group,

seeking info on a South Indian priest

to be hired for our temple in Cincinnati.

I am pleased to inform you that we finally

hired Sri Srinivasa Bhattar, formerly of the

New jersey Balaji (Bridgewater) temple.

He is awaiting Visa approval(Extention)

to officially joining our Temple. We all hope

with Sriman Narayana's grace, everything will

go through smoothly.

 

The response I got from you all was the basis

of this success in hiring the priest prior to

inauguration of our new temple(Nov. 18 and 19).

Without the help of the Prapatti group this would not

have been simply possible. In this connection, I also

had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Balu Murli

and Mr. Sriram of the Prapatti group.

 

I like to specifically thank the following members:

 

 

Mr. Muralidhar Rangaswamy

Mr. Balu Murli

Mr. Sriram

Mr. Varadhan

Mr. Sadagopan

Mr. Eswar

Mr. Satish

Mr. Krishna Kalale

and many others.

 

Interestingly, Sriram personally brought the

candidate for the interview Puja.

Balu Murli helped Mr. Bhattar to move to

Cincinnati .

 

I immensly thank the enthusiasm and the good will shown

by so many of you in so many ways.

 

I have posted here a detailed program of the inauguration.

BCS refers to Pujas that will be performed by Bhagavathi Charan

Sharma (Our North Indian Priest) and BSS (Srinivasa Bhattar) refers

to Pujas that will be performed by Srinivasa Bhattar.

 

It will be great if some of you who are nearby can attend.

(I am glad to note that Mr. Sriram will be attending)

 

Sincerely,

K. Sreekrishna

DIRECTIONS TO HSGC (Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati) TEMPLE

 

Once you approach Cincinnati ,take 275 East

>From 275 East , Take 32 West (Exit 63A)

Within a 1/4 mile turn right on route Old 74

At the first stop, turn left on Summerside road

After driving less than a mile, turn right onto

Klatte Road.

Continue driving on the Klatte Road, past the

subdivisions to the Temple gate.

The temple sits on a 100 acre lot.

The style is Futuristic.

About 15,000 sq.ft.

There will be no central Deities, will have 12 Deities)

AUM in the Center. Each Deity has a seperate enclosed

Sannidhi.

 

PROGRAM DETAILS

 

 

November 18, 1995 8:00 AM - 5:45 PM

1. Suprabhatam (BSS, group) -

Good Morning verses to the Lord (5 min.)

2. Transport Deities in a decorated truck from

the current Temple to the New Temple

3. Truck carrying the Deities

to arrive at the new Temple Gate by 8:50 AM

4. Ready the deities for Murti Yatra (Deities procession) (10 min.)

 

Procession Participants Assemble at the New

Temple Gate by 8:45 AM!!!

 

5. Murti Yatra -Deities procession from gate

to the Temple front (30 min.)

The procession will include in the following order:

Flag bearers, Music band, 51 ladies

in traditional dress carrying on their

head a Kalash (decorated pot

filled with water and coconut placed on the top),

Deities placed in the

decorated truck, Vydhiks chanting the

Taittiriyopanishad, Special guests

including: Dignitaries Community leaders, Officials

of various societies,

Bhajan-sankeertan group, Men, Women and Children

singing and clapping. On

arrival at the Temple front, the Deities will

be temporarily located in the

upper level of the Temple, awaiting ritual

purification of the Fellowship Hall.

The Kalshs will be placed in the Fellowship Hall.

PUJAS for Sanctification of the

Fellowship Hall of the New Temple

6. Prithvi Puja (BCS)

Puja to the Mother Earth

7. Dik Shuddhi (BCS)

Purification of Atmosphere

8. Swasti Vachanam (BCS)

Chanting Mantras for peace and Prosperity

9. Vigneshwara Puja (BCS)

Worship of Ganesh, the remover of obstacles

10. Kalasha Sthapan and Puja (BCS)

Invocation and worship of the Gods

Godesses, holy rivers, Varun

(Time for items 6-10 is 40 min.)

 

11. Vastu Homa (BSS)

Yagna (fire sacrifice) for Vastu Purusha

12. Shanti Homa (BSS)

Yagna (fire sacrifice) for peace

13. Poornahuti (BSS)

Conclusionary offering

14. Vastu Paryagnikarana (BSS)

Vastu Purusha is extracted in fire (Agni) from

the Fellowship Hall and escorted out.

(Time for items 11-14 is 50 min)

15. Digpalakas Avahan (BSS)

Invocation of the guardians of all the directions

16. Digpalakas Puja (BSS)

Puja for the guardians of all the directions

17. Digpalakas Baliharan (BSS)

Offerings to the guardians of directions

Items 15-17 are done out side the temple Walls.

Time for items 15-17 is (50 min.)

Parallel to items 15-17, following Pujas

will be performed inside

18. Navagraha Puja (BCS)

Worship of 9 planets

19. Lok Palkas Puja (BCS)

Worship of safeguarders of the world

20. Havan (if time permits) (BCS)

 

Total time for items 18-20 is 50 min.

