6300 Princess Garden Parkway, Lanham, MD 20706

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

My dear fellow devotees of Lord Muruga, I take this as a privilege to thank you all for coming together and celebrating the 12th anniversary Kumbabishekam on a grand scale within a short notice. We are sending the Thiruneeru and Kumgumam prasadams with the blessings of Lord Muruga. But for your sincere and tireless efforts, this great function could not have been successful. My sincere thanks to all the trustees, executive committee members, various other committee members and all volunteers who put forth their sincere work night and day tirelessly to make this event a grand success. I hope and trust that we all will keep up this momentum and thrust to stay together and complete the Rajagopuram project which is our dream. With all the blessings of Lord Muruga, Sincerely, Gopal Guruswamy, Chairman, MTNA Board of Trustees.
INSIDE Annual fundraiser on October 15th 1 Message from the Trust 1 Nallur Festival 1, 2 Maha Kumbabishekam celebrations 3, 6 Initiating recurring donations by credit card: Announcement 3 Volunteers experience 4 Nandavanam: Announcement 4 Donors 5, 6 Yajur Upakarma: Announcement 6 Navarathri Celebrations: Announcement 6 July-Sept calendar 7

ANNUAL FUNDRAISER EVENT TH ON OCT 15 The MTNA is celebrating the annual fundraising event with the following two stage plays on Saturday October 15th at the MTNA auditor ium by YGee. Mahendra and his troupe of 12 performing artists. Swadeshi Aiyer and Venkata3. YGee Mahendra is a popular Tamil artist, both, on stage and silver screen. He has penned many a popular drama and been part of meaningful cinema. He is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Tamil Nadu Government in Feb 2011. The tickets for the two plays including sumptuous snacks followed by dinner is $30 per person. Special seating for the first three rows is $40 per person. For tickets or information, contact Lakshmi Iyengar 410-551-4308 Raghavan (manager) 301-552-4889. VINAYAKA CHATURTHI: SEPT 1ST Vinayaka is the remover of all obstacles. Please join us for the grand Vinayaka chaturhi celebrations. Please refer to calendar on page 7 for details.

Salutes to the one Self within all selves

NALLUR KATHIRKAMA KANTHAN FESTIVAL: AUGUST 12TH AND 13TH Mark your calendars for the Nallur Kathirkama Kanthan celebrations for the 3rd successive year. Join thousands of devotees from all over North America as Murugan parades the Temple along with his consorts Valli and Devasena in the chariot. For detailed schedule, see page 2.

3 JEERANODHARANA ASHTABANDHANA KUMBABISHEKAM: WHEN THE SKIES THEMSELVES CONDUCTED THE

ABHISHEKAM

The Murugan Temple of North America celebrated the grand Jeeranodharana Ashtabandhana Kumbabishekam, 12 years since the first Kumbabishekam, from May 8th to 14th. The Maha Kumbabishekam was conducted on May 13th . The concluding day celebrations on May 14th included special Abhishekam to Lord Murugan, Valli and Devasena, T h i r uka l ya n a m a n d S wa m i Salutes to the oorvalam. Delicious prasadams were consencrated Kumbam served on all days. Here, we present a photo feature of the magnificent celebrations. The rituals on the first day in cluded Ganapathi H o m a m , Ganpathi Abhishekam, Navagraha Homam and Navagraha Abhishekam in the morning and Vaastu Shanti, Kumbablankaram, and Yagasala Delicious, free Pravesham in the evening. Celebrations food was served to upto May 13th included ten kaala poojas in all devotees on all t h e m or n i n g s a n d e v e n i n g s , days Deeparadhanai and poornahuti. Delicious dinner was served to everyone on all days. Priests from various Temple in the USA and Canada participated in the grand celebrations and conducted the rituals. The whole function was presided over by Sri Thangam Bhattar, now at Lousiana. He hails from a family with a long history of priesthood serving the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Priests with the consecrated kalasams He also conducted the Kumbabishekam for the M a d ur a i M e en a k sh i Amman shrine in 2009. He has also presided over the Kumbabishekm of several Temple in the USA. The MTNA management is very grateful to contributions in kind and spirit from other Temples. Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (SSVT, Lanham, MD) Murugan with Valli and provided a priest free of charge and also housing Devasena on the Mayil vahanam during procession for some of the visiting priests. SSVT and the Greater Baltimore Hindu Jain Temple (Baltimore) served Thambulam on the day of Kumbabishekam.

