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Ashtabandhana
Mahakumbhabhishekam of
Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi Mandir
At Omkarananda
Ashram Himalayas, Rishikesh
From 1st to 4th April 2004
Saturday, 3rd April 2004
South-Indian
Musicians playing the Nadaswaram |
The day started with
Nadaswaram played by the temple musicians early
in the morning, and it created a divine
atmosphere around the place. Amidst chanting of
Mantras, the Prana of the Meru-Yantra of Durga
Mandir was transferred into a large-size Kalasha
filled with holy Ganga-water. Pandit Sureshji of
Kancheepuram carried this Kalasha on his head to
the new Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Mandir-Mandapa. All the Kundas
of the Mandapa were lit and Hawanas were
conducted by the priests simultaneously.
Preparations were also started for the
installation of Moortis in their respective
temples. First, all the Moortis were brought to
the Mandapa site, and were washed with different
types of liquids like ghee, oil, milk, curd,
haldi-water, coconut-water, chandana-water, and
water mixed with powders of roots and herbs etc.
Kapur-Arati was performed to the Moortis amidst
chanting of Mantras like Ganesha-Atharvashirsham,
Rudra-Parayanam etc. Nobody was allowed to make
photographs or videos in any way during this
ceremony.
All the Moortis of the Deities were then
properly made up and dressed. Chandanam and
Kumkum Tilakas were pasted on their foreheads.
The eyes of each Deity were lined with Ghee and
Camphor-water with the tip of Durva-grass, and
thus the eyes of Deities were invoked to open.
This procedure was followed with each Moorti,
but for Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi, Meenakshi-Devi and
Chamundi-Devi, it was conducted behind curtain
inside their temples. Moortis were dressed with
Pushpamalas, and were covered with clothes.
Pillows were also provided to them under their
heads to take rest for a short time. Hawanas had
been continuing during this bathing and dressing
ceremony by the respective priests and Mantras
were chanted all along. Shri Kamakoti Shastriji
distributed saffron to the Acharyas of each
Hawankundas for offering to Agni. Next, the
Kamakshi-Devi-Moorti was brought to the main
Temple by 10 workers to fix on the pedestal.
Before the Devi-Moorti was placed, a golden
Yantra, Panchaloha, mercury as well as
Navaratnas were put in the base, and then the
Moorti was fixed on the platform with a mixture
of cement, honey and banana. When the
Devi-Moorti was finally placed on its Pitham it
was washed with oil. The Hawanas and Purnahuti
ceremony ended with the installation of
Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi in the temple.
Similarly, all the other Moortis were placed in
their respective temples in the afternoon in
following order:
• Gurudev, Adishankara and Shivalingam
• Balaji and Padmavati
• Chamundi
• Meenakshi
• Navagrahas
Priests performing
Hawan for
Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi |
After the completion of
the Hawanas, Purnahuti ceremony was conducted as
earlier, and Arati, Mantrapushpam etc. were
performed to the Deities. At the end, Pandit
Sudhakar Sharma delighted the devotees by
presenting some mellifluous Bhajans of
Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi and recitation of
selected Shlokas from the Vedas.
A unique paste by cooking a clay-like material
with 8 herbals was prepared and formed into long
rolls 2 cm thick. These rolls were then applied
directly around the bases of the Moortis, so
that the cemented joints become watertight (Ashtabandhanam).
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