February 2015 Newsletter

Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham MD 20706
Tel: (301) 552-3335 Fax: (301) 552-1204
E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.ssvt.org
Newsletter Vol 24, No. 2
Chairman’s Report
Summarized below is the presentation given by Rajagopala Rao Tripuraneni, Chairman, Board of Trustees to the General Council members of
the Temple on December 20th 2014
MAHA SIVARATRI
Tuesday February 17, 2015
MahaShivaratri morning Puja will start
with a Ganesha Puja & Rudra homam at
9:30 am. The evening Special Pujas to
Lord Siva will commence at 2:30 pm
(yaagashaala), 3:15 pm (Siva Sannidhi)
and continue till 6:30 am the following
day. A sanctified Siva Linga will be available for devotees to personally offer their
Abhishekam throughout the night. Entrance to the temple in the evening will
be through the lower level. Dinner will be
available from 06:00 pm onwards till
10:00 PM. Prasadams, coffee and tea will
be available throughout the night. Details
of the religious program are given below.
Overview
• Welcome General Council Members
• Retiring Board of Trustees and Governance Board members – thank
you for your valuable support and contributions
• Nomination of new BOT members – in progress
• Pria Ganesh will cover the status of financial affairs and Anjana Sriram
will give an update on operations during the year
• Focus on key 2014 events and Jeernodharanam 2015
Major Events in 2014
• Workshop by Rajiv Malhotra in October on Hinduism was well attended and was very successful
• Another seminar for young adults was conducted by Murali Balaji from
Hindu American Foundation
• Ganesha puja by more than 300 children in the temple
• Documentary on Bhutanese refugees screened in SSVT
• SSVT led efforts in organizing a Diwali celebration in the Congress and
in the State Department
• Hosted all American dialogue of UHJT
• SSVT coordinated CHTNA temples representatives from 43 temples attended the White House briefing on security, visa, and health insurance
and visited SSVT
Jeernodharanam Kumbhabhishekam (JK)
Planning so far - Religious
• Kumbhabhshekam with pradhana acharyas for Siva and Vishnu parivaras
• Sri Shanmuga Sivacharya visited SSVT for initial planning and discussed with all priests
• Sri Ramaswaroop Raghavacharyalu, who is chief priest of the Bhadrachalam Temple will be our Pradhana Vaishnava Acharya.
• Kalakarshanam (balalayam) done in November
• JK2015 dates are planned for May 26-31.
Planning so far - Shilpis
• The stapathi visited from India and spent about a week identifying the
work program
• Twelve silpis have already arrived and three more will come shortly
• Scaffolding and Renovation work for the rajagopurams and Venkateswara gopuram has commenced
• Stapathi has developed detailed work program to complete renovation
work before Kumbhabhiskekam
Task Force Involved in Planning
• Religious programs will be determined with the Pradhana Acharyas and
Temple Priests
• A series of cultural programs are planned including a marquee jugalbandhi with Malladi and Gundecha brothers on April 18.
• Sangeetha Upanyasam by Dushyant Sridhar to attract younger generation is also planned for May 25
• Annual Fundraising dinner to raise funds for JK2015 was successful
Renovation and Reenergizing Temple
• JK 2015 important and also symbolizes reenergizing SSVT in every area
• Thanks to the excellent work of the Engineering Committee in maintaining the Temple and helping with the JK work
• Plans to involve younger volunteers as much as possible
(Continued on page 3)
February 2015
Maha Sivaratri Morning Puja
09:30 AM Ganesha Puja, Mahaganapati Homam, Rudra Homam, Vasordhara Homam, Abhishekam to Siva, Archana, Deeparadhana
First Kaala Puja
03:15 PM Ganesha Puja, Kalasa and Shanka Sthaapanam, Abhishekam to
Nandi (Divine Bull) Mahanyasa with Trishati archana, Ekadasa
Rudra Abhishekam (Abhishekam with 11 different ingredients
to Lord Siva with recitation of Rudram 11 times), Alankaram,
Trishati Archana (300 Names Archana), Mantrapushpam,
Upacharam, Maha deeparadhana
09:30 PM Prasadam distribution
Note: Rudra Krama Parayanam will be done by devotees during Alankaram
10:00 PM Bhajans
Second Kaala Puja
11:00 PMRudra Abhishekam, Shankha Abhishekam, Vilwa Ashtotharashata Archana (108 Names Archana to the recitation of Vilwa
Stotram)
01:00 AM Deeparadhana and Bhajans.
