Sri Siva Vishnu Temple 6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham MD Tel: (301) Fax: (301) Web Site:

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1 6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham MD Tel: (301) Fax: (301) Web Site: Newsletter Vol 25, No. 9 Ganesha Chaturthi Celebrations September 2016 SAMA UPAKARMA Ganesha Chaturthi day this year falls on Monday, September 5 and the temple will be celebrating this festival from Thursday, September 1 through Monday, September 5, There will be one Upaakarma batch which will start at 9:30 am, followed by Aasheervaadam. Veda Aarambham (Commencing the study of Vedas), Rishi Tarpanam (Propitiating the Sages who handed down the Vedas to the future generations) are the most important aspects of any Upaakarma. Devotees are requested to avail of the facilities and resources provided by the temple in performing this important ritual. Thursday, September 1 Monday, September 5, 2016 Saturday, September 3, 2016 Suggested Donation (including Acharya Sambhaavana): $5 for Brahmacharis, $25 for newly initiated Brahmacharis and $11 for everybody else. ONAM Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Thursday, September 1, :00 pm Anugnay, Ganesha Moolamantra Ashtottara Sathanamavali Puja, 8:30 pm Mangala Aarathi Friday September 2, :30 am Ganesha Homam 10:30 am Ganesha Abhishekam 6:00 pm Trishati Archana Saturday, September 3, :00 am Kalasa Puja, Mahanyasam 10:00 am Ekadasa Rudra Abhishekam to Mahaganapathy, Archana, Deeparadhana, 1:30 pm Prasadam Distribution 4:00 pm Sahasramodaka Homam Devotees: Please note that both the conventional steamed Modakams and deep fried Modakams will be accepted, although, the deep fried variety is considered more apopropriate as Homam offering. Sunday, September 4, :30 am Mahaganapathy Homam, Ganesha Abhishekam 11:30 am Prasadam Distribution Monday, September 5, 2016 (Ganesha Chaturthi Day) 9:30 am MahaGanapathy Homam, 10:30 am Abhishekam to Ganesha and Utsava Moorthy, Dwara Ganapathy, Nardana Ganapathy, Kanni Moola Ganapathy and Prakara Ganapathy; Archana, deeparadhana. 12:00 pm Utsava Ganapathy Temple Procession 1:00 pm Deeparadhana and Prasadam Distribution 6:00 pm Vishesha Sahasranama Archana, Deeparadhana Sponsorship: Anyone Homam and/or Abishekam $25; Ganesha Chaturthi Day (Sep 17) Entire Day Puja $51; Entire Celebration $101 Onam (Sravana in Sanskrit) is also the day of Vamana Jayanti. It is on that day that Lord Vishnu took the form of a dwarf (Vamana) to suppress the ego of an otherwise good and popular king Mahabali (Grandson of Prahalada). The king loved his subjects very much and hence asked the Lord to allow him to visit his subjects once a year on that day. Hence this day is celebrated in Kerala as the return of their favorite king. The homes are beautifully decorated and there is an ambience of festivity everywhere in anticipation of the Return of the King. Boat races, floral decorations, cultural performances like Mohini Aattam, Kathakali, Chaakiyaar Koothu, music concerts are common during this festival. Some communities consider this to be the beginning of a new year. Temples in Kerala have special pujas on this day. 10:00 am Purvanga Puja, Ananthapadmanabha Abhishekam, Vishnu Sahasranamam, Archana, Deeparadhana, 12:30 pm Prasadam distribution Sponsorship: $ 25 Onam Celebration Sunday, September 18, 2016 The Temple will celebrate Onam on Sunday, September 18, A grand Onam Sadhya in traditional Kerala style, will start at 12 Noon. You are cordially invited to come and enjoy this unique Sadhya. Mahalaya Paksham Saturday September 17 to Friday September 30, 2016 The fortnight (15 days) preceding the Navaratri is known as Mahalaya Paksha or Pitr Paksha. This period is important for honoring our ancestors. Men, whose fathers have passed away, offer their obeiscence (shraddha) to their ancestors during this period. The ceremony is performed as a Hiranya Shraddha, details of which are available in the temple. Due to the increasing awareness and faith in these rituals and in order to meet the (Continued on Page 3) 1

2 September 2016 Thu 1 10:00 AM Andal Abhishekam (Poorva Phalguni) 7:00 PM Ganesha Chaturthi Festival Begins (See details) Fri 2 10:00 AM Ayyappa Puja (Uttara Phalguni) 10:00 AM Durga Abhishekam Sat 3 9:30 AM Sama Upakarma (see details) 4:00 PM Srinivasa Kalyanam Sun 4 6:00 PM Swarna Gowri Vratam Mon 5 9:30 AM Ganesha Chaturthi Day, Festival Concludes (see details) Tue 6 9:30 AM Sudarshana/Yoga Nrsimha Homam & Abhishekam (Swati) Wed 7 10:00 AM Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Sashti, Vishaka) Fri 9 10:00 AM Mahalakshmi Abhishekam Sat 10 10:30 AM Puja by Children 4:00 PM Anjaneya Abhishekam (Moola) Sun 11 10:30 AM Srinivasa Kalyanam Mon 12 7:00 PM Ananthapadmanabha Abhishekam (Ekadasi) Tue 13 10:00 AM ONAM (see details) 10:00 AM Utsava Srinivasa Abhishekam (Shravana) Wed 14 7:00 PM Siva Abhishekam (Mahapradosham) Thu 15 10:00 AM Nataraja Abhishekam 7:00 PM