On this auspicious day of Ramanavami , Please extend your support for our Temple In Canada , Let us Spread our glorious Sanatana Dharma Everywhere !
We Just returned from Vishwa Madhwa Sangha's Mettilotsava in Pittsburgh, PA, and having gone to the event for the first time, I just could not stop myself from writing (though I am not a good blogger) about the experiences I had at the event. What ever I am about to say will be atleast 10 fold lesser than what I experienced !
To start off , VMS Mettilotsava was a feast to our stomach ,mind and Soul. It felt like we had been to India and witnessed all the events that were so meticulously planned and executed by dedicated and committed organisers and volunteers. I do not know how the three days went by.
We reached Laurel Hills Campgrounds, Somerset PA on Friday Night just around midnight. We were planning on sleeping in car for the night so that we do not disturb anybody. For our surprise we found that Bindu, Shashi and Sangeeta deshpande, Keshav Raoavru were just finishing up few things and walking out. When Rajesh went and introduced himself as we were first timers, the immediate conversation that followed already made us feel at home, Bindu avru took him around to find an unoccupied cabin and settle down.
Following morning, we got up to get ready for Sripadarajara aradhne celebrations and amazingly, in a campground setting,washrooms were so clean and we did have bath in hot water... being regular campers washrooms are always on our vent list no matter which campground we go but not here !
When we came to main activity hall, one side was bustling with cooking activities and on the other side, some of volunteers had already started cleaning the hall to get ready for the pooja... I was happy and surprised to see a note on kitchen door "MADI - do not enter" when I peeked through the window.. I saw that few men where indeed in madi panche and cooking.. for a moment I thought did I reach India just after a 7 hour drive from toronto ! Many ladies were involved in cleaning the mantapa area, some were making garland of fresh mallige hoovu (jasmine flowers), shavantige (mums) sorting out sampige ( I dont know english name! ) and other flowers, on the other hand, Sripadarajara Picture was being placed , mantapa getting ready for devara pooja - wow the festivity and atmosphere was divine and soothing !
On one side Table was getting ready for breakfast for kids - Milk, Coffe and tea was surely there , and I also spotted, different cereals, bread, jams, peanut butter, Udupi Pickles, apples ... wow !
By 9am , Nirmalya pooja was underway, many men were already seated around the main pooja mantapa and JV Acharya had started pooja... Mantragosha , Gante, jaagategala naada, sight of alankarapankti brahmanaru and Devara mantapa and stage in the centre ! .. I dont want to limit the emotions of people in that environment by using a word or two... it was divine and out of the world, one has to experience it...
While I stood there and watched this I was thinking... This is the grace of Supreme Lord, this is power of Vayu devaru, this is the strength of Sriman Madhwacharyaru and Sarvamoolagalu - that in in a land where atheism reigns, more than 8000 miles away from where Acharya Madhwa showed the true meaning of vedas 700 years ago, people who are almost considered as outcasts from some of their own fellow men for crossing oceans, are actually celebrating the greatness of MadhwaMatha in such a splendor ! what more can I say
Just by thinking about Sripadarajru , one gets mrushtannabhojana... what can we say when somebody celebrates Sripadarajara Aradhane in such great splendor ! Sit down lunch that followed pooje was indeed mrushtanna bhojana, prepared deliciously with utmost "madi" under the guidance of Sridhar Padakiavru and accompanied by dasara padagalu songs by many people ! Kootu,saaru,payasa,yummy chitranna, palya,kosambri, haygreeva,bonda... ababba ... dont think the feast ended there ! Thanks to Poornimaavru who distributed wonderful Photo of Sripadarajara Brindavana, Mulbagilu !!!
After sumptuous meal and clean up process, kids were getting ready for the talent show organized by VasuMurthyavru, it was so nice to hear to tiny-tots singing devara name, chanting shlokas, playing mrudanga... while happily enjoying coffee tea, avalakki, karada kadlekayi beeja, tape chakli ,karada kadleputi,mixture (did I say that we had just finished mrustannabhojana !) wonderful program.
Right after the talent show - JV Acharya and Vasumturthy avaru started 10 minute Devara Pooja workshop. All the basic ingredients required were meticulously prepared by them and the booklet was simple yet complete. My 10 year old son has been wearing panche and shalye and does pooje reading keshavanama and all shlokas from booklet from the day we returned.. if the workshop has had such an impact on a 10 year old who world is otherwise filled with pokemon,DS,beyblade and what not.. I cannot imagine what the parents of all the participants and some older people who participated felt. I am happy mom - it is a feast to see my little son, coming with so much interest to get panche tied from me and do pooje !! (well I have to start collecting $$ and get ready as well because now he wants to have thread like his dad and many other kids !)
