You are hereDolai tour USA update - NY/NJ Celebrations: September 13 - Sept 18, 2011
Dolai tour USA update - NY/NJ Celebrations: September 13 - Sept 18, 2011
Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Dolai Tour USA 2011
Tirumanjanam and Dolai Celebrations in the New York and New Jersey areas
September 13 -18, 2011
Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva and His parivaram began their sancharam through the New York and New Jersey areas with tirumanjanam and dolai kainkaryams at the residence of Latha and Jagannathan in Hopewell Jn, NY on Tuesday September 13. After this, Perumal spent a quiet couple of day receiving the nitya aradhanam kainkaryam at the home of Sri Narayana Bhattar, Priest at Sri Ranganatha Temple, Pomona NY. On the evening of Thursday September 15, Perumal reached Bridgewater NJ to receive kainkaryams of area devotees during the next two days. On the evening of Friday September 16, Sri Muraili Tirumalai and family hosted Perumal’s dolai utsavam. The highlight of this function was that it coincided with the weekly program of Vishnu Sahasra Namam recital and Teleupanyasam by Sriman A.S. Rajagopala Swamy from Cincinnati. The function was web cast and has been archived. Saturday September 17 was a very busy day for the area devotees. The morning started with a tirumanjanam function at the home of Shobha and ShrInivAsa Raghavan, followed by a Dolai utsavam at the nearby home of Sumaihi and Sarangapani. The highlight of this function was a grand display of the musical and dance talents of children, who are the students of Smt. Sumathi. The day conclude with a beautiful dolai function at the home of Sri Anand Iyengar in Edison NJ. The function was marked by a great session of prabandaham recital by a devoted ghoShTi.
After an overnight stay at the home of the Raghavans at Bridgewater, NJ., Perumal proceeded on the early morning of Sunday September 18, to Albany NY where a large group of devotees were waiting to witness His grand tirumanjanam function at the Hindu Temple there. This grand function became possible because of the dedicated efforts of Sri Raghu Rangachari and the enthusiastic participation of the Temple management. The above function was followed by a quieter private dolai function in the afternoon at the home of Sri Raghu Rangachari. The busy Perumal and His Parivaram left the same evening for a long car trip to Rochester NY (the home town of our Aradhakar Sri Varadaraja Bhattar) en route to Detroit MI.
Please read below some of the individual descriptions of the functions as reported by the devotees. We have also given the links to the album containing some of the photos taken during the above functions and a video recording of the Dolai function at Sri Tirumalai’s residence.
Link to the video recording of Dolai at Sri Anand Iyengar’s residence
in Edison NJ on Saturday September 17, 2011
Tirumanjanam at the home of Shobha and Srinivasa Raghavan
Bridgewater NJ on September 17, 2011
||Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Parabrahmane Namah ||
||Sreemathe Ramanujaya Namah||
||Srimad Abhinava Vagisha Brahmatantra Parakalamahadesikaya Namah||
With the blessings of Perumal and our Acharya, we were fortunate to host the Thirumanjanam and Dolai of Sri Lakshmi Haygreevar at our home. It was a beautiful and an emotional experience accompanied by the soulful chanting of ghoShTi. We offer our humble and heartfelt thanks to Perumal's lotus feet and to the feet of our Acharya who was generous and compassionate to give us an opportunity to perform Perumal's Kainkaryam at our home.
Our sincere thanks to Sri.Varadaraja Bhattar for performing the divine service and being so kind, gentle and extremely energetic in spite of the busy Dolai Sancharam . Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevar looked radiant with Srimad Ramanujacharya and Swami Desikar by His side. Sri. Varadaraja Bhattar showed his love of Perumal by doing alankaram affectionately and beautifully. We were touched by how tirelessly he worked to use every flower that was brought by the devotees.
Thank you, Sri.Ramaprian mama, for your tremendous effort and unconditional support and providing us the opportunity to host the Thirumanjanam in our home. You thought about all the little details which made the Sancharam easier and efficient. It was very difficult to part with our beloved Perumal after 3 days of being with Him. We eagerly look forward for seeing Perumal again at Pomona temple in Nov and also for more such opportunity to perform Perumal's Kainkaryam.
