MAHA KUMBHABHISHEKAM

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Maha Kumbhabhishekam/ Samprokshanam Celebrations – Significance

What is Maha Kumbhabhishekam and its purpose?

According to our Hindu Traditions, a devalaya (Hindu Temple) is regarded as a very sacred place for worship. It is a place for devotees to pray to God for spiritual attainment. Hindu Vedic scriptures assert that God dwells in the holy consecrated temple with divinity as quoted in the Upanishad: “deho devalayah prokto jivo devah sanatanah” Therefore, maintaining the Sannidhyam (divine power and attributes) of the Vigrahas (Deities) is a top priority in our temples. The divine power of the Deities is preserved through the offering of daily religious rituals, and observance of utsavams (festivals) in accordance with the Agama Shasthra, the code of worship that guides our temple religious practices. With the passage of time, a decline in the sanctity may occur in the temple environment. Therefore, steps are taken through religious ceremonies with the utmost reverence to preserve, restore and enhance the divinity of our temple Deities and structure. This objective is fulfilled by performing the grand religious ceremony called Maha Kumbhabhishekam also known as Maha Samprokshanam every 12 years. During this ceremony, religious rites are performed to re-consecrate existing Vigrahas (Deities), temple structures like gopurams and vimanams (towers), and consecrate new Deities and shrines. The list of new deities planned for consecration as part of the temple superstructure expansion is enclosed in the appendix.

The word “Samprokshnam/Abhishekam” means offering holy sanctified water to the Deities, gopurams and vimanams (towers) from the Kumbhas (sacred vessels) while chanting sacred Veda mantras to ordain purity and impart renewed Divine energy to the Deities.

What are the highlights of Maha Kumbhabhishekam ceremony?

Maha Kumbhabhishekam ceremony provides the temple with an excellent opportunity to perform the renovation work to the existing Sannidhis (Shrines) and strengthen the structure supporting the Vigrahas. The renovation work also includes the preservation of the towers namely Gopurams and Vimanams. Prior to starting any of the renovation work in the Sannidhis (Shrines), a key religious ritual is performed to transfer the divine energy of the Vigrahas to the holy water in the Kumbhas (Sacred Vessels). The kumbhas with divine energy and Utsava Murthis will be housed in a temporary mini temple inside the temple premises called the Balalayam. During the renovation period of the shrines, all daily poojas will be performed for the Utsava Murthis and Kumbhas in the Balalayam until Maha Kumbhabhishekam ceremony. The renovation dates of the shrines will be announced as we get closer to our grand event. The renovation work in the shrines culminates with the sealing process of the Vigrahas called Ashthabandhana. The Shilpis (sculptors) seal the Vigrahas with the base pedestals using a paste made from eight special ingredients.

Maha Kumbhabhishekam at our temple is scheduled as a five-day religious event beginning September 10th , 2024, with the final grand event culminating on September, 15th , 2024. We are assembling a team of priests and Veda parayana pundits from temples all over USA to augment our temple priests. Two huge Yagasalas will be erected housing 56 Homa Kundas and vedikas to facilitate the Havans and all religious rites every day. The daily religious activities are performed in the morning and evening as per practices of Tirupati (Sri Vaikhanasa Bhagavad Shasthra) and Shaiva Agama Shasthra. These include japam, homas/havans, kumbha aradhana, archana, nivedana, purificatory rites, veda and divya prabandha parayanams. The new Vigrahas will undergo the traditional rites as ordained in the Agama Shastras (Adhivasa Thrayam, Bimba Sudhhi, Akshin Mochanam) They are erected in the shrines prior to the grand event and will undergo the sealing process of Ashthabandhana. On the concluding day, Sunday, September 15, after the grand Purnahuti, the priests will transport the Kumbhas filled with consecrated water and divine energy to the main temple in a grand procession with the vibrations of Vedic chants, and melodious rhythms of Nadaswaram. At the auspicious muhurtham time, the Acharyas will perform the union of the sanctified water with divine energy in the kumbhas with the gopurams, vimanams, and deities by invoking the Mantra Nyasa (appropriate Vedic mantras) During this auspicious time, the Divine Energy will be transferred back from the kumbhas to the existing Deities and prana pratishtha (infusion of Divine Energy) for the new Deities. The grand event concludes with Kalyana Utsavams (celestial marriage ceremonies) for Sri Siva and Devi Parvathi in the afternoon, and Sri Padmavathi and Sri Venkateswara Swami in the evening.

What are the benefits of Maha Kumbhabhishekam for the devotees?

Our centuries old Hindu scriptures namely, Vedas, Agamas and Vastu Shasthra expound the spiritual importance and benefit of Maha Kumbhabhishekam and Hindu temple as a place of holy worship for devotees. The Maha Kumbhabhishekam offers a rare opportunity for devotees to witness an authentic religious ceremony performed by a team of over 60 learned priests assembled exclusively for this purpose. We invite you to join us and experience the divine energy that will permeate in the temple. This year’s event bears added significance due to the inclusion of our temple’s expansion of the superstructure and consecration of new Vigrahas. . The planned auspicious religious event at Aurora Divya Mangala Kshethram brings forth divine blessings for our devotees and community at-large for their well-being and fulfillment of aspirations as captured below in this Sanskrit sloka from our scriptures. “Vastu Shasthram pravakshyami lokanam hita kamyaya” May Sri Balaji’s blessings be with all of us.

SVS Temple Management

Prana Pratishtha of New Vigrahas and Temples during Maha Kumbhabhishekam

The prana pratishtha (consecration) of the following new Vigrahas (Deities) and Sannidhis (Temples) will take place during Maha Kumbhabhishekam.

Vaishnava Sannidhis

Mula Vigrahas:

(1) Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami

(2) Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Swami

(3) Bhadrachala Sri Sita Ramachandra Swami and Parivar

(4) Sri Rukmini Satyabhama sametha Venugopala Swami (Sri Krishna)

(5) Sri Vishvaksena

(6) New gold-plated Dhwaja Sthambham and Balipeetham

(7) New Sri Garuda Temple (Temple Only)