Third Kaala Puja
01:30 AM Rudra Abhishekam, 108 Kalasa Abhishekam, Trishati Archana
(300 Names Archana)
03:30 AM Deeparadhana and Bhajans
Fourth Kaala Puja
04:30 AMAbhishekam to Chandikeswara, Parvati, Rudra Abhishekam,
108 Silver Vilwapatra Archana
06:30 AM Deeparadhana and Prasadam distribution
Sponsorship: Rudra Homam & Morning Puja $ 25, First Kaala Puja $ 51
2nd, 3rd & 4th Kaala Puja $ 25 each Kaala. Rudra Homam & all four Kaala
Pujas $ 125, All four Kaala Pujas $101
JK 2015: Schedule & Budget
Schedule
Shilpi Work (Exterior)
Shilpi Work (Interior)
Kumbhabhishekam
Budget
Total Budget
Available Funds
Support Needed
November December January
2014
2014
2015
$200,000
February
2015
March
2015
April
2015
May
2015
$750,000
$550,000
Please visit http://www.ssvt.org/home/JeernodharanaPage.asp. Pledge today!
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February 2015
Religious Calendar
Madhva Navami Celebration (Please see details)
Rama Abhishekam (Punarvasu)
Satyanarayana Puja (Poornima) [Temple + one offsite]
Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Thai Poosam) (Please see details)
Mahalakshmi Abhishekam
Andal Abhishekam (Purvaphalguni)
Bhagavathi Seva
Thai Poosam Celebration (Please see details)
Sankatahara Chaturthi Homam
Ayyappa Puja (Uttara Phalguni)
Sankatahara Chaturthi Abhishekam
Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Sashti)
Sudarsana & Yoga Narasimha Abhishekam (Swati)
Utsava Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Vishakha)
Sarada Abhishekam
Anjaneya Abhishekam (Moola)
Ananthapadmanabha Abhishekam (Ekadasi)
Mahapradosham
Utsava Srinivasa Abhishekam(Sravana)
Maha Sivaratri (Please see details)
Parvati Abhishekam
Bhagavathi Seva
Chaturthi – Ganapathi Homam and Ganesha Abhishekam
Navagraha Homam & Abhishekam *(Please see Note Below)
Subramanya Abhishekam (Shashti)
Utsava Subramanya Abhishekam (Krittika)
Subramanya Shasranama Archana (Krittika)
Krishna Abhishekam (Rohini)
Durga Abhishekam
Anantha Padmanabha Abhishekam (Ekadasi)
*Please note that our Annual Calendar has mistakenly marked Navagraha Homam & Abhishekam
on Feb 26 but it is on Sunday Feb 22, 2015. We regret this error and apologize for any
inconvenience.
