December 3 marks #GivingTuesday
A Global Day of Giving.
This #Giving Tuesday,
Ammas needs your support!
Penisula as it is now known is
part of what was historically known as Veda-Aranya (meaning, Vedic Forest) and
is part of the valley around the sacred Garudachala Mountains. At the base of the grand Mountain range that
has the grand views of Sri Shailam at one end and Tirumula Mountains on the
other is an ancient Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
where the Lord Narasimha is in Svayambu (self-manifested presence). Amma often tells us that wherever there is a
Svayambu Narasimha, one day of meditation equates to 10,000 years of practice.
Rishis roamed this valley and
the mountains above and meditated here for years. There was a major river known as Pinnakini
River so dedicated to service that even Rishis knew that a single day of
meditation in this region was equivalent to a lifetime of meditation
elsewhere. At the top of the Garudagiri
Hills, several thousands of years ago, Sage Vishwamitra had worshiped there
for many years and received his vision of Goddess Gayatri. Also at the top of the Hills are several little
ponds (Amma tells us there are 1008 ponds) that drain into the waterfalls known
as Vishnu Theertham that is known to heal so many who come there in faith. Kanwa Maharishi's penance for several years
has brought so many benefits and natural resources to the region that the
forest nearby is also rich in herbal plantation that is used in Ayurveda to
treat many illnesses and ailments. Amma
herself meditated on these hills before she established her Ashram here.
It is this sacred region that
hosts the Sri Manidweepa Mahasamsthanam Temple dedicated to the Trishakthi Peetam of Goddesses
Adi Shakti, Mahalakshmi and Sarawati. Honoring these Goddesses are Lord Ganesha and Lord Subramanya and the
powerful presence of a Sri Chakra Meru that has harnessed immensely powerful
strong energies of so many prayers and chants from Vedic priests throughout India
and beneath the shrines are several Yantras and powerful Saligramas that have
the unique properties of providing protection and strength to those who come in
faith and sincerity of purpose. The
location of the Temple was given by the Divine Mother Herself to our Divine
Incarnation Amma Sri Karunamayi. One of
the most astounding phenomena at the main shrine is the constantly growing
Ganesha whose outer ornaments need to be resized to fit, every three or four
years.
Over the years the Temple has
grown to add a Mercury Siva Lingam, a Jade Lingam, Guru Dakshinamurthy and
several more shrines and is now thronged by thousands of devotees from all over
the world who attend the many events that take place throughout the year for
the benefit of all humanity. Opportunities
to visit this Temple and this region and meditate here are only available to
those chosen by God and directed to practice under the auspicious presence of
Amma. It is neither bashful nor
bragging, to suggest that any one of us privileged to sit in this environment
and meditate in silence, must at the very least feel honored and grateful for
the opportunity.
One
can easily understand that
as the Temple has grown and the crowds have poured in, some limitations
have
crept up with regards to facilities. The
local weather has been tampered with over the years as civilization has
chosen
to cut off original forestry and natural growth and replaced them with
eucalyptus trees and others that render the land bare and the weather
much
harsher. The heat and drought leads to
interruptions in power and the crowds add to the enormous increases in
temperature within the temple. There is
a dire need for a generator and an air-conditioner to help deal with
these
excessive increases in discomfort for the many devotees that visit the
temple. Your generous contribution which can be matched to double the
impact will facilitate the repairs and maintenance at this beautiful and exquisite Temple and will let everyone know that Sri Manidweepa Mahasamsthanam Temple makes a difference in your life.
#Giving Tuesday is around the corner. This is a huge giving moment and Amma needs your help.
This year, Facebook will match donations of up to $7 million to U.S.
non profits on Facebook, and we want to take advantage of those matching
dollars to help support Divine Mother's celestial home.