As we were finishing the workshop .. people were rushing to another cabin for a play on Sri Raghavendra Swamigalu titled "Rayara Karune" ... Since my 2yr old was not in his best of moods, I could not watch it fully which I regret so much.. All I can say is .. in a campground far away from all the auditorium type of settings, the stage was set up so beautifully , attention was given to each detail, costumes of actors were amazing and acting and direction of the whole play was so good that as the play proceeded , many people were in tears... it was like we were taken back to Rayara time 400 years ago... Wonderful ! The last scene were Rayaru enters brindavana was just breathtaking... Rayara Brindavana was so very well built that I dont have words to explain !!! as I have been telling, you have to be there to experience it !
After such a wonderful experience, we came back to main hall for release of Pranagni Sukta book Penned by J.V.Acharya followed by Sayam pooje, with hustle and bustle in the kitchen and aroma of rasam, southekayi huli, mavinakayi uppinakayi and payasa...
Sayam pooje was wonderful with laali songs one after the other.. the whole atmosphere was so nostalgic and serene that people continued to sing one after other,,, while organizers were getting tensed that it was getting late for dinner.. as for audience.. I don't think anybody complained about the time.. seemed like everybody wanted it to continue forever !!!
As we retired for the night.. I cant express the feeling we had about the entire days activity !
Day 2 :
Inspite of late night the previous day, there was lot of activity early in the morning as we had to leave the campgrounds by 7 am for Mettilotsava , Many people including ourselves with small kids , were up and ready by the decided time and out in our cars by 7am as Binduavru had told us ! We had assembled at foothills of Sri Venkateshwara Temple by 8.15 and up , up and away Mettilotsava started by 8.30... the climb was energetic and filled with enthusiasm ,, although divided into 3-4 groups for co-ordination - it looked like all the four groups were in perfect Sync singing Haridasara Padagalu,Mangalacharana sandhi of HKS and many many songs... It felt like we were in the era of dasa shreshta Purandaradasaru !! singing to the tala ... repeating the lines as our group leader sang it ! Never had Trekking bare foot been so appealing ! by the time we reached top of hill, and near temple premises we started singing... Preenayamo.. oh what a glory !
"Madhwa Rayara Vaibhava ellellu meredittu... Hari Sarvottama Vasudevana Karune namagella aytiu - idaralli sandehave illa !!!"
all of us silently entered the temple dwara and assembled in front of garba gudi, Samoohika archane was done to Srinivasa Devaru followed by Teertha and prasada, we came to dining hall and had a filling lunch comprised of Bisiblebath,Pongal,Upiitu, Mosranna and Uppinkayi !
Although the temple visit was awesome, everybody was rushing back to Campgrounds right after the pooje organisers to prepare for the next events everybody else to be part of the events and not miss it.
We came back to campgrounds around 4 pm(after a quick trip around Munroeville city) and were greeted with fresh aroma of coffee/tea and snacks... we had few more extra snacks and Mysorepak was a hit !
As people settled down with snacks, Panel Discussion about different Darshana's in Hinduism and how Madhvacharya has shown the defects in them and upheld the positive points put forth from them. It was a very interesting discussion with questions from audience, Shreekrishna as usual kept the discussion very engaging and conversation flowing with topics like Veda Apaurusheyatva etc it was very informative and thought provoking. Since we were running out of time, kids and youth discussion were held separately and much awaited crown of the event - Discourse on Bhagavata Dashama Skanda by Gopeenath Galgali was underway...
Every single word, that came out of his mouth should be talked about and contemplated upon but I am neither a writer nor a person with many words, so all I would say - we were taken to brindavana and witnessing Gopi nritya , some of the words he mentioned like
Some of the take home messages for me from event in total
1.Lakshmigagi oddadta jeevana idi kala kaleyodu beda - Krishnanna manadalli baramadikolli, lakshmi tanagiye bartale
2. the moment nammall ahankara banta , krishna namminda doora agtane
3.Message from krishna is "Live your life well".
4.Whatever you do - do it best, give your 100% to it. Because if you get used to doing imperfect things, it will become your second nature
5.While we are appreciating our husband and singing praises of him for having present us with a diamond Nose ring, take a moment to praise the lord who gave us the nose !
5.In our busy life , set aside few minutes for our personal sadhana, practice it, try to inculcate our dharma in everything we do.
List goes on.. but I will stop
And end by telling that I am looking forward for next year already !
Next year being 10th year of Mettilotsava, I am sure grander things will be planned, so if you are true follower of Acharya Madhva and live in any part of North America, mark your calendar for this event next year and don't miss it.