Thousands Attend the Joyous
Navodaya 2016 Celebrations at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta
By Mahadev Desai
“Navodaya 2016” was celebrated at The Hindu Temple of Atlanta,
on January 1, with great enthusiasm and fanfare. The incessant
rain stopped and gave way to cool but pleasant weather.
Thousands of devotees thronged to both the Balaji and Shiva
sanctums to receive the blessings of the divine for a prosperous
and healthy 2016.
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Pic. by Mahadev Desai |
Both Temples and facilities were specially prepared to
accommodate thousands of devotees. The Deities were
adorned with special flowers and ornaments to complement the
festive occasion. Navodaya was heralded with Suprabhatam in both
the Temples. The very talented Priests led by Reverend Gopal
Bhattar and Reverend Srinivasa Sarma performed Archanas all day
long and distributed teertha prasadams to the satisfaction of
all the devotees attending the celebrations. The
reverberations of the rituals rendered by the Priests and
devotional songs rendered by devotees will be cherished for a
long time.
This year’s motto at the the HTA was “Service with a Smile “.
There was hardly standing room in both Temples due to the
large number of devotees. However the flow of devotees was ably
managed by devoted volunteers with bowed heads and smiles on
their faces. The overflowing vehicular traffic in the parking
lots was redirected to the over- flow lots by cheerful
volunteers and shuttle operators who braved the cold weather
with smiles on their faces. Hectic preparations were under
way for several days by the volunteers of the Kitchen under the
leadership of P B Rao and Sai Ram Surappaneni. Mouthwatering
Indian food was served with courtesy and speed to hearts
and stomach's content of the devotees.
The children were entertained with face painting and balloon
twisting activities. Their happiness and cheer added an
extra flavor to Navodaya.
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Pic. by Dr. B.K.Mohan. |
Around 11.00 a.m.the Temple Priest, Sri Ravi Shankar performed
the Pooja ceremony conferring New Year blessings to the
vendors in the auditorium who heralded the New Year day with
brisk business. Vendors mall was colorful with display of
Jewelry, housewares, garments and accessories. The nonprofit
organizations spread their messages to attentive devotees.
2015 was a very eventful year for the Hindu Temple. Starting
with Navodaya, it celebrated Sankranti, Ugadi, Sree Rama
Navami and Brahmotsavams with great pomp and fanfare. Ganesh
Chaturdhi was a multi-cultural, multi- ethnic and multi- lingual
event. Ati Rudram was performed over eleven days culminating in
purnahuti. The reverberations of the events will be felt for a
long time and cherished forever in the annals of the Temple.
Rajatotsavam (25th year anniversary) of the beloved Temple was
ushered in with Vedaparayanam and Shata modaka homam in December
2015. The highlight ‘Akhanda Vishnu Nama Parayanam’ will
culminate in Brahmotsavam in May 2016.
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Pic. by Mahadev Desai |
The President Pulipaka B Rao,was overjoyed by the success
stories of 2015. He commended the robust participation of record
number of devotees at all the functions at the Temple. He
profusely thanked the devotees for a prosperous 2015 at the
Temple. He enumerated the flourishing of Balavihar, and several
Language and Dance institutions under the patronage of the
Temple. He expressed hope that the Temple would be able to
render even more social and charitable services
to the community at large.
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Pic. by Dr. B.K.Mohan. |
Dr P B Rao congratulated Prashanti Asireddy ( Vice president ),
Sheela Lingam ( Secretary ), Ravi Kari ( Joint Treasurer )
and Aravind Goli ( Pooja Committee Chair ) for planning and
executing Navodaya 2016 with great precision. He particularly
thanked Sairam Surappaneni and his dedicated volunteer
group for their selfless services in providing mouth watering
Indian cuisine. Special thanks are due to Madhu Tata, Sunil
Shavele, Srinivas Nalla,Shyam Malla Varapu,Anjiah Choudary Lavu,
Venkat Meesala, Janardhan Pannela, Anil Yelamanchili, Sunil
Gotoor, Nanda Chatla and all the countless volunteers and their
families who cared for the devotees with smiles on their faces.
The celebration could not have been possible but for the
tireless efforts of the Navaratnas ( Priests ) and the dedicated
full time and volunteer office staff. “May Lord Venkateshwara
and Lord Ramalingeshwara shower their choicest blessings on all
for a happy and prosperous 2016 and with their grace enable us
to write a lot of success stories in the pages of the Temple
during 2016”
The Hindu Temple, an iconic resplendent landmark in Riverdale,
Georgia, is well known for its spiritual, cultural, and
educational services to the Indian community. The Temple has
played a sterling role in enriching the religious diversity and
enhancing the multi-cultural image of Georgia.
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