Sri Meenakshi Temple God Ganesha Resumes Life in his New Abode, The Granite Garbagriha

By Dr. Venugopal Menon

Certain reflective experiences in life are destined merely for the blessed few. 

PEARLAND: Sri Meenakshi Temple concluded the weeklong festivities of Jeernodharana Ashtabandhana Maha Kumbabhishekam of its new granite Prasanna Ganapathy temple. The event involved the restoration and renovation of the temple, reinstalling the Vigraha using eight special ingredients and embedded with Yantras (geometric representations of spiritual energy on metal) and Navaratnas (nine gems) and anointment with sanctified water from pitchers.  Kumbabhishekam, is the consecration ceremony of invoking spiritual essentials of divinity into a newly installed Murthi and periodically of re-invoking the same with existing Sannidhis.  The procedure entails austere and elaborate Poojas of dedicated observance, presided by erudite priests, using a myriad of auspicious requisites.

The stunningly unique, granite temple was sanctified through the sophisticated ritualistic observation on Friday, November 29.

Adhering to the stringent guidelines of the Sastras, as instructed in the divined Vedas, the meticulously conducted rites generated a gradual crescendo of sacred tranquility. Commencing with several Purvanga Poojas and following through four Kala Poojas, the stage was prepared for the ‘Maha’ event of Friday. The spiritual energy of the deity temporarily sheltered at the Balalaya was infused into the water of the Kalasas through chanting of spiritually charged Mantras and Mudras of the Yagnas in front of the sacred fire, the ‘Homakundams’ in the Yagasala.  Three lines made of silver, grass and silk, linked the water pot to the statue in the new granite Garbagriha.  The priests made three trips between the Yagasala and Gargbagriha, embodying Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, and sequentially establishing the nervous, muscular and the heart with circulatory system of the Murthi, thus symbolically harnessing cosmic energy and connecting the mundane with the divine.

The celebrated final day began with the Yagasala Pooja, Homam, and Maha Purnahuthi with Kumbha Procession leading to the sublimely conclusive offering of Gopura Sthupi when the sanctified water was taken up to the top and poured from the Kumbhams on to the Vimanams and then on to the Murthy in the sanctum sanctorum. It was followed by a procession of all the deities on their designated chariots around the temple to the accompaniment of the divine musical band of Nadaswaram and Thavil.  As the huge assembly of Bhakthas felt immensely blessed, the graciously divine ceremony came to an awe-inspiring conclusion.

And integrally enhancing the grand celebrations, there were exquisite cultural entertainments on several days, offered by the abundantly endowed artists of Houston.  If the divine instrumental ensemble on Thursday took the audience to sublime heights of contentment, the extravagant performance on Friday from several Houston dance schools was blissfully ecstatic to them.

The Ganesh temple, originally created in 1979 and needing renovation was reconstructed as per ancient Agamic requirements into a new granite edifice, the first of its kind in Texas.  As unanimously decided by the Board and Council, and with the religious guidance from Padmasree Muthiah Stapathy, architect Ashok Mungara laid out the plans and supervised the construction with unprecedented alacrity. The crucially cohesive chemistry of the various groups, the executive, administrative, fund-raising, construction, religious, cultural and public relations committees along with the supportive sections worked in harmony accomplishing the goal.

From concept stage to completion, from July 19, 2012 to November 29, 2013, from paper drawings to granite creations, the seventeen months of transformation was inspiringly impressive.  About quarter of a million pounds of red and black granite from near Nagercoil were creatively carved, etched, polished and transformed into majestic masterpieces near Madurai and were transported in eight shipments over seas and land, to Pearland, Texas. The monumental accomplishment involved mobilizing multitude of resources, offered by the mercy of the Almighty.

The support from devotees was unparalleled as funds poured in record time that the project remained debt-free.  Nearly a million dollars were raised in just about 18 months.  Almost a thousand donor-devotee families of MTS, nearly half of them from younger generation pitched in their support signifying the encouraging transformation of our devotee base.

The new granite temple is elaborate, and bordered by sixteen Shodasha pillars each embellishing a different expression of God Ganesha.  The sacred sanctum is in the elevated Garba Griha where the Murthi is adorned on the divine throne, the Peetam. The imposing Vimanam is also visible from inside through the spacious skylights, majestically rising above the sanctum and sheltering the divine dwelling.

For several weeks before the unique event of the decade, through the rains and cold, the local workers, the temple artisans and the Silpis from India worked overtime, assembling the massive granite pieces, precisely aligning them with their masterly craftsmanship and legendary artistry etching out the delicate details of the celestial abode.

The wintry weather and soaking rains were threatening and posing a nuisance in the beginning of the festivities, but the final day turned out to be serenely balmy when it mattered, the enthralled attendees witnessing the sacred spectacle as helicopters showered petals from the heavens.  A delicious, sumptuous feast was served on banana leaves as the fitting finale of such auspicious events.

A devotee’s sentiments succinctly surmised the event. “There is no doubt that generation upon generation of devotees in the years to come, will enjoy ”……..this grand, granite, Ganesh temple!”