MTNA July August September 2015 Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS - 2015

JULY

THIRUPPUKAZH BHAJAN ~ SATURDAY, JULY 4 By Sri Kovai Jayaraman 1 pm 3 pm

AUGUST

NALLUR FESTIVAL ~ FRI. AUG 7 & SAT. AUG. 8 AADI KRITHIGAI &. THIRUTHANI ARUL VIZHA ~ SATURDAY, AUG. 8

SEPTEMBER SRI RUDRA HOMAM ~ SUNDAY, SEPT. 13

VINAYAKA CHATHURTHI ~ THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

See inside for details

MURUGAN TEMPLE OF NORTH AMERICA

JULY SEPT. 2015

NEWSLETTER

tl mbkhpf;f KUfd; Myak;

ahkpUf;f gankd;

A GREAT NEWS TO ALL MURUGAN DEVOTEES!

We have received the long-awaited official permit for

the temple expansion project (Phase II). The construc-tion of kitchen, dining hall and other facilities will be-

gin in the very near future. Please keep your generous donations coming!

_______________________________ Murugan Temple of North America

6300, Princess Garden Parkway, Lanham, MD 20706, USA 301-552-4889

MURUGAN RAJAGOPURAM AND THE TEMPLE EXPANSION PROJECT

Devotees, as you approach the temple and view the pro-gress on the construction of Rajagopuram, you can see the great ornamental work being completed on the tiers. The top two tiers have already been completed and the silpis (temple artisans) are diligently working on the third tier; some of this work goes beyond plas-tering and involves designing and creating divine figures on the tower. The Rajagopuram, once completed, will stand tall for decades to come to be admired and enjoyed by gen-erations of devotees of Lord Murugan. The five-tier tower measures an impressive height of 56 feet from the main temple floor. The silpis hope to complete the tower in the next few months.

Indianization work is now at a stage where twelve beautiful pillars have been completed in the prayer hall. The inside part of the Rajagopuram now has the basic brick work (the main entrance side) in place, with additional work to be completed when the silpis are done with the tower work. On top part of the southern wall in the prayer hall, prelimi-nary work on Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Thirukkalyanam has been designed. On the northern wall Murugan Thiruk-kalyanam is to be depicted.

We recently got the official permit for Temple Expansion. Currently, we are in the process of finalizing a construction contract for Phase II. The second Phase is projected to cost about $2.8 million. For in-formation relating to the budget for the project, devotees can contact Dr. Gopal Guruswamy, the Chair-man of the Board of Trustees of MTNA (301-552-4889). For addi-tional information about the scope

or details of the Rajagopuram and Temple Expansion pro-ject please contact Sri Seshadri (410-313-9844) or Sri Lo-ganathan (301-365-7844). We know the devotees of Lord Murugan in North America and around the world are keen on seeing the entire project completed as planned by the middle of 2016. Our temple is dependent on the enthusi-asm, goodwill, generosity and kindness of all devotees. This is a rare opportunity for Murugan devotees to partici-pate in a landmark project. We need to pull our re-sources together to move the project forward. Please look for additional information on MTNA website murugantemple.org and in your email box.

Please donate today and donate generously!!

Sri Dhakshinamurthy

Sri Brahma

Detailed art work on the tower

| fzgjp Jiz

PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY TO THE MTNA

RAJAGOPURAM AND TEMPLE EXPANSION PROJECT

Lord Murugan devotees are captivated by the steady progress of the Rajagopuram project. This is a project of the devotees, by the devotees

and for the devotees. The Fundraising Team is pleased with the re-sponse thus far from the devotees in terms of the donations and

pledges so far. But, the project calls for steady stream of more funds to move forward. Please contact the temple manager at 301-552-4889 to

see about the mode of donating to the project.

PLEASE DONATE TODAY! You can donate online too!

