Nallur Festival Part 2

Bodhinatha and Shanmuganathaswami attend the Palani Andavar abhishekam on Friday, August 10, 2012 evening.

Sri Meenakshidevi shrine.

Lord Murugan with Valli and Deivayanai.

Lord Pillaiyar shrine in all His glory. The Pillaiyar shrine has an endowment with Hindu Heritage Endowment, fund #39. The Saravanapavan family has graciously sponsored this shrine in perpetuity with the A. Saravanapavan Family Murugan Temple Pillaiyar Shrine Fund.

Devotees of the temple listen attentively to Bodhinatha

s presentation on the significance of the Rajaguram.'

Standing in the back ground are the trustees of the Murugan Temple of North America. Bodhinatha presented a check for $17,000 on behalf of Kauai Aadheenam for the Rajagopuram project sponsored by Dr. Vijay and Malliga Janakiraman of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

Lord Muruga

s utsava murthi is brought out of the temple to be placed in the Rath or chariot.'

The men carrying the palanquin struggle under the weight. This type of penance burns up karmas.

Vayudeva Varadan holds the umbrella to protect Bodhinatha from the hot sun.

This carving of Gurudeva arrived from Sri Lanka a few days prior to the Nallur festival and was installed on the chariot in a nook which was prepared especially for him. He now sits next to the other gurus of the Kailasa Paramparai.

Bodhinatha watches the utsava murthi being installed inside the chariot. Standing next to him is Gurukkal Ganesan, a well trained priest who we meet each year during this festival. He is a super-hero among priests, a mild mannered "Clark Kent" who is loved and respected by all.

Check out this home-made wheel chock. Those huge ropes to pull the chariot are awesome.

The devotees are really joyous pulling the chariot around the temple. Everyone forgets about their challenges, worries and problems.

Shankar Mallampalli faithfully carries the umbrella for Bodhinatha. He came up from Jacksonville, FL with his wife, Sri and children Easan and Shivani. A large number of devotees come from surrounding states, especially New York and Pennsylvania. About 1200 devotees came this year.

This is the Iraivan booth, one among the eight booths dedicated to Murugan which surround the chariot route.

These dedicated ladies proceed in front of the procession carrying bowls of incense. Notice the water on the ground to cool the hot pavement from the August sun.

}
];

height: 520,
width: 700,

transitionSpeed:150});

Visit the website of the Murugan Temple of North America at www.murugantemple.org. The Nallur festival has an endowment with HHE at
http://www.hheonline.org/funds/fund_45.html.
The three endowments for the Murugan temple generated $1,200 for the Murugan temple for 2011.