Kumbhabhishekam Celebrations, Sri Venkateswara(SV) Temple, Pittsburgh, PA
P.O. Box 17280
1230 SV Temple Drive, Penn Hills, PA 15235.

Sri Venkateshwara, also known as Venkatachalapathy, Srinivasa and Balaji, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu in India. Venkateshwara means the Lord who destroys the sins of the people. According the Hindu scriptures, Vishnu, out of love towards his devotees, incarnated as Venkateshwara and appeared for the salvation and upliftment of humanity in this Kali Yuga and is considered the supreme form of Vishnu in this age.

A temple is a visible link between the Creator and the created, a vital step in the spiritual ladder, the connector of the mundane and the Subtle and a reminder that everything is transient except the Ultimate Bhagawan. Our temples provide an environment for devotion to Him through ceremonies and festivals with chanting from the sacred Vedas and other devotional scriptures.

Kumbhabhishekam is a Hindu temple ritual carried out every 12 years as per Agama Sastras that is intended to homogenize, energize and unify the mystic powers of the GODS within the Vigrahas or deities of the temple.

The inherent powers infused in the deities in the temple during Pratishthapana are believed to diminish with time and due to unintended deficiencies in the Nitya Pujas. The intrinsic powers are rejuvenated during Kumbhabhishekam. All the renovations and repair works have to be completed prior to Kumbhabhishekam.

On Wed, Jun 1, 2009 the replicas (Bimbas) of all Sannidhis and Vigrahas were installed in Balalayam, a temporary shrine. The divine powers were transferred to the newly installed Bimbas in the Balalayam. The daily pujas are conducted for these Bimbas until Kumbhabhishekam. The Kumbhabhishekam ceremonies, under the guidance of Sri Varadaramanujam (Retired Principal of Veda Patasala, Tirumala), will take place from Wednesday, Aug 26 through Sun, Aug 30. The ceremonies will be conducted by priests and Sri Varadaraja Bhattar accompanied by other invited priests along with live nadaswaram.

When the Deities were first installed (Pratishthapana), 8 special materials (ashtabandhana/s) were used to bind them to the pedestal at the altars. During the Kumbhabhishekam it is ensured that there is no damage to the materials and that the Deities are firmly established in the pedestals. Further, if the gems deposited in the pedestals at the time of installation had come loose, these are placed back in the right place. The Deities in the main altars (sannidhi) will be reinforced with sannidhyam (divine presence) when Kumbhabhishekam is completed.

The Rajagopuram (main tower) and vimana/s (domes above the altars) and the Dhwajasthambam (flag mast) of the temple are also abodes of sannidhyam. This Divine energy is revitalized in the ceremony.

Devotees are invited to participate in this rare celebration and be blessed by Sri Venkateswara Swamy and His Consorts Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhudevi. The Gopura Vimana Samprokshanam is the culmination of the festival. At 11:00 AM on Sun, Aug 30, 2009, the sanctified water collected in silver Kalasas during the Homas and Yajnas will be sprinkled on the Rajagopuram and the Vimanas amidst Vedic chanting by the priests. Please do not miss this grand spectacle. It may be recalled that a couple of birds resembling Sri Garuda few around the temple during the Samprokshanam in 1995.

Special cultural programs are planned during the occasion. Please visit web site for more information about events during the festival.

>City(s) = Pittsburgh, Penn Hills; State(s) = PA; Country = USA.
>Title = Kumbhabhishekam Celebrations - SV Temple, Pittsburgh, PA, US - Video.
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