Priests bringing the kalasams consecrated with the deities back into the Temple for prathishtai.
(Continued on page 6)

CAPABILITY TO INITIATE RECURRING DONATIONS BY

CREDIT CARD

Deeparathanai

Sri Thangam Bhattar presided over the celebrations

You can now initiate periodic recurring donations to the temple with your credit card. This feature is available while making donations online from the Temple website. Your credit card will be automatically charged on a periodic basis that you specify. Take a moment today and initiate your recurring donation.

4 DAYS TO THE MAHA KUMBABISHEKAM: VOLUNTEERS EXPERIENCE By Elyathamby Vignarajah and Baskaran Many volunteers took time off from work or leisure and worked diligently to renovate the Temple for the grand Ashtabandha Kumbabishekam celebrations. The volunteers worked dedicatedly in a spirit of family union as though in preparation of the home for a marriage. Indeed, it was a happy and joyous occasion for everyone, who are otherwise teachers, engineers, scientists and many others, to hold the broom or brush to give Murugans abode a new look. Here, we present to you a snapshot of the volunteers at work in the days leading to the Kumbabishekam and some recollections of their experiences by volunteers. A devotee volunteer recalls I was fortunate to have been a part of the group for arrangement and join in the celebrations. I thank the many volunteers who responded to our telephone calls and helped us do a near perfection job in every aspect: the external appearance, the internal painting and we had just two weekends with full-time jobs. We washed every wall, painting it everyone whom we called, UMD students with last minute papers to turn in, exams to do, engineers, doctors, children, husbands, wives, onlookers, and devotees people who had never touched a brush or paint joined in to complete the task it was a zealous & enthusiastic group of devotees. So with the others who helped with the tent, a place to do the Yagam, the seats for the priests, or name whatever you will, they were all there to help including the priests. It was a great success with everyone doing A team of enthusiastic volunteers whatever they could from arranging materials from India, to nathaswaram, to collecting funds without which nothing is possible. The out pouring of support that followed the announcement of the Kumbabishekam date and the meeting on Sunday, April 10, 2011 was unbelievable. Mr. Vignarajah took on communications, and took on the challenge to get the temple ready with less funding and with volunteers h el p. He th an ks th e volunteers for their profuse Painting in progress help. I had also taken on Communications; it was great help to have the printing and distribution done expeditiously, the TV ads, the banners, flyers kept at shops, and at common places, the calling in State, and out of State. Sunday, April 10, 2011, Chairman Dr. Guruswamy arranged a meeting to discuss the plans for the Kumbabishekam celebrations. He requested Dr. Baskaran to head the fundraising committee. It was hardly four weeks to the event. During the discussion, Mr. Sundar Chokalingam, the chair of t h e K u m bh bi s h e k a m committee, proposed the budget of $60,000 for the week l ong fun cti on. Although there was not Volunteers at work enough time to raise this large sum, Dr. Baskaran set a goal to raise $100,000. He organized about 30 volunteers from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including many trustees and gave each one 15 to 40 devotees names to personally call and i n vi t e t h em a n d sp on s or t h e Kumbabishekam. All in all about 800 devotees were contacted. Ms. Sundari Srishkandarajah not only called many devotees, she also arranged TV commercial which Silpi at work h elp ed in th e fundraising. Many volunteers contacted their own friends in addition to the list given to them. Mr. Vignarajah was given the responsibility of communication. He, along with Ms. Manimekalai, printed and Volunteers cleaning mailed about 5000 invitations, again with help of many volunteers. the Navagraha
vigrahams before the A Few days after the Kumbabishekam, re-consecration. news came from Mrs Avayam Shankar,

the treasurer, that $92,000 was collected for the event so for. It is a success story of dedicated volunteers who can do miracles and committed devotees whom we can depend on. We will like to make it as $100,000 if devotees want to continue giving towards the Kumbabishekam of the Murugan Temple. Vetri Vel Muruganukku !! Haro Hara !!!