Details at: www.murugantemple.org

MAJOR CELEBRATIONS AND RELIGIOUS EVENTS AT MTNA JULY SEPTEMBER 2015

Please check the details in the 2015 MTNA calendar or visit our website: www.murugantemple.org

Information is available with the Temple manager at: 301-552-4889

ANNUAL NALLUR FESTIVAL AT MTNA (AUG. 7 & 8, 2015)

Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Yal-panam is an important social and spiritual in-stitution for the Tamil Diaspora in Sri Lanka. The Kodiyetram in this temple is one of the major festivals in the temple. With Lord Kan-daswamy in our heart, we conduct a similar festival at MTNA every year. The Sri Lankan Tamils from all over North America flood our temple during this festival as Nallur Kandas-wamy and Kathirkamam Kanthan are seen through the eyes of the Washington Murugan. The Ther thiruvizha, kavadi, palkudam, and Murugan Thirukkalyanam are a few highlights of the festival in August. At the Nallur temple, Sri Vairavar (Sri Bhairava Murthi) has a spe-

cial status; there is a special shrine facing the Eastern Path. MTNA devotees will be able to worship Sri Bhairava Murthi which is to be installed in our temple soon. This year, the Nallur festival will be celebrated with all the splendor at our Murugan Temple on August 7 and 8. Please see the announcement on the next page for details. As in the past, the upcom-ing celebrations include the glori-ous Ratham (chariot run around the temple) of Lord Murugan with his two consorts. There will be special Abhishekams, Homams, spectacu-lar Alankarams, and Thirukkalyanam. This festival is just not for the elders who are familiar with the Nallur temple, its history and significance, but it is an opportunity to educate and entertain children too. There will be stalls distributing various fun items for devotees of all ages. As has been the practice, Sathguru Bodhinatha Veylan-swami of the Kauai Hindu Monastery will preside over the festival and will give a spiritual talk on Sat. Aug 8 morning. Have you been to a Nallur Thiruvizha at our Murugan Tem-ple? If not, come and experience this fun event. Please join the two-day celebrations with your family and friends. For hotel accommodations, please visit our web site: www.murugantemple.org or call the temple manager at 301-552-4889 for details .

On the left is a picture of the new gold-plated Vel donated by

Sri Ganesh Seetharaman of Ellicott City, MD.

It will be offered to Lord Muru-gan on Aadi Krithigai day when Thiruththani Arul vizha, the first

of the next cycle of arupadai veedu celebrations begin at MTNA. These events will be

celebrated at the same time on Saturday, August 8, 2015.

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9:15 AM Ganapati Homam ($25)Ganapati Abishekam ($25)

10:00 AM Subramaniya Homam ($25)Murugan Abishekam ($51)

6:00 pm Ganapati Sahasranamam ($11)Ganapati Procession

The Tamil language was created by Murugan; therefore, He is special to Tamilpeople. The Nallur and Kathirkamam Murugan Temples in Sri Lanka are unique toTamils living there. Those who have left Sri Lanka miss these Temples, and it is aconstant reminder that they are not doing enough to recreate that age old TamilSaivite tradition for their children living here. The celebration of the Nallur andKathirkamam Festival at the Murugan Temple of North America is an event thatcan culturally enlighten the youth to help them understand their roots. In Sri Lanka,the Annual Festival of Nallur begins on the sixth day after the Julys new moon.The hoisting of the Holy Flag of the Temple (Kodiyetram) indicates the first day,and continues for 25 days. Poonkavanam (Thiru Kalyanam) is on the 26th day,which concludes this annual festival. Everyday, Lord Murugans Holy Vel isbeautifully decorated with an abundance of flowers, and taken around the temple inprocession. The Yalpanam Nallur Kanthaswami Kovil and the KathirkamamKanthan Kovil Annual Festival will be celebrated for two days at the MuruganTemple on August 7th (Friday) and 8th (Saturday), 2015.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami of the Kauais Hindu Monastery willpreside over the Nallur Festival (see www.himalayanacademy.com). KauaisHindu Monastery is the one and only Hindu Aadheenam in the West propagatingSanatana Dharma (Hinduism).

Rajagopuram and Its Piragarams Thirupani: So far Nallur devotees havecontributed generously and their continued support is welcome.

If you are unable to attend, but wish to sponsor an eventor perform Archanas, please fill out the following formand send it to the address indicated.

