MANDIR V ANI - Hindu Temple of Dayton Ohio

Hindu Temple of Dayton
2615 TEMPLE LANE
BEAVERCREEK, OH 45431-8773
937 / 429-4455
Priest Ramesh Rajamani
(off Tuesday) 937-431-9988
Sri Ashwani Kumar, Priest
(off Mon.) 937-429-5815
TEMPLE HOURS
Mon - Fri 9:00 am - 11:00 am
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sat, Sun and Holidays 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
(April through October open til 9:00pm)
DIRECTIONS TO THE TEMPLE: From I-75
or I-70 to I-675 and take Exit 17 (North Fairfield
Rd.). South on Fairfield Road, East on New Germany
Trebein Road, and South on Lillian Lane.
West on Temple Lane. Temple is at the end of
Temple Lane (less than a mile from the exit).
*InsIde and outsIde personal pujas
can only be scheduled by callIng
jyothI sIngrI (937) 426-6210
gnan thaKore (FalgunI) (937) 429-9169
Editor: Benu Kulkarni (937) 435-7729
Email: benuk@earthlink.net
HINDU COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, INC.
P.O. Box 340397
Dayton, Ohio 45431-0397
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
HINDU TEMPLE OF DAYTON, OHIO
Tuesday, January 4th from 7-9pm
Hanuman Jayanthi
Puja Bhajan & Aarthi
PUJA & PRIEST SERVICE Over 90 miles $100 Extra
Puja Service *In Temple *Outside Temple
METRO (50 - 90 miles)
Abhishekam-Lord Venkateshwara $101.00 - -
Archana $ 11.00 - -
Sahasranama $ 51.00 - -
Akshrabhyas $ 51.00 $101.00 $151.00
Annaprasana $ 51.00 $101.00 $101.00
Amritvani $ 101.00 $121.00 $151.00
Ayush Homam/Birthday Cele. $ 101.00 $151.00 $201.00
Basement Rental $ 51.00 - -
Engagement Celebrations $201.00 $251.00 -
Funeral - $101.00 $151.00
Graha Praveshman - $151.00 $201.00
Ground Breaking Ceremony - $151.00 $201.00
Kalyana Uthsava $ 101.00 -
Kesh Khandan $ 51.00 $101.00 $201.00
Nama Karanam $ 71.00 $101.00 $151.00
Navagraha Homam $181.00 $201.00 $201.00
Nitya Seva $101.00 - -
Ramyan Path $151.00 $201.00 $251.00
Saraswathi Puja $151.00 $181.00 $181.00
Satya Narayan Puja $101.00 $151.00 $201.00
Seemantham $181.00 $181.00 $201.00
Sashti Poorthi $181.00 $181.00 $201.00
Shraaddham $ 51.00 $101.00 $151.00
Sundar Kand $121.00 $151.00 $181.00
Upanayanam $151.00 $181.00 $201.00
Vahan Puja $ 31.00 - -
Wedding $251.00 $351.00 $501.00*
Graha Praveshman w/s/p - $201.00 $251.00
Any Other Puja $121.00 $171.00 $201.00
Any other Homan $151.00 $181.00 $201.00
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
President (937) 429-9169 Gnan Thakore
Vice President (937) 885-3609 Satish Kathula
Secretary (937) 429-9341 Sharmila Mukhopadhyay
Treasurer (937) 264-0178 Amrit Dewan
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Internal Auditing / Puja Scheduling Jyothi Singri
Reg. Puja / Special Puja / Discourses Suseela Ramanathan
Library / Fund Raising Satish Kathula
Mandir Vani / Advertising Benu Kulkarni
Communications / Membership Amrit Dewan
Inventory Control / Supply Bhavana Patel
Construction / Volunteers / Facilities Management Gnan Thakore
Compliance / Operational Analysis / Facilities Management Sanjay Sandhir
Public Relations Sharmila Mukhopadhyay
BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Chairman Benu Kulkarni
Vice Chairman Sharmila Mukhopadhyay
Advisor Gnan Thakore, Suseela Ramanathan
Advisor Sanjay Sandhir & Jyothi Singri
* for one day
DONATE GENEROUSLY TO OUR TEMPLE www.DAYTONTEMPLE.COM
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Paid
Dayton, Ohio
Permit No. 1151
MANDIR VANI
VOL XXV NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2010 NO 6

