leading up to the opening............
Sunday 18th January 2004 - Official VIP reception and ribbon cutting
More photos here from Bhaktine Katie
More photos from Vedavati dd from Sunday evening
write-up from Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa his perspective from what his service entailed.
Purchase the Video of the Auckland Temple Opening
from Prananath prabhu HERE
Friday 16th January @ the olde temple
Friday @ the new temple for sankalpa and the Official opening and installation of the Chakra and later placing on the roof:
devotees waiting outside main entrance for procedings to begin.
Kalasamvara prabhu's water fountain feature
Hari Sauri prabhu ACBSP and former Auckland TP and former Gurukul head
master Bhava prabhu TKG
the Purna Kumbha comes out from the temple to begin the sankalpa, swasti
vachan, dristi-nirbaranam (breaking coconuts and dispelling of the symbolic
burning effigy of inauspiciousness personified in a straw man and dumping
him away from the project by an uninitiated helper)
Sri Sriyuts Ramai maharaj, Prabhavishnu maharaj and Devamrita maharaj
officially open the temple doors for devotees to enter
Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa explains the procedures of events to come to
the devotees present
preparations for the installation of the Sudarshan waters that will
bathe the kalash etc on the roof, and bathe the Deities the next day, the
Sudarshan Tattwa yajna and avahan for installing Sudarshan into the chakra.
the chakra, the waters and the yajna pit were all bound together with
red thread signifying the unified purpose of invoking Sudarshan there.
Prabhavishnu swami performing the Vishvakshena puja to remove all obstacles
as we begin the ceremonies
more cameras than a Tokyo convention........
devotees taking a few moments to orient themselves before the pujas
begin
JTCd guiding Hari Sauri prabhu through the invoking of Sudarshan into
the waters, and then into the chakra and offering various upacharas during
the puja
JTCd assisted by Sridam prabhu from CHCH performing various nyasa homas
to invoke Sudarshan
Sridam prabhu offering lamps to the fire and to the Sudarshan chakra
being simultaneously installed
Sridam prabhu performing Sudarshan tatha homa and tattwa homa
Kalasamvara prabhu ACBSP one of the project directors
devotees offering grain samaghris into the fire
Gaura Nataraj prabhu and Kalas'
Kalas', Indradyumna swami, Atmarama prabhu ACBSP (TP Sydney) and Dina
Bandhu prabhu the artist who painted the pictures on the roof.
JTCd shows Indradyumna swami the Salagram he carries around his neck,
and some katha is relished......
among the gifts given to devotees were commemorative beadbags, key
rings, anga-vaastras (chaddas), and souvenir magazines .................
lots of old friends meeting up............Sitarani dd (Katikati - Tauranga),
Ramila dd (Christchurch) and Bhakti Marga dd (Auckland & Katikati)
all devotees, big and not so tall................
Indradyumna swami leads kirtan as the party climbes to the top of the
Shikhara to place the kalash, the flag (dhwaj) and chakra.
Ramai swami up the ladder on onto the roof.....
Devamrita swami goes up too...... Kalas' at the bottom ready to go
up.........
looking at the kalash
about to place the flag
placing the flag
followed by requesting the Dhwaj to stay there (pratistha), bathing
and anointing with chandan etc, through nyasa and worshipping with five
articles.
placing the installed chakra onto the top of the shikhara
offering the various articles; chandan, kumkum, sugandam pushpam, incense,
camphor lamp, naivedya food stuffs.
bathing the flag and kalash in Sudarshan protective waters
above the temple room
all domes were previously kept covered until the day of the opening
- unvieling - bathing.........
one shot from round the other side showing the downstairs prasadam
and community hall, kitchens, and festival prasadam tents to left
unvieling the dome above the templeroom
unvieling and bathing the dome above where Srila Prabhupad sits
more to come...........
Janananda prabhu ACBSP the MC in the prasadam tent leading the devotees
in Prasada sevaya prayers