BY RAVI R. PONANGI
Photos by Ravi. R. Ponangi
Atlanta,
GA, Nov 26, 2012: A newly made huge brass covered Dhwaja Stambha
(flagpole) was installed in front of Siva Temple located in the Hindu
Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale, Georgia, on November 11. The Dhwaja
Stambha, which was ceremoniously consecrated in the presence of Swami
Tattvavidananda of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, is part of the ongoing work
towards completion of the Siva temple which began in 2004.
Swami
Tattvavidananda Saraswati is an eminent Vedanta Scholar, an expert
exponent of Vedantic treatises, epics, the Bhagavad-Gita and many
Upanishads. He is a disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha
Vidya Gurukulam. While giving his blessings to the jubilant
devotees immediately after the consecration of Dhwaja Stambha, Swami
Tattvavidananda expressed his happiness and commended the Indian
community members, who are thousands of miles away from their native
places, for attending the installation of Dhwaja Stambha in accordance
with Agama Shastra. He further said Indians outside India were
patronizing the Indian culture and heritage more than the people in
India. He explained the significance of Dhwaja Stambha and Panchakshari
mantra.
The three-day Dhwaja Stambha pratisthapana celebrations
started in the evening of November 8 with sankalpa and concluded with a
grand finale on November 11 with Dhwaja Stapana, Dhwaja Maha
Kumbhabhishekam and Dhwaja Arohana. Thousands of devotees and visitors
from all over neighboring states thronged the temple to witness the
sacred Dhwaja Stambha pratisthapana. 
A
huge Yagasala (canopy) was erected in front of the Siva Temple
foreground, under which decorated homa- kundas were constructed. The
temple’s resident priests, Srinivasa Sarma Adaraasupalli, Pavan Kumar
Kistapati, Narasimha Murty Challa, Siva Naga Kumar Dusi, Sai Swarna
from Memphis temple along with Vedic pundits conducted homas chanting
Vedic slokas, in front of the consecrated fires. Some of the highlights
in three-day ceremonies were Anugna, Ganapati puja, Punyahavachanam,
Vastu puja, Mrutsangrahanam, Agni pratista homam, Pradhaana Kalasa yaga
Sala Pravesam.
Siva temple, being built in the traditional South
Indian style, Dhwaja Stambha is an important feature. Dhwaja Stambham
is like a divine antenna to receive cosmic energy and to communicate
devotees’ pious wishes to the Almighty. Hindu temples are not just
structures and idols. Temples are not only complete residences but also
compared to human body for the presiding deity. There are specific
steps in the installation (pratisthapana) of a Dhwaja Stambha in a
temple premises as outlined in the Agama Shastras. Dhwaja Stambha also
represents all the deities installed in the temple; and therefore,
devotees traditionally prostrate and pay their obeisance at the base of
the post, satisfied having prostrated before all the deities in the
temple at the same time.
In order to cleanse all impurities, a
replica of Dhwaja Stambha made in Silver was immersed in water
(Jalaadhivasam) along with paddy (dhaanyaadhivaasam), milk
(Ksheeradhivasam), new garment (Sayyadhivasam), and flowers
(Pushpaadhivaasam).
Kurma yantra was engraved on a metal plate
and Vedic rituals were performed and placed under Dhwaja Stambha along
with gems, Nava Ratnas, gold, coins and Panchakshari (Om Namah Sivaya)
Mantra Likhita Japa books written for several months by several
devotees. The purpose of these ceremonies was to purify the Dhwaja
Stambha and to confer divinity upon it.
The Hindu temple of
Atlanta, Riverdale has two temples in the same location -- one temple
with Lord Balaji built in 1990 as the presiding deity and the other
temple with Lord Siva built in 2004 as the presiding deity. In addition
to the presiding deity, both temples housed other deities.
Check out a video link of the ceremony here: http://www.bharatdesi.com/video-of-the-week/hindu-temple-of-atlanta-siva-temple-dhwajasthamba-pratishtapana-mahotsavam/54.html
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