Omkarananda Kamakshi-Devi Mandir
At Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, Rishikesh
From 17th to 19th May 2004

Mandal-Abhisheka
of Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi-Mandir
By Debashish Bose

Pundit Sudhakar Shastri and our Priests Pt. Suresh Shastri, Pt. Sanjay Shastri and Pt. Jagdish Shastri during a Hawana.

The concluding part of the opening ceremony of Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi-Mandir, ‘Mandal Abhishekam’, was performed from 17th May 2004 to 19th May 2004 with full sanctity and devotion after 45 days of Maha-Kumbhabhisheka of the Temple. Two senior learned priests, Pundit Sudhakar Shastri and Pundit Sudarshan Shastri of Kancheepuram, were specially invited by Swami Vishweshwaranandaji, President of Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, to conduct this auspicious ceremony meticulously.

Before the three-day-long ceremony, in the evening of 16th May 2004, Pt. Sudhakar Shastri presented a lilting recitation of ‘Devi-Sukta Path’ in the Mandapa of the Temple after the regular Mangal-Arati. This enchanting rendition of Devi-Mantra, in front of Mother Kamakshi, created a divine atmosphere in the Temple-complex, and mesmerized the devotees and Ashramites present there for a long period.

Pundit Sudhakar Shastri and Pundit Sudarshan Shastri conducting a Hawana in the presence of devotees.

17th May 2004:

The religious ceremony started in the morning at 9 am with Ganapati Kalasha Sthapana, and was followed by Ganapati Avarana Pooja. Then, an ardent Ganapati Yagna (Homa) was performed in the Mandapa by Pt. Sudhakar Shastri and other priests, which continued up to 1 pm. Prasad was distributed to all the devotees at the end.

18th May 2004:

In the morning, the religious ceremony commenced at 7 am when Pt. Sudhakar Shastri and Pt. Sudarshan Shastri in assistance with Temple-priests conducted ‘Varahi Yagna’ (Homa) which continued up to 11 am. Prasad was distributed at the end.

In the same evening, a 3-hour-long ‘Rajamatangi-Yagna’ (Homa) was conducted by Pt. Sudhakar Shastri in assistance with Pt. Sudarshan Shastri and other temple-priests. This elaborate Yagna was started at 7 pm and continued up to 10 pm. Prasad was distributed at the end to all the devotees present.

19th May 2004:

The ceremony started at 7 am in the morning with Shri Ganapati Pooja. Then began the ‘Mandal-Abhisheka’, in which, at first, the divine idol of Mother Omkarananda-Kamakshi was bathed by the priests in cow-milk mixed with curd, honey, panchamrita, rose water and pastes of turmeric and sandal-wood. This bathing-process was repeated with each and every deity-idol present in the Temple, viz. Shri Meenakshi / Shri Chamundi / Shri Balaji / Shri Padmavati / Shri Shankaracharya / Shri Omkareshwar-Mahadeva / Shri Swami Omkarananda / Shri Ganeshji / Shri Subrahmaniya / Shri Omkara-Ganapati / Shri Simha-Bali-Peeth and Sarva-Shri Navagraha Devatas. In total 101 kg of cow-milk was used to complete this religious procedure.

From left to right: The temple cook Bhatt, Priests Pt. Sanjay Shastri, Pt. Anil Shastri, Pt. Anil Shastri, Pt. Sudhakar Shastri, Pt. Mukesh Shastri, Pt. Sudarshan Shastri, Pt. Suresh Shastri and Pt. Jagdish Shastri.

Consequently, a ‘Sarva-Devata-Kalasha-Sthapana’ was performed for each and every of the above deities. This was followed by ‘Navavarana-Pooja’ for all the idols separately. Finally, ‘Mandal-Abhisheka-Pooja’ and ‘Shri-Chandi-Yagna’ were conducted which continued up to 2 pm. At the end, all the priests, devotees and Ashramites joined together to perform ‘Mangal-Arati’ of the Divine Mother Omkarananda-Kamakshi and other deities, and Prasad was distributed to all.

The elaborate ‘Mandal-Abhisheka’ of Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi-Mandir was thus solemnly completed by Pt. Sudhakar Shastri and Pt. Sudarshan Shastri, with the able support provided by our Temple-priests, Pt. Suresh Shastri, Pt. Sanjay Shastri and Pt. Jagdish Shastri. During this religious ceremony, Swami Vishweshwarananda, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Narasimhulu, Km. Somashekhari and other