PARAMA PUJYA SRI SWAMIJI IN CHENNAI - June 2004

Kumbhabhishekam of Raja Rajeshwari Temple
and Adi Guru Dattatreya Temple

Click here to view photos of Kumbhabhishekam

Click here for the Video of Kumbhabhishekam

Click here to view photos of later events

Sri Swamiji arrived in Chennai from Malaysia on 21st June 2004 at 11.30AM. Sri Balachandran I.P.S., Additional Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu state and Smt.Sri Lakshmi I.P.S., DIG, Vellore range, received Sri Swamiji.

Sri Swamiji is in Chennai for 10 days to participate in the inauguration of the new Raja Rajeshwari Devi Temple and the 12th year Kumbhabhishekam of Adi Guru Dattatreya temple in Chennai Ashrama in Velachery. It is after a long gap of time that Sri Swamiji will be staying in Chennai for 10 days. Naturally the devotees here are quite elated.

Upon arrival Sri Swamiji visited the Adi Guru Dattatreya temple and had Darshan of the deities.
In the evening, Sri Swamiji addressed a press conference in the Nada Mantapam at 6 PM. Addressing the 20 press representatives, Swami Manasa Datta welcomed them and explained in brief, Sri Swamiji's life and mission and Datta Peetham’s activities worldwide. Editor of Tamil Spiritual Magazine Anmeekam, Nandagokulan spoke in Tamil and recounted his various experiences with Sri Swamiji, which he termed as miraculous.

Sri Swamiji spoke and said that He did not perform any action attached with any type of feelings or attachments or emotions. Sri Swamiji reiterated His much quoted statement “ My mission is 90% spiritual work and only 10% social work. Let my followers be initiated to perform social works in the fields of education and medicine”

Later Sri Swamiji arrived in the newly built Pendal (temporary structure) in the courtyard of the temple area. Welcome function was held. Sri S. Chandrashekar, senior devotee gave a rousing welcome speech. Sri Ranga Babu, Executive Trustee offered Garland and shawl.

In His speech, Sri Swamiji mentioned about the good feeling He had in Madras and Sri Swamiji recounted his first visit in 1971 when he came to attend the house inauguration of Sri K.P. Chandra Rao. Incidentally Sri .Chandra Rao and his wife were sitting in the audience. Sri Swamiji Blessed the priests performing the Kumbhabhishekam programs with Kankanas and clothes.

Devotees who had contributed to the activities were also called and Blessed with Prasadam.
Later, Sri Swamiji offered Purnahuti in the Yaaga Shala (place where all Homa pits are built and the Kumbhabhishekam rituals take place).

22 June 2004 – Tuesday
Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja in the morning at 9 AM. Sri Ram Parashuram, noted violinist offered Sangeetha Seva during Puja. His rendition of the Bhajan Devi Dola Durgi Dola – was pure and appealing. Sri Swamiji enjoyed the concert.

At 10.30 AM Sri Swamiji went to the adjacent site where Ashrama has built a free hospital for the needy and poor. Sri Ashok, Director of Doordarshan Kendra, Chennai and Velachery city consular were chief guests. Sri Swamiji was pleased with the construction and the well laid plans for the medical program to succeed. Dr. Shiva, Dr. Aruna Chandrashekar and Dr. Ponnammal along with other service minded doctors having inclination to work here were present. Sri Swamiji unveiled inauguration plaque and lit a lamp signaling the commencement of the facilities. After touring around the two-storey hospital, Sri Swamiji participated in the function in the Pendal.

Dr. Shiva welcomed and traced the development of the medical mission of the Datta devotees in Chennai. His reminiscences included the first medical camp they held under an Audumbara tree. He felt happy that the mission was progressing well with the Blessings of Sri Swamiji. He thanked the donors for their support. Special mention must be made of Ramaneeyam real estate developers for assisting the project. Undoubtedly this is the biggest hospital facility undertaken by devotees of Sri Swamiji outside of Mysore and Hyderabad.

In the evening, Sri Swamiji commenced the nine evening long – lectures on 'Ashtha Dasha Shakti Peethas' of Devi. The lecture is about the 18 important Devi temples, their legends and history. Tamil speaking devotees are elated that Sri Swamiji will be speaking in Tamil language. Sri Swamiji’s child like Tamil is very simple and can almost be understood even by a non-Tamil speaking person. Sri Siddhanathan, proficient decorator of idols, hailing from Kumbhakonam had prepared special idols of Shankari Devi and Kamakshi Devi as today’s lecture was about these Devi Kshetras. The three hour lecture concluded at 9.20 PM. Sri Swamiji offered Purnahuti of Pratishtha Homa before the lecture commenced. The Pratishtha Yagas and the Lectures continued everyday.

25th June 2004
The important day of Kumbhabhishekam.

