NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM Issue # 18 71

NASSTA

NEWSLETTER

Om Sai Ram

18th Issue

August 2014

OM SAI RAM IN THIS ISSUE

This is our eighteenth NAASTA

newsletter with the list of upcoming

events, temple pictures, stories and future

temple projects. With our devotee’s

participation, we would like to publish

more monthly newsletters.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“If formless meditation is difficult,

then think of my form just as you

see it here. With such meditation,

the difference between subject and

object is lost and the mind

dissolves in unity.”

ARATI TIME - EVERYDAY

Kakad Arati –6:00 am

Abhishekham - 6:30 am

Madhyana Arathi –12:00 pm

Dhoop Arati –6 pm

Shej Arati – 8:30 pm

UPCOMING EVENTS AT NASSTA

Health Fair, Saturday August 2nd,

2014 from 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM

Saraswathi Pooja, Sunday August

3rd, 2014 10 AM and 4:00 PM

NASSTA is scheduling Saraswathi pooja

at 10 AM & 4 PM on Sunday, August 3rd,

for the start of the academic year.

Sponsorship is $31 per child. Everyone is

cordially invited

Varalakshmi Vrath, Friday, August

8th, 2014 at 7:00 PM

NASSTA is scheduling Varalakshmi Vrath

on Friday August 8that 7:00 PM.

Sponsorship is $51.00. Sponsors need to

bring their own Kalasam.

Sai Vrath, Saturday, August 9th,

2014 at 3:00 PM

Sai Vrath will be performed by NASSTA

at 3PM on Saturday August 9th , 2014.

Sponsorship is $51 per couple.

Everyone is cordially invited

Rig/Yajur Upakarma(Sravana

Poornima) RAKSHA BANDHAN,

Sunday, August 10th, 2014 at 7:30

AM

NASSTA is scheduling Upakarma on

Sunday August August 10th , 2014 at

7:30 AM. Sponsorship is $31 per person

Satyanarayan Vrath, Sunday,

August 10th, 2014 at 3 PM

Sponsorship is $51 per couple.

NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 18 2

Krishnaashtami, Sunday August

17th, 2014

6.30 AM : Sri Sainatha Abhishekam

$51.00

8.00 AM : Sri Krishna Moola Mantra

Homam $51.00

9.30 AM : Sri Krishna Abhishekam $51.00

9.30 AM : Sri Krishna Archana $21.00

11.00 AM : Vishnu Sahasranama

Sthothra Parayanam (by 108 devotees)

4.00 - 5.45 PM: Bhajan $116.00

6:00 PM : Dhoop Aarati

7:15 PM : Palaki Seva

7.30 PM : Kalahandi

8.30 PM : Shej Aarati

ALL DAY SPONSORSHIP (Except

Bhajan) $ 151.00

Samaveda Upakarma, Thursday,

August 28th, 2014 at 8 AM

NASSTA is scheduling Samaveda

Upakarma on Thursday August 28th, at

8.00 AM. Sponsorship is $31 per person.

Lord Ganesh Making Idol with clay,

Saturday, August 23rd from 10:00

AM -6:00 PM

Nominal fee of $5, open for all kids

Ganesh Chaturdi, Friday August

29, 2014

NASSTA is celebrating Ganesh Chaturdi

on Friday August 29th, 2014

6:30 AM Sri Saintha Abhishekham

$51.00

8:30 AM Sri Mahaganapathi Homam

$51.00

10:00 AM Sri Ganapathi Abhishekam

$51.00

11:00 AM Atharva Seersha Parayanam &

Sri Ganapathi Sahasranama Archana

$31.00

6:45 PM Palki Seva

7:00 PM Sri Sai Ganapathi Vratham

$51.00

All Day Pooja Sponsorship $116.00

Everyone is cordially invited

SAI ELEVEN ASSURANCES

1. Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his

sufferings would come to an end.