Satyanarayana Puja Fri 16 10:00 AM Sarada Abhishekam 7:15 PM Bhagavati Seva Sat 17 Mahalaya Paksham Begins Sun 18 9:30 AM Ayyappa Puja Mon 19 9:30 AM Ganesha Homam (Sankatahara Chaturthi) 7:00 PM Ganesha Abhishekam (Sankatahara Chaturthi) Wed 21 10:00 AM Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Sashti, Krittikai) Thu 22 10:00 AM Krishna Abhishekam (Rohini) Fri 23 10:00 AM Parvathi Abhishekam Sat 24 4:00 PM Rama Abhishekam (Punarvasu) Sun 25 9:30 AM Navagraha Homam and Abhishekam 10:30 AM Manjal Neeraattu (see details) Mon 26 7:00 PM Anantapadmanabha Abhishekam (Ekadasi) Tue 27 7:00 PM Siva Abhishekam (MahaPradosham) 7:00 PM Sarpabali (see details) Thu 29 10:00 AM Andal Abhishekam (Purvaphalguni) Fri 30 Mahalaya Paksham Ends (Amavasya) 10:00 AM Durga Abhishekam 10:00 AM Ayyappa Puja (Uttaraphalguni) RELIGIOUS CALENDAR October 2016 Sat 1 9:30 AM Sarada Navaratri Begins (see details) 4:00 PM Srinivasa Kalyanam Mon 3 9:30 AM Sudarsana/Yoga Nrsimha Homam and Abhishekam (Swati) Tue 4 9:30 AM Ganesha Homam and Abhishekam (Chaturthi) 10:00 AM Utsava Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Visakha) Fri 7 10:00 AM Mahalakshmi Abhishekam 10:00 AM Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Sashti) 7:00 PM Anjaneya Abhishekam (Moola) Sat 8 9:30 AM Saraswati Puja Sun 9 7:00 AM Chandi Homam - Durgashtami Mon 10 9:30 AM MahaNavami, Saraswati Puja Tue 11 9:30 AM Vijaya Dasami, Navaratri Ends (see details) 9:30 AM Venkateshwara Jayanti Vedantadsika Jayanti (see details) Utsava Srinivasa Abhishekam (Sravana) Wed 12 7:00 PM Anantapadmanabha Abhishekam (Ekadasi) Thu 13 7:00 PM Siva Abhishekam (Mahapradosham) Fri 14 10:00 AM Nataraja Abhishekam 10:00 AM Sarada Abhishekam Sat 15 4:00 PM Visesha Satyanarayana Puja Rest of October in the next newsletter DAILY & WEEKLY ABHISHEKAMS Daily Abhishekams Daily: 9:30 AM Ayyappa, Anantha Padmanabha 10:00 AM Siva Weekly Abhishekams Monday: 9:30 AM Ganesha, Sri Rama Tuesday: 9:30 AM Durga, Anjaneya Wednesday: 9:30 AM Andal, Sarada, Navagrahas Thursday: 9:30 AM Krishna, Subrahmanya Friday: 9:30 AM Mahalakshmi, Parvati, Sudarsana/Yoga Narasimha Saturday: 10:15 AM Venkateswara Temple Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM (except for special events); Saturday, Sunday, & Holidays: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Skanda Sashti Kavacham Recitation Every Thursday at 7:30 pm, devotees will recite Skanda Sashti Kavacham in front of Lord Subrahmanya, which will be followed by Deeparadhana. All devotees are encouraged to come and participate. Employee & Volunteer Appreciation Day Sunday October 23, 2016 Please join us at the SSVT auditorium on Sunday, October 23, 2016 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm to celebrate and honor our employees and volunteers. This is an important day where we appreciate all our employees and volunteers who make SSVT special. Our esteemed employees and their families look forward to your participation in making this day special for them. This is a very important day for all of us to join hands in patting our employees and volunteers who are steering SSVT in the forward direction. This day will provide an opportunity for Coordinators to talk about their committee s achievements and hear from everyone about ideas for strengthening our Temple and for volunteers to sign up for various committees. Please bring in your family and friends to our SSVT to make this a memorable event. SSVT Senior Group Trip to Vraj Temple, Schuylkill Haven, PA When: September 14, 2016 Price: $50.00 per person Payable in cash only on Wednesday 8/3/16 at SSVT 10:00 am-11:00 am. Please save your receipt. What is included: We leave SSVT 7:00 am by a chartered bus. The price includes to and fro transportation, snacks, and a water bottle. We will make a rest stop going and coming. The Temple offers free lunch, and appreciates any donation. We will return by 7:00 pm Vraj Temple website: Contact: Phone: (301) , or, SeniorCitizensGroup@gmail.com 2

3 (Continued from Page 1) Mahalaya Paksham needs of maximum number of devotees the temple is scheduling time slots of half hour duration for 3 or more hours per day during this fortnight. Please call the manager to reserve your slot. A donation of $95 which includes Dakshina to the priest applies for this ceremony. Manjal Neeratu Sunday, September 25, 2016, 10:30 AM SSVT is conducting a unique and rare puja by women of all ages following the Kerala traditions called Manjal Neeraattu on Sunday, September at 10:30 AM. The kalasas will be filled with holy water mixed with turmeric (tiruchandanam), and will be carried by women through the 18 holy steps to the Ayyappa sanctum. Special Abhishekam with the sanctified waters from the individual kalasas will be conducted to Swami Ayyappa. Families are encouraged to bring their own kalasas which will be sanctified by the priests and duly returned back after the Abhishekam. Register at the front desk or by calling the Temple. Sponsorship: $25 Sarpabali Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Sarpabali is the worship of 55 divine snakes (including Siva s Vasuki and Vishnu s Adisesha) to ward off the bad effects of Sarpa Dosha, to help mitigate and eradicate the problems of skin diseases, to help people in search of life partners find suitable spouses, for progeny (Putra Bhaagyam) and for the overall wellbeing of all. (Sarpa Dosha may be present due to harm done to snakes and other reptiles in the past births and due to other causes. Sarpa Dosha is recognized when all the other grahas in one s horoscope lie between Rahu and Ketu. Sarpa Dosha is often a reason for late marriages). Turmeric powder, rice, milk, coconuts, fruits and flowers are the ingredients generally brought by devotees for Sarpabali. For the ingredients to be included in the Puja, they must be given to the priest before the Puja starts. Sankalpam for the Puja (when devotees can mention to the priest the problems to be overcome or desires to be fulfilled) will begin at 6:30 pm. Sarpabali Puja will be performed in the Kerala Tantric style from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. 6:30 pm Sankalpam (when devotees can mention to the priest the problems to be overcome or desires to be fulfilled) 7:00 pm Sarpabali Sponsorship: $35 Sarada Navaratri Saturday, October 1 to Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Sarada Navaratri, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals spanning a period of nine nights. The Goddess in the form of the Universal Mother is commonly worshipped during the nine nights and ten days and hence it is also known by the name of Devi Navaratri. Three aspects of the Divine Mother, namely Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped during the nine nights, the tenth day being celebrated as Vijaya Dasami. It is considered auspicious to start new ventures, especially in the field of education, on Vijaya Dasami. Reading the Durga SaptaSati (also known as Devi Mahaatmyam) and Ramayanam is also common during the Navaratri. Special Pujas are scheduled in the temple during the ten days. Devotees are encouraged to participate personally in the Sahasranama Archana daily. (Sponsorship is not a requirement for participation in this archana) Daily Program 11:00 am Lalitha Trishati Archana, Durga Sapta Shati (Devi Mahaatmyam) Parayanam 5:00 pm Sundara Kanda (Valmiki) Parayanam 7:15 pm Lalitha Sahasranama Archana, Deepaaradhana, Mahishasura- Mardini Stotram, Devi Namaskaram (6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays) 8:45 pm Prasadam Distribution (7:30 pm on Saturdays & Sundays) Special Program Saturday, October 1, 9:30 am Ganesha Puja, Purvanga Puja, Kalasa Sthapanam, Durga Avahanam, Durga Sukta Homam, Abhishekam to Durga, Deeparadhana Sunday, October 2, 9:30 am Bhoo Suktha Homam, Abhishekam to Andal Monday, October 3 9:30 am Swayamvara Bala Parvathi homam, Abhishekam to Parvathi Tuesday, October 4 9:30 am Devi Moolamantra Homam, Abhishekam to Durga Wednesday, October 5 9:30 am Medha Suktha Homam, Abhishekam to Sarada & Andal Thursday, October 6 9:30 am Devi Gayathri Homam, Abhishekam to Durga Friday, October 7 9:30 am Lalitha Sahasranama Homam, Abhishekam to Parvati and Mahalakshmi Saturday, October 8 9:30 am Devi Pancha Suktha homam. Abhishekam to Sarada Sunday, October 9 - Durgashtami 7:00 am Mahaganapathy Homam & CHANDI HOMAM, 11:30 am Suvasini, Kanya & Bhairava Puja, Abhishekam to Durga 1 5 pm Devotional Music by Devotees Monday, October 10 Mahanavami, Saraswathi Puja 9:30 am Saraswathi Moolamanthra Homam, Abhishekam to Sarada Tuesday October 11 - Vijaya Dasami 9:30 am Devi Gayathri Homam, Abhishekam to Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi; Conclusion of Sundara Kanda Parayanam 10:30 am Vidya Aarambham for Children (am Session) 11:30 am Devi Navaratri Concluding Pujas. 7:00 pm SRI RAMA PATTAABHISHEKAM 7:00 pm Vidya Aarambham for Children (pm Session) Sponsorship: One day Abhishekam $25 per deity; One day Homam $ 25; Suvasini Puja $51; Kanya Puja $ 51; Bhairava Puja $51; Sundara Kanda Parayanam & Sri Rama Pattabhishekam $51; Sri Rama Pattabhishekam $ 25; Durga Sapta Shati Parayanam $51; Vidya Arambham $ 25; Sahasranama Archana $15; Entire Navaratri Celebration $151 3

