Three years ago, Sri Venkateswara Temple (SVT) opened to public in a grand ceremony in Austin, Texas. Traditional artistes (shilpis) built it after months of painstaking efforts. The hand-crafted shrine, made entirely of granite stone, was brought from Chennai, India. The temple will see another grand Mahakumbhabhishekam. This will also mark the end of five years planning and hardwork as the temple complex is now complete.

The Indian community in Texas built SVT to give themselves a way to carry on their traditions away from home. In fact, the main shrine of the temple is unique in that it is is made entirely of granite stones. This is not a very common features in American temples though.

Since its first Mahakumbhabhishekam, the temple has undergone a lot of structural changes. Between March 31 and April 2, the temple will celebrate its final Kumbhabhishekam. The new additions that will be dedicated to the public during this time. These include Rajagopuram (front tower), Dwajastambham (flag pole), Naga shrine, Nandi, Garuda, Musika, and other idols.

There would be special poojas, havans and cultural programme. Traditional home-made food will also be served on the occasion. During the poojas, devotees can climb the 54 feet Rajagopuram to perform the Abhishekam. Devotees can also get a unique chance of putting the Navratnas (nine gems) under nine shrines. The temple board is raising funds for some aspects of the Mahakumbhaabishekam. These include prasada for the devotees who will attend the special ceremony.

Come over to the Cedar Park based Sri Venkateswara Temple and be a part of the grand celebration. Also consider donating to the fundraiser for prasadam and homakundas that will be used on the occasion. Don’t forget to check out the rewards of these donations.