Sri Lakshmi Sannidhi Nirmana Prarambha Puja at Sri Meenakshi Temple

By Dr P. Vaduganathan & G.N. Prasad

PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple Society (MTS) is engaged in a major project called Main Temple Renovation Project (MTRP) which includes expansion of the Maha Mandapam of the main temple, Prakaram for all the three main Sannidhis and a new Maha Lakshmi sanctum with Vimanam and Prakaram.  A key milestone of this project was celebrated at MTS on Sunday march 15th with Sri Lakshmi Sannidhi Prarambha Puja with Ashtalakshmi Yagnam (initiation ceremony of the new Lakshmi Sanctum).

As the devotees walked in to the Ganesh temple, in a pradhakshina around the new Ganesh Temple to the back of the prakaram, they were enchanted to see the five beautiful peacocks dancing and showing off their feathers. That set the stage for the rapturous day to unravel.

After a weeklong rain, a picture perfect weather greeted the four hundred plus devotees who attended this blissful event.  The days event started with the invocatory blessings of Sri Vishvakshena (Lord Ganesha) after which devotees took the Yagna offerings in a procession circumbulating the outer walls into the Rajagopuram to enter the inner walls of the temple to the auspicious Nadaswaram and other instrumental music.  After receiving the blessings of each of the Pradhana Moorthies, Sri Sundareswara, Sri Meenakshi, Sri Venkateswara and Sri Padmavathi, where the devotees placed the homam offerings.

Punya Vachana and recitation of Sri Lakshmi Sostras and vedic chanting was conducted to the Mahalakshmi Utsavamurthy, resplendent in a majestic decorated pedestal and set the scene for the ensuing Mahalakshmi Yagnam conducted by our eminent priests at the site for the Mahalakshmi Sannidhi, with the sublime chanting by Priests Sri Sridharan Raghavan, Sri Manicka Bhattar, Sri Pavan Kumar Bhasyam, Sri Doraiswmay Bhattar, Sri Sriman Narayana Rompicharyulu.

The devotees enthusiastically recited Mahalakshmi ashtakam as the priests were offering the specially delivered 108 Lotus flowers in the yagnam. About 20 new donors carried the gold brick and followed the beautiful Mahalakshmi as she was carried around the main temple.  Priest Sridhar Raghavan pointed out the smile on the face of Mahalakshmi as she was carried up high around the temple.

A delicious lunch awaited them at the end of the puja.  The MTS chairman Dr Vaduganathan thanked all the Temple staff and volunteers who came on Saturday to prepare for the puja by cutting vegetables and making rava laddu, as well as the Board and council members and devotees for attending this very first Mahalakshmi Yagnam at MTS.  The 400 rava laddus were long gone before the line finished.  The Fund raising committee chair AVN Reddy, while describing the progress of the MTR project, acknowledged the broad base support given through the number of donors.  Devotees stayed captivated in an unforgettable experience throughout the day.