2. The wretched and miserable will rise to

joy and happiness as soon as they climb

the steps of the mosque

3. I shall be ever active and vigorous

even after leaving this earthly body.

4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the

needs of my devotees.

5. I shall be active and vigorous even

from my tomb.

6. My mortal remains will speak from my

tomb.

7. I am ever living to help and guide all

who come to me, who surrender to me

and who seek refuge in me.

8. If you look to me, I look to you.

9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall

surely bear it

10. If you seek my advice and help, it

shall be given to you at once.

11. There shall be no want in the house of

my devotee

Contact Information: Sohini Ayinala - 678 361 7574

Sai Temple - 678 455 7200

This event is made possible by North America Shirdi Sai Temple of Atlanta (NASSTA), Physicians, Dentists with the support of devotees and volunteers of

NASSTA

North America Shirdi Sai Temple of Atlanta 700 James Burgess Rd, Suwanee, GA 30024

(678)455-7200 : www.atlantasaitemple.org

Shirdi Sai Health Fair 2014

Cardiologist Ecdocrinologist

Internal Medicine Family Practice

Gastroenterologist Dentists

Nephrologist Dieticians

Pediatrician Ophthalmologists

Pulmonologist Orthopedic

Ayurveda Homeopathic

Saturday Aug 2, 2014 - 9:00AM - 2:00PM

Consultation with following Specialists

Saturday July 26, 2014 - 7:30AM - 1.30PM

Blood drawing and other Tests - ONLY No specialists will be available.

Screening for cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Screening for anemia, thyroid and male prostate conditions. EKG for patients with cardiovascular risk factors.

Complete Blood Profile: Includes, complete Blood Count, Sugar, Kidney & Liver function, electrolytes, Cholesterol & Thyroid function panel. PSA included for males above 40 years.

Complete Blood Profile Testing. $25 charge for the lab tests. Please do not eat after midnight, for blood test

Continental & Indian Breakfast provided

NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 18 3

Thousands of devotees thronged

to the Shirdi Sai Temple of Atlanta

in Suwanee, Georgia to offer their

prayers and seek Sai Baba’s

blessings at the joyous and

spiritually suffused Guru Purnima

Celebrations on Saturday, July

12, 2014.

Guru Purnima is celebrated on the

auspicious full moon day in the

month of Ashada. Guru Purnima

or Vyas Purnima is celebrated in

reverence of the universal

teacher.

Shirdi Sai Temple of Atlanta

celebrated much revered Guru

Purnima Day with daylong

celebrations. The celebrations

began at 5:45 am with Kakad

Aarati, the ceremonial awakening

of the Lord. Following this, the

Nava (9) Kalasa sthapana was

performed invoking the lord in the

form of energy into the 9 kalasas

(pots). The ritual was performed

by the learned and experienced

Temple priests Srinidhi Kadambi

and Amol Kulkarni, in the

presence of hundreds of devotees

who had turned out for an early

darshan of Sainath. After the puja

rituals to the kalasas, the priests

performed the havan in the name

of Lord Sainath, Ram Parivar and

Shiv Parivar.

Around 9 am, the priests

performed abhishek (ceremonial

bath) to the larger than life and

blissful main deity of Shirdi Sai

Baba along with the utsav murthy

and the padukas. The hour long

ceremony with Vedic chants

energized the whole sanctum and

the devotees present.

The stage was set for the

decoration of the main sanctum.

This year, the priests had chosen

a theme to replicate the Guru

Sthan present in Shirdi, India.

Guru Sthan represents the place

under the neem tree in Shirdi

where Saibaba meditated.

Volunteers had worked tirelessly

for the past few days to create a

replica of Guru sthan which was

later assembled in the sanctum.

While the decorations were going

on, bhajan singers engaged the

audience with their uplifting

bhajans.

Around 11 am, the priests

performed abhishek to Lord

Dattatreya. Shirdi Saibaba is

considered an avatar in the

lineage of Lord Dattatreya. Upon

completion of the ceremonial

rituals and decorations, the noon

Aarati was performed at 12 PM.