4 Gowri Puja (Bathukamma Puja) Sunday, October 2, 2016, at 3:00 pm Bathukamma is a festival that is celebrated for nine days during navrathri. It starts on Mahalaya Amavasya and ends on Ashwayuja Ashtami (also called Pedha/Sadhula Bathukamma ). Bathukamma in Telugu, is to ask the Goddess to come Alive. There are many myths about the origin of this festival. Goddess Gowri killed Mahishasura the demon after a fierce fight. After this act, she went to sleep on the Aswayuja Padyami, due to fatigue. The devotees prayed to her to wake up, and she woke up on the Dasami. The other being Bathukamma, as the daughter of the Chola King Dharmangada and Satyavati. The king and queen lost their 100 sons in the battlefield and prayed to Goddess Lakshmi to be born in their house, as their child. Goddess Lakshmi heard their sincere prayers and chose to oblige them. When Lakshmi was born in the royal palace, all the sages came to bless her and they blessed her with immortality Bathukamma or Live Forever Preparing a Bathukamma is a folk art. Women start preparing Bathukamma from the afternoon. They cut the flowers leaving the little length base and arrange them on a wide plate called Thambalam, and stack them up in a conical mound, decorated with a Lotus or Pumpkin flower on top of the stack along with Gowramma (a symbolic idol of Gowri made of turmeric). On this special occasion women dress up in traditional saree combining it with jewels. In the evening, women gather in large number with their Bathukammas in open place and starts singing by clapping their hands and revolving around the Bathukammas. Gowramma (Gowri made of turmeric) is taken back from Bathukamma before immersion and every married woman applies a paste of this, on her Mangala sutra that marks the solemnization of her marriage and also her husband is protected from all evils and ill fate. Venkateshwara Jayanti - Vedantadesika Jayanti Tuesday, October 11, 2016 The incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara occurred on Vijaya Dasami day on Sravana Nakshatra. This day is celebrated as Venkateswara Jayanti. The day is also the Jayanthi of Sri Vedanta Desika 9.00 am Suprabhatam 9.30 am Kalasa Puja, Utsava Srinivasa Abhishekam (Sravana), Sri Vedanta Desika Acharya Aradhana, Recitation of Stotras composed by the Acharya Sahasranama Parayanam Sponsorship: $25 Receiving Puja Requests by Devotees can send their puja requests by starting immediately. This new service is another way to send puja requests, in addition to the current process of calling the temple for puja requests. Devotees can send the details of the puja by to the address puja@ssvt.org. SSVT will respond to the request within 3 business hours (For ex: If the request is received after 7 PM, response will go out the following morning). Devotees are requested to send the details in the form given below. Alternatively, Devotees can also fill the same information in text format, if that is easier for them. Devotees can download the form from the temple website (ssvt.org). We hope that this new process will give more choices and make it easier to schedule pujas at the temple or at Devotee s homes. Non-Monetary Donations We thank all those magnanimous devotees who have made many nonmonetary donations of various forms such as furniture, furnishings, artwork, decorations, and books to the temple. While the thoughtfulness and generosity of the devotees who have donated these items is commendable, shortage of storage space has necessitated us to be cautious in accepting donations of any kind that may not be immediately useful to the Temple. We request you to please contact and get approval of the General Manager or VC Operations should you have a donation of exceptional value, before bringing the item to the Temple premises. SSVT Gita Class SSVT Gita class celebrated the successful completion of one year on June 26, The program started with prayers by SSVT Balavikas and Dr. Anitha Menon. Dr. Madan Mohan, a student of the class, welcomed the gathering. Two groups chanted verses from chapter 2 of Bhagavad Gita. Dr. Tripuraneni, Past Chairman, Board of Trustees, commended the teacher Sri Vijaya Kumar and the students. Dr. Nagula and Sri M.G. Menon also spoke. Trustee Danny Dhananjayan distributed the certificates of completion to the students. Dr. Chith Puram, a student of the class, thanked Sri Vijaya Kumar for his dedication in teaching Gita. The support of SSVT was always there for the class, thanks to Sri Sasi Menon. The class has over 20 regular students and the class population is gradually becoming international. Such educational efforts are lacking in many Hindu temples of North America. In this regard, SSVT can be proud of its organizational effort and its continued support for the education of the devotees. Second Teach India Workshop Provides Immersion Experience for Maryland Teachers Lanham, MD (August 15, 2016) Teachers from across the state of Maryland, as well as the District of Columbia, took part in the second Teach India teacher training workshop organized by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), California State-University Long Beach, and the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (SSVT). The workshop, held from August 9th through 13th at SSVT, was led by renowned history educators Tim Keirn and Dave Neumann, and HAF s education director Murali Balaji. Keirn, a lecturer and social sciences subject coordinator at CSU-Long Beach, is also the chief reader for Advanced Placement ( AP ) world history, while Neumann is director of thehistory Project and an assistant professor at Cal Poly, Pomona. The workshop also featured talks by Grand Valley State