The seventh annual Brahmotsavam at Sri Ranganatha temple, Pomona NY 10970 USA, was celebrated in a grand manner between July 19th and 28th, 2013. Thirukalayana utsavam was performed on July 26th, Rathotsavam took place on July 27th and Chakrasnanam on July 28th, 2013. For coverage of the utsavam between Day 4 and Day 10, please see the photographs below.
For previous days’ utsavams, please visit http://anudinam.org/2013/07/22/pomona-sri-ranganatha-temple-brahmotsavam-day-1-and-2/
Recently, Samprokshanam for the golden vimanam of the temple was celebrated grandly on July 14th, 2013. For related photographs, please visit http://anudinam.org/2013/07/15/samprokshanam-at-sri-ranganatha-temple-pomona-ny-usa/
The following are some of the photographs taken during the Brahmotsavam Day 4 to Day 10.…
| Brahmotsavam Day 4-7: Monday-Thursday, July 22 to July 25, 2013 | |
| Time | Event |
| 8:00 AM | Chathusthan Archana, Nitya Homam, Baliharanam |
| 4:00 PM | Dhevathahvanam, Nithya Homam, BaliharaNam |
| Brahmotsavam Day 8: Friday, July 26, 2013 | |
| Time | Event |
| 8:00 AM | ChathusthanArchana, Nithya Homam, Baliharanam |
| 4:00 PM | Dhevathahvanam, Nithya Homam, Baliharanam |
| 6:00 PM | Thiru KalyanaUtsavam of Sri Maha Lakshmi & Sri Ranganatha#Kalyana Utsavam: This is an elaborate event celebrating the wedding of the Divya Dampathis – Lord Sri Ranganatha and Sri Devi and Bhoomi Devi. Garlands are exchanged by the Bridegroom and Brides’ parties, there are dances, games, feasts, floral decorations, and melodious nadaswaram and thavil music to mark the Divine Wedding.Sri Thirumangai Azhwar Vedupari (Dacoit Play):Sri Thirumangai Mannan stole ornaments from the Lord Himself to feed the poor. This incident of stealing ornaments from the Supreme Lord and later Thirumangai Mannan surrender to Lord Sri Ranganatha to become Thirumangai Azhwar is known as Vedupari Utsavam. |
| Brahmotsavam Day 9: Saturday, July 27, 2013 | |
| Time | Event |
| 8:00 AM | Nithyahomam |
| 11:00 AM | Ratha Utsavam# (Chariot Procession – Special Pooja & Utsavam)About Rathotsavam: Rathotsavam or Chariot (ThiruTher) festival: The Supreme Lord and His Consorts will be taken around the Temple in a 24 feet high silver and teak multi-ton Chariot pulled by hundreds of devotees. The Chariot festival is accompanied by chanting of divyaprabhandham and vedams, singing of bhajans, the melodious nadaswaram and thavil. |
| 4:00 PM | Music Concert:Kunnakudi M. Balamurali Krishna – Carnatic Vocal |
| Accompanied by | |
| Shri Arun Ramamurthy – Violin | |
| Shri Kumar Kanthan – Mridangam | |
| 6:00 PM | KalpaVriksha Vahana Utsavam#About KalpaVriksha Vahanam: The Lord’s vahanam on this day is the KalpaVriksha Tree, or the Celestial Wish Granting Tree. Sri Venugopala playing his flute underneath the tree mesmerizes His devotees. |
| Brahmotsavam Day 10: Sunday, July 28, 2013 | |
| Time | Event |
| 8:00 AM | ChathusthanArchana, Nithya Homam |
| 10:00 AM | ChakraSnanam#Â (Theerthavari)About ChakraSnanam: After Thirumanjanam to the Divya Dampathi (Lord Sri Ranganatha and SriDevi and Bhooma Devi), the Holy Chakram (Discus) of the Supreme Lord is immersed (and taken out) of a body of water on the Temple grounds. Simultaneously, devotees enter the Holy water and sprinkle the Holy water so that they may receive the Blessings of the Divya Dampathi |
| 3:00 PM | dhwAdhaSArADhana, Pushpa Yagam, Sapthavaranam, Devatha Udwasana, DhwajAvarOhaNa, Maha Purnahuthi, Kumabha Prokshana, Periya Satrumurai, Archaka Maryadha, Utsava paripurthy, Mrshttanna Bojanam, Archaka Maryada, concluding ceremonies of Utsavam, Vandhanam to Volunteers#About Pushpayagam: On this day, the Supreme Lord and His Consorts are worshipped with thousands of beautiful and colorful flowers of various kinds. |
Dear Sir,
On seeing the Sri Ranganathaswamy Brahmothsavam in Pamona USA I felt as if I am in Tamilnadu.Also I feel though some ten or twelve thousand miles away in a country where people of other faith are in majority such temple is built and uthsavams take place.The people of the nation are large hearted.God bless them.