Dolai at the home of Sumathi and Ramesh Sarangapani
Bridgewater NJ on Saturday September 17, 2011
We had the bhagyam of hosting the Dolai for Sri Lakshmi Hayavadana Perumal of Sri Parakala Matham on the 17th of September, 2011. The event began with Perumal arriving with the Aradhakar and ascending the Dolai with all His splendour. All present on that occasion were in awe of Him. We had invited a lot of my friends along with their parents to come and take blessings of Sri Hayagrivan. We sang songs and I danced in the praise of the Lord. Lakshmi and Hayavadana Perumal were also adorned with ornaments and garlands. For the first time I saw that even a garland made of cardamom could be offered to Him until then I thought that cardamom was used only for garnishing gulab jamuns. My Mother made that garland. In the end of the Dolai Perumal prasadam was given to everybody and also small goody bags containing pencils and pens blessed by Hayavadana Perumal was given out to all the children.
Bhargavi Saragapani
(Daughter of Ramesh and Sumati Sarangapani)
Bedminster, NJ
Dolai at Albany Hindu Temple, NY Sunday September 18, 2011
Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivar along with Sri ShaThAri, and accompanied by Srimad Ramanuja and Swamy Desikan, arrived at 9.30 A.M. at Albany Hindu temple. Perumal and his entourage were received with Poorna Kumbham, Aarathi and Veda Manthra Gosham. Sri Varadaraja Bhattar, Aradhakar for Perumal, arranged the Dolai with the help of able volunteers.
Bhattar performed Thirumanjanam for Perumal, ShaThAri, and Acharyas with milk, honey, tender coconut water, sAndhanas kappu, and manjal kappu in an elaborate manner. All the Bhagavathas enjoyed with devotion and recited Shixavalli, Srisuktham during Manja Kappu and Vennai Alainda Kunungam pasurams and followed by Purusha Sukthams. While Bhattar was doing Alankaram, Perumal was entertained with Nithyanusandhanam – Tiruppallandu, Tiruppalliyezhuchi, Tiruppavai and Kanni Siruthambu. After the Alankaram, Perumal was decked out in the Dolai with lots of flowers and ornaments.
Lots of small kids did Akshara Abhyaasam with Hayagreevar blessings. Raghu – Albany coordinator - addressed bhagavathas, giving brief information about Hayagreeva avataram explaining “gnanananda mayam devam…”. He also thanked Temple authorities for hosting the dolai enabling more devotees to have Hayagreevar darshan.
We concluded well attended function with Arathi, Satrumurai, Acharyan sambavana and Tirumanjanam Sponsor Murali and Thara dhampathis Prati Sambavana. Nearly 100+ devotees had the bhagyam of attending the Tirumanjanam and get the blessings of Divya dhampathis. Devotees are already asking about next year schedule and they are already looking forward to next year dolai.
We advertised Dolai using local Tamil, Telugu sangam websites and Hindu Albany temple website and it generated lot of visibility about Parakala Matham and its activities. We shared brochures with devotees.
Dolai at Raghu Rangachari Residence at Albany, NY – September 18, 2011
From Albany Hindu Temple Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Perumal arrived at our home at 3:00 p.m. Perumal and his entourage were received with Poorna Kumbham, Aarathi and Veda Manthra Gosham. Sri Varadaraja Bhattar, Aradhakar for Perumal arranged the Dolai with the help of able volunteers and performed aradhanam. The bagavathas assembled on the occasion recited Vishnu Sahasranamam followed by Hayagreevar Stotram and ended with shATrumurai from Pasurams followed by prasAda viniyogam. With our Acharyas Anugraham and Dhivya Dhampatis Grace we had the bhAgyam of hosting HH Parakalamutt Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevar Perumal at our house. The whole function still lingers in our mind. Our sincere thanks for planning and executing this Dolai program.