Murugan worshippers here?

[Kirran]

Hard to say. Do they ever get a Sri Lankan priest out from London to perform a larger puja, like a massive homa, or something like that?

Nah, they do homas themselves as well. I was at one on Diwali

During the inauguration of the temple in Switzerland they had two gurus who are peripherally associated with SV come, and also a priest. I suspect they'd have known everything they needed anyway, but maybe not.

 

[Vinayaka]

Nah, they do homas themselves as well. I was at one on Diwali

During the inauguration of the temple in Switzerland they had two gurus who are peripherally associated with SV come, and also a priest. I suspect they'd have known everything they needed anyway, but maybe not.

Depends on what you define as 'needed'. That varies a lot by sampradaya. SSC gets Sivachariyas in to do a few pujas, and something like a mahakumbhabhishekham 'needs' an incredibly well trained one. Then again, I've seem a mahakumbhabishekham last 10 days, and another one that lasted 5 hours over 2 days. Like weddings ... you can get the 5 day variety or the 2 hour variety.

 

[Kirran]

Depends on what you define as 'needed'. That varies a lot by sampradaya. SSC gets Sivachariyas in to do a few pujas, and something like a mahakumbhabhishekham 'needs' an incredibly well trained one. Then again, I've seem a mahakumbhabishekham last 10 days, and another one that lasted 5 hours over 2 days. Like weddings ... you can get the 5 day variety or the 2 hour variety.

True. I guess in this case I just meant regarding being able to manage such a powerful blast of energy as went on in the inauguration of such a temple.

 

[Vinayaka]

True. I guess in this case I just meant regarding being able to manage such a powerful blast of energy as went on in the inauguration of such a temple.

Indeed. Generally the weather acts up, and that's always taken as a great sign. The last one here had tents getting blown over and all that. Things they are astirrin' so you need people who know what they are doing. The forces in and around a temple at such times can get quite overwhelming, to put it mildly. Sometimes its so great that they have to cancel it, or not chance doing another one.

Usually it's in and around the yagasala, and the main kumbham, where they put the temple temporarily. Putting all that energy into one pot must be like overloading a lightbulb with electricity.

 

[Vinayaka]

This guy http://www.skandavale.ch/inauguration-soma-skanda-temple/ sure looks like a Sivacharya priest. There are several Tamil temples in Switzerland.

 

[Kirran]

Indeed. Generally the weather acts up, and that's always taken as a great sign. The last one here had tents getting blown over and all that. Things they are astirrin' so you need people who know what they are doing. The forces in and around a temple at such times can get quite overwhelming, to put it mildly. Sometimes its so great that they have to cancel it, or not chance doing another one.

Usually it's in and around the yagasala, and the main kumbham, where they put the temple temporarily. Putting all that energy into one pot must be like overloading a lightbulb with electricity.

Often the power at the Yaga Sala at SV is also especially intense, same deal - temporary place. I suppose that level of intensity is so normalised in the temples themselves.

This guy http://www.skandavale.ch/inauguration-soma-skanda-temple/ sure looks like a Sivacharya priest. There are several Tamil temples in Switzerland.

Yeah, that's Sri Ram! The two in the middle are Mohanji with the long hair, and Sharavana Baba with no hair.

Yeah, quite a lot of Tamil refugees ended up in Switzerland. The way the Swiss government did resettlements, you get just like some village somewhere that's a Tamil village, almost. So not so far away from where Soma Skanda Ashram is, there's this Tamil settlement with its own local temples (three!) and the whole deal. A few people showed up at the temple, as they start to get wind of it I suspect there'll be more and more.

 

[Vinayaka]

Maybe some day I shall visit. Why do they keep a Yaga sala all th etime?

 

[Kirran]

Maybe some day I shall visit. Why do they keep a Yaga sala all th etime?

Maybe I'll visit Kauai some day. Well they just have a building that's called that, which is used for certain very rare pujas (a handful of times a year).

 

[ShivaFan]

... Southern Devis ...

My Mother-In-Law in Canada (who also comes to stay with me as well in California) told me about visiting a "Thuka" temple in Canada - it may very well be the same one Vinayaka has visited. From her description, I am sure Thurka or Turka is Durga one in the same.

Here is an image of South Indian Durga, notice She is green:

She also strikes me as holding items similar to Kamakshi, Durga. Kamakshi also holds a parrot like Meenakshi. Kamakshi is another VERY POWERFUL Soith Indian Shakti (but She also has a temple in Goa!) who often is seen sitting and holding a Sugarcane bow on her left upper arm and Lotus, Parrot in her right upper arm and has divine chakras called Pasa and Angusa in her arms.

She is considered Amman or Mother and is a "weapon" Tripura Sundari (or the Glamourous Of the Three Cities, viz 3 Cities one on Bhumi Mother Earth, one floating in the Sky, and one in a Heavenly Abode, built by Demon, Shiva destroyed these 3 Cities and a Great Fire broke out on the Earthly one even though parts of it were metal... this fire was started by Shiva's Third Eye... This Devi is considered the Queen of the Cities and associated with Saivism and Shiva...) - She is seen as Parvati to most yet Her Own as well. She is part of the South Indian Shakti Devi tradition, however She is seen golden and not Green.

Honestly, from my observation, there are more Devis and Shakti Devis in South India than North, perhaps only Varanasi can compete. Many in South are Green. Most are Saiva and seen as some form, manifestation or emanation of Parvati. Most are Shakti. Many have the Green Parrot. Many DO NOT LIKE TO SHARE THEIR DEVOTEES WITH ANYONE ELSE (not even with Shiva in some cases!) and or can be "entrappers" or in some cases devotees voluntarily become Her slave.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, my Tamil friend calls Shiva Shivam. It's just how they say things in that language.

That, IMHO, is Sanskrit influence, not really Tamil.

That ends with the flag lowering ..

End of the festival. Those who are on fasts can take food, relaxation in purity requirements, etc. Like Durga and Ganesha visarjanas (immersions). Other festivals, other Gods take over. With us, an unending cycle..

 

[Aupmanyav]

Honestly, from my observation, there are more Devis and Shakti Devis in South India than North, ..

We have just as many. Nine Durgas in Himachal Pradesh, three in Hindu Kashmir, many more in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. That includes the Garhi Mai/Maiyya (the Goddess of the fort, Durga again) of the sacrifice fame on India-Nepal border. Easy with us, any Goddess, make her either Durga or her daughter in one of the many forms.

Jaunpur. Atala Devi Mosque (temple destroyed in 1408).

Yeah, that's Sri Ram! The two in the middle are Mohanji with the long hair, and Sharavana Baba with no hair.

Oh, you know them all.

 

[Kirran]

Oh, you know them all.

Spend enough time at a place, you get to know people

 

[Vinayaka]

... Southern Devis ...

My Mother-In-Law in Canada (who also comes to stay with me as well in California) told me about visiting a "Thuka" temple in Canada - it may very well be the same one Vinayaka has visited. From her description, I am sure Thurka or Turka is Durga one in the same.

There are two Durga Thurka temples in Vancouver area. One is in Surrey, a few blocks from the large Lakshmi Narayan one you've been to, and the Sri Lankan Thurka one is over in Burnaby.

 

[ShivaFan]

There are two Durga Thurka temples in Vancouver area. One is in Surrey, a few blocks from the large Lakshmi Narayan one you've been to, and the Sri Lankan Thurka one is over in Burnaby.

Yes! Burnaby - that makes sense because I also have Hindu relatives in Burnaby as well as Vancouver and my Mother visits Burnaby as well ...