March 2015
Sun 1 10:00 AM Rama Abhishekam (Punarvasu)
Mon 2 7:00 PM Mahapradosham
Tue 3 10:00 AM Nataraja Abhishekam (Sukla Chaturdasi)
6:30 PM Sarpa Bali (Please see details)
Wed 4
Masi Magham
7:00 PM Satyanarayana Puja (Poornima)(Temple + 1 offsite)
Holi
Thu 5 10:00 AM Andal Abhishekam (Purvaphalguni)
Fri 6
10:00 AM Mahalakshmi Abhishekam
10:00 AM Ayyappa Puja (Uttara Phalguni)
Sat 7
4:00 PM Srinivasa Kalyanam
Mon 9 9:30 AM Ganapati Homam (Sankatahara Chaturthi)
7:00 PM Ganesha Abhishekam (Sankatahara Chaturthi)
Tue 10 9:30 AM Sudarsana /Yoga Nrismha Homam & Abhishekam (Swati)
Wed 11 10:00 AM Subrahmanya Abhishekam (Vishakha) / (Sashti)
Fri 13 10:00 AM Sarada Abhishekam
Sat14 10:00 AM Anjaneya Abhishekam (Moola)
Kaaradayan Nombu (Please see details)
Mon 16 7:00 PM Ananthapadmanabha Abhishekam (Ekadasi)
(Rest of March 2015 in next Newsletter)
DAILY & WEEKLY ABHISHEKAMS
Daily:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Temple Hours
Daily Abhishekams
9:30 AM Ayyappa, Siva, Anantha Padmanabha
9:30 AM
9:30 AM
9:30 AM
9:30 AM
9:30 AM
10:15 AM
Weekly Abhishekams
Ganesha, Sri Rama
Durga, Anjaneya
Andal, Sarada, Navagrahas
Krishna, Subramanya
Mahalakshmi, Parvati, Sudarsana/Yoga Narasimha
Venkateswara
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
Special Pujas Details
Madhva Navami Celebration
Thai Poosam Celebration (Makara Pushyam)
The celebrations will commence with a Homa at 8 am followed by Krishna
Puja at 9 AM in the SSVT auditorium. After the puja there will be a Pallaki procession around the Sri Krishna Sannidhi upstairs, Archana and
Maha Deeparadhana and the celebration will conclude with music and
Pravachanas. Please mark your calendars and receive the blessings of Sri
Madhvacharya.
08:00 am Sri Hari Vayu Stuthi Homa
09:00 am Sri Krishna pooja and Sri Madhvacharya pooja
11:00 am Pallaki Utsava
11:30 am Maha pooja and Pravachana
12:15-01:15 pm
Lunch/Prasada
01:15- 03:00 pm Dance, music and pravachanas on Sri Krishna and Sri
Madhvacharya
Sponsorship: $ 25
9:00 AM
Ganesha Puja, Kavadi procession within the temple,
Subramanya Abhishekam, Trishati Archana, Deeparadhana
12:30 PM Prasadam distribution
6:00 PM Subramanya Sahasranama Archana
7:00 PM Thirupugazh Bhajans, Vishesha Aarati
8:30 PM Prasadam distribution
Sponsorship: Morning Puja $ 25; Evening Puja $ 15; Entire Day Puja $ 35
Sunday February 1, 2015
Thai Poosam Day (Makara Pushyam)
Tuesday February 3, 2015
9:00 amGanesha Puja, Kavadi procession within the temple,
Subramanya Abhishekam, Trishati Archana, Deeparadhana
12:30 pm Prasadam distribution
6:00 pm Subramanya Sahasranama Archana
7:00 pm Thirupugazh Bhajans, Vishesha Aarati
8:30 pm Prasadam distribution
Sponsorship: Morning Puja $ 25; Evening Puja $ 15; Entire Day Puja $ 35
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Saturday February 7, 2015
Sarpabali
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
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 well-being 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 Raahu 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.
Sponsorship: $35
Kaaradaiyan Nombu
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Kaaradaiyan Nombu, or Savitri Vratham, is a Tamil observance in which
married woman prays for the well-being and long life of her husband.
Kaaradaiyan Nombu 2015 date is March 14 and time of breaking of fast
and to wear Saradu is between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM. It is observed on the
particular day when the transition between the Tamil months Maasi and
Panguni takes place. Kaaradai is the name of a unique neivedya (holy dish)
prepared on this day. Nombu means Vratam or upavasam (fast).
Chairman’s Report (Continued from page 1)
• Thank you for contributions – financially, time, and ideas
• Please continue to participate in the JK celebrations. Your support is
very important for the success.
On behalf of the board of trustees, I extend sincere thanks to all the devotess, volunteers, committee members, coordinators, members of the
Governance body and General Council for making SSVT their second
home. I also take this opportunity to thank our priests, cooks, managers
and other employees at the temple.
May God bless you all!
- Dr. Rajagopala Rao Tripuraneni, Chairman, BOT 2014
Report of ViceChair Operations
Summarized below is the presentation given by Anjana Sriram, ViceChair,
Operations, Board of Trustees, to the General Council members of the
Temple on December 20th 2014.
