Pittsburgh Meetilotsava-VMS Conference-Update

[Guest guest]

SRI VENKATESHA PRASANNA

Dear Adyaathma Bandhus:

Following is the tentative program for the Mettilotsava in Sri Venkateshwara

Temple on May 26 (Sunday) and VMS Conference on May 26-27 (Memorial Day

Weekend) in Pittsburgh in presence of Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji and

group, Puthige Matha, Udupi.

Sri Swamiji and group are arriving in Washington D. C from India on May 21.

A separate mail on Dasara bhajan/singing coordiantion for Mettilotsava

follows.

Program/agenda

Saturday, May 25

Check-in at various hotels begin at 3 pm. Earlier check-in can be requested.

Ground transportation from Pittsburgh airport to the hotels will be provided

by our volunteers.

Program at Temple

Shuttle buses to the Temple are run from a high school parking lot (on the

way to the temple). Please allow atleast 1 hr to reach the temple as there

will be a long line at the boarding point for the bus. We will announce the

boarding point, driving directions from Monroeville hotels to this boarding

point for the bus later.

4:00 - 6:00 pm Yaagasaala pooja

We request that all VMS members to meet at 5 pm on Saturday at one end of

the yaagasaala. We can then move to a quieter area to discuss/coordinate the

logistics for the next day mettalotsava program, in addition to e-mail

updates prior to the meeting. Many of us will have the traditional " gopi

chandana naama, angaara/aktchate " on our fore-head and will be easily

identified. A cell tel no will be announced for getting in touch at any time

all thru Sat-Mon.

6:00 - 8:00 pm Swarna rathothsava (VMS members are encouraged to

participate, this is a rare event in the Temple, led by Swamiji).

8:00 - 8:30 pm Aasthaana pravesha

8:30 - 9:00 pm Sayanothsava (Sri Vaadhisaachar, Udupi to sing, VMS members

encouraged to participate)

Sunday, May 26

Program at Temple

6:30 - 7:00 am Convene at the high school parking lot for the shuttle bus.

Please request the driver to drop off at the foot-hill after the " small

bridge " prior to the climb to the temple. The drivers will be informed of

this. We will announce the location of the school (boarding point) later.

Mettilotsava gents in our groups will be in our traditional " kacche " ,

angavasthra with gopichandana naama, mudra, and our ladies in sarees.

7:15 am Start Mettilotsava procession from the foot-hill

8:00 am Reach pushkarani, Swamiji to join and perform pooja to mettilu, all

of us sing together " Bidalo ninnangri Srinivasa " , Swamiji leads the

procession to the Temple praakara. We wait in the praakaara, singing

devara naamas, waiting for the Lord's arrival.

8:45 am The Lord comes out of the temple on Garuda Vaahana into the

praakara. At this time, all the mettilotsava devotees surrender to the

Lord, all singing together " daasana maadiko yenna .... " .(The Lord's

sannidhana will be present in this utsava murthy rather than in the moola

vigraha inside the sanctom santorium at this time). Precceding the Lord,

there will be playing of mangala vaadhya (nadaswara group), veda gosha /

Sri Vishnu Sahasranaama parayana by priests etc taking place too. After

this, follow behind the Lord in procession, singing devaranaamas to the

yajna mantapa.

9:30 am The Lord and His daasas enter Yajna saala. Mettalotsava ends here

with devotees singing concluding songs.

11:00 am Poornaahuthi at the Yajna saala

Following Poornahuthi, the Lord and the kalasas in the homa in the Yajna

mantapa will be taken in a procession, led by Swamiji, with Veda gosha,

to inside the Temple for the grand abiseka to the moola vigraha.

(11:00 am - 2:00 pm Abiseka, poolangi alankara etc are done for the main

deity inside the temple. This will take a long time and may finish only

around 2 pm.

In order to start the VMS conference at the Murrrysville Community Center

(driving directions will be given later) at 2 pm, people have to leave the

temple around 1 pm (driving time approxinately 20-25 minutes thru many

traffic lights). Have lunch at the temple cafetaria itself.

VMS Conference at Murrysville Community Center

2:00 pm Start with Veda gosha, daasa vaani. Sri Puthige Matha Swamiji to

inagurate and give Asirvachana.

2:15 pm Children's session, We are looking for young kids to participate.

They can either chant a small stothra or sing a song or give a small talk.

About 5 min per kid. Performances by groups of kids are also welcome. For

participation, please send e-mail to srinivasan

<srinivasan.

3:00 pm " Sri Sreenivasa Mahime " , Harikatha by Sri Vaadisaachar

4:00 pm Reports by regional VMS coordinators on activities in their VMS

Centers

4:30 pm Break (coffee)

5:00 pm Philosophy session

Sri Nagaraj Kotekal on " Bhakthi vaishista "

Sri Prasannacharya on " Sri Hanumantha in Sundara Kaanda (Ramayana) "

Sri Hunsur Sriprasad on " namasthe prAnEsha (Sumadhva Vijaya).... "

6:30 pm Pravachana by Sri Puthige Matha Swamiji

7:00 pm Break for sandhya etc..

7:30 pm Thottilu pooja for Lord Krishna by Swamiji

9:00 pm Dinner right in this hall.

Monday, May 27

08:00 am Maha Pooja to Lord Panduranga Vittala by Sri Puthige Matha Swamiji

10:00 am Pravachana by Swamiji

10:30 am theertha, palamanthrAkshate from Swamiji, mangala

11:00 am Theertha prasaada (Lunch in Udupi style) right here in this hall

12:00 noon Clean-up

We have to give away the main hall by 12:30 pm.

A smaller hall (adjacent to the main hall) to accommodate 60-70 prople is

being reserved for us for informal discussions, VMS activities etc.. This

will be available until 4 pm.

Please give your comments, suggestions. As you can see, the program is

already quite tight with various activities.

Please forward to your friends, relatives and those interested.

Namaskaragalu

Bindu

Bindu Madhavan

Tel 610-966-9299

 

 

 

 

 

 

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