Pennsylvania Shubharambam  

The second Subharambham of registration for the July 1-4, 2011 convention was celebrated at the Chinmaya Center ‘Kedar’ of Philadelphia with the ardent cooperation and participation from Swami Siddhananda and Swami Santananda. On November 13, 2010 in the morning hours when the sun was shining bright and the air was cool, over a hundred people gathered around the Chinmaya Center. Around 10 am with a thunderous start of the Chendamelam by Kavil brothers and the colorful Thalppoli Procession organized by the ladies, the crowd led by the Swamijis, slowly moved into the Hall. Swami Santananda in his speech called for unity among the Hindus and mentioned that we should have a specific theme for the convention. Several others including Sivan Pillai, who was the chief architect of this event, M.G. Menon, Dr. Muraleerajan, Suda kartha, Dr. Raghu Nath, Viswanathan Pillai, Jayaprakas Kossery, Ratheesh Nair, Rajappan Nair and Murali Krishnan, spoke on the occasion. Mr. Gopinathan Nair and his wife Santhamma inaugurated the Registration. Dr. M.V. Pillai, who moved from Virginia to Philadelphia to take up the position of as a Professor of Oncology and Mrs. Mini Pillai graced the occasion and registered for the Convention. The function was attended by many other community leaders such as Somarajan Prabhakaran, Gopalan Nair, Murali Kartha, Rajasimhan and Suneethi Rajasimhan, Sivaraman Nair and Bharathy Amma, Reghunathan Nair etc. from Philadelphia, Manoj Sreenilayam, Narayanan Kutty Menon, Krishnakumar, Dr.Vijily Bahuleyan, Dr. Raghu Nath and Mrs. Leela Nath, Sreejith Nair, Ratheesh and Sindhu Nair, M.G. and Manorama Menon and Laksmikutty Panicker from Washington area. Cultural programs organized by Lekha Viswanathan were very impressive. The devotional song by Reghunathan Nair, Dances by Nandana, Arathi and Atira Pillai, Smitha Deepak’s outstanding rendition of “Paavanaguru” in Hamsanandi and the beautiful Deseeyagaanam by Suresh Babu made the function very enjoyable and relaxing. The Kerala style ‘Sadya’ served on the occasion was so befitting and Sivan Pillai once again showed how quickly you can organize big functions with the right style of leadership and friends around you.

Registration continued during the lunch and over 35 people registered for the Convention. Counting those who could not come due to other engagements and those who were out of town, it is expected that Pennsylvania registration will exceed 50.

Swami Siddhananda then gave the guests a grand treat showing the vast storage of books and periodicals and other publications and CDs and DVDs all published by Chinmaya Mission in the basement of the Center. From outside nobody could make out that this is the main distribution center for all Chinmaya Publications for the whole of United States. Swami Siddhananda said that he is happy to host functions of KHNA in his center because he believes that KHNA has already become the organization for Kerala Hindus in America which can guide them in the right path.

Ayyappa Vigraham Installed in Glen Allen, Virginia (November 7)  

Ayyappa devotees in the Washington Metro and Virginia are blessed with two places to worship the Lord; Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (Lanham, MD) and Rajdhani Mandir (Chantilly, VA). With the Lord’s blessings, on November 7, 2010, Richmond area devotees came together to install Ayyappa Vigraham in the new Richmond Temple, the Hindu Center of Virginia.
Devotees from DC area travelled to Richmond early in the morning to participate in the festivities. The rituals of Ayyappa Pratistapanam were performed in the Kerala tantric style by Sri Karianur Divakaran Nampoothiri (erstwhile priest of SSVT, Lanham, MD and Melsanthi at Sri Guruvayoorappan Temple in Kerala). Ayyappa Vigraham was brought out and Kalasha Pooja started at 7:30 AM. The deity was installed after elaborate poojas, Veda chanting and bhajana. The bhajana was periodically interrupted with the devotionally charged chanting of Swamiye, Ayyappo!
KHNA members and devotees in the Richmond area have planned to conduct Ayyappa Pooja and bhajana every month.