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Volunteers lined the yajnashala and inner sanctum with a red carpet, flanked by brightly colored flowers on either side. On Wednesday, May 14th, Pujyashri Matholi Saraswathy, also known as Sri Amma or Sri Akka, graced the temple with her presence once again. Aiya and Amma at the annual Tamil New Year s puja. A collection of sattvic vegetables and fruits were also offered during the puja. Several different grains surrounded the pot, as well as a silver tray with many mangala items, such as turmeric, saffron, jiggery and rock candy. Volunteers decorated a large pot dedicated to making pongal with vibhuthi, kumkumam, and mango leaves. As in years past, Tamil New Year s was celebrated in grand fashion. As usual, everyone was given the chance to prepare sweet, spicy, or savory bakshanam in the temple kitchen, and devotees present for the homam lined up to offer a handful of sweets and savory items into the fire. Devotees sat around the homam, chanting the Maha Pratyangira mantra as the sponsors and Aiya offered copious amounts of dried red chillis into the fire. Maha Pratyangira homam, April 20 Volunteers hand out offerings for guests to put into the fire Sri Akka s visit, May Because New Year s fell on a Sunday evening this year, the annual Maha Pratyangira homam was held the following weekend. These pindams are offered individually by the devotee to his or her deceased mother, and several extra pindams are also made to cover other spirits in the area that have not had this ritual done for them. Held on poornima day in the month of Chitra, this ceremony involves making small balls, or pindams, made from banana, white rice flour, ghee, jaggery, and black sesame. Chitra Poornima, April 14 This festival is performed by devotees who have lost their mothers, and is dedicated to the memory of those departed ladies. He performed a vilakku puja to her on June 1st in Ottawa. Because Sri Amma was still in Canada at the end of May, Aiya also remained in Canada. There was a sumangali puja hosted by the local Nandalala chapter on May 24, a dharsan and satsang at the Gurmandir in Etobicoke on the 25th, as well as a Saneeshwara Jayanthi puja at the Jai Durga temple in Markham on the 28th. Then Aiya was in Toronto the next weekend, taking part in Sri All event articles by Abhi Somaskanda Amma s various programs. She also presided over the Vancha Kalpa Ganapathi homam on May 17th.
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May 14th, Pujyashri Mathioli Saraswathy (also known as Sri Amma) came to Rochester, where Aiya performed Sri Chakra puja to her. He came to the Ottawa Sivan Temple on the 10th and 11th for a workshop. May 5 and 6, he was in Atlanta for just two days of an Ati Rudram presided over by Karunamayi Amma. On April 30, a university class of about 15 students and a professor came to the temple, and Aiya explained Hindu customs and answered their questions. The following weekend was the Maha Past Events Tamil New Year s, April 14 June Newsletter Pratyangira homam on April 20th, over which he also presided.
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He was at the temple for Tamil New Year s April 13, as well as Chitra Poornima April 14. Upon returning to North America in April, he performed a wedding in Toronto and a couple of house pujas in the Toronto area during the first weekend of April. From there, he went to Singapore to honour his obligations there, including pujas, workshops, and homam. On March 1, Aiya went to Australia for two weeks, where he did several homams and workshops.