Update #2 -- Lakshmi Yagyas - August 2006

Our August sequence of Lakshmi Yagyas concluded at a very nice temple where our priests performed an Abishekam Yagya. It was performed during the evening and this temple is typical of smaller temples in India; nicely painted and decorated with lights.



There are two murtis of Lakshmi seen here. The larger one in the back is made of south indian green granite which turns a beautiful dark black when sesame oil is applied to it. The brass statue in the foreground is called an utsava murti. It is used in temple celebrations and can be moved out of the temple sanctum whenever needed. The alrger murti weighs many hundreds of pounds and is never moved!

Here the priest is offering a little camphor light during one of the initial pujas.



Many gallons of milk are used to pour over the murtis during the abishekam. The tradition is that an abishekam is performed to purify and enliven the temple.



Sandalwood is very finely ground up and mixed with various scents. When it is mixed with water and a little rosewater the temple smells amazingly fragrant.



After all the ingredients are poured over the murtis, they are carefully dried and dressed in new silk sari's with beautiful fresh flower malas made of jasmine and carnations. You can see that she wears all sorts of gold and a tall crown in the style of south india. Her hands are covered with metal "raksha"; armour. Her right hand is help upright in the sign of protection, and her left hand points downward in the sign of blessing or granting wishes.



Even the smaller utsava deity is dressed in a sari. Although the murti is only a couple feet in height, it still take a full 7-8 yards of cloth to dress her!



By the end of the evening Lakshmi is fully refreshed and seems very powerful. Note the pink lotus flowers arranged around her.

Lakshmi Yagyas - August 2006

This month's yagyas series is focused on Lakshmi, the goddess of Abundance in all its forms. We begin with a four day intensive focus on the eight different forms of Lakshmi (Ashtalakshmi). Each day, our priests perform a full series of yagyas with unique ingredients.

Here we see fresh lotus flowers and bilva leaves, both traditionally associated with Lakshmi.



By the end of the puja the pile of flowers and bilva leaves gets quite high....and is topped with a fresh jasmine flower mala.



In the evening the priests recite the 1008 mantras (namas) of Lakshmi, called Lakshmi Sahasranam enough times so that the total nama recitations will exceed 100,000 times by the end of the yagya series.



The puja is called a kumkum archana because with each nama a small pinch of kumkukm (a natural red powder symbolic of Lakshmi) is offered





And there are 10 more days to go!