Navaratri Celebrations at Penusila Kshetram
Sep 26, 2006
Our beloved Amma performs abhishekam to Divine Mother, offering honey – “Honey is the most auspicious offering for Mother; just one teaspoon of that honey prasadam is enough to remove our negativity” ~Amma
Amma offers fruit juice on behalf of all her children – each day of Navaratri, 27 different types of fresh fruit juices were offered to Devi for the 27 nakshatras, to remove any negative vibrations from these stars
Amma tenderly applies turmeric paste to Devi’s cheeks – wearing turmeric on the cheeks, especially turmeric that was offered to Devi, gives us so much positivity and inner radiance
Amma offers harati to the three Devis at the end of the abhishekam – what a tremendous blessing to see our beloved Amma worshipping Divine Mother during the auspicious time of Navaratri
Our beloved Mother Lalitambika, adorned with fragrant jasmine flowers, pink lotuses, hibiscus flowers, pearls, emeralds, rubies, turmeric and kumkum
Through the blessings of modern technology, all can receive the blessings of seeing Amma’s divine lotus feet during Navaratri
Amma shows everyone the special decorations on the purnahuti coconut; each day the decorations are different according to what kind of homas are being performed
Some priests prepare a special Sri Subrahmanya Yantra – using just colored powder and certain kinds of sand, they create the beautiful and complex yantra entirely by hand without any guides
The completed yantra, with its beautiful serpent rising above – the Sri Subrahmanya Homa performed today helps to eradicate problems associated with the kala sarpa dosha
Before the procession, Amma performs puja to Sri Vishnu, who is reclining on a vehicle resembling Adisesha, the divine serpent.
Overcome with joy and devotion, devotees gather around Amma and dance for her enjoyment – “I love to see this dancing; I love it more than the homa purnahuti!” ~Amma
As the Laksha Modaka Homa will be performed the next day, all the 100,000 modakas are brought to the temple and offered to Sri Ganesha before being offered into the homa fire
During the evening program, a very small, cute image of Devi is placed in a tiny bed and gently rocked while the lullaby “Lali Lali” is sung – “Mother is all-pervasive, She doesn’t need to be put to bed, but the feeling behind this is so sweet. We feel that we are bothering Mother all day with all our requests, so finally we place Mother very gently in the bed and wish Her good rest” ~Amma
Our beloved Mother Sri Lalitambika Devi, who bestows every kind of blessing on Her children, for health, wealth, purity, happiness, long life, and the most important final boon of brahmajnana sukham – the highest bliss of eternal divine consciousness
~~~
During the auspicious Navaratri festival,
may the whole world be drenched in the nectarean love of
our beloved Mother Sri Lalitambika Devi
~~~
Om shantih shantih shantihi
May all be in peace
Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu
May all be happy
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