BY MAHADEV DESAI
Photos by Mahadev Desai

Atlanta, Jan2013: Despite rain and cold weather, thousands of devotees and visitors from all over South-East thronged the Hindu Temple of Atlanta (HTA) Riverdale, Georgia on Sunday, January 1st to celebrate a joyous and spiritually suffused Navodaya 2013 festival.
   
All the deities in the Balaji and Siva temples wore a dazzling look in their ornate fineries and colorful garlands. The dedicated priests cheerfully performed archanas throughout the day blessing all the devotees who came to offer their prayers. Around 10 a.m. Priest Sri Ravishankar first performed a ceremony inside the Banquet Hall, and later in the auditorium, chanting shlokas and conferring his blessings for the New Year to the vendors. 

As the day progressed, more and more devotees arrived inside the two temples and after offering prayers, went around visiting and shopping at the HTA gift shop and also at various booths, which were selling sarees, household appliances and gadgets, jewelry, beads, artwork, devotional music CDs and DVDs. Service booths also kept busy, offering IT services, travel bookings, health insurance, etc. Some prominent not-for-profit Organizations-The Art of Living Foundation, and Gaudiya Vaishnava Organization had also set up their booths to disseminate information about their Organization and forthcoming events.

Festivals and food go together! The varied menu of South Indian vegetarian splendors like spicy idli sambhar, masala dosas, tamarind or curd rice, upma, boondi ladoos, Mysore Pak, and snacks lovingly prepared in the temple’s kitchen by under the supervision of Food Committee Chairperson, Seshu Sarma and served in the spacious banquet hall, by the youth volunteers was relished by all.
   
The children’s activities at Navodaya included Quiz on Ramayana and Mahabharata, Ravana balloon dart game, mehendi, face painting, balloon twist, etc. The activities were coordinated by youth volunteer Anjali Kumar. The volunteers who contributed their valuable time to make this possible included Ambika Pisharodi, Usha Kumar, Usha Swamy, Veena Rajeevan, Pushkara Chaganti, Vishwa Chaganti, Radha Panchapakesan, Kiran Iyer and Ashokkumar Ramamoorthy.

The newly elected President Narender Reddy said he was very happy with the massive turnout of devotees despite the rainy weather.

He said, “The devotees started arriving early in the day and the flow has continued till 9.00 PM. ‘Navodaya’ couldn’t have been successful without the help of our dedicated volunteers, trustees, executive committee and office staff.  I sincerely thank everyone for their tireless efforts in making the event a great success with more than 5,000 devotees receiving the blessings of Sri Venkateshwara & Sri Ramalingeshwara on New Year ’s Day. My special thanks go to our learned priests who conducted rituals round the clock with a smile on their faces. The ‘alankarams’ of deities, specially done for the New Year, won the admiration and praise of the devotees. The efficiency and courtesy of the volunteers ensured quick ‘Archana’ and service at the food counters. Thanks to the efforts of Aravind Goli, Meher Lanka and Rajyalaxmi Mohan all the vendor booths were rented, and I am happy to report that the vendors were happy with the turnout and sales.  B.Krishnamohan organized elaborate arrangements for parking, including a shuttle service for additional parking at a nearby place.  Seshu Sarma & her team of volunteers, with the help of Kitchen staff, worked very hard to prepare delicious food that won the appreciation of one and all.  Subbiah Emani and Symala Naidu organized the Puja services that were conducted very elegantly and smoothly.”

“Jay Shankar, Mani & Raghu have been working late nights to keep our additional Internet Terminals working to provide faster services and ensure a flawless event. Krishna Das, Ashok Kumar, Krishna Mohan Pinnamaneni and Hemanth Grandhige to name a few also rendered commendable service to the devotees.”

“I feel happy and proud that the Hindu Temple of Atlanta has been accomplishing landmark events in its rich history year after year, the latest being the ‘Dwajastamba Prathistapana’ ceremony for ‘Shiva temple’ conducted in Nov. 2012.I am confident that with continued patronage by our devotees, HTA will continue to grow to meet the expectations and needs of our community.  I, therefore strongly urge our community to be part of our HTA by visiting HTA with their families and friends as often as possible, especially during all festive celebrations. Without devotee’s participation, a celebration will be just another ritual, literally. Their increased participation will motivate our Priests & Management to provide more and better services and facilities for the growing religious, spiritual, social and cultural needs of our growing community,” said Reddy.

The Hindu Temple, an iconic landmark in Riverdale, Georgia, is well known for its spiritual, cultural, and educational services to the Indian community. The Temple has played a sterling role in enriching the religious diversity and enhancing the multi-cultural image of Georgia.

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