VMS Annual Retreat & Mettilotsava, Pittsburgh Sri Venkateshwara Temple, Labor Day Weekend, Sep 2-4, 2006 - Final Program

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Hari Bhaktas,

By the grace of Sri Hari, Vayu, Gurugalu, we will be celebrating Mettilotsava in Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Pittsburgh area and in conjunction have our Vishwa Madhva Sangha (VMS) Annual Retreat in the picturesque Laurel Hill State Park during the Labor Day weekend (Sep 2 - 4). This is the 5th year we are celebrating the Mettilotsava and having our VMS annual gathering in the Pittsburgh area. All are welcome. So far, the indications are that there will be good participation from many states in the US and we are looking forward to enjoyable Mettilotsava and VMS Retreat this year.

Mettilotsava is walking in groups with pious devotees singing devaranaama songs and chanting the divine names of our Lord from the bottom of the holy hill to to the top and have the dharshan of Sri Venkateshwara. This is an annual activity for a number of years in Thirupathi and other holy places in India. This has been a very delightful spiritual experience for all of us " regulars " in this annual event in the Pittsburgh temple and we invite all interested to join us and enjoy the anugraha of Sri Srinivasa in this distant land. This year, Mettilotsava will take place starting at 8:30 am from the bottom of the holy hill on Sunday, Sep 3 and end about 10:30 am before Sri Venkateshwara in the temple at the top of the holy hill.

All are welcome to participate in devarapooje and Sri Jagannatha Dasara aradhne (5 am to 8 am) in our home in Allentown in the morning of Sep 2 (Sat). All are welcome to arrive in the prior evening/night of Sep 1 (Fri) and stay with us in Allentown. After the aradhane and partaking of the prasada in the morning of Sep 2, we will leave for Laurel Hill State Park at about 9 am from Allentown. All others not passing through Allentown are requested to come straight to Laurel Hill State Park.

Our arriving in Laurel Hill State Park will take place from about noon on Saturday Sep 2 and our VMS has already been allotted the cabins and grounds in the Organized Group Camp Number 5 in this State Park for our exclusive use. This is the same place where we had our gathering and stay 2 years ago. This comes with cabins, kitchen, dining hall, central bath rooms with hot water for ladies and gents, large play area in the central location etc. For all the details on Mettilotsava and Laurel Hill State Park, Sri Janardhan Rao has set up a Blog http://www.jitamitra.org/mett2006/ Please visit this site to see pictures of the previous VMS Annual Retreats as well as such useful information as distance and driving distance to Laurel Hill State Park from various locations, amenities in the rustic surroundings of this State Park etc. Please also provide your comments in this Blog for planning and execution purposes. Most importantly, please use this Blog to tell us your participating this year and giving us your head count. We need volunteers for various activities and all of the planning activities we will do thru the Blog.

This year, we have set aside adequate time for camp related " fun " activities for children and adults on both Sat (Sep 2) and Sun (Sep 3). Please plan yourselves to be available for these group and other activities. We are planning to have informal interactive panel discussions on spiritual matters with our scholars in our group on Sun evening.

We are planning a delightful LORD SRI SRINIVASA AND PADMAVATHI KALYANA by Haridaasa devaranaama bhajana paddathi in the evening on Sat at 7 pm in our dining hall in our camp for the first time. My brother Srinivasan is coordinating this event by prior allotting of appropriate devaranaamas to various groups in Connecticut, Washington DC, New Jersey, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Detroit, Michigan etc. Any interested to sing in this delightful event please go to the Blog and make your posting, communicating your interest in this event. Any interested in making any holy wedding offerings (new cloths, special wedding food preparations, ornaments, Vara pooje preparations, maangalya sutra etc) to our Lord Srinivasa and Padhmavathi are welcome and all your offerings will be returned to you as the blessings of our Lord Srinivasa and Padhmavathi.

Our stay will be in the cabins in Laurel Hill State Park. The cabins come with cots but no bedding. The cots are of two types, either with springs or flat metal boards. The cots with spring coils require card boards of about 7 feet by 3 feet to be put on the springs above which your sleeping bags can be spread. For this purpose, the card board can be one piece or multiple pieces which can be taped together in the cabin to be put on the top of the springs in the cot. You can pick up empty card board boxes from grocery stores in your area and then flatten them for easy transportation. For comfortable stay in the cabins, bring your own space heaters or electric fans. Also, you need to bring your own toileteries, towles etc. Please note that most of the cell phones do not work in this state park due to natural wilderness. There is a pay public telephone available in the dining room in our camp area.

Please note that the Organized Group Camp 5 is allotted to VMS every year by the State of Pennsylvania at a very nominal rate due to VMS being a non profit organization. Hence, the anticipated expense for each family for the boarding and lodging is only about $50-70 for the weekend which will be solicited on a voluntary contribution basis. Any excess left over funds will be utilized for charity by the VMS. Your contribution to VMS is also federal income tax deductible.

Here is the Program. We will make it as a priority to observe the punctuality of time in our events.

Sat (Sep 2)

12:00 noon and after, arrive in Group Camp 5 and settle down in your cabins. Please take care of your lunch prior to your arrival in Group Camp 5

3:00 pm, Delicious snacks, coffee, tea, soft drinks etc

4-6 pm, Group " hiking " walking in the Park trails, swimming in the lake, or any other " group fun " activities for children and adults

6:30-8 pm, , LORD SRI SRINIVASA AND PADMAVATHI KALYANA by Haridaasa devaranaama bhajana paddathi, mangalaarathi

8:30 pm, Sit down dinner freshly prepared by our famous " VMS kitchen crew "

9:30 pm, informal discussions in the camp-site

Sun (Sep 3)

6:30 am, Nirmaalya pooje, nirmmalya theertha

7:15 am sharp, Depart camp site to Sri Venkateshwara Temple

8:30 am, Mettilotsava begins at the bottom of the holy hill

10:30 am, Mettilotsava concludes inside the temple at the top of the hill, have your own lunch in the cafetaria in the temple. Those observing madi or chathurmaasa acharane, please return to camp site immediately after the conclusion of the Mettilotsava. There will be devarapooje and theerthaprasada in the camp site.

3:00 pm, Delicious snacks, coffee, tea, soft drinks etc

4-6 pm, Group " hiking " walking in the Park trails, swimming in the lake, or any other " group fun " activities for children and adults

7-8:30 pm, Interactive panel discussions on adhyaathmic topics with scholars (Sri Kesavarao Tadipatri, Sri Yogendra Bhat, Sri Nagaraj Kotekal, Sri Jaikrishna, Sri Hunsur Sriprasad) in our group, mangalaarathi

8:30 pm, Sit down dinner freshly prepared by our famous " VMS kitchen crew "

 

9:30 pm, Camp-fire activities

Mon (Sep 4) (Ekadashi)

6:30 - 8 am, Devarapooje

9-11 am, Cleaning and handing over the Camp-site

12 noon, Depart

Hare Srinivasa

Bindu

(Tel 610-966-9299)