Mettilotsava-VMS Conference Update

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

As we are fast approching Mettilotsava and VMS Conference in Pittsburgh, we

are bringing you updates dealing with a few finer details to provide you as

much details as possible to enhance our experience in these unique

functions.

 

Grocery and other items:

 

All have been taken care of. Expenses will be announced in the VMS

Conference, all participants will contribute in the VMS Conference to take

care of expended amount. Please buy in Pittsburgh and bring flowers to

Swamiji's poojas.

 

Dress Code:

 

For gents, our traditional pancha kachha, angavastra, gopichandana naama,

mudre. At the least, the lead singers will wear the upper cloth

(angavastra) as a " head-gear " like a Dasa. Help for " head-gear " will be

provided at the foot-hills assembling area prior to start of Mettilotsava.

There were discussions in Allentown and New Jersey groups suggesting

yellow/orange sarees for ladies, as observed in Mettilotsavas in India.

While this is preferred, let the non availability of these particular color

dress items not be an impediment in the participation. Also suggested and

discussed were 9 yards sarees worn in the traditional " kachhe " style for

ladies! Well, left to our ladies what they prefer.

 

We are having unusual not so warm weather in Pennsylvania though this is end

of May. Please check in the internet weather information and dress

accordingly. Please consider wearing thick, out-door socks (available in

places like K-Mart) if you are not planning to wear shoes or sandals, and

if the weather is not going to be warm.

 

Punctuality:

 

Strict adherence to punctuality will be observed, your co-operation in this

matter is very critical, and hence please pay your full attention to this

matter. We should be in CCAC car parking lot for shuttle-bus pick-up before

6:15 am. There are 4 shuttle buses operating from 6 am and take the

immediately departing shuttle bus to the Temple and do not wait for other

groups or other participants to join you in the CCAC car parking lot.

Arrangements have been made with the Temple to instruct the shuttle bus

drivers to drop off Mettilotsava participants at the assempling area in the

foot-hill. At the time of boarding the shuttle bus, please do tell the

driver to drop you in the foot-hill. Temple is providing a group of

volunteers for our assembly in the foot-hill and to guide and protect our

Mettilotsava procession on the road to top of the hill from shuttle-bus

traffic.

 

Swamiji is planning to get up and finish his pooja much earlier in the

morning than usual so that he can arrive on time and lead the Mettilotsava

procession at 7 am from the foot-hill. Swamiji has at the least 40-45

minutes drive to the foot-hill from where he will be staying. If by chance

Swamiji is late, still the Mettilotsava procession will start from the

foot-hill at 7 am sharp and Swamiji will join at the pushkarani around 7:45

am.

 

It is imperative that the Mettilotsava procession remains in tact from the

beginning to the end. Our procession should be inside the prakaara at 8:30

so that we are ready to receive our Lord in Gaja vahana (not Garuda vahana

as reported earlier) at 8:45 am in the prakara. Temple has already told us

that if we are late, the Lord is not going to wait for us! Temple has very

busy programs on that day and hence the Temple authorities will be under

heavy pressure to keep their activities on time. Temple authorities have

told us multiple times that we need to be on time.

 

I can not emphazize enough the need for punctuality. This is a fuction we

are doing in a public place and hence the absolute need for keeping the

punctuality. If all of us are punctual, the desired over-all effect and

experience can be achieved.

 

Rain

 

In the event of any inclement weather, call cell telephones 610-762-6236

(Srinivasan) or 703-220-8345 (Sudhindra) for announcements and updates.

 

Please let me know whether any other issues need to be discussed.

 

Namaskaragalu

 

Bindu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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