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Showing posts with label Balaji. Show all posts
Queing up for UGADI day lunch at TIVIDALE BALAJI TEMPLE,UK
The Tividale Balaji Temple in the UK is in fact much more than a seat of God it was intented to be. It has become a place to visit for thousands of asians living in the United Kingdom and the part of their itinerary for those visiting as tourists.
The temple and its serene and vast surroundings covered by lawn adds to its attraction as a place to spend some time with family and children. On important Hindu festival days the place come alive with thousands of people, all leaving their day to day working western garb for wonderful coloured and embroidered sarees and all kinds of Indian dress, adding a lot of colour and variety to the scenery.
The temple though based on south Indian system of worship is rather generous in celebrations, missing almost none irrespective of the region of India. Consequently there are plenty of occasions and very frequently. On a nice sunny day, the celebration tend to be more colourful and prolonged like the UGADI day. All celebrations and weekends are especially looked forward to for the simple but very Indian meal as 'Prasadam' to the worshippers. On UGADI celebration, the meal take a special Telugu flavour , with a few more Telugu preparations added to the usual meal.
UGADI DAY 2011
UGADI DAY 2012
God's very own salesman!
If you truly believe in God, it is really amazing how events in life, which might at first look very common or insignificant, can reveal glimpses of his grace!
Since many years, I have been given an opportunity to go to a great temple every Saturday. This is the new Balaji Temple at Tividale near Birmingham in the UK. Though very much in the centre of a British town, this is a new and marvellous temple built as a replica of the Thirupati Sri Balaji Temple. It is located in a beautiful landscaped and isolated piece of land, fully of serenity and brimming with the presence of the almighty.
With HIS grace and the interest and passion of the wider Indian community all over the UK, the temple has grown over the years in to a complex with smaller temples for other deities and some communal facilities. At the request of a large number of devotees. a Lord Shiva temple is being built and its Kumbhabhishekam is being held in August 2010.
As part of the fund raising, temple trustees and volunteers often try to make the visiting devotees aware of various opportunities for donating to the temple fund. One such opportunity is contributing a golden billvam leaf which will be used in the puja on the Sivarathri day every month.
One of the trustees used to routinely talk to me on my every visit. One day he stopped me and suggested that I help him to do the promotion. Not considering myself to be important and not having the "right profile" I excused myself from his demands on several occassions. However yesterday I gave in to his persuasions and agreed to talk to the devotees coming out of Darshan, least expecting that I can convince anyone to donate £501 pounds.
Reluctantly, with a bunch of leaflets in my hand I stood facing the outgoing line of devotees not knowing where to start. Very soon I found myself stopping people and talking to them things about Lord Shiva I didn't know that I knew! Finally I managed, to my utter surprise, persuade four families to sign up for the billvam in about twenty minutes. I think my friend was more surprised than pleased when he told me that I have done very well.
Both of us agreed that it was the Lord who has done very well for himself!
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