Overview
• Achievements – Various Committees
• What’s Happening - Administration and Management
• What’s Coming
Achievements
Religious
• Panchasana Panchavarana Puja (nithya parivara puja) – initiated by Sri
Sivacharya and conducted by our priests
• Reactivated the priest selection to establish a strong pipeline of priests
• Additional priests on board
• Documentation of religious procedures and requirements for important
pujas being introduced
• Streamlined assignment of volunteers so that more volunteers are
trained to support religious functions
• Improved coordination and collaboration to facilitate smooth functioning of RC
Cultural
• Well established events continue to attract large audiences for e.g
Thyagaraja Aradhana, Nadatarangini, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyamasastri Day, Swati Thirunal Day
• New events successfully added for the first time – Annamayya, Papanasam Sivan, Haridas
• Cultural events introduced during important religious events
• Cultural events has been instrumental in bringing next generation children into the temple
• A number of cultural programs by established artists - TM Krishna,
Abhishek Raguram, Rama Pantula, Gayathri Venkataraghavan, Trichur
Brothers and many more
• Lecture by V. Sriram on Dikshitar Krithis was extremely well received
Kitchen
• Healthy food options being introduced
• Where possible, bio-degradable containers are being used
• Kitchen prasadham continues to be popular and attracts thousands of devotees
Other Committees
• PR – continues to train volunteers effectively
• IT – messages regular email blasts on weekly events and routinely keeps
the website updated
• Publications – successfully moved to be accessible in the website – this is
a great go-green effort that has also brought significant financial savings
• Robotics – continued support
• Great contributions continues from all other committees and taskforces
like Flower, Hundi, Database, Maintenance, etc.
What’s Happening - Administration
• New priest scheduling process introduced involving one of the senior
priests – well received by the priests and congregation – improved cooperation and service
• Administration positions and processes - still evolving in light of new
constitution requirements, growth, and renewed focus
• Plans to bring the right skill set for improved services
• Establishing clear TOR for various positions
• Enabling adequate training and mentoring to ensure success
What Else Was Done
• Updated Operations Manual – to link policies and procedures with reality
• Consistent application of policies and procedures and adherence
• Ensure proper procedures are being followed for hiring staff, contractual labors, etc.
• POC for volunteer sign-up and training
• Establishing procedures, streamlining, and documentation for paving
the way for future
What’s Coming
•
•
•
•
Recruit Neivedhyam Cook
Asthana Nadaswaram Artists
Providing space for Aparakarma rituals
Renewed focus on IT including POS systems
- Anjana Sriram, ViceChair Operations, BOT 2014
Treasurer’s Report
Summarized below is the presentation given by Pria Ganesh, Treasurer,
Board of Trustees, to the General Council members of the Temple on December 20th 2014.
Sri Siva Vishnu Temple Finances - December 2014
Financial Highlights
Present balances
• Contribution pledges of $1.1 million
(mostly from Venkateswara Mahotsavam and Life-time Poojas)
• About $0.30 million of pledges still due
• Endowment firmly in place ($1.1million)
• Current outstanding congregation loans $774K
Audit
• Completed June 30, 2013 audit with unqualified opinion
• June 30, 2014 Audit field work to commence in January 2015
• Setting the stage for timely completion of future audits within 365 days
as contemplated in the amended By-Laws
Work Practice and Process Improvements
• Bank accounts consolidated
• Extra credit card merchant accounts eliminated
• Tighter controls for procurement and overall spending
Endowment
•
•
•
•
Endowment in place ($1.1 million)
2013-14 commitments of $150k still to be transferred on availability of funds
Professional management by Merrill Lynch
Active IMC and FC - members with strong investment background
•
•
•
•
Contributions-to-date - $120K
Work progressing, 12 (+3) Shilpis on board
Expenses-to-date $110K
Plus we need:
- Construction materials - $250K
- Shilpis cost, religious, annadhanam - $250K
JK 2015
Financial Goals
Short-term • Complete 2015 Jeernodharanam on a fully funded (no additional loan)
basis
• Make Temple debt free. Most loans fall due end-December 2015
• Finalize a precautionary Line of Credit Facility (we have not used in the
recent past except for guarantees to the County for parking lot)
Medium to Long-term
• Develop endowment for long-term needs of Temple.