University professor Abhishek Ghosh and former Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington president D.C. Rao, as well as a performative lecture by renowned Kuchipudi dancer, Anuradha Nehru, founder of the Kalanidhi dance company. OBITUARY Dr. Cheriyath Ravindra Nath We are deeply saddened to inform you that Dr. Cheriyath Ravindra Nath, a founding trustee of Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, passed away on August 4th 2016 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda after a Cardiac Arrest at age 77. Dr. Nath was surrounded by his family members at the time of his death. Dr. Nath, graduated as part of the first graduating class from Calicut Medical college, Kerala India in 1961; he immigrated to the US in Dr. Nath was a practicing Physician/Nephrologist in solo practice for 4 decades, and was a very dedicated clinician and a well respected patient advocate. He was the Chair of the department of Nephrology at DC General Hospital / Howard Univ college of Medicine from and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Nath was an avid tennis player, had an adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit, and a kind and giving friend. Dr. Nath is survived by his wife of 48 years, Devikutty Nath, his three sons, Sanil, Sanjay and Sathish, his Daughter-in-law Renuka, his three grandchildren Neela, Nikhil and Joya and his large extended family. He was the youngest of 5 siblings from Cheriyath House in Mukkali, Kerala. He is also survived by his older brother P.K.K. Kurup. A memorial service was conducted at the Temple on August 21, 2016 and another memorial service and reception was conducted by the family of Dr. Nath at Fox Hill Condominium, Bethesda on August 27,

5 Program SSVT EDUCATION PROGRAMS Learn More about Your Roots & Culture Balavidyalayam Children s Educational Program Balavidyalayam students will learn shloka-s, stories, games, dances and songs based on Valmiki Ramayanam. Sunday classes resume on September 10am in the Aakaar rooms behind stage area. Please register by balavikas@ssvt.org Time Sundays 10:00 am - 11:00 am Yoga A Special Offering at SSVT, Mantra Vibrations are an important Part of Yoga Our Saturday morning sessions of Yoga at 7:30 am follows strictly the principles of Patanjali s yoga sutras. While common practices in other places are more focused on the asana component of Hatha Yoga, we combine the learnings of Tantra, Hatha and Mantra traditions in accordance to the principles of Patanjali. Experience the power of beeja mantras in cleansing the inner self to prepare for the higher yoga. You will never find this in yoga studios. Our practices are gentle that can be done by anyone in any age-group in almost any state of health. Send any questions on yoga to lifeinyoga@gmail.com and all attempts will be made to answer them as promptly as possible. Midweek Yoga Given the interest of those who attend the Saturday morning session, this new mid-week Satsang has been going on since September 24. Shri Sabnis will be leading this session. Please Shri Sabnis (sabnis@his.com) if you plan to attend. Session will be adapted to the needs of attendees. Learn Spoken Sanskrit Intermediate Level II. Please contact Swarup: dinbandhu@sprynet.com Beginner s Spoken Sanskrit Looking for volunteers. Please contact Thaila Ramanathan: thailar@yahoo.com Bhagavad Gita Classes for Adults with Guided Meditation The Bhagavad Gita is a doctrine of universal truth. It is a part of the scriptural trinity of Sanatana Dharma. The Gita deals with the most sacred metaphysical science as it imparts the knowledge of the self and answers two universal questions: Who am I? How can I lead a happy and peaceful life in this world of dualities? For info call: Smt. Rukmini Mami at Srimathi Niloofer Giri Talks on Vedanta at SSVT in the Education Room Sri Shiridi Sai Baba Bhajans at SSVT Saturdays 7:30 am - 10:30 am Tuesday Evenings 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Saturdays 10:00 am - 11:30 am Saturdays 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm Sundays 9:30 am - 11:00 am Niloofer Giri is an exponent of Vedanta, Vedic Chanting and Sanskrit. With over two decades of studying and teaching under the guidance of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in India. Ms.Giri explains the intricate subject of non - dualism (Advaita) Vedanta, in a simple yet powerfully logical manner. Friday, September 16, 7:00 pm: Understanding Devi (Based on Meenakshi Pancharatnam by Adi Shankaracharya) Saturday, September 17, 6:00 pm: The meaning of Worship (Based on Shiva Mānasa Puja by Adi Shankaracharya) Sunday, September 18, 6:00 pm: Wisdom from the Ramayana (Based on values drawn from dialogues in the Valmiki Ramayana) or Know your True Self from Pratah Smaranah Upanishad Series by Dr. Pradeep S. Kamath Second Sundays For more information please contact Dr. Pradeep S. Kamath: Pradeep.s.kamath@gmail.com 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Bhagavatam, Ramayanam