Soon after my arrival in U.S, I had the opportunity of visiting the famous Shiva Vishnu temple at Livermore located on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay Area,California. As we passed by,we saw a wide stretch of dry land surrounded by low slopes of rocky terrain dotted with dry,brown clumps of grass and shrubs. Livermore is a well-developed industrial city located on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay Area with a large population of more than eighty thousand population comprising nearly 75% white population.
As we entered the temple, many devotees were seen standing in the front hall waiting to have
darshan of Lord Balaji curtained off from outside. After a series of rituals for nearly two hours, we
were allowed to view the Lord, a beautiful statue in granite in standing posture decorated with sparkling jewellery and rows of multi -coloured garlands. Around the main temple there are many other small temples for other prominent Hindu deities like Lakshmi(consort of Balaji and Goddess of wealth), Durga (Goddess of power and consort of Lord Shiva), Murugan (God of Power and knowledge), Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesh (God who prevents obstacles and grants knowledge and victory), and Lord Rama along with Sita, Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman. Some idols were made of granite and others in white marble.
The temple is very spacious with a regular busy schedule of rituals, worship and ceremonies.
Many priests were seen performing various poojas and chanting hymns loudly. Unlike in the temples I visited in England, here I saw oil lamps and camphor lit while doing arti (waving lighted lamps). Huge exhaust pipes and air evacuators were installed near the ceiling to suck out smoke and hot vapour.
This temple provides all types of priestly services and performing of various rituals for
devotees -- a rare opportunity made available for those who wish to perform religious ceremonies
though living far away from their home country. Even some of the Americans visit this temple
to observe and appreciate the sculpture , attractive decoration and forms of worship. Besides
religious services this temple carries out other service activities like distribution of food to devotees,
holding free medical counselling and organising cultural programmes and religious discourses during important festive occasions.
The Hindu Community and Cultural Centre started this project of founding this temple in 1977.
The Tamil Nadu Government (India) donated the idols carved in traditional style. Dr. N.T.Rama Rao
(the ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh , India) laid the foundation stone in 1984-1985. The temple construction work went through various phases and was completed in 1999. This temple and the idols were made according to the Hindu tradition of both North and South Indian styles. Kumbhabhishekam (an elaborate religious ceremony of consecrating the idols) was performed in 1986. Mahakumbhabhishekam (purificatory ritual done after every twelve years) was performed in 1998 and 2010 respectively.
This temple certainly satisfies the religious and spiritual needs of devotees who wish to perform poojas, homams(sacrificial rites) and other holy ceremonies in a traditional manner without feeling any inconvenience for being far away from their native country. On the other hand we saw more zeal and a sense of commitment in the eyes of the people who visit this temple. Certainly this temple is going to become one of the attractions and religious centres for the devotees who come to California and feel the holy surroundings of a typical pilgrimage spot seen in many parts of India.
29-11-2011 - Soma Gutala
Appa , good . You have mentioned it a detailed way. Were you carrying a pen and notepad everywhere ??
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