NANDAVANAM (FLOWER GARDEN) The flower garden is still in its infancy. We need flowers on a daily basis for the poojas and for garlands. We are calling on all devotees to join in and bring your friends as volunteers to have a beautiful garden. We need not only flowering plants but help on a weekly basis to make sure we maintain whatever is planted. We need to form a team, have regular meetings and decide how we are going to plan and have a beautiful garden with plenty of flowers for poojas. We thank the devotees who contributed in the past to the nandavanam project. We request for more flowering plants and volunteers to help with the watering and taking care of them continuously, during the summer months. Please contact the temple at (301) 552 4889.

5 DONORS TO THE MURUGAN TEMPLE The MTNA management would like to extend its warmest and most sincere gratitude to the devotees. Given below is the list of donors for the Kumbabishekam celebrations.

A special note of thanks to Sri S.P Kannan who helped us procure various materials for Kumbabishekam from India.

YAJUR UPAKARMA (AVANI AVITTAM): AUGUST 13TH The batch starts at 7AM. Please call manager 301-552-4889 for more details. All are welcome. NAVARATHTRI CELEBRATIONS: SEPT 27TH-OCT 5TH Navarathri will be celebrated at the Temple from Sept 27th to Oct 5th. Please refer to the calendar on page 7 for more details. On Oct 2nd include Ganesh Puja by children at 4PM. All children are welcome. The celebrations on Oct 4th, (Durgastami) include Chandi Homam at 9AM.

(Continued from page 3)

On the day of Maha Kumbabishekam, the cloudy sky itself came down with ligh t sh ower s to per for m Maha Abhishekam to the Kumbam. It was indeed a divine experience to the devotees. For more photos, please visit the Temple blog. Gopuram getting ready for Abishekam Vel Vel Vetri Vel. Kumbam after Kumbabiishekam

7
Ganapati Tunai Why Fear? I Am Within You and Protect You Always Murugan

Murugan Temple Sponsorship Form

Make Murugan Temples Rajagopuram Part of Your Legacy First Brick (Special) $51 Ten Bricks $1,010 North or South Gopuram $250,000 SubTotal Rajagopuram Contribution ....................$________ Sponsor Temple Operations Full day of temple operations ...................................... $750 Full month: Garlands (all deities) ............................... $900 Full month: Abhishekam and Omam provisions ........ $450 Full month: Milk ........................................................ $250 A full week of Garlands (all deities)............................ $125 One day: Simple garland for a deity........ ..................... $ 15 Choice of Deity for garland :_______________ Sub Total Operations ..........................................$________ Please indicate desired dates _________________ MTNA Newsletter Printing and Mailing .................$__________ Kavasam for Peedam in silver for Murugan, Valli, Theivayanai....................................................$__________ Check Enclosed for................................................................$__________ Name Address City State _________ ZIP ___________________ Phone ____________EMail ________________________________ Family Gothiram _________________________________________ Birth Star (el:rj;jpuk;) _____ Name of Family Member

Please use separate sheet for additional family members Mail: The Murugan Temple of North America, 6300 Princess Garden Parkway,Lanham, MD 20706 Please address checks to MTNA. You can now make contributions and fill-out your donation forms on-line at www.murugantemple.org

