Utah Ganesh Temple mulls 4-day re-dedication ceremonies

Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah is holding four-day elaborate ceremonies called “Maha Kumbhabhishekam”, involving ancient rituals for 12-year re-dedication of the expanded-renovated temple, culminating on June seven.

Ceremonies at this Temple in South Jordan include pujas, aarthis, havan, homams, adhivasams, archanas, yagnams, etc., leading to the actual Kumbhabhishekam for the gopuram spire (gopurashikharam), which include installation and sanctification of kumbhas (brass vessels) on top of a 40-foot tower (gopuram). Expansion-renovation project was reportedly budgeted at $2.65 million.

Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, applauded efforts of temple leadership and area community for realizing this Temple expansion-renovation.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this Temple would continue to help in this direction.

Main sanctum of this Temple, whose concept was initiated in 1993, is dedicated to Sri Ganesha, while it also contains shrines of various other Hindu deities. It opens every day and organizes various pujas regularly. Prominent area business-leader Dinesh Patel is the Temple President; while A. R. Krishnan, N. S. Satish Kumar and Manikandan Raghavan are the priests.

Ancient temple ritual of Kumbhabhishekam is believed to synergize-unite-homogenize the mystic powers of the deity and it involves ritual bathing with sanctified sacred waters accompanied by chanting of appropriate mantras, thus transforming the deity statue into a vibrant representation of the God.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.