Temple Newsletter
Namashkaram,

This Friday, April 28 is Akshaya Tritiya. There will be a Lakshmi Abhishekam at 7 pm. 

Also on Friday, 
Ekal Vidyalaya will be hosting Bhajan Sandhya at Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple with Indu Govind this Friday April 28th from 7 to 8 pm. Aloo Puri Halvah Prashad will be served to all in attendance. Please join us for an evening of melodious devotional songs.

Sunday, April 30 is Shankara Jayanti and Ramanuja Jayanti. We have a morning program for Sri Shankara Jayanthi Celebrations from 10 am to 12:20 pm. The program begins with abhishekam to Sri Sahasralingeswara Swamy, then alankaram, chanting of slokas, Sri Shankara Astotranamabali, Deeparadhanai, and teertha prasadam. 

In the evening, the Bhagavat Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdhi Tiru Nakshatra Mahotsavam program will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra Parayana, Vishwaksen aradhana, Punyahavachanam, Navakalashabhishekam, Ramanuja Ashtothram, Tirunakshatra Taniyan Vinnapan, Tiruveedhi Pallaki Seva, Nivedana, and Teertha Prasada Vitarana. There will also be a Hanuman Abhishekam at 7
pm.

Sunday is also Skanda Shashti. The Shasti Murugan Abhishekam will be at 7 pm. If you would like to sponsor, click HERE, or if you'd like, you can bring flowers, fruits, or milk for the puja.

Supplies needed by the Temple this week include:
  • SESAME (Til) OIL FOR LAMPS IN TEMPLE 
  • Prasad - Nuts & Raisins (leave at Baba temple)
  • Jam or Jelly for sandwich seva, to feed the homeless in downtown Austin - Sundays.
  • 8" Dixie paper plates (Costco/Sams) to serve devotee prasad on Thursdays.
  • Canola or cooking oil, used for free prasadam for all Devotees
  • Prasad for Thursday - to offer to Sri Sai, at 6:30pm & 8pm - bring to main hall.  
    All prasad is served to Devotees free of charge.
With auspiciousness and peace,
Sathyam Sivam Sundaram,
Srinath and Jessica

Dear Devotees, 
The Temple is in need of office  volunteers, especially on weekends and evenings.  Please contact Jessica or Srinath Mahadevan at  [email protected]  if you have an interest in offering 2 to 3 hours of your time to help with the administration of either Temple on a weekly basis. 

Sri Venkateswara Temple and Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple both need anyone who can commit to a fixed weekly schedule to help us grow and prosper as a community of service and devotion. Married couples are most welcome to  volunteer  together. If you cannot commit to a fixed schedule but you would still like to donate your time, you can also volunteer periodically as back up in case another volunteer is unable to make it. 

FROM SAI BABA
 
"See the full moon driving away the darkness with his moon light. The guru too on the same lines removes the darkness of ignorance from the lives of is devotees."
Maha Kumbhabhishekam - Pictures 
 
PHOTO LINKS TO ENJOY OF KUMBHABHISHEKAM:

DAY 1, March 31, 2017
DAY 2 , April 1, 2017
DAY 3, April 2, 2017
Album 1 & Album 2 & Album 3 (All 3 Days)

 

COSMIC STORY:  
Eating Fish

Once two men came down with a serious disease. They both went to the doctor, who told them that only by eating fish would they regain their strength and recover from the illness. Otherwise, they would likely die. This presented a problem for both of them, because they were strict vegetarians.

One man thought about it, and decided to go ahead and eat the fish. He recovered. The other man decided not to eat the fish, and he died. When he died, he left his family without a source of income, and they suffered a lot.

In this world, sometimes it is difficult to know right from wrong. One man decided to commit a little sin eating fish to save his life. The other man did not commit the little sin of eating fish, but committed the big sin of leaving his family to suffer without him. How to judge right from wrong? One way is to evaluate whether we are doing something from a selfish desire, or whether we are doing it for the benefit of others.

The Vedic religion places great value on "ahimsa", or not hurting others. However, it is not possible to live in this world without damaging others. In order for us to live in a house, we have to cut down trees and destroy habitat for other creatures. So, we have to make choices. When selfishness gets out of hand, then we are making bad choices. When we are choosing for the universal good, we are making good choices.   
Quote of  the Week
 
"Lifting you up suddenly is nothing. Laying a pathway and making you travel on that path and leading you to a place, that is important. Ultimately, the Guru has to do the trick in a split second. All this sadhana is only travel. Sadhana is not realization. Realization is what the Guru does in the last minute."
 
-  Satguru Sivanandamurthy Garu
SPECIAL EVENTS
 
April 2017 Schedule
Friday, April 28 - Akshaya Tritiya
Sunday, April 30 - Shankara Jayanti / Ramanuja Jayanti
Sri Shankara Jayanthi Celebration 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Bhagavat Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdhi Tiru Nakshatra Mahotsavam 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Hanuman Abhishekam - 7 p.m.
Skanda Shashti Murugan Abhishekam - 7 p.m.