JULY July 7 , ThuAani Thiru Manjanam 06:00AM Nataraja Abhishekam July 10th, Sun 12noon Thiru Murai recital in front of Shiva sannidhi July 12th and 27th Pradosham 06:00pm Shiva special Abhishekam July 14th, ThuGuru Poornima 08:00pm Meenakshi special Abhishekam July 16th, SatTamil Month Aadi begins July 18th, MonSankatahara Chaturthi 07:30pm Ganesha special Abhishekam July 25th, MonAadi Karthigai 09:30AM Subramanya Homam 10:30AM Kavadi and Pal Kudam 11:00AM Murugan Abhishekam 07:30pm Palani Andavar special Abhishekam
AUGUST
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06:00pm Shiva special Abhishekam Aug 12th and 13thNallur Kathirkama Kanthan festival Please refer to page 2 for more details Aug 13thYajur Upakarma 07:00AMupakarma starts Aug 14thSun 12:00 noon Thiru Murai recital in front of Shiva sannidhi Aug 17th, Wed(Avani begins) Shankatahara Chaturthi 07:00pm Ganesha special Abhishekam Aug 21st, SunKarthigai 06:00pm Palani Andavar special Abhishekam Aug 28th, SunAmavasya 02:30pm Adhi Parasakthi Puja SEPTEMBER Sept 1st, ThuVinayaka Chaturthi 09:00AM Ganapathi Homam and special Abhishekam 07:30pm Ganapathi Sahasranamam And procession Sept 3 , SatVinayaka Chaturthi celebrations 09:00AM Ganapathi Homam and Abhishekam 05:00pm Bajan
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06:00pm Ganapathi Sahasranamam and procession Sept 9th, FriPradosham (Thiru Onam) 06:00pm Shiva special Abhishekam Sept 10th, Sat 06:00pm Nataraja Abhishekam Sept 11th, Sun,Purnima 12:00noon Thiru Murai recital in front of Shiva sannidhi 06:00pm Meenakshi special Abhishekam Sept 15th, ThuShankarahara Chaturthi 07:30pm Ganesha special Abhishekam Sept 17th, SatPuratadhi begins, Karthigai 06:00pm Palani Andavar special Abhishekam Sept 24th, SatSani Pradosham 06:00pm Shiva special Abhishekam Sept 25th, Sun 02:30pm Adhi Parakasthi Puja Sept 27thOct 5thNavarathri 11:00AM Meenakshi special Abhishekam 07:30pm Lalitha Sahasranamam
Monthly Friday bajans

Aug 2 , TueAadi Pooram 11:00AM Meenakshi special Abhishekam 07:00pm Meenakshi sahasranamam Aug 10th and 26thPradosham

nd

July 3 and 17th ; Aug 5th and 19th ; Sept 2nd and 16th.

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Murugan Temple of North America 6300 Princess Garden Parkway Lanham, MD 20706, USA

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID So. MD Permit No. 3958

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

TEMPLE SERVICES: Please call the Temple Manager at 301 552-4889 to make prior arrangements for ceremonies at the Temple or in your home.

Also, ask for information about local hotels.

TEMPLE HOURS: Monday Friday 9 am 12 noon & 5 pm - 9 pm; Saturday, Sunday, & Holidays 9 am 9 pm AUDITORIUM: The Temples auditorium capable of seating about 200 people in the basement is available for rent by Devotees. The Temple has also ample parking space. Call the Temple Manager at 301 5524889 for reservations. DIRECTIONS TO MURUGAN TEMPLE: From I95 (also 495, Capital Beltway), take exit 20-A, Lanham (Rte 450 East), then follow the signs to Princess Garden Parkway. Turn right on Princess Garden Parkway. Murugan Temple is on your left within half a mile (6300 Princess Garden Parkway)

The Murugan Temple of North America is a traditional Saivite Temple. It has a floor area of 7000 sq. ft with main sannidhi for Murugan (Karthikeya) and 4 small sannidhis for Vinayaka (Ganesha), Nataraja (Siva), Meenakshi and Palani Andavar. We also have an auditorium that is available for community use.

From Baltimore-Washington Parkway take Exit to Rt. 193 East Greenbelt Road. Turn left on Greenbelt Road. Turn right on Hanover Parkway, which becomes Princess Garden Parkway. Drive about 2.5 miles. The temple will be on your right.