November 2010
December 2010
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2
Ekadasi
3 4
Nakara
5
Deepawali
6
Govardhan
7
Chatur Dasi
(Kalichavdas)
Puja
4:30 PM
8 9 10
Amavasya
15 16
Kadaimukam
22
Kartika
Bhahula
Pratama
29 30
17
Ekadasi
Mudavan
Muzukku
11
Skanda
Shashti
7-9 PM
23 24 25
Sankatahara
Chaturthi
12
Sravanam
18 19 20
Bharani
Deepam
13 14
26 27 28
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
3 4
6
Margaseera
Suddha
Prathama
13 14
20
Poornima
Satyanarayan
Puja 6:30 PM
1
Ekadasi
2
Vaishnaya
Ekadasi
7 8 9
Mahalaya
Amavasya
15 16
Dhanur
Month
Begins
21 22
Margaseersh
Bhahula
Prathama
Arudra
10
Sravanam
17
Vaikunta
Ekadasi
6-9 PM
Abhishekam
23 24
Sankatahara
Chaturthi
27 28 29 30 31
Ekadasi
11
Suklashashti
18
Krithikai
Ayyappa
Puja
5-7 PM
21
Annamalai
Deepam-
Satyanarayan
Puja 6:30 PM
5
Amavasya
12
19
25 26

January 2011
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
31 1
New Year
Abhishekam
11 AM
3
Bodayana
Amavasya
10
Suklashathi
4
Hanuman
Jayanthi
Puja 7 -9 PM
11
Koodaraivalli
5
Pushya
Suddha
Prathama
12
Bhogi
Festival
17 18 19
Poornima
Satyanarayan
Puja 6:30 PM
24 25
Krithikai
26
Regular Regular Weekly Weekly Events:
Events:
6
Sravanam
2
10 AM - Lord
Venkateshwara
Abhishehkam
7 8 9
Dhanur
Vyathepatam
13 14 15
Makara
shankaranthi
20
Pushya
Bhalula
Prathama
27 28
Ekadasi
21 22
Sankatahara
Chaturthi
16
Vaishnava
Bheeshma
Ekadasi
23
29 30
Vaishnava
Ekadasi
Sundays: Abhishekam for Lord Venkateshwara at 10:00 a.m.“Bhagavad Gita” class from 3 -4 pm
“Hinduism” class from 4-5 p.m by Prof. Ramesh Patel.
Mondays: Abhishekam for Lord Shiva Somavara Puja at 6:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: Chanting of Hanuman Chalisa at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: Bhagavatam Reading 7-8 p.m.

Fridays: Chanting of Vishnu Sahasranaman at 7:30 p.m.
Every Poornima: Lord Satyanarayan Puja at 6:30 p.m

December 2010 Events at Temple:
Bhajans by Community
December 4, 2010
5:30 – 7:30 PM
General Body Meeting
December 5, 2010 @ 12 PM
Agenda: President’s update, Treasurer
Report, Update on Temple Development,
Nomination for New Board Members for
2010 – 2011, Board Positions, Recognizing
Volunteers, Discussions
Tiruppavai Recital
December 16, 2010 – Janauary 14 th 2011
Monday – Saturday 7:00 am – 8:00 am
Sunday after the Abhishekam at 11:00 am
Vaikunta Ekadasi
December 17, 2010 6-9 PM
Abhishekam for Lord Venkateshwara,
Srinivasa Kalyanam, Sundersana Homam
Ayyappa Puja
December 18, 2010 (Saturday)
5 – 7 PM
Satyanarayan Puja
December 20, 2010 (Monday) @ 6 PM
January 2011 Events at Temple:
New Year’s Day Abhishekam
January 1, 2011 @ 11 AM
Abhishekam, Alamkaram, Aarti & Prasad
Hanuman Jayanthi
January 4, 2011 (Tuesday)
7 – 9 PM
Makar Sankaranthi Festival (Pongal)
Januaury 15, 2011 (Saturday)
10:30 AM
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Special Trustee Meeting date to be
announced for approval of Gopuram repair
and Temple Expansion. Board members
that have been approved for 2011 are:
Mr. Amrit Dewan, Mr. Venki Venkatesh,
Mrs. Anandi Patel. General Body Meeting
vote needed.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOK 2011:
This book is packed with two for one
deals and is a great gift idea. They are
available for sale now at our temple.
Contact the priests regarding this book if
interested. They are also on sale at SriG
Groceries (937-439-4090) and Mall of
India (937-429-3800). Each book sells
for $30. HCO will receive $6 for every
book sold by our temple. They will be on
sale from now through December 15,
2010.

