Char Dham Hindu Temple Grand Opening Ceremony

Prana Pratistha & Maha Kumbhabhisheka Mahotsav, March 8 – 11

THE WOODLANDS: The wait is finally over. Devotees around the Greater Houston area will get to see and visit the Char Dham Hindu Temple in the Woodlands during its Grand Opening Ceremony from March 8-11. This will be the culmination of the dream, seen by Dr. Surya Sahoo and Kabita Sahoo, to have a place in the USA, which will be a symbolic representation of the Holy Char Dhams in India.

Char Dham are the names of four pilgrimage sites in India that are widely revered by Hindus. It comprises of Badrinath Dham in the North, Dwarkanath Dham in the West, Jagannath Dham in the East and Rameswaram Dham in the South.  It’s believed in Hindu religion that if you visit all four Dhams in your lifetime, you will achieve Moksha. We, Greater Houston residents are fortunate that we have a chance to visit all four Dhams (in the form of four separate temples) at the same place, right here in our backyards.

A lot of sweat and tear have gone into building these temples over the last few years. Bhoomi Puja for the temples was first conducted in 2011. At first six years seem like a long time, but the results are amazing. The entrance to the temple, lined with Tuscan order columns and two huge lion statues in the front and tall trees all around is nothing short of magical. The first thing you see after you reach the parking lot is the silhouette of the four temples among the tall trees.

As you enter the beautifully manicured landscape, you will see the kitchen and dining hall to your left. The magic begins when you reach the temples. The first temple you will see is Lord Jagannath temple, complete with 22 steps to reach the inside of the temple (as in Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri). Rameswaram Dham temple stands to the left of Lord Jagannath Temple. Go to the north of both these temple and you will find the Dwarkanath temple and to the right of the Dwarkanath temple, you will find the Badrinath Temple.

All around the temples, you will beautifully manicured landscape with hundreds of flower trees. This experience is something that needs to be seen firsthand rather than described in words.

Deities have all been installed in the four temples, waiting for Prana Prathistha, which will happen during the four day ceremony, headed by Pandit Srikiran Narayam, Head Priest of Char Dham Hindu Temple and with assistance from more than twenty priests coming from the Greater Houston area and all over USA.

The deities already installed include: Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra , Devi Subhadra and Sudarshana, Lord Ganesh, Mahalakshmi, Radha Krishna, Dwarakadheesh, Lakshmi Narayana, Shirdi Sai Baba, Durga Mata, Badrinarayan, Saraswati Mata, Vaikhanasa Acharya, Ram Parivar, Ramanataha Swamy, Sri Venkataswara(Balaji), Ayyappa Swamy, Navagraha and Panchamukhi Hanuman.

Schedule is as follows:

March 8, Thursday 6 PM – 9 PM
All Puja Vidhis followed by Dinner Prasadam (8 PM).

March 9, Friday 9 AM – 9 PM
Puja Vidhis all day long. Lunch Prasadam will be served at 12 PM and Dinner Prasadam at 8 PM.

March 10, Saturday 9 AM – 10 PM
Puja Vidhis all day long. Lunch Prasadam will be served at 12 PM. Shoba Yatra  will be from 4PM to 5PM, followed by Cultural Program from 6PM to 8PM. Dinner Prasadam will be served at 8PM.

March 11, Sunday 6 AM – 12 PM
Puja Vidhis from 6AM to 12PM. Lunch Prasadam will be served at 12 PM.

Volunteer and Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Pandit Srikiran Narayam by dialing 832-299-5172 or 832-663-8799 or sending an e-mail to srikiran@chardhamhindutemple.org or by visiting the website www.skaifoundation.org.