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FINANCIAL POSITION
Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
Statement of Financial Position for 2014 (unaudited)
(with audited financial information for 2013)
2014
(unaudited)
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Prepaid Expenses
Accounts Receivables
Investments
Cash value-Life Insurance
Total Current Assets
Property and Equipment (net)
Idols and Jewels
Other Assets
Total Assets
LIABILITIES
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable and Accrued Ex
Long term liabilities
Congregation Loans
Total Liabilities
$
2013
(audited)
$
152,401
93,962
375,139
959,721
51,297
1,632,520
379,355
83,140
399,141
614,885
51,297
1,527,818
7,926,076
1,212,150
8,156,075
1,192,113
21,500
10,770,746
10,897,506
65,477
65,477
134,265
134,265
774,208
839,685
1,124,440
1,258,705
9,931,061
9,638,801
Capital
Net assets
Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
Statement of Activities for 2014 (unaudited)
(with audited financial information for 2013)
2014
(unaudited)
$
952,472
869,310
31,292
47,534
862,308
87,663
2013
(audited)
$
816,990
928,431
28,757
32,201
875,070
160,776
TOTAL REVENUES 2,850,580
2,842,225
REVENUE
Contributions
Religious Services
Auditorium rental
Cultural events
Prasadam Donations
Other Revenue
EXPENSES
Employee costs
Repairs & General Maintenance
Depreciation
778,037
242,523
400,000
743,133
259,315
417,665
217,567
81,715
58,720
34,374
33,258
95,388
207,884
190,739
64,150
197,062
-
232,409
155,909
94,092
34,124
44,703
86,383
200,874
253,466
95,306
181,583
121,159
TOTAL EXPENSES 2,601,416
2,920,122
Food supplies
Other
Cultural
Seminars and Discourses
Audit,legal & professional fees
Interest & Bank charges
Contract help
Religious supplies and expenses
Newsletter - printing & postage
Utilities
Loss on sale of property
Total Liabilities and Capital 10,770,746 10,897,506
Net Income
249,163
(77,897)
A Big Thank You!
• Volunteers
• Finance Committee and Investment Management Committee
• Devotees
• Priests, managers and employees
Another successful year financially for the Temple!!
Proposed Amendments to ByLaws
(1) Article 3 (A) General Council – Membership
• According to sub section2 ( c ) of this Article, membership includes Past
Coordinators of devotee committees.
• Proposed Change: Add the words: “ Present and” before the words “
Past Coordinators”.
• Reasons for the Change: Most of the operational work of SSVT is carried through Devotee Committees; and it is appropriate to add the present coordinators in the GC, on the lines that GC includes present and
past trustees.
(2) Article 4 Governance Board—Appointment of Ombudspersons
• According to Sub Clause B (3) of this Article, GB shall create and supervise an Office of Ombudspersons and appoint two persons to serve one
year terms, with an option to continue for another year.
• Proposed Change: Change the word “ one year terms” to “two year
terms”.
• Reason for Change: One year term for initial appointment is too short,
as it takes ombudspersons considerable time to understand the functioning of SSVT. An initial appointment of two years, with an option to
extend it by another year is therefore appropriate.
(3) Audited Accounts: By Laws 9 (8) states that the Treasurer is “responsible for ensuring completion of external audit within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year as
required by the laws of the State of Maryland”.
• Proposed Change: Replace “ 120 days” with “365 days”
• Reason for Change: IRS rules exempt a religious entity from having
to submit audited accounts. Combined Federal Campaign requires an
audited financial statement, but it should not be more than eighteen
months old. It is extremely difficult for an organization like SSVT which
is still managed predominantly by volunteers to finalize the accounts
and get it audited within the 120-days limit, something which has not
been achieved since inception. A realistic target is 365 days.