 

Noon: Maha Mangala Aarati (BCS) Jai Jagadeesha...(15 min.)

 

***Prasad, Lunch, Fellowship, Temple Tour (12:15-2:00 PM)***

Cultural Programs: (2:00-5:00 PM)

***Dashavataram Bharatha Natyam Dance by Satya Priya and Party ***

***Bhajans by Anupama Sahasrabhudhe and group***

 

5:00 PM Maha Mangala Aarati (BCS) Jai Jagadeesha... (15 min.)

***Snacks and Adjourn (5:15 PM)***

 

 

November 19, 1995 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

 

1. Sabha Anugna (BSS)

Seeking permission to do Puja (5 min.)

min.)

2. Mahasankalpam (BSS)

Pledge to accomplish the puja (5 min)

min.)

3. Vishvaksena/Vigneswara Aradhana (BSS)

Vishvaksen and Ganesh Invocations

to remove obstacles (5 min.)

4. Devata Agaman (BCS and BSS)

Entry of the deities to the Sanctified

Fellowship Hall (10 min.)

5. Devata Aaseen (BCS and BSS)

Placing the deities on the altar (10 min.)

6. Panchamrita Abhishek (BSS)

Ceremonial Bathing (30 min.)

8. Alankar and Archan (BSS)

Decoration and Puja (30 min.)

9. Mantrapushpam (BSS)

Garland of Mantras (5 min.)

10. Sankeertan (Pratap Jani and Group) Group Bhajans (45 min.)

11. Maha Naivedhyam (BSS and BCS)

Offering food to Deities (5 min.)

 

Curtain Falls in front of the Deities

12. Vishnusaharanama Parayanam

(Chanting the 1000 names of Vishnu)

Led by Padma and Sreedhara Murthys

Hindu Heritage Class Students (25 min.)

Unveiling of the Curtain by Swamiji (5 min.)

 

Noon: Maha Mangala Aarati (BCS) Jai Jagadeesha... (15 min.)

 

13. Shattumorai (BSS) : Recitation of the

melodious Verses from the Tamil Vedas

(A tradition popularized over 900 years

ago by the great Sanskrit /Tamil

Scholar-Philosopher - Reformer Ramanujacharya) (5 min.)

HSGC committee members assemble at the front for

Aasheervadh (Blessings) from BSS and BCS (5 min.)

*** Prasad, Lunch, Fellowship, Temple Tour (12:30-2:00 PM) ***

 

ART, COLORING, DRAWING & OTHER FUN

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN (2:00-4:30 PM)

Religious Discourse-

Children:

Bhagawat Gita:Meaning of Hinduism (2:00-3:00 PM)

(By the invited Swami Sharananandaji/Chicago

Chinmaya Mission)

Educational Forum-(3:00-4:30 PM)

Hinduism Outside India:

Preservation & Coexistance

Moderator: Dr. Rama Rao Pappu (Miami U):

Hinduism in America

Dr. A.V. Rangarajan (U of Dayton):

Temple as a preserver of Vedic religion

Dr. William Jackson (Indiana-Purdue U):

Role and Importance of Academic Institutions

Dr. Anuradha Mitra (Union Institute)

Teaching Hinduism to Children:

Importance of Home Education

Nisha Gupta (Miami U):

What Hinduism means to me

Mala Bhattacharjee(Talawanda High School):

Hinduism and my Indian Heritage

Nehracia Babu (Ohio State University):

Hinduism and My Indian Roots

***Raas-Garbha Cultural Program

(Ankur Samaj Youths) (4:40-5:15 PM)***

 

5:15 PM: Maha Mangala Aarati (BCS) Jai Jagadeesha ... (15 min.)

 

****Snacks and Adjourn (5:30 PM)***

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

HSGC is pleased to announce the appointment

of a second priest(Pending Visa approval) Sri

Bangalore Srinivasa Bhattar to our Temple.

Sri Srinivas will work closely with Punditji

(Sri. Bhagavati Charan Sharma) to fulfill

the religious and spiritual needs of our community.

Sri Srinivasa, a native of Bangalore

hails from the family of Priests of the

famous Kote Srinivasar (Venkata Ramana Swami)

hails from the family of Priests of the

famous Kote Srinivasar (Venkata Ramana Swami)

hails from the family of Priests of the

Sri Srinivasa, a native of Bangalore

hails from the family of Priests of the

famous Kote Srinivasar (Venkata Ramana Swami)

Temple of Bangalore. He is fully

conversant with all traditions of a Temple.

Proficient in conducting all the

Pujas, such as for Sri Satyanarayana Swami,

Nava Graha and many special

auspicious Homas for the peace and the prosperity.

 

He is also able to perform all Purva Karmas. He holds the

title of "Agama Praveena" which

recognizes his excellence of priestly services in a

temple. He has studied Pancharatra Agama,

Vishishtadvaita philosophy and

Astrology at the Mysore University for several years .

He has previously served as a Priest in the

Sri Venkateswara Temple in Bridge Water, NJ.

He is fluent in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu languages.

He is also able to converse in Hindi and English.