On the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Tuesday the 14th of January, come and obtain the blessings of Baba and join in the chanting of Lalitha Sahasranama and Vishnu Sahasranama on January 14th.

7:00pm Dhoop aarti,
7:30pm Lalitha Sahasranama
8:00pm Vishnu Sahasranama
8:30pm Shej aarti

Makara Sankranti is regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is said as the ‘holy phase of transition’

Makara means Capricorn Zodiac Sign and Sankranti means transition of the Sun from one zodiac sign to another. Makar Sankranti is the day that marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also marks the arrival of spring in India.

Where as all hindu Festivals are celebrated as per the Lunar calander, Makara Sankranti is a solar event making it perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year: 14 January.

Makara Sankranti is the day when the Sun begins its movement away from the Tropic of Capricorn and towards the northern hemisphere and this period from Makara Sankranthi to Karka Sankranthi is known as uttarayan

Wish you all a wonderful Pongal, Uttarayan, Maghi, Lohri, Bihu, Makar Sankramana or Makar Sankranti (which are all the names in different parts if India for the same festival).

Vaikunt Ekadasi Celebrations
Date: 11th January 2014

Time: 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Tiruppavai followed by Madhyan aarti.

On the auspicious occasion of Vaikunt Ekadasi , we are happy to invite you to attend the rendering of the Tirupavai. The Tiruppavai is a collection of thirty stanzas in Tamil written by Andal also Nachiyar, in praise of the Lord Perumal, (Vishnu). It is part of Divya Prabandha, a work of the twelve Alvars, and is dated before 8th century AD.

Meaning of the Lyrics of the Tiruppavai:

Sri ANDAL is the Quintescence incarnation of Sri BHUMI DEVI the Divine consort of SRIMAN NARAYANA,who took birth on this earth to liberate suffering human beings from worldly bondage.She composed and sang thirty sweet songs containing the cardinal principles of SriVaishnava Dharma during the month of MARGAZHI.Singing these songs,with understanding of their inner meaning, will bring to us peace, prosperity and above all Divine Grace.

ANDAL, though a Brahmin girl, assumes the guise of a cowherdess and yearns for Everlasting Happiness and Service of the Lord.It is the age-old practice of Sri Vaishnavas to sing these stanzas every day of the year in the presence of the Lord in the temple as well as in their homes.

It may appear in the beginning that Andal is intending to perform a particular religious vow to marry the Lord and thereby obtain His Everlasting Company,and that she is inviting all her girl friends to join her.It is only towards the end of TIRUPPAVAI that we learn that she did not actually perform a religious rite and it was her Soul’s inner craving to redeem itself and to reach His Divine Nearness in order to serve him which forms the real purport of this poem.

Look forward to having you all attend this auspicious occasion.

January 1 2014 – Some of our volunteers will be at the Calgary Drop in Center cooking. On the menu is Chana Masala, Rice pulav, Buns, Salad & Cake.