(4) Audit Committee : Article 11 of By Laws provide that “ An Audit Committee consisting of three members with two members who have previously been Treasurers of
the Temple and a member of the Board of Trustees who is not an officer of the Temple
will be constituted by the Governance Board. Members of the Audit Committee are
appointed for a period of one year and may serve only two years, if so appointed by
the Governance Board…..”
• Proposed Changes: Replace the words: “ with two members who have
previously been Treasurers of the Temple” in lines 2 and 3 by the words:
“with two members who have requisite financial and accounting qualifications”. Also, replace the words: “ for a period of one year and may
serve only two years” in lines 4 & 5, by the words: “ for an initial period
of two years and may serve for a total of three years”.
• Reasons for Change: Choosing Audit Committee from only those TEs
who have been former Treasurers is unnecessarily restrictive. Also, an
initial appointment of one year does not give adequate time for Audit
Committee members to grasp the intricacies of the SSVT organization
and its finances. The proposed changes will allow a duration of two
years extendable by mutual agreement by an additional year, for a maximum o three years.
(5) Internal Audit; By Laws 11 (2) states that the BOT in connection with the Audit
Committee will appoint an Internal Auditor for a period of one year which may be
extended by one more year by the Audit Committee.
• Proposed Change: The Internal Auditor will be appointed for a period
of two years which may be extended by one more year by the Audit
Committee. The BOT and/or Audit Committee will propose issues
that need review by Internal Auditor. The Internal Auditor shall submit
to the Chairperson of BOT, with a copy to President of GB, Quarterly Progress reports on all matters that are being reviewed by the office of
Internal Auditor. GB may, at its sole discretion, invite the Internal Auditor for a discussion on the Internal Auditor’s findings.
• Reasons For Change: One year is too short a term for the initial appointment as it takes time for the Internal Auditor to understand the
working of any organization. The rest of the amendments are to clarify
the reporting relationships and keep GB in the loop about important
governance aspects of SSVT.
2015 Board of Trustees
Chairperson: Rajagopala Rao Tripuraneni; Vice-Chairperson (Operations): Sasidharan
Mattampillil (Sasi Menon); Vice-Chairperson (Policy): Bangalore Shivacharan; Treasurer:
Pria Ganesh; Secretary: Nithya Nagarajan
Trustees: Anjana Sriram; Anu Iyer; Charu Narasimhan; C.K. Dhananjayan;
Chandramouli Ramaswamy; Ramachar Mukunda; S.V. Acharya; Sasikala Chandar;
Uma Potarazu; Vasu Murhty; Vijaya Gollamudi; Vijaya Reddy.
2015 Governance Board
President: K.G. Venkatraman (Ramani);
Members: M.G. Menon; Chandra Sekaran; Prakash Hosadurga; Rajagopala
Rao Tripuraneni; Sasikala Chandar; Anjana Sriram.
V.N.RAJAGOPALAN
V.N.Rajagopalan who passed away in Delhi on January 4, 2015 was a
Founder Sponsor and a committed volunteer from the early years of
the Temple. He worked on several projects for the Temple bringing
his ability for incisive analysis and clear thinking. He was a Founding-member of the SSVT Education Comwmittee when it was
formed in 2002 and served as its Coordinator during 2005 & 2006.
He actively participated in the drafting of the new Constitution for
SSVT in 2011; and served as a member of the General Council.
A brilliant student of economics, he joined the IAS and thereafter the
World Bank. He is survived by his wife Bavani, his son, daughter-inlaw and three grandchildren. He leaves behind a large circle of friends in the Washington area
who will miss his warmth and wit.
Robotics Club Activities & Schedule
TEAM ILLUSION
1. Bowie Pantry Interfaith Canned goods collection. Any item brought
to the temple will be picked up by the bag near the Education room and
our students will work to deliver them. A huge banner will be present in
the month of January and February requesting these items.
2. Feburary 17 End of Building the Robot and
3. February 28 Display at the National Building Museum Discover
4
- Pria Ganesh, Treasurer, BOT 2014
Engineering meant for children (http://www.nbm.org/families-kids/festivals/discover-engineering-family.html).
Astronomy Planning: Three students have shown interest and we need two more for
a training class. Plans are underway for telescope use in March and April.
