It was a busy week at the Sri Lakshmi Temple with two major events happening simultaneously. The Aani Thirumanjanam celebration literally meaning Bathing in Aani is a special festival for Nataraja that includes a Sahasra Kalasha Abhishekam and Rathothsavam. During the week Shri Dushyanth Sridhar held the Bhagavatha Sapataham. 

It was a grand festival that started with the Bhagavatha Saptaham on July 8 with the Pravachanam by Dushyath Sridhar. The auditorium was overflowing and Dushyanth ji invited some of the audience members to sit on the stage. The story-telling in English was brilliant and had the young and old in the housefull audience enthralled for 7 days. Presentations by local music and dance teachers preceded the presentations. 

On July 11th the Aani Thirumanjanam celebrations started off with a big bang with the Maharudra Homam. A unique joint dance presentation by 132 dancers to the Shiva Panchakshara Stuti was truly a divine delight. The celebrations continued until Sunday July 14th. Chanting of Rudram and other Tamil Devotional hymns, Nadaswaram by Indian Vidwans,  music and dance by local performers reverberated through the temple continuously. In addition, everyday attendees were served a sumptuous feast. 

A Rathothsavam or taking the deities in a procession in a chariot was done in a traditional style. Some attendees from Chidambaram happened to be in Boston and felt the celebration made them feel like they were in Chidambaram. On Sunday the YCEP wing of the temple coordinated a dance and music program by students of Uma Shankar, Thenu Rajan, Sridevi Thirumalai, Hema Iyengar, Prafulla Vellury and Poornima Surya and dancers Sowphameka Umashankar and Swetha presented a wonderful kaleidoscope of music and dance. 

The temple trustees, volunteers, priests and staff should be congratulated to putting together such a grand event. To learn more about the activities of the temple please check out their website at http://srilakshmitemple.org