Makar Sankranti and Pongal January 15, 2011 10:30am
Makara Sankranti is the occasion when Lord Surya Narayan (the Sun God) is
worshipped signifying the sun’s movement from Cancer to Capricorn. The
beginning of the sun’s northern course called “Uttarayan”, is hailed as an
auspicious period, during which the days are longer than the nights.
In North India, devotees take bath in holy rivers on Makara Sankranti day. In
Punjab where December and January are the coldest months of the year, huge
bonfires are lit on the eve of Sankrant and celebrated as “Lohri”. Sweets,
sugarcane and rice are thrown in the bonfires, around which relatives and
friends gather. In Ahmedabad, state of Gujarat, Makara Sankranti is
celebrated by flying colorful kites. As night falls cylindrical paper lamps are
sent up into the sky. They fill the sky with a thousand flickering lights. In
Maharashtra, people exchange “tilguds” – made from sesame seeds and jaggery and “Haldi-kumkoo” is
offered to the married women along with a gift of any utensil, which is purchased on Sankranti day by
the woman of the house.
It is a three day harvesting festival, and one of the most colorful events in South India, particularly in
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and TamilNadu. First day (the day before Sankranti) is celebrated as Bhogi,
the day when old stuff is discarded and the house is well cleaned. On Sankranti day, the newly harvested
rice is ceremoniously cooked in a pot of milk; when it boils and overflows,
people loudly and joyously say “Pongal-O- pongal”; jaggery is added to the pot
and the sweet pongal is offered to Sun God as thanksgiving.
The third day (the day after Sankranti) is celebrated as “Mattu Pongal”. Cows
and bullocks are painted, decorated and fed with Pongal. In the evening, the
cattle in each village are led out in procession to the beat of drums and music.
In some towns of South India, the festival is climaxed by a kind of bull-fight in which young men try to
wrestle bundles of currency notes from the horns of ferocious bulls. In Andhra Pradesh, every household
displays its collection of dolls for all the three days, in addition to the above celebrations. The third day
is also celebrated as “Kanu Pongal” in South India. On this day young girls and women pray for the well-
being of their brothers and receive gifts from them. It is similar to Raksha Bandhan being celebrated in
North India. In Kerala, Makara Sankranti is celebrated with Ayyappa Swami Puja; Devotees visit
Sabrimalai Temple of Sri Ayyappan and wait to witness the flash of a strange light – the “Makara
Vilakku”. The atmosphere reverberates with the sound of ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’.
Aadityahrudayam punyam sarva shathru vinashanam; Jayaavaham japennithyam akshaiyam
paramam shivam
Sarvamangala maangalyam sarvapaapa pranaashanam; chinthaashoka prashamanam
aayurvardhanam uthamam.
Please come and participate in the Makara Sankranti / Pongal celebrations.

Significance of Andal’s Tiruppavai during the month of Margazhi
The month of Margazhi is the Tamil month of religious austerities and devotional singing. It
corresponds to the mid-December to mid-January period culminating in the harvest festival called
Pongal. During this hallowed month of Margazhi, people young and old rise up at dawn and sing the
celebrated devotional hymn called Tiruppavai. The Tiruppavai is a lyrical poem of 30 stanzas, of
exquisite beauty and devotional ecstasy. It was composed by Andal – one of the 12 Alwars, in praise
of Lord Krishna. The theme of this poem is spiritual awakening.
Legend has it that Andal and her father belonged to Srivilliputhoor, a little town near Madurai in
South India. Andal was the foster child of Vishnuchitta, also called Periyalwar or Pattarpiran, who
found her as a child beneath a ‘tulsi’ plant in his garden. His own overwhelming devotion to Lord
Vishnu led to Periyalwar’s encouragement of Andal in her participation in the worship of the Lord,
also known as Vatapatrasaayin in the shrine of Srivilliputhoor. She composed the Tiruppavai
consisting of 30 hymns, and the Naachiar Tirumozhi in 143 stanzas.
Andal, also known as Kothai, was believed to be an Avatara of Sridevi, Mother Earth. It is said that
one day, Andal decked herself in the garland that Periyalwar had kept for adorning the Lord. When
Periyalwar came to know of this, he was filled with remorse and admonished Kothai for doing this.
He made a fresh garland and offered it to the Lord. But the Lord Vatapatrasaayin came in
Periyalwar’s dream that night and asked for the garland worn by Kothai! In course of time, Andal’s
Bhakthi knew no bounds and she took to Paavai Nonbu (austerities) in expression of her earnest
desire to have none other than Lord Krishna as her husband. It is said that later, Lord Ranganatha
of Srirangam appeared in a dream and asked Periyalwar to bring Andal to his abode. It was there
that Andal – the saint poetess merged with the divine form of Lord Ranganatha.
Traditionally, the 30 hymns of the Tiruppavai are broken up into sections. The first section (songs
1-5) introduces us to the ancient Tamil custom of Paavai Nonbu, when maidens undertake vows
during Margazhi for a happy married life and for the good of the community. This section, in a
broader sense also provides an overview for Jeevanmukthi. In section two (songs 6-15), Andal goes
from door to door arousing her friends. The time of the day is Brahma Muhurtham, 4 AM to 6 AM
which is considered to be the most auspicious period of the day. In section three (songs 16-22), the
girls come to Krishna’s palace. They enter seeking the guard’s permission and wake up Nandagopala,
Yashoda, Balarama and finally Krishna and his spouse Nappinnai or Nila. In section four (songs 23-
28), Andal talks to Krishna. In song 29, she discloses the true purpose of their visit to him, which is
not the riches that Krishna willingly gives, but for the true affirmation of the eternal bond between
them and him, between the Lord and his devotees. The poem concludes with a benediction for all
who recite it faultlessly.