Hinduism lectures at temple meant for children and adults. Speaker
Prof. Hebbar (started on New Years Day) and now every sunday at 3pm at
the Orbit lane (Overflow would be in the Education Room).
SSVT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Learn More about Your Roots & Culture
Saturday Programs
Program
Time
YOGA FOR ALL
Initial part is Gentle Yoga; everyone can do irrespective of age or physical condition and consists of easy stretches,
breathing exercises and meditation
7:30 am - 10:30 am
Learn Spoken Sanskrit (Intermediate Level II)
Vishnu Sahasranamam, Gopika Geetam, Aditya Hrudayam
Learn Hindu Scriptures
•
Bhagavatam - Ekadasi Skandham... Udhavagita
•
Brindavana Mahatmyam
•
Valmiki Ramayan – Ayodhyakandam
10:00 am - 11:30 am
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
4:30 pm – 5:00pm
Other Programs
1. Upanishad Series by Dr. Pradeep S. Kamath – Second Sunday, 10:30am -12:30pm
2. 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 guidance on SAT preparation.
Classes are organized into two semesters: September - January and February - June. Email [email protected] to sign-up.
3. Balagokul Sloka Class On Sundays from 10:30 am – 12:00 noon (Please check)
4. Midweek Yoga at SSVT On Tuesday evenings – 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Given the interest of those who attend the Saturday morning session, this new mid-week Satsang has begun since September 24. Shri Sabnis
will be leading this session. Please e-mail Shri Sabnis ([email protected]) if you plan to attend. Session will be adapted to the needs of attendees.
Homeless SEVA, Sandwich Program, Second Saturday, 2015
■■ 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 email to Email: [email protected] , Tribhuvannath Mishra, Contact Phone number-571.214.3198
5th Annual SSVT Maha Shivaratri Cultural Program
Tuesday, February 17th, 2015
The Maha Shivaratri Festival will be held at SSVT from 6:00 pm onwards on Shivaratri night which, this year, falls on February
17, 2015. This event will be coordinated by Smt. Deepti Mukund, in a manner that emulates a similar festival being conducted in
Bangalore for many years: where dance is performed all night long on Shivaratri night. This will be the 5th consecutive year this
festival is being held at SSVT. All dancers are invited to come and dance to perform Nritya Puja to Lord Shiva on Shivaratri. This
event brings together classical and folk dancers of all ages and genres on the same platform as a ‘Seva’ or offering to the Lord of
Dance. The last four years’ events have been an unequivocal success, with many area teachers presenting Kathak, Kuchipudi,
Bharathanatyam, Odissi and Folk at this event. This year even more participants have expressed interest in performing. Please do
let us know if you/or your school will be able to perform at this event. At this time we are giving dancers’ 12 minute slots (15
minutes with intro). We will allocate more slots to a group if time permits. Please email the event coordinator at: Deepti.mukund@
gmail.com if you are interested.
2nd Annual SSVT Sri Annamacharya Festival
Saturday, March 14th, 2015
On Saturday March 14th, 2015, SSVT will celebrate the 2nd annual SSVT Sri Annamacharya Festival, commemorating Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya, the mystic saint composer (1408-1503 CE). The day will highlight his contributions in music and/or
dance format, through presentations. The festival is open to all rasikas of the greater Washington DC Metro area to attend and
participate as individuals or groups. All Music / Dance items should be strictly limited to 5 minutes or less. Raga alapana or swara
kalpana are not expected. Group participation is encouraged in order to accommodate a larger number of participants. The program agenda will include: Lighting of lamp, Saptagiri Sankeertana Nivedana (group rendition), individual / group participation,
Grand finale evening vocal concert by Sri. Malladi Suri Babu, accompanied by Srikanth Mallajosyula (violin), Vijay Ganesh (mrudangam), and Sowmiya Narayanan (ghatam). This will be followed by Annadhanam. Admission is free. Donations Welcome!