30thJULY.2013 Thanking You Affectionately
S.Raghunathan
I too had the Blessings of Lord Ranganatha in Pomona NY during the Brahmotsavam and got elated after seeing the celebration Thatrupama.every one present felt that it was a celebration in their house. Whole temple was reverberating with Bhakthi.Don’t compare it with TN where the celebration is commercialized and an unavoidable Ritual except for the hapless Bhakthas present during celebration (in Tamilnadu).I am a first time visitor to Pomona,USA on short visit from India. Khodi namaskaram to the organisers.Thanks Rajagopalan
adiYen rAmAnuja dAsan. @Swami R Rajagopalan : Agreed that, the way the temple in Pomona runs is excellently well managed and organised. I’m staying in NJ and get Ranganatha’s dharshan often in Pomona with His grace. The temple runs with the concept of “Yatha shakthi” and all the devotees donate so much to the temple that everything is abundant there with Emberuman’s krupai. This doesnot mean that the temples in TN are in any way low or worser. The temples in TN are Divya desams , as Swami would be knowing, and have bhakthas in terms of crores, visiting the temples on a daily basis. The bhakthas-jans in US, may be at the max, in thousands, which is very minimal compared to the ones visiting the divya desmas in the southern region of India esp TN and AP.The murthis in those Divya Desams are swayambhus, again, as Swami will be knowing. Each and every place has it’s own pros and cons. In a temple like Srirangam Ranganatha Swami temple, with the huge acres of ground that it covers and the crores and crores of bhakthas who visit the temple daily, maintaining order is definitely not an easy task. The same bhaktha who is very particular about cleanliness and his/her surrounding in US, once he/ she lands in India, throws garbage in an open space within the temple complex and pays 5000 Rs to get special dharshan of the Lord. The temple is the home of the lord and so is ours. Lets not degrade the divine divya desam temples present in India and TN, just to applaud another temple in US, agreed the Pomona temple is one of its kind and we can never see another such temple here in US. if adiYen has committed any mistakes, Kshamikka Prarthikiren.
If adiYen sees Garbage thrown inside the temple complex, adiyEn need not wait for the cleaning person to come and clean it. adiYen can pick it up and throw it in the nearby trash can. If somebody pukes inside the temple or doesn’t use the restrooms provided for its purpose, a true bhakthan should have the guts to talk to the person about it and not move away as though its none of my business. As adiYen said earlier, Temple is God’s home and ours too. Nobody throws garbage on open ground in the Pomona temple and nobody cuts the line in the queue in Pomona, while all bhakthas are waiting for Swami’s dharshan. There is no point complaining about the TN temple organizers. Nobody can continuously monitor or control lakhs of bhakthas visiting the temples. And for the record, none of the celebrations are commercialized in TN temples. Yes, you do have ticket systems to have dharshan of moolavar in sannidhi but any celebrations inside or outside the temple premises are not commercialized. Tickets for special tirumanjanam or archanai is collected everywhere, even in US. All the kainkarya paaras in the temples in India have the same amount of passion and love towards Emberuman as anywhere else in the world. In response to your comment “Hapless bhakthas”, yes, we all are hapless and helpless in front of Him and He is the ONLY true hope and help to anyone. Maybe, the bhakthas in TN have realized it! 🙂 adiYen.
Just through anudinam Srivaishnava News Portal I studied all photographs of Lord Ranganatha in Pomona NY Brahmotsavam I felt that I am watching South Indian Temple Photographs.Temple surrounding location also good. Thanks to anudinam and Sriman Rajagopalan and his team.
Adiyen thanks Anudinam for the coverage of Pomona Ranganatha temple Brahmotsavam. The idea of an exclusive SriVaishnava temple was born on an Avani Hastham day in the year 1985.We were fortunate to be there on that day with the padhukas of HH. We were there to receive the utsavar murthis consecrated and blessed by Mukkur SrimadhAzhagiasingar .It was HH who wished for a temple for Ranganatha .It was not an easy task.It will not be an exaggeration to say that from that day till date Dr Venkat Kanumalla has made this happen. Ofcourse at every juncture there were devotees totally involved and assisting him.We pray that the temple should keep growing.
Through Smt.Vyjayanthi Rajan letter I am glad to know about important information about the above temple in NY.The Utsavar Murthis are appearing very good. Thanks to Dr.Venkat Kanumalla s devotion as well as hard work.I am one of the devote of Lord Sri Ranganatha from Hyderabad AP(The New Telangana state).
Thanks to Anudinam. Very Nice,
First I thank Anudinam for getting email news updates regularly about Srivaishanava news all over the world.I have seen Photographs of the Sri Ranganatha temple Brahmotsavam in Panoma NY It was very great..I also read the comments about the same. I liked Ms JANAKI S comments very much.I also agree with her views.As many as 72 Divya desam tempels I have visited in india including Badrinath so far.Ms Janaki good you are right.I am from Hyderabad (Telangana).