Sundays Ekadasa skandham uddhava gita in Bhagavatam. Please contact Thaila Ramanathan: thailar@yahoo.com 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm SAT Classes: Meets every month on the 1st and 3rd Sundays 3:00 5:00 pm SSVT Education Room. SSVT encourages students to sign-up for 1st & 3rd Sundays guidance on SAT preparation. Classes are organized into two semesters: September - January and February - June. SAT@ssvt.org to sign-up 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Homeless SEVA, Sandwich Program, Second Saturdays, 2016 Each month, on the 2nd Saturday, volunteers make sandwiches for the homeless. Every time, roughly about 1500 sandwiches are prepared and delivered to Martha s Table, a DC shelter. SSVT encourages all devotees especially youth to participate in the program. Please be at the Temple at 10:30 am. Devotees can sponsor this program by donating $175 to SSVT. For additional information, please send to Jaithm@gmail.com, Tribhuvannath Mishra, Contact Phone number Sri Shiridi Sai Baba Bhajans will be held at SSVT every First Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. To participate or for more information please contact: Shobha Prasad ; Sridevi Umesh ; Srini Tirumalasetti ; Rohini Homnappa ; Sujatha Badrinath SSVT SENIOR CITIZENS MEET UP The SSVT Senior Citizens Group meets twice in a month usually on the second and fourth Wednesdays in the Education room from 11 am to 1 pm followed by a potluck lunch in the cafeteria. We invite/ welcome all seniors 55+ to join us at the meetings and share our seniors-related common interests. We invite speakers to talk on topics of interests to senior citizen, such as those related to primarily health and finance. We also arrange programs, such as picnics and trips to nearby places which would help promote social interaction between members of the group. All seniors are welcome. For more information please contact: Ramesh Godbole at or rameshgodbole@yahoo.com, Sudarshan Gupta at or Sudarshan_gupta@yahoo.com, Satish Bhandari at or seniorcitizensgroup@gmail.com, Sharan Prasad at or prasadsharan@ymail.com. Sep. 2: Sep. 5: Sep. 10: ROBOTICS CLUB ACTIVITIES & SCHEDULE Temple Robotics Open House Showcase of our Robots for the Sep. 5 Labor Day Parade SSVT Members can see the progress of the backyard Anacostia Watershed Kingdom (our greenspace in the back to the community room). 10 am Greenbelt labor Day Parade Meet at 10 at Buddy Attick Park Old Greenbelt FTC Robotics kickoff Howard County SSVT Teams Aakaar and Lanham Roadrunners need teenagers to join and learn Java. Meet at SSVT 7 am for group travel to Howard County Sep. 11: Travel to Greenbank WVa Radioastronomy tour and science showcase return Sep. 12 Sep. 18: Kickoff of FRC scrimmage in VA Sep. 25: Battle of Baltimore First Robotics Offseason Competition McDonough HS. As usual SSVT 4 FRC teams and 2 FTC teams are looking for students and volunteers to work with the students. We meet Mondays and Fridays 6-9pm. For more information please contact vskowtha@gmail.com 5

6 COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS Saturday, September 3rd, 2016 NOVA Community College ALEXANDRIA Campus Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall, 3001 North Beauregard St, Alexandria, VA Reception: 3:30PM 4:00PM, Program: 4:00PM 6:00PM For passes, contact: Siva: (301) Aruna: (301) Lakshman: (240) Radha: (301) Anshuman: (571) AIM for Seva Educating rural India through Free Student Homes BALA VIKAS OF FAIRFAX is cosponsoring with DURGA TEMPLE GANESH PUJA (Back To School Celebration For All Children) Sadhguru IN WASHINGTON, DC on Saturday, September 3rd, 2016, 10:30 AM* Durga Temple Auditorium 8400 Durga Place, Fairfax Station, VA (* Puja starts on time. In order not to disturb the Puja all are requested to be in their seats by 10:15 AM) Find God, that is the only purpose of Life - Ramakrishna Paramahamsa There in no better way to thank God for your sight than to lend a helping hand to one in the dark. - Helen Keller Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmic Mission Trust, Inc Traville Gateway Drive, No. 392, Rockville, MD Present An unforgettable musical homage to Bharat Ratna Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi on her birth centenary Have your unanswered questions answered Meet, Mingle & Meditate Sadhguru, a yogi, mystic, and visionary has empowered millions worldwide with tools for well-being. Sunday, September 18, :00 PM to 7:00 PM Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Bring joy into your life 7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt MD Be part of the launch of his latest book, "Inner Engineering" A Yogi s guide to joy Friday, September 23, :00pm - 9:00pm National Theatre 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC Please donate generously. Please make your check to SN OM Trust, Inc. 6 To purchase tickets and for more details, visit: meetsadhguru.org FOUNDATION