Check payable to MTNAWrite on Check For Nallur Festival 2015

Nallur Festival 2015Murugan Temple of North America6300 Princess Garden ParkwayLanham, MD 20706USA

For Priests to Read Clearly, Please PrintName_________________________________________

Address_______________________________________

City_________________State________Zip __________

Country______________Phone____________________

Email________________________________________ Archana ($7) to_______________________________ Coconut Archana ($11) to_______________________ Other Sponsorship for__________________________

(Refer to Agenda for Other Sponsorships)

Au

gust

8th

Satu

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8:00 AM Ganapati Puja8:30 AM Kavadi ($21)

Pal Kudam ($11; each other family member $1) Murugan Abishekam ($51) Talk by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswamifollowed by Bajans (During Murugan Alankaram)

Simultaneous Pujas to Moolavar and Utsavar11:00 AM Utsavar Ascending to Ratham

Procession and Lunch (Anna Dhanam)1:00 pm Half an Hour Archana at Ratham ($7)2:00 pm Utsavar Descending from Ratham (in Green Alankaaram)3:00 pm Nathaswaram and Thavil Kacheri4:00 pm Thiru Kalyanam ($25)

Murugan Procession Inside TempleCONTACTS

Murugan Temple 3015524889

Pathmini Saravanapavan 3013067110

Inpah Siva 3018059844

Nagulam Loganathan 3013657844

Muthukannu Guruswamy 4104610524

Jayakumar 2674565080

Ananthy 5162053975

Jeyarajah 9173633173

Kasi 5164188133

Nimal 5166801888

Sathan Kumaranayagam 7183708907

(Refer to Agenda for Other Sponsorships)

Love Offering (Donation) for Garlands Love Offering for Nathaswaram and Thavil

TwoDay Sponsorship (with other expenses) $250Check Enclosed for $_____________________________Name Star

___________________________ _________________

___________________________ _________________

___________________________ _________________

___________________________ _________________






MTNA RAJAGOPURAM CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS A PICTORIAL STORY

Hundreds of Lord Murugan devotees sponsored bricks for the project

And you can still do it by sponsoring a brick for $108!

Rajagopuram construction began in fall 2013

Construction work continued into 2014

Ten silpis (temple artisans)

led by Padmasri

Sri Muthiah Sthapathy

of Tamil Nadu have been

engaged in the

Rajagopuram

construction








By September 2014 the top part of the Rajagopuram was completed and a special pooja & celebration were done

The statues were made by experienced silipis and installed on the Rajagopuram,followed by

stunningly intricate art work.

Sri Brahama facing north Sri Dhakshinamurthy facing Sri Guhan on the 2nd tier installed on the 2nd tier south installed on the 2nd tier

June 2015

Yali on north & south of top tower Beautiful art work












2015 GURU POOSAI At

Murugan Temple of North America

This years Guru Poosai took place on April 12th and featured inspiring talks on the Saiva Saints from the Murugan Temple Childrens Class and from two of our deeply respected elders. Gazing upon the beautiful brass statues of the 63 Nayanars, ardent devotee Pathmini Sara-vanapavan who organizes these events year after year explained its significance in this way. The Nayanars were young and old; men and women; and came from every caste, every occupation and yet we honor them as saints. They all taught us to practice Summa Iru, she said. Just as Yoga Swami* said, Be still and love Siva.

Since Murugan Temples first Guru Poosai in 1999, the event has focused on the Temples next generation. This year, 8 children from age seven to fifteen recounted stories of the Nayanars along with insights into how to apply these stories to everyday life situations. Each child who spoke described what the Nayanar stories conveyed to her or to him about how the Nayanars brought the concepts of Saiva Samayam to life.

_________________________________

*Siva Yogaswami of Jaffna (18721964) was a 20th-century Sri Lankan spiritual master, a ivajnani and a natha siddhar; he was trained inand practiced Kundalini yoga under the guidance of Sat-

guru Chellappaswami, from whom he received Guru Diksha (initiation).(Source: Wikipedia)

Moreso, each speaker brought the stories and lessons to life within constraints of a three minute talk. Child Speaker Topic Agaana Karaikkal ammayar Aagaash Gurupposai mahathaththuvam Kavin Pusalar Nayanar Aadhav Eripatha Nayanar Aadith Rudra Pasupathi Nayanar Kavya Iyarpahai Nayanar Hamshika Neelakanda Nayanar Kalyan Muruga Nayanar

