Goddess of Power leads the festive season

While Ganesh Chaturthi, commemorating the Birthday of Lord Ganesha (or Vigneswara), the Remover of all obstacles on September 1 will herald the festive season, a special Pooja for Goddess Durga ten days later will be the harbinger for a series of religious and community activities over the next two months.

Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of New Zealand Inc, which has purchased an existing building in Onehunga for constructing its own Temple, is scheduled to conduct ‘Mata Chowki Pooja’ at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre on 145 New North Road in Eden Terrace on September 10 from 5 pm.

The annual event brings together hundreds of Saibaba devotees, irrespective of their religious and other beliefs, enabling the Sansthan to augment its financial resources needed for the Temple project.

Sansthan President Bhaskara Reddy Duvvuru said the Programme will commence with Ganesh Vandana and Sankulp by sponsors.

“The Sansthan will arrange sale of the ‘Pooja Coconut’ at the entrance to the Hall for convenience of the devotees. The Programme will include ‘Sai Nama Smaran’ (reciting the name of Shirdi Sai Baba), ‘Sheji Arati,’ and other items. Maha Prasad will be distributed at the end of the day,” he said.

As in the past years, Pramod and Indu Kapur will lead the bhajans and keertans session, enhancing the piety and seriousness of the event.

Secretary Hameed Mohammed said that based on the success of the Programme held over the past three years, ‘Mata Chowki 2011’ would also accrue substantial donations that will be used for construction of the Temple.

“The Temple will become the venue for all meetings, prayers and other events, which are now performed at various places,” he said.