7 6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham MD Tel: (301) Fax: (301) Web Site: & Sankara Nethralaya OM Trust pays homage to Smt. M.S Subbulakshmi, the Jewel of India On the occasion of her Birth Centenary Individual and group presentations of the songs she made famous Saturday, September 10, 2016 from 9:30 AM 9:00 PM 6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham MD Tel: (301) Fax: (301) Web Site: Tenth Annual SSVT Sri Swathi Thirunal Festival Admission to Festival: Free (Donations Welcome) Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple Thiruvananthapuram Bharat Ratna Dr. MS Subbalakshmi s commemorative photographs will be on display. Amma Anandadayini Special documentary of her life will be screened Click the link MS Centenary Celebration Registration to register. Registration is on a first come basis and will stop once the slots are full. Only one presentation per individual not to exceed 5 minutes; only 2 presentations by a group (2 or More) not to exceed 10 minutes. Admission Free; Donations Welcome Grand Carnatic Vocal Concert from 4:00 PM 7:00 PM Husband/ Wife Duo Smt. Binny and Dr. Krishnakumar Violin: Smt Pavani Mallajyosula, Mrudangam: Abhinav Seetharaman Donation of $10 per head may be made at the door For further information and to get updates for cultural events, contact: SSVT Cultural: cultural.ssvt@gmail.com Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Saturday, September 24, :30 am to 8:30 pm SSVT Auditorium Individual and Group Singing Mini Concerts Dances Based on Swathi Thirunal Compositions Special Lec-Dem By Mrudanga Selvam Sri. Venupuri Srinivas, and Percussion Presentation Nadha-Swara-Laya By Sri Venupuri Srinivas and Team Grand EVENING Music Concert Smt. Jaishree Sankaran (Vocal) Accompanied by Chi. Sanjay Sarma (Violin) Sri. Venupuri Srinivas (Mrdangam) Sri. Sowmiya Narayanan (Ghatam) Sankara Nethralaya Ophthalmic Mission Trust, Inc Traville Gateway Drive, No. 392, Rockville, MD Cipriano Road, Lanham MD Tel: (301) Fax: (301) ssvt@ssvt.org Web Site: For details and Registration please call or M.G Menon / menonmg@hotmail.com Prabhakar Thyagarajan /prabhakar.thyagarajan@gmail.com For further information and to get updates for cultural events, contact: SSVT Cultural: cultural.ssvt@gmail.com UNITED HINDU AND JAIN TEMPLES (Association of 16 Temples of Metropolitan Washington DC/Baltimore) Invites you to celebrate DIWALI (Festival of Lights) SSVT Cultural Committee presents GRAND CARNATIC MUSIC CONCERT BY N Vijay Siva (Vocal); RK Shriramkumar (Violin); J Vaidhyanathan (Mrudangam); Pramod Gokhale (Thamboora/ Vocal Support) ADMISSION: Before concert date $20 per person; on concert day $25 General, $20 Senior Citizens and Children below 18 years. Purchase online by clicking on the link: Vijay Shiva Concert Tickets Saturday, October 1, :00 Noon 10:00 PM Admission only $2 / Children under 5 yrs. free; Free Admission from 12PM 1PM Eleanor Roosevelt High School Date: Sunday, 25th September 2016 Time: 4 PM 7 PM at SSVT Vijay Siva is one of the foremost vocalists today in Classical Carnatic Music. A child prodigy, at the age of four, he exhibited a rare intuitive capacity to identify ragas. Vijay Siva had his initial tutelage in Carnatic music from his mother, Akhila Siva, a vocalist from Chennai. He later became the disciple of the legendary vocalist, Sangita Kalanidhi late Shri D. K. Jayaraman. He also received guidance from the legendary Sangita kalanidhi late Smt. D. K. Pattammal. Vijay Siva is also an accomplished percussionist (mridangam), and received his training from Kumbakonam Shri Rajappa Iyer. Vijay Siva has performed in numerous and famed locations all over India and abroad including USA, Canada and Singapore, and won innumerous accolades and prizes, including the first recipient of Kalki Krishnamurthy Award (1996) by Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Trust, Chennai. He is known for strict adherence to classicism, and for the purity of his bani. RK Shriramkumar is a top ranking Violin artist from India. He belongs to the Rudrapatnam family of musicians; a family with a glorious musical tradition. He is the grandson of the renowned violinist Sangeetha Kalaratna R. K. Venkatarama Shastry. After initial training on the violin from Smt. Savitri Satyamurthy, he had advanced training from his grandfather. He has performed all over the world. He has had the privilege of accompanying some of the legends of Carnatic music like Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer, M. S. Subbulakshmi, D. K. Pattammal and Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna. He has received the title of Yuva Kala Bharathi from Bharat Kalachar and the Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial award. He is the first ever instrumentalist to be conferred the prestigious Isai Peroli title (2009). J Vaidhyanathan hails from a Family of Great Musicians. He is the son of legendary musician Sangita Kalanidhi D.K.Jayaraman and Nephew