After the childrens presentations, we heard from two pre-senters: Sri Swaminathans talk recounted inspiring details of his meeting with and lessons from his long-term relationship with Yogar Swami. He told stories of his visits with the Guru as a young child through adult-hood with this great mystic who lived in the simplest and humblest manner, yet touched the hearts of people from many religions and walks of life who were drawn to visit from across Sri Lanka, India, Europe and United States. Sri Ramiah reminded children and parents alike that Lord

Murugan was the Guru of the Nayanars and Yogar Swamihal and countless Gurus before and after them. It was Lord Murugans profound blessings that emanated from these realized beings and that inspired their memory in the talks that day. And it this very blessing is available to devotees and all who come to the Murugan Temple.

The childrens class generally meets on the sec-ond and fourth Sundays of each month from September to June and covers Tamil lessons, Japa, Hindu Religious studies and Hatha Yoga. For more information and to be alerted of changes in dates of upcoming classes, contact Dr. Pathmathevan Mahadevan at: [email protected].





RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS AT MURUGAN TEMPLE Sangeeth Natak Utsavam, May 9 and 10, 2015

Panguni Uthiram and Thipparankundram Kumbhabhishekam Anniversary, May 2015

Thirumana Vizha, April 2015

Silver Peedams for Sri Durga Amman and Sri Meenakshi









CELEBRATION OF AADI KRITHIGAI & THIRUTHANI ARULVIZHA

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2015 'mWgiltPL jpUtpHh'

jpUj;jzp mUs;tpHht[k;/ Mo fpUj;jpifa[k; bfhz:lhlg;gLk;

Devotees, please note: We are doubly blessed by Lord Murugan this year! The Nallur Festi-val and the combination of Aadi Krithigai and Thiruthani Arul Vizha will be simultaneously

celebrated at our temple on the same day, Sat. August 8, 2015.

The Murugan Temple of North America is a traditional Hindu Temple. It has a floor area of 7000 sq. ft with main sannidhi for Murugan (Karthikeya) and separate sannidhi for each of the other deities: Vinayaka (Ganesha), Durgai Amman, Siva, Meenakshi Amman and Palani Andavar. Navagrahas are featured as well. Visit our web site: www.murugantemple.org

TEMPLE HOURS: Monday Friday 9 am 12 noon & 5 pm - 9 pm;

Saturday, Sunday, & Holidays 9 am 9 pm.

TEMPLE SERVICES: MTNA Priests are available to perform religious

ceremonies for devotees. Please call the Temple Manager to discuss your

needs and make prior arrangements for ceremonies at the Temple or in your

home. Also, ask for information about local hotels for your short stay during

visit to the temple.

AUDITORIUM: The Temples auditorium capable of seating about 200 people

in the basement is available for rent by Devotees. The Temple has also ample

parking space. Please call the Temple Manager at 301 552-4889 for

reservations.

DIRECTIONS TO MURUGAN TEMPLE: From I-95 (also 495, Capital

Beltway), take exit 20-A, Lanham (Rte 450 East), then follow the signs to

Princess Garden Parkway. Turn right on Princess Garden Parkway. Murugan

Temple is on your left within half a mile (6300 Princess Garden Parkway).

From Baltimore-Washington Parkway take Exit to Rt. 193 East Greenbelt

Road. Turn left on Greenbelt Road. Turn right on Hanover Parkway, which

becomes Princess Garden Parkway. Drive about 2.5 miles. The temple will be

on your right.

cUtha; mUtha; csjha; ,yjha;

kUtha; kyuha; kzpaha; xspaha;

fUtha; capuha;f; fjpaha; tpjpaha;

FUtha; tUtha; mUs;tha; Ffnd

- fe;jh; mEg{jp

SRI RUDRA HOMAM SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

8 am Anugnyai, Kalasa Pooja, Ekadasa Rudra Parayanam

1 pm Vishesha Dravya Abishekam for Sivan

SPONSORSHIP $101

FLOWER FUND

MURUGAN TEMPLE needs funds to buy flowers and garlands for deities for daily poojas as well as for

special occasions.

Please donate generously to the FLOWER FUND. Contact the temple man-

ager for online donation or for other form of payment.






MTNA July August September 2015 Newsletter

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