May, 2017 Schedule
Saturday, May 06
Sudarshana Homam 10 a.m.
Hanuman Abhishekam at 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 07 - Pradosham
Special Shiva Abhishekam at 7 p.m.
Monday, May 08
Narasimha Jayanthi Celebration 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 09 - Vaisakha Purnima
Navavarana Sri Chakra Archana 4 p.m.
Special samuhika Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Vratam 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 14 - Mothers' Day / Sankatahara Chaturthi
  Special Ganapati Abhishekam at 7 p.m.
Ayyappa Swamy Puja - 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 20 - Hanuman Jayanthi
Chandi Homam - 10 a.m.
108 Hanuman Chalisa - 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Hanuman Abhishekam - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 23 - Pradosham
Special Shiva Abhishekam at 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 27
Sahasra Deepalankaram and Unjala Seva to Lord Venkateswara at 6.30 p.m
Tuesday, May 30
Skanda Shasthi - 7 p.m. at Navagraha Building
Regular Temple Activities at a Glance

To schedule a private puja with a priest at the Temple or at your home, please call or text (512) 297-3746 or send an email to [email protected].  He will find you the right priest and the right muhurth (timing).  Priest information on website.

Baba Aarati is daily at 7:30 am, 12:00 Noon, 6:30 pm, and 8:00 pm (at 8:30 pm on Thursdays).

Baba Temple Hours M-F are 7:00 am - 8:30 am, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm; Weekends: 7:00 am - 8:30 pm (open all day Sat/Sun).

Sri Venkateswara Temple Hours M-F 8:30 am - 12:30 pm and 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Weekends:  7:30 am - 9:00 pm (open all day Sat/Sun).

Volunteering for Teens (and others):  Come Sunday morning, 8:30 am - 9:30 am for Sandwich Seva. Stay after for Landscaping, cleaning activities, special projects.  Contact  Srinath and Jessica for more information. 

Maha Mangala Aarati each evening in SVT (Sri Venkateswara Temple) at 7:30 pm.

ABHISHEKAMS - WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Friday:  Padmavati at 7:00 pm, Parvati at 7:30 pm.
Saturday:  Lord Venkateswara, 9:00 am.  Hanuman on 1st and 3rd Saturdays, at 7:00 pm.  Suprabhatam at 8:45 am.
Sunday:  Ganapati, 10:30 am in front of Baba Temple, 7:00 pm in Navagraha Building-SVT; Ganesha/Ayyappa 7:00 pm in Navagraha Building
Monday:  Lord Shiva at 7:00 pm
Tuesday:  Lord Subramanya at 7:00 pm
Wednesday:  1st and 3rd Wednesday, Ram Pariwar
Wednesday:  2nd and 4th Wednesday, 
Radha Krishna
Thursday:  Sai Baba and Dattatreya: 7:15 pm

Prasad.  Prasad meals are distributed free to devotees on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Devotees are welcome to bring prasad to Baba Temple (no onions or garlic please).  If you would like to sponsor prasad on any of these days, please see details HERE.

Educational Classes:  Bal Vikas classes are offered to students 4-11 years old on Sunday mornings (see  LINK). Teen class also available on Sundays at 10:30 pm in the Community Hall (more INFO). Tabla, Classical Indian Music, and Dance classes also offered (more INFO).

Annadanam:  The Temple distributes free food to the homeless through Salvation Army and Caritas in downtown Austin; to hungry school children through Leander ISD, and in India through various organizations.  To help feed others - click here. Free Prasad meals for devotees are available to devotees on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Food is prepared at the temple by volunteers.  To sponsor prasad, see ANNADANAM. You may also drop food supplies at the kitchen (rice bags, Indian spices, vegetable oil, moong dal).  Thanks to all who support the food programs!

Bhajans:  Thursday evenings, 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm, in the Sai Baba Temple - all are welcome to join. Come to stage area in Baba Temple.

Hanuman Chalisa Parayana:   Hanuman Chalisa chanting every Tuesday at 6:45 pm; on third Saturday of each month 108 Hanuman Chalisa parayana from 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm.    

Sahasra Deepa Kala Archana:  Performed on the fourth Saturday night each month, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm, with music and/or dance.  Devotees light 1000 oil lamps for Lord Venkateswara.  All are welcome to participate, including families. 
 
Contact Information
Both temples are located at:
2509 W. New Hope Drive
Cedar Park, TX  78613

Mailing Address:  
P.O. Box 877
Cedar Park, TX  78630

Administrative Office:  (512) 528-0807
Sai Baba Temple:  (512) 260-2721 
Sri Venkateswara Temple:  (512) 986-7269

Temple is a non-profit organization, recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 charity and religious organization.  Federal I.D. number is 26-0408335.
All donations are tax deductible, to the extent allowed by law.  IRS Exemption Letter - LINK 

www.saiaustin.org;  www.austinbalajitemple.org
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