Mahalakshmi Narayani Temple

Introduction

Lakshmi Narayani or Mahalakshmi is the presiding deity at the Lakshmi Naryani temple.

Location

The Sripuram Lakshmi Narayani temple is located, in the village Tirumalaikodi, in Vellore, Tamilnadu.  The temple is about six kms from Vellore. Several private and government run buses ply to the temple. Katpadi is the nearest railway station. Vellore is well connected by road, rail and airways.

The Temple

The temple spread over 100 acres plot was inaugurated in August 2007. The temple was completed in six years. The golden temple as it is popularly known is covered entirely with gold, except for the flooring. The temple is one of its kind in India; where about 5000 square feet area is covered using 1500 kgs of gold at a cost of 600 crores.

The temple, a concrete structure was initially layered with copper and then by gold. Pure gold is beaten into thin foils and about nine to fifteen layers of gold foil is used to cover the entire temple complex. The intricate carvings in gold add to the richness of the temple. Some of the decorative arches and mandaps in the temple are also painted yellow which not only add to the glitter making the temple look brighter not only during day time, but also in the night.

The temple is designed on the lines of a Sri Chakra. The aeriel view of the temple represents a Sri Chakra. The sanctum is located in the middle of the Sri Chakra, amidst lush green landscape. The temple is designed in such a way that one has to walk 1.8 kms, a star shaped path to reach the sanctum. The path leading to the temple has messages from various spiritual leaders. There is also a tank in the temple complex. There is a huge mandap known as Maha Mandapam leading to the sanctum sanctorum.

There are two path ways that lead to the temple, one for entry and another for exit. There is a mandap behind the temple having eighteen entrances. The eighteen entrances represent the eighteen characters of human mind.

ShantiMandapam

Inside the temple

There are images of goddess Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi in the temple complex. Artificial falls, hills and fountains add to the serene atmosphere in the temple. Opposite to the main deity, is a 27 ft tall, 10 tier traditional lamp made of panchaloha metal.

About the deity

The deity, goddess Lakshmi Narayani is considered as Swayambu. Goddess Mahalakshmi Narayani is carved in granite. She is adorned with precious jewels and a crown studded with diamonds and pearls. The deity is said to bless Her devotees with wealth, peace and prosperity.

Rituals and Festivals

Rituals

The temple is open at 4.00 am. Abhishekam is performed from 4.00 am to 8.00am. General darshan is from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm. Aarthi is performed from 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

Puja in the temple starts at 4.30 am every day.  Devotees carry water in silver pots to the sanctum with the procession being led by elephants, with nadaswaram being played and priests chanting Sama veda entering the sanctum. The deity is then bathed with water. This is followed by an elaborate puja for the next two and half hours. At 8.00 am, the temple is opened to the general public. Naivedya, in the form of food is offered to the deity in the noon. Kum kum and rice pongal is distributed as Prasad to the devotees. There are seven types of Aarti performed at different times of the day. Pujas in the temple follow both the Kamika Agama and Sama Veda tradition.

Festivals

Vaikunta Ekadasi in Marghashira masa (December- January) is celebrated in a grand way. Dasara or Navaratri during Ashwija masa (October- November) is celebrated with great fervour. The deity gives darshan to Her devotees in different alankaras on each of the nine days.

A special yagna is performed on every full moon day which attracts people from nearby towns and villages. About 25,000- 30,000 people visit the temple everyday and the number is more on weekends.

Temple Management

The temple is managed by Sri Narayani Peedam. The temple is headed by a devotee popularly known as Sakthi Amma, also known as Amma Narayani. The first temple was established in 1992 to house a swayambu Shivaling which was discovered as foretold by Amma. The second temple was built in 2001 for goddess Narayani. The temple drew enormous crowds. Later Amma constructed the huge Shanti Mandapam to accommodate the growing number of devotees. In the Shanti Mandapam, devotees gather to witness the daily pujas performed by Amma.

Social activities of the temple

Some of the social activities which the temple is engaged in are distribution of bicycles, sewing machines, clothing and artificial limbs to the impaired besides the following given below:

Annadanam (serving food) is provided to devotees visiting the temple in the Narayani Seva Hall during noon and night.

During annual festivities, artistes are felicitated. Traditional dance and music form part of the annual festivities.

The Peedam also runs an educational institution in the name of Sri Narayani Vidyalaya School. The school was started in 2000 and provides education from Kindergarten to grade 10. A program known as Vydyanethram provides books, stationery, tables, chairs, blackboards, school uniforms to under privileged children. The Peedam is engaged in supporting the maintenance of the temples in and around Sripuram through a program known as Jyothi Swaroopini. The upkeep of the temple and the salary to the priests are paid by the Peedam. Mass marriages are organised through a program known as Kalyani. A program known as Punarjanma helps jail inmates integrate with the main stream society and supports the families of the inmates while in jail.

A health program known as Arogya educates the villagers in maintaining basic hygiene. A goshala is also run by the Peedam. Narayani Peedam is engaged in afforestation to maintain ecology balance. Narayani Peedam has planted nearly 500,000 saplings since 2003.

One of the significant contributions of the temple is the Sri Narayani Hospital & Research centre, a State of Art hospital with a 200 bed facility catering to the people living in and around Sripuram at affordable cost. Regular medical camps are also conducted to help the needy. More than two million people have benefitted from the hospital.

Sakthi Amma

A devotee known as Amma built the temple. From his birth in 1976, he is said to have divine symbols like a tilak on the forehead, chakra and a conch on either side of his chest. From a very young age, the child had a spiritual inclination. He was often engaged in doing puja and reading mantras/shlokas. From the pocket money which he got from his father, he would buy images of Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya and Lord Srinivasa.

The boy would go to the temple after school hours. At the age of fifteen, he decided to lead a life of a recluse. He started living in a house which had an ant hill. He would meditate for long hours and offer a piece of mud from the anthill as Prasad to people who sought his blessings. The mud is said to have healing powers. His miracles spread to places nearby and drew people seeking his blessings. At the age of sixteen, while he was on his way to school in the school bus, a ray of energy is said to have emerged from his body towards the sky, which took the form of goddess Narayani. The goddess was attired in a white sari holding a conch, the chakra and a lotus giving blessings. He saw the image dissipate and return as a shining ray back into his body. In 1992, the young man, declared that he was an incarnation of goddess Narayani and chose to be known as Sakthi Amma or Amma Narayani.

Amma has given the mahamantra to His devotees “Aum Namo Narayani to be repeated daily. He assures that the goddess will fulfil the wishes of Her devotees as the Divine knows the best.