Pujya Sri Swamiji Tours Andhra Pradesh

Vinayaka Chaturthi - 2010

Vinayaka Chaturthi (Ganapathy festival) on 11th September 2010 started with Sri Swamiji performing Ksheera Abhisheka (milk ablution) to the Kshipra Ganapathy idol. Later, Sri Chakra Puja and Vara Siddhi Vinayaka Vrata were performed. Sri Swamiji sang the newly composed Telugu Bhajan "Eluka Nekkina Ekadantuda", which explained the Vrata Katha (Story told about the importance of the Vrata).

In the evening, wonderful Bhajan session were held where Sri Swamiji sang many Ganapathy Bhajans. The Bhajan "Pahi Pahi Gajanana" when sung by the audience in a cheerful chorus reached a zenith. Sri Swamiji recalled the story of finding a sculptor for the Ganapathy idol in Vijayawada. Way back in 1979 when the decision to install a Ganapathy temple was taken, a search to find a suitable Shilpi led Sri Swamiji and devotees, Sri. G. G. Shelke, Sri. H. V. Viswanath and Sri. G. S. Seetharam to Shivapura, a sculpting village near Kolar. There a sculptor was introduced as a Ganapathy Upasaka. He accepted the project and took Sri Swamiji and devotees to a near by mine to select the stone. Sri Swamiji spotted a stone that had ready resemblance to Ganapathy. A few months later when Sri Swamiji visited to check how the sculpting was progressing, He was distressed to see the stone untouched. Others in the village mentioned that the sculptor, though a Ganapathy Upasaka, was erratic and at times unreliable. Sri Swamiji felt that Ganapathy himself had led them to this particular sculptor. They waited for him and he turned up a few hours later to tell that the visitors to come a month later. And Lo!!! the beautiful Kshipra Ganapathy idol awaited Sri Swamiji a month later.

Click here to see the Photo essay of the Ganapathy Temple Pratishtha in 1981

Later prizes were given to winners of photo contest held by Puttu Gam. First prize was won by Gandluru Vishala Datta, great grand son of Swami Narahari Teertha Swamiji who has just completed Lakshana Shastra after completion of Yajurveda Ghana. Second prize was won by Kanita Krapavarapu of Chennai. Third prize was won by Sharavana of Chennai. The consolation prize winners are Smt. Srilakshmi IPS, Chennai, Sri. Srinivas Pydimarri of Hyderabad and Sri. Jagadish of Bengaluru.