Devotees were pouring in and by

about 1 pm, approximately 1000

people had already made Sai

Baba’s darshan.

Joyous Celebrations of Guru Purnima

NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM | Issue # 18 4

Around 3 pm, more than 100

families participated in the

community sai vrat. Sai vrat is

similar to satyanarayan vrat where

the 9 governing planets, ashta

dikpalakas (rulers of the 8

corners) and the five presiding

deities are invoked along with

Lord Sainath. As an added

feature this year, the 52 week

sainath paduka puja was also

performed as part of this sai vrat.

The dhoop aarati at 6 pm was

followed with Palki Seva at 6.30

PM. Devotees enthusiastically

sang and danced to the loud beat

of the drums throughout the palki

procession around the temple

while dazzling firecrackers lit up

the sky overhead.

The significant part of the

elaborate rituals of Guru Purnima

is Guru Pranam – the act of

submitting oneself to a guru and

touching his feet in respect.

Chapter 22 of Sai Satcharitra says

“How to meditate on Baba? No

one has been able to fathom the

nature or the form of the Almighty.

Even the Vedas and the

thousand-tongued Shesha are not

able to describe it fully; but the

devotees cannot but know and

look at the form of the Lord, for

they know that His Feet are the

only means of their happiness.

They know no other method of

attaining the supreme goal in life,

except meditating on the Holy

Feet.”

The devotees lined up in the

sanctum by 7:15 PM to take the

opportunity of reaching out to the

Baba, touching his feet and

receiving his blessings. The

queue started inside the sanctum

and the long line stretched out

into the plaza and tent area.

Priests chanted Vishnu

Sahasranama and Lalita

Sahasranama as the devotees

went up to touch the feet of the

Lord. Later, volunteers continued

chanting “Om Sai Namo Namaha,

Sri Sai Namo Namaha, Jai Jai Sai

Namo Namaha, Sadguru Sai

Namo Namaha” till 10 pm.

More than 2,500 people visited

the temple between 7.30 and 10

pm. All were accommodated to

do Guru Pranam. The Temple

had courteously arranged for a

separate lane for convenience of

senior citizens, pregnant women

and families with infants.

The Temple kitchen served

delicious Maha Prasadam to all

the attendees from 11 am to 11

pm. The dedicated volunteers

efficiently and cheerfully managed

the parking lot throughout the day.

More than 100 volunteers worked

ceaselessly to help in the

sanctum, kitchen and parking

areas to ensure that devotees had

a smooth and safe darshan.

The joyous celebrations

concluded with community

archana on behalf of the entire

local community, followed with

Shej aarati at 10.30 PM.

With the blessings of Lord Sai

Baba, dedication, commitment

and hard work of the Temple

Officers, priests and volunteers,

the mammoth and spectacular

Guru Purnima Celebrations were

truly memorable.

Mahadev Desai

NASSTA NEWSLETTER OM SAI RAM Issue # 18 71

Parking Lot Expansion - Thursday Evening Parking - Special Instructions

As you all are aware, expansion of the temple parking lot is underway. We apologize for the inconvenience caused during

this period while we work on expanding the parking lot. Please note additional parking for temple is at Settles Bridge

Elementary school which is about half a mile up the street (going towards Hwy 20). Volunteers are running shuttles from

the parking lot to the temple and back. Kindly avail the Settles Bridge parking lot and avoid parking on the side of the road

for your safety and safety of those around you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

https://plus.google.com/photos/104271913878809142113/albums/6037974797363284321?authkey=CMDcsIXcju7d9AE

NASSTA ADDRESS

700 James Burgess Road

Suwanee GA 30024

(678)455-7200

http://www.atlantasaitemple.org

TEMPLE HOURS

Mon, Tue, Wed 5:45 AM to 8:00 AM, 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM,

4:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Thu 5.45 AM to 9:30 PM

Fri, Sat, Sun 5:45 AM to 9:00 PM

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