Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar enhances piety in New Zealanders
Venkat Raman
Auckland, April 14, 2023
The initial stages of the proposed Lord Venkateshwara Devasthanam (Balaji Temple) in Auckland have been progressing well, with the early blessings of Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, who is currently visiting New Zealand, its Managing Trustee Indra Sirigiri has said.
With millions of devotees around the world, ‘Chinna Jeeyar Swami,’ as he is affectionally called, is credited with a supreme knowledge of Vaishnavism, on which he gives discourses.
He has a large devotee base in India, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He was at an event hosted by the Indian High Commission in Wellington yesterday (April 13, 2023). We will shortly carry a report of the event.
He is now in Auckland to attend a series of events until Monday, April 17, 2023.
Temple Project Blessed
Chinna Jeeyar Swami was pleased that the Auckland-based couple Indra Sirigiri and his wife Manasa Sirigiri (Executive Chairman and Director of the Link2 Group) have taken the initiative to build a Temple that will not only be another significant home for Lord Venkateshwara but also offer services and facilities to the resident communities.
At a meeting in Hyderabad last year, he blessed the couple and the Temple Project.
Mr and Mrs Sirigiri hope that the visiting sage will be able to set foot at the site of the proposed Temple located in Ramarama in South Auckland and bless the Project.
“The Swami referred Sthapathy D N V Prasad who is the Sthapathy for the recently built multi-million dollar project in India. Divyakshetras and the Statue of Equality of our proposed Temple and he prepared the initial plans,” he said.
About Chinna Jeeyar Swami
Chinna Jeeyar Swami is the architect of ‘The Statue of Equality,’ constructed at Muchintal in the Ranga Reddy District on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana State in India. Inaugurated on February 5, 2022, the US$ 130 million, 66 meters (216 feet) Statue is the second tallest sitting statue in the world. The cost of the Project, commemorating the 1000th Birth Anniversary of the 11th Century Philosopher Ramanuja was largely funded through public contributions.
Chinna Jeeyar Swami founded the Jeeyar Educational Trust (JET), with branches in many countries including India, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to educate students from all communities in the Vedic tradition.
He is known for the performance of Vedic rituals of peace and harmony. He speaks multiple languages and provides religious discourses in simple words and has performed thousands of Samasrayanams (Five forms of Purification). His understanding of Kainkaryam (the fundamental principles of Vaishnavism) includes modern social services such as schools for tribals and homes for the elderly, orphans, handicapped and destitute. He supports rural development, science and technology schools as well as the introduction of computers for the study of Vedas.
About Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Auckland
Mr Sirigiri said that since the acquisition of the property in Ramarama more than two years ago, jobs relating to the initial stages are progressing- all related to compliance with the local government requirements.
“We have held several Pre-Application meetings involving architects, architectural designers, landscape and rural land development experts, civil engineers, traffic engineers, ecological, acoustic and other consultants- both from our side and those appointed by the Auckland Council. These experts have visited the site and their suggestions have been incorporated into the plans being developed,” he said.
According to Mr Sirigiri, visits of Council-appointed Consultants and the Pre-Application Meetings have determined the mitigation process of the Project and ensure that the best practices are followed.
“The next stages will include Public Notification and applications for Resource Consent and Building Consent and other formalities and compliance issues,” he said.
He said that an entity to manage the real estate aspect of the Temple has been established.
Called, Sirigiri Trust, it has Indra Sirigiri and Manasa Sirigiri as the Trustees.
The Sirigiri Trust will own, manage and maintain the property.
Another entity, called, Sri Venkateshwara Devasthanam Charitable Trust, has also been established to manage the activities related to the Temple.
The Trust comprises five members of the Hindu Community in Auckland, with Mr Sirigiri as the Chairman. All the Trustees will work as volunteers without any financial benefits.
Indian Newslink is assisting the promoters of the Lord Venkateshwara Devasthanam Project in Auckland and will continuously provide information relating to its progress and general information about the Tirumala and other places of Vishnu Worship in its ensuing editions. Readers can seek further information by email to venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
The Temple Complex will comprise a host of facilities and services that will benefit the growing community and its multifarious needs. Central to this substantial investment-oriented Project would be service to humans and other kinds, ranging from Satsang, Special Prayers, Celebration of Hindu Festivals, a Centre for Meditation, Accommodation, Dining and Catering, a Community Centre for Weddings and other social gatherings and much more.
About Tirupati Tirumala Temple
The original Lord Venkateshwara Temple is situated in the hill town of Tirumala in Tirupati, Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh in India.
Devotees believe that Lord Venkateshwara, the Presiding Deity, is Swayambhu (Self-Manifested), having risen more than 5000 years ago, although the Temple has undergone several stages of construction and improvements over the past several hundred years.
Tirumala Hills are part of the Seshachalam Hills range. The Hills are 853 metres (2799 ft) above sea level. They comprise seven peaks, representing the seven Heads of Adisesha.
The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.
The Venkateshwara Temple is located on the seventh peak of Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank.
Hence the Temple is also called, the ‘Temple of Seven Hills.’
The Temple follows the Vaikhanasa Agama tradition of worship. It is one of the eight Vishnu Swayambhu Kshetras and is listed as the 106th and the last earthly Divya Desam.
This place of worship is also known as Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple, to name a few, while Lord Venkateshwara is also revered as Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.
The Lord of the Seven Hills stands closest to Chennai, the Capital of Tamil Nadu (138 kms) and Bangalore, the Capital of Karnataka (291 kms) and is farther from major cities of Andhra Pradesh, namely Hyderabad (572 kms) and Vijayawada (435 kms).
There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala. According to one legend, the Temple has a Murthi (Deity) of Lord Venkateshwara, which is expected to remain until the end of the Kali Yuga.