of Padmavibhushan Sangita Kalanidhi Mrs..D.K.Pattammal. He is the disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Maestro Dr.T.K.Murthy. He has accompanied great stalwarts like Bharat Ratna Mrs..M.S.Subbulakshmi and many others. He has travelled widely in India and abroad. He is the youngest Mridangist to get the prestigious Kalaimamani award from the Government of Tamilnadu State in Pramod Margadamane (Pramod Gokhale) is a prime disciple of the lead vocalist Mr Vijay Siva. He is a Musician in his own right, and was nurtured into full blown artist by the renowned artist Mr Vijay Siva right from his childhood days. For further information and to get updates for cultural events, contact: SSVT Cultural: cultural.ssvt@gmail.com 7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt, MD GRAND CULTURAL PROGRAM STARTS AT 1PM Shri Ganesh and Laxmi Pooja at 6 PM; Raas Dandiya onwards Experience the ageless culture of India, Gala Festival, Delicious Foods, Fashion Clothing, Cosmetics, Jewelry, Music, Home Décor and More Vendor Rates: Food $600, Non-food $300, Non-profit $175, Corner $400, Prime Location $1000 Vendor booth contact Suseela at SuseelaDK@GMail.Com or Souvenir Rates/Sponsorship contact SBajpai@RocketMail.Com or Special 10% Discount on a combination vendor booth and souvenir ad For more information, please visit or contact below TEMPLE Chinmaya Mission Durga Temple Gayatri Pariwar Greater Baltimore Hindu Temple Hindu Temple India House of Worship ISKCON Jain Society of Metropolitan DC Mangal Mandir Murugan Temple Rajdhani Mandir Sri Venkateswara Lotus Temple Washington Kali Temple World Hindu Council (VHPA) BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir REPRESENTATIVE Rama Iyer Devaraj Suresh Gupta Ram Singh Nandini Mouli Shyam Bajpai Dilip Jhaveri Naveen Krishna Das Kamlesh Shah Kirit Udeshi Suseela Krishanan Vivek Gupta Hari Har Singh Vasanthi Aharam Dhruba Biswas Ghanshyam Gupta Ratee Bhai Patel COMMITTEES Coordinator Co-coordinators Publicity Hospitality Souvenir Website Fireworks Diety Worship Decoration Vendor Youth/Vendor Education Volunteer Cultural Vendor Logistics PHONE NUMBER Direction: From Beltway, take Exit 22 for Balt/Wash Pkwy towards Baltimore. Take MD-193 E exit. Take left at the traffic light and then left on Hanover Pkwy. Free Parking 7

8 4 PM 7 PM UPCOMING CULTURAL EVENTS Date & Time Event / Artist Venue & Admission Fee Saturday, September 10, :30 AM 9 PM SSVT and Shankara Netralaya Om Trust MS Subbulakshmi Centenary Celebrations All Day Registration Link : MS Centenary Celebration Registration. Individual / Group Presentations of songs made famous Registration is on a first come basis and will by MS Subbulakshmi close once the slots are full. Saturday, September 24, :30 AM 8:30 PM Sunday, September 25, PM 7 PM Sat Nov 5, :30am to 8:30pm & Sun Nov 6, :00 am to 4:00 pm Grand Carnatic Music Vocal Concert Dr. Krishnakumar & Binny (husband/ wife) Smt. Pavani Srikanth Violin Abhinav Seetharaman - Mrudangam Tenth Annual SSVT Sri Swathi Thirunal Festival All Day Individual and Group Singing, Mini Concerts, Mrudangam LEC/DEM, Dances Based on Swathi Thirunal Compositions Grand EVENING Music Concert by Smt. Jaishree Sankaran Accompanied by Sanjay Sarma on Violin; Mrudanga Selvam Venupuri Srinivas on Mrdangam; Ghatam - Sri Sowmiya Narayanan Grand Carnatic Music Concert N Vijay Siva (Vocal); RK Shriramkumar (Violin); J Vaidhyanathan (Mrudangam); Pramod Gokhale (Thamboora/ Vocal Support) Annual Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar & Sri Syama Sastri (MDSS) Festival Co-Sponsored by SSVT and Geethamrutha Music School Classes and group practice sessions for the group rendition of Syama Sastri s Ratna Trayam and other selected krithis will be provided by Smt. Nirmala Ramaswamy (Director of Geethamrutha Music School, Bethesda MD) A Donation of $10 per head may be made at the door SSVT Auditorium For details and Registration please call or M.G Menon / menonmg@ hotmail.com Prabhakar Thyagarajan / prabhakar.thyagarajan@gmail.com ADMISSION: Before concert date $20 per person; On concert day $25 General, $20 Senior Citizens and Children below 18 years. Purchase online by clicking on the link: Vijay Shiva Concert Tickets Individual and Group Singing, Grand Evening Vocal Concert. Admission Free, Doantions Welcome. For free classes please contact: nirmalaramaswamy@yahoo.com for participation in the Group rendition and additional information before 22nd Sep SSVT IT COMMITTEE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS The IT Committee at SSVT temple continues to solicit volunteers who have expertise in the following areas: Network Administration, System Administration, Web Applications (PHP, Wordpress), Credit Card Processing, Public Audio Systems, Surveillance Video (CCTV) Systems. If interested, please send an to prabhakar.thyagarajan@gmail.com or call SRI SIVA VISHNU TEMPLE 6905 Cipriano Road Lanham, MD Non Profit U.S. Postage Paid Permit #6038 Suburban, MD