Indian Ambassador Visits Sri Meenakshi Temple

PEARLAND: Indian Ambassador to the USA, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Houston’s own Sri Meenakshi Temple on Sunday, February 2. He is the fourth Indian Ambassador to visit Meenakshi temple adding to the list of its distinguished visitors in its thirty seven year history.  The heavens opened at about 8 am and the continuous steady drizzle of rain did not deter the enthusiasm of the MTS board members and devotees gathered near the Rajagopuram entrance. As the cavalcade of vehicles pulled up with the distinguished visitor, several children and ladies welcomed the group with roses in their hands. The priests greeted the guests with the traditional Poorna Kumbam when they entered through the Raja Gopuram. The Ambassador was accompanied by Consul General Parvathaneni Harish, Pearland Mayor Tom Reid and Eminent physicist Dr. E.C. G. Sudharshan.

The distinguished visitors entered the main temple as the priests led them with the vedic chant. The Ambassador and his party after witnessing the aarthi and having a   dharshan of the deities in the main temple were taken on a short tour of the temple by MTS chairman Dr. Vaduganathan. The temple tour included visits to the New Ganesh Temple, the Ratham and Visitor center. The Ambassador was thoroughly engaged during the tour and asked lots of questions about the MTS history.

A group of children, who are students of Vidushi Smt. Rajarajeshwari Bhat, sang an invocatory prayer song and rendered beautifully both the Indian & American national anthems. The Ambassador and the guests were felicitated with Ponnadai (silk shawl), a copy of book by Dr. Bala N Iyer and other small temple gifts. The Ambassador stated that the trip to Houston is his first official visit outside Washington and remarked on the fact that he was happy and considered it as an auspicious start to have visited the Meenakshi temple as his first stop prior to other engagements in this city. He also acknowledged Sam Kannappan for facilitating the visit. He noted the importance of the Indian community in America as a key linkage to strengthen the ties between India and the USA. He thanked the hosts and promised that he will visit again.  The MTS chairman Dr.Vaduganathan thanked the board and council members and all the temple staff for pulling together to make this visit of the Indian Ambassador a very memorable one. Even the rain had stopped for a while when the Ambassador was in the temple. It was indeed an amazing day at MTS.