August 2012 Newsletter - Sree Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple

SREE VENKATESWARA TEMPLE OF CLEVELAND
Sree Padmavathi Sametha Sree Venkateswara Parabrahmane Namaha
August, 2012
Issue 2
Pushpa Yaagam—a Seva to remember!
Board of Trustees
Dr. R. Bandi
Mr. L. Venkataraman
Dr. P. Achanti
Mr. J. Medarametla
Dr. S. Ramanavarapu
Dr. R. Donthi
Dr. R. Taliwal
Mr. R. Srinivasan
Mr. S. Agarwal
Mr. J. Sharma
Treasurer
Mrs. S. Venna
Jt. Treasurer
Mrs. N. Kulasekaran
Secretary
Mr. R. Rambhatla
A floral worship to Lord Venkateswara in return
for his blessings to save the earth from natural
calamities, ‘Pushpa Yaagam’ is traditionally
performed to welcome the divine presence of the
Lord of the Seven Hills in his ‘Poolangi’ (floral
costume) into the sanctum sanctorum of our
hearts!
Of the many sevas performed to invoke Sri
Venkateswara, Poolangi seva in particular,
celebrates the beauty of God’s creation and
dedicates that glory first and foremost to the Lord
himself. It’s a unique opportunity for our community to bring floral bounties as offerings this
summer, and witness the transformation of His
nija rupam into one that is exquisite in color,
form, fragrance and overall aesthetic appeal.
Yaagam for the devotee community as a means to
convey their many thanks for the unstinting support they continue to receive to make the temple
for Balaji a reality!
Open to all, the Pushpa Yaagam & Poolangi Seva
will be held on Saturday, Aug 18 at 5:00 p.m. at
the Hawthorn of Aurora Club House (645 Walnut
Ridge Trail, Aurora OH 44202).
This is a free event open to one and all. Your
floral offerings are welcome. Click for more
information and contact details.
The Board of Trustees of Sree Venkateswara
Temple has especially organized the Pushpa
Jt. Secretary
Dr. K. Donthi
Brick by Brick …
Quick News:
The arresting magnificence of a temple, its towering walls and seemingly endless corridors culminating in the monumental gopuram reaching to the skies, often leaves one wondering where imagination
ends and a tangible work of art begins. Imbue this work of art with divine spiritual power, and you
have a temple of worship! Residents of the greater Cleveland area and suburbs are fortunate to be part
of one such endeavor and it is evident in more ways than one, that it takes the collective strength of an
entire community to move a project of this scale forward. Support from all sections of the community
has been very touching, to say the least!
Upcoming events:
Sat, Aug 18 @ 5 p.m.
Pushpa Yaagam &
Poolangi Seva
Sep 22, 2012
Grand Gala Fundraiser/
Musical Night featuring
Jonitha Gandhi
A Big Thanks to Utsava
Vigraha Kalyanam
sponsors in July:
Pasupulati family, Solon OH
Pledge or donate here
Visit: www.balajiusa.org
For Information
330 668 1255 /
Info@balajiusa.org
As brick and mortar construction progresses here in Richfield, the vision of Sthapati Selvanathan is
lending form to the vigrahas that will be the principal and accompanying deities at the Sree Venkateswara temple this year, as seen in the images below. Well-versed with the Agamika and Vastu shastras,
sthapatis like Sri. Selvanathan are instrumental in the design and construction aspects of the temple
exterior and interiors, with exacting adherence to identifying and bringing to life the precise iconographic meaning of each part of the whole. Please stay tuned for progress details in the next edition.
Construction in Richfield (far left) &
Vigraha carving in Chennai, India (left).
View more pictures here
Sree Venkateswara Temple of Cleveland 2850 Roundhill Dr. Akron, OH 44333
SREE VENKATESWARA TEMPLE OF CLEVELAND
Sree Padmavathi Sametha Sree Venkateswara Parabrahmane Namaha
Page 2
Bollywood Musical Night (Sep 22, 2012)
Entertaining and enthralling audiences since the
tender age of three, Jonita Gandhi was a super star
with a natural sense of scale and rhythm, even
before she started working with artists of acclaim.
Born in New Delhi, India, Jonita immigrated to
Canada with her family when she was very young.
Growing steadily in her interest and passion for
music, Jonita now works with many popular icons
in the music industry, performing selections from
yester years and today, with equal ease and grace.
This fall, Sree Venkateswara temple of Cleveland
invites you to an evening with Jonita Gandhi, as she
takes center stage and leads us on to a melodious
journey through the enchanting streets of Bollywood! The Fundraiser and Grand Gala dinner
will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sep 22 2012, at the
Days Inn in Richfield, OH. Ticket and additional
details are here.
As this is an exclusive event organized to generate
funds for the temple construction, Sree Venkateswara temple’s Board of Trustees hopes that you
will reach deep within your pockets to support this
spiritual endeavor. Your ideas to raise funds and
awareness are much needed and most welcome.
Please send your suggestions to Info@balajiusa.org
Knowing the Lord - The story of Srinivasa Kalyanam (Episode 1)
Starting this month, we will re-publish the story of Srinivasa Kalyanam of reality, Sage Bhrigu goes first to Satyaloka, the abode of
from the TTD website in 17 installments.
Lord Brahma.
The story of Srinivasa Kalyanam begins on the banks of the
Ganges. The rishis headed by Kasyapa begin to perform a sacrifice when Sage Narada visits them and asks why they were performing the sacrifice and who it would please. Not knowing
how to answer the question, the rishis approach Sage Bhrigu.
Resolving to reach a solution only after a direct ascertainment
Editor’s Note
Communications Committee:
Jagdish Medarametla
Raghu Gowdu
Ramakant Rambhatla
Sravanthi Vallampati
In Satyaloka, he finds Lord Brahma, reciting the four Vedas in
praise of Lord Narayana, with each of his four heads, and attended upon by Goddess Saraswati. Immersed in his recitation,
Lord Brahma does not take notice of Bhrigu offering obeisance.
Concluding that Lord Brahma is unfit for worship, Bhrigu
leaves Satyaloka for Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva.
(to be continued…)
Growing up with the notion that taking on challenges and coming out strong in spite of differences is what made
one successful, I departed somewhat from consciously thinking about the diversity that was inherent in
everything around me, and my dependence on individuals and their collective contributions that made success
real, tangible and lasting.
Home, work, community, the Olympics, everywhere I look now, I see but one constant, diversity! My
involvement with Sree Venkateswara Temple has afforded me the unique opportunity of working with dedicated
individuals, who in their humble yet bold ways have brought me to the realization that there exist legitimate
ways in which others’ thought processes can be different from our own, and that it is because of these
differences that we are successful, as individuals and as a community! If commitment was the unit of
measurement and the new temple our final destination, I am certain that at the end of this journey, we will each
have a winning story to tell, one that truly celebrates our collective achievement strengthened by the power of
common intention.
With sincere thanks for your readership, Sravanthi
Sree Venkateswara Temple of Cleveland 2850 Roundhill Dr. Akron, OH 44333