Sri Swamiji first visited the shrine of Raja Rajeshwari Mata for Yantra Pratishtha. At exactly 34 minutes past 9 AM, (9.34 AM), Sri Swamiji placed the sacred Yantram of Mother Goddess Rajarajeswari Mata in the small pit in the pedestal on which the idol would be seated. Sri Swamiji thereafter proceeded to Puja. Sri Swamiji’s Sri Chakra Puja was accompanied by a Hindustani concert and a Carnatic classical music concert by Dr. Rajam Iyer. He is one of the senior most musicians of India today. Sri Swamiji then spoke about devotee – Guru relationship and especially Sri Swamiji’s ways and means with devotees and what they have to do in order to follow Sri Swamiji. As many people in the audience were new to Sri Swamiji, they would have found the speech quite meaningful and guiding.

At 12.15 PM, Sri Swamiji proceeded to the Yaaga Shaala (the specially arranged area where Homas and consecration related rituals were performed). Sri Swamiji then performed the final Purnahuti to the consecration Homas. Then carrying the main pot (Pradhana Kumbha) containing the sacred water, Sri Swamiji climbed the temple of Karya Siddhi Hanuman and performed Kumbhabhishekam. Then the Kumbhabhishekam of the newly built temple of Raja Rajeshwari was performed. Then, Sri Swamiji climbed the tower of Adi Guru Dattatreya Swami and performed the 12th year Kumbhabhishekam of the Dattatreya and Anagha Devi. Kumbhabhishekam involves the following. Sri Swamiji first pours water from the Kalasha he is carrying. That pot containing water and grains would have received all the powers from the Pujas and Homas performed for that particular deity. So, Kumbhabhishekam in effect involves pouring Mantra and Homa and Puja enriched water on the temple tower’s Shikhara Kalasha (the three feet high brass tip on a temple tower).
Sri Swamiji will not pour all the water. About half of the water will still remain in the pot.
Then Sri Swamiji will pour flowers, Aralu (popped paddy).
Then a silk cloth will be tied around the Shikhara Kalasha.
Sri Swamiji will then pour currency coins.
One or two coconuts will be broken
Sri Swamiji then performs Arati to the temple tower.
This in essence is what is Kumbhabhishekam program.

From there, Sri Swamiji spoke to the teeming crowds and called them to lead a life of righteousness and truth. Sri Swamiji called for victory to Dharma and Truth. Sri Swamiji prayed Mother Goddess Raja Rajeshwari to Bless all the devotees who visit her temple and pray to her. This place should be a place of solace and happiness to all those who visit – prayed Sri Swamiji. Sri Swamiji said that the idol of Raja Rajeshwari had the unique feature of a parrot in the right top hand and that it was a miraculous event that caused it.

Climbing down, Sri Swamiji visited the temples in the same order as the Kumbhabhishekam. Sri poured the remaining water from the brass pot on the deities inside. In the Raja Rajeshwari temple Sri Swamiji held the idol and prayed for a while. Sri Swamiji blessed the donors of the Temple Sri Varahan and Sri Vijayasarathy. Sri Swamiji returned to the Puja stage and various devotees came forward and subscribed names for permanent annual Puja in the temples in their names. The 1000 Rupees fees were submitted to the temple fund. Sri Swamiji spoke and announced that he was very happy that the temples were built in Chennai Ashrama. The Trustees of the Ashrama, Sri Ranga Babu, Sri Aiyappan, Sri Sankaran, Sri Jaya Raman, Sri S. Chandrashekar, Sri Ramani, Sri Rajan and Sri Sridharan replied to Sri Swamiji that the Chennai city devotees were Blessed with Sri Swamiji’s energies and Blessings.

In the evening Sri Swamiji continued the lecture on the 18 Devi Temples. Today’s lectures were on Kolhapur’s Maha Lakshmi, Mahur’s Ekaveeryaka and Ujjain’s Maha Kali Devi. After the Bhajans Sri Swamiji released a unique dairy (agenda book) called the DHARMA DIVINE DAIRY. It contains 366 colour photos of Sri Swamiji with quotations and sayings. The layout, design and concept is wonderful. Dr. Aruna Chandrashekar is the person behind it.

26th June 2004

In the morning, Sri Swamiji was interviewed on Healing Music and Kriya Yoga for a special article for “The Hindu” newspaper.

During Sri Chakra Puja, Sri O.S. Thyagarajan gave a mellifluous vocal concert. His unhurried rendition of Sri Swamiji’s Bhajan “Keertaya Tripuraamba” in Jhanjhoti Raaga was wonderful. Then for the first time a “VIDYARTHI GNANA BODHA SABHA” in which Veda studying children from different Veda Patha Shalas (Veda schools) of Chennai came and chanted verses from the four Vedas. The Veda students were elated that they were considered for such honor. Sri Swamiji spoke and said that the student’s adherence to Svadharma Anushthana (prescribed daily rituals like Sandhya Vandana and Agni Karya) will increase their energies and Vedic learning. Sri Swamiji called on the general public to generously support Veda schools as they were repositories of great Indian knowledge and even supporting would bring equal merit (Punya) like studying Vedas itself.

In the evening Sri Swamiji spoke on the Mother Goddess Puruhutika (in Peethapuram town), Goddess Girija Devi in Odhyana town in the state of Orissa and Goddess Manikyamba in Draksha Rama town in Andhra Pradesh state.

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