Mettilotsava & VMS Annual Retreat, Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-28, Final Program

[Guest guest]

Dear Hari Bhaktas,

 

By the grace of Sri Hari, Vayu, gurugalu, Mettilotsava in Sri Venkateshwara Temple, Penn Hills, near Pittsburgh, and the Vishwa Madhva Sangha (VMS) Annual Retreat in Laurel Hill State Park, will take place during the Memorial Day weekend, May 25-28. This is the 6th year we will be gathering for these functions. All are welcome. Quite a good gathering from India, Singapore, California, State of Washington (Seattle), Texas, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, Nebraska etc have confirmed their participation this year.

By far, this will be the largest gathering so far for Mettilotsava and VMS Annual Retreat. Enthusiasm and support are really overwhelming, all by the grace of Sri Srinivasa. Our earnest prayers to our Lord Sri Srinivasa for all the planned events to take place smoothly and our Lord to be pleased by our humble efforts, all by His prerane and for His preethyartham.

All are welcome.

 

Useful information is provided in the web-site http://jitamitra.org/mett2007/

 

Sat May 26

 

1:00 pm, Arrival, settling down, coffee, snacks, games etc, Youth program starts

2:00 - 4:00 pm, Childrens program, concurrent youth program, youth interactions with Sri Harish

4:00 - 4:30 pm, Quiz (Jeopardy) for children

4:30 pm, Coffee, snacks

5:00-7:30 pm, Sri Srinivasa Kalyana, by Haridaasa devaranaama bhajane paddati

8:00 pm, Dinner

9:00 pm, Camp-fire activities

 

Sun May 27 (Ekadashi)

 

5:30-6:30 am, Nirmaalya devarapooje, Nirmaalya theertha

7:00 am, Depart for Sri Venkateshwara Temple

8:00 am, Gather in the foot-hills, stothra paarayana by the group

8:30 am, Mettilotsava starts

10:00 am, Mettilotsava concludes in the sanctum sanctorum in front of Sri Venkateshwara in the top of the hill

10:30-11:00 am, Group participation in the Lord Srinivasa's procession (Sesha Vaahana) inside the temple

11:00 am, Depart to Laurel Hill State Park

12:30 - 2 pm, Devarapooje

2 pm, Light palahara to those not fasting

2-4 pm, Informal discussions, socializing, youth to spend time with scholars for questions and answers

4-6 pm, Philosophy session with scholars, Sri Kesavarao Tadipatri, Sri Jayakrishna Nelamangala, Sri Yogendra Bhat, Dr. Nagaraj Kotekal, Sri Hunsur Sriprasad, Sri Srinivas Kotekal, Sri Vikram Rayabhari, Sri Gopinath Galagali as scholars. The theme for this session is " Sri Madhvacharya's unique contributions to Indian philosopical system " .

6-6:45 pm, Discussion on " 10 years of VMS, the journey in the past, present and future "

7:00-8:30 pm, Devaranaama Session, by Sri Raghavendra Batni and group

8:30-9 pm, Thotillu pooja for Sri Krishna by Sri Yogendra Bhat

9 pm, Camp-fire activities

 

Mon May 28 (Dwadashi)

4:30 - 6:30 am, Devarapooje

7:00 am, Theertha prasada, Paarane

9-11 am, Cleaning of the camp site

11 am - 12 noon, Hand over the camp-site to the State Park authorities and depart

 

Please note that we will make every attempt to keep the time as announced for all the above activities and cooperation from all are very much humbly requested. Our days, afternoons, evenings and nights are packed with activities. Arriving late takes away the charm and fun for the children and for all others who are putting a lot of efforts to make these gatherings satisfying to all participants. In the same spirit, all are also requested to stay till the very end of our program, including the cleaning and handing over the camp site back to the State Park authorities at around noon on May 28. Leaving right after Mettilotsava on May 27 defeats the purpose of all of us coming together.

Please note that a few families are arriving in the afternoon of Friday, May 25 and taking charge of our Organized Group Cabins site 5. The next day, Saturday, will be a Family Fun Day with activities such as hiking, playing and relaxing in the beautiful surroundings of this State Park during the day light hours. Srimathi Veena Raghav (e-mail v_raghav) is organizing a lot of fun activities for adults and children.

As in the last year, participants are encouraged to bring vara pooja items, new cloths, ornaments, fruites, flowers, mangala sutra (thaali bottu), any other wedding items to offer to our Lord Sri Srinivasa and Padhmavathi for Srinivasa Kalyana and these items will be returned to the donors as the blessings of Sri Srinivasa and Padhmavathi.

Srimathi Ramaa Srinivasarao (e-mail seema.Rao) and her children Sandhesh and Vibha, and Srimathi Vaaruni Narahari (e-mail knn18) are organizing youth and children activities for both May 26 and May 27. Arrangements have been made for Sri Harish, son of Sri Ravindrarao, to provide inspirational interactions with our youth. Sri Harish is a successful enterprenuer who has established his own growing business after graduating from the university. Children in the middle school age group are required not only to recite shlokas or sing devaranaamas of their choice but they are going to give brief explanations of the meanings as well. A quiz program for the children has also been announced.

This year, a group just for children will be formed for participating in the Mettilotsava procession and the children have been asked to lead singing devaranaamas for this group during the Mettilotsava procession. Srimathi Anita Sripadaraj (e-mail sree8sum) and Srimathi Pratima Kotekal (e-mail kots_p) will provide the adult supervision to this group. Plans are underway for providing the daasara style head-gear to all children in this group.

Srimathi Veena Raghav (e-mail v_raghav) is coordinating for snacks and sweets and volunteers are bringing snacks and/or sweets. Sri Sridhar Padaki (e-mail padaki_s) is coordinating groceries, cleaning supplies and all cooking activities. Quite a few volunteers have signed up for help in the kitchen, serving, cleaning etc.

Sri Jaikrishna Nelamangala is coordinating for the Philosophy session. We are having a good number of several scholars this year and we are looking forward to very useful time with all the scholars. Sri Jaikrishna has proposed the theme of this session as " Sri Madhvacharya's unique contributions to Indian philosopical system " .

 

Sri Srinivasan (e-mail srinivasans) is coordinating for songs for Srinivasa Kalyana and a talented group of singers from various parts of the country are planning to recreate the exhilarating mood in all our minds of the magnificient vaibhava of our Lord's wedding.

Sri Srinivas Bellary (e-mail srinivas_bellary) and Srimathi Veena Raghav (e-mail v_raghav) are providing overall coordination to various volunteer activities and it is indeed thrilling to see so much enthusiasm from all to offer their services as their seva to our Lord Sri Hari.

Those folks staying in the cabins are reminded that the cots require cardboard sheets to cover the spring and the sleeping bags/comfortors can be spread on top of the cardboard sheets. Cardboard boxes are disposed regularly by the grocery stores in your areas. Please remember to pick up sufficient cardboard boxes, flatten them and bring to the cabins. Weather forecast call for warm days (about 70 F) and pleasunt but chilly nights (about 55 F). Please pack warm cloths accordingly..

Looking forward to be with you all this weekend. Please be safe in your travels and during all the rest of our activities. Let our Lord's blessings be upon us as we gather together for celebrating our Lord's glories and let us carry the pleasant memories of our times together in our spiritual quest.

Namaskaragalu

Hare Srinivasa

Bindu

(tel 610-966-9299, Allentown, Pennsylvania)