To register for individual singing, you may follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/annamayya15 and provide the required registration
information. The deadline for registration for individual singing is March 8, 2015. Further program details and updates will be
available via Temple notice board and website. For any further questions and group practice, please email annamayya@gmail.
com or contact one of the following members of the Annamacharya Festival Managing Team:
Prabha Maruvada – 301-693-1633; Dr. Ramakrishna Rao – 410-449-0451; Sudha Mallajosyula – 410-777-5345; Raghu Pantula – 203-751-2858; Sreedevi Dhawala – 703-203-3652.
NOTE: Group practices for Saptagiri Sankeertana Nivedana are being coordinated by Pavani and Srikanth Mallajosyula. To participate in the group
singing, you may contact Pavani Mallajosyula at 410-465-0045.
5
Upcoming Cultural Events
Date & Time
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
6:00 pm – Midnight
Event / Artist
5th Annual Maha Shivaratri Cultural Program
Dance Program by DC Area Dance Schools
Coordinated by Ms. Deepti Mukund
Saturday, March 14, 2015
All Day
5:30 pm
2nd Annual Sri Annamacharya Festival
Multiple Artists
Grand Evening Finale Concert:
Sri Malladi Suri Babu (vocal)
Sri Srikanth Mallajosyula (violin); Sri Vijay Ganesh (mrudangam); Sri Sowmiya Narayanan (ghatam)
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
Saturday, March 21, 2015
2:00 pm
Ugadi Cultural Program
Kuchipudi Dance Drama by Kuchipudi Dance Academy, conducted by
Smt. Lakshmi Babu
Grand Carnatic Vocal concert by Sri Abhishek Raghuram (vocal)
Kum. Akkarai Subhalakshmi (violin); Sri Anantha Krishnan (mrudangam)
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
Saturday, March 28, 2015
5:00 pm
Venue & Admission Fee
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
Saturday, April 18, 2015
5:00 pm
Grand Marquee Concert in celebration of SSVT’s Jeeranodharana
Kumbhabhishekam
Grand Carnatic and Hindustani Dhrupad Double Jugalbandhi Concert
by: Malladi Brothers and Gundecha Brothers
Embar Kannan (violin); Neyveli Narayanan (mrudangam); Akhilesh Gundecha (pakhwaj)
Saturday, April 25, 2015 and
Sunday April 26, 2015
Sunday, May 3, 2015
5:00 pm
28th Sri Purandara Dasa and Sri Thyagaraja Aradhana
(SSVT co-sponsored program with Nadatarangini)
Grand Kathakali Dance Drama Kalyana Sougandhikam, By Guru
Sadanam Balakrishnan and Troupe
Note: The musicians in the Kathakali Troupe will also (separately) be performing a music-only concert at
SSVT either on Monday, May 4 or Tuesday, May 5th (details: TBD and announced next month)
2nd Annual Papanasam Sivan Festival
Multiple Artists
Grand Carnatic Vocal Concert by Sri Bharat Sundar (vocal)
Sri V.V.Murari (violin); Sri Trivandrum Balaji (mrudangam); Sri K.V. Gopalakrishnan (kanjira)
Grand Veena Concert Recital by Sri Bonala Sankara Prakash (veena)
Sri H N Bhaskaran (violin); Sri Patri Satish Kumar (mrudangam)
Jeeranodharana Kumbhabhishekam Special Cultural Event:
Grand Tala Vadhya Concert with Next Generation Percussionists,
conducted and lead by Sri Patri Satish Kumar
Jeeranodharana Kumbhabhishekam Special Cultural Event:
Pravachanam/Religious Discourse in English by: Sri Dushyant Sridhar
Saturday, May 23, 2015
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 24, 2015
5:00 pm
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: $ 20 ea. (Note:
Donations of $ 150 or more as
an event sponsor welcome)
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
SRI SIVA VISHNU TEMPLE
6905 Cipriano Road
Lanham, MD 20706
Saturday, May 16th, 2015
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: $20 (general), $15
(senior citizens/students)
Venue: TBD
Tickets: $ 101 (Premium) and
$ 51 (Standard)
Note: JK2015 Donor with
sponsorship level of $ 1001 or
more entitles you to 2 or more
VIP concert tickets (depending
on level of sponsorship)
SSVT Auditorium
Admission: Free
Non Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #6038
Suburban, MD