Deities
Banashankari Devi: The Forest Goddess
Banashankari, also known as Shakambhari Devi, is a manifestation of Goddess Durga, who incarnated to save the world from drought and famine by vanquishing the demon Durgamasura. She relates to forests, nourishment, fruits, vegetables, and healing herbs. Whenever humanity faces grave difficulties, they can pray to Goddess Banashankari for support and protection. She is the Mula Vigraha (the main Deity) of our Temple. Learn more about Goddess Banashankari.
Ganesha: The Remover of Obstacles
Ganesha also know as Ganapati, with his elephant head, symbolizes wisdom and the removal of obstacles. He is invoked before any other Deity. Prayer to him brings stability, knowledge, and success. He helps bring our awareness out of the realms of the lower chakras below the base of the spine.
Karttikeya: The Lord of Yoga
Karttikeya, also known as Subrahmanya or Murugan in South India, is the Lord of Yoga and Spiritual awakening. Prayer to him gives quick results. He helps us to develop spiritual dispassion, confidence, and gives leadership abilities. He also grants victory in conflicts. He awakens our spiritual cognition and grants access to transcendent states of consciousness.
Shiva Linga: The Symbol of Creation
The Shiva Linga represents the cosmic pillar of creation and transformation. Shiva is the embodiment of Divine consciousness, which is truth, pure awareness, and bliss (Sat-chid-ananda). Prayer to him removes all troubles and grants supreme peace. He is worshiped as the consort of the Goddess in the aniconic form of the Shiva Lingam. The Lingam itself represents Shiva, and the Avudhaiyar (pedestal) represents the Goddess, so the complete form of the Lingam symbolizes the merging of the Kundalini Shakti (the energy of spiritual awakening) with Shiva (pure consciousness) at the crown of the head. The Lingam is a mystical symbol which helps lead our meditations to the direct awareness of the Formless Absolute from which all creation has issued forth.
Dhanvantari: The God of Healing
Dhanvantari is revered as the divine physician, bringing health and wellness. Dhanvantari is a manifestation of Lord Vishnu who embodies the Divine power of healing. Vishnu is the sustainer and preserver and in His aspect of Dhanvantari, He sustains life and preserves health. He is honored as the patron of Ayurveda and other systems of medicine. He is prayed to for dirghamayu (long life) and arogya (good health and freedom from disease). His prayers help to increase longevity, improve health, and remove the spiritual causes of disease. Ayurveda teaches that the ultimate cause for disease is prajna praradha (forgetting our spiritual connection). So Lord Dhanvantari leads us to improved health by helping to restore spiritual awareness, which is the remedy for all diseases. Great healing can occur when we humble ourselves faithfully at the Lord's feet. Then physical and mental health improve and happiness and prosperity increase.
Dakshinamurti: The Divine Guru
Dakshinamurti is a manifestation of Lord Shiva. He is the Divine guru, or teacher, who is the progenitor of spiritual knowledge. He is the original Guru of the ancient Sages who revealed the traditions which are passed down from guru (teacher) to shishya (disciple) today. He is the formless Guru throughout the world, working through all people, places, events, and experiences to help remove maya (the veil of duality and illusion) and to bring about jnana (spiritual knowledge). Spiritual knowledge is different from ordinary knowledge. It cannot be grasped intellectually, but is known empirically by those who meditate of the true nature of the self and the universe, which is one and the same. True spiritual knowledge brings eternal peace. It cannot be attained by thinking or reading books, but occurs naturally when our prejudices and preconceived notions are removed by the Lord's grace.
Navagrahas: The Nine Planets
The Nava Grahas are the Nine Planets of Vedic Astrology. They are the ones who return to a person the results of previous karmas, good or bad. Each of the Nine Planets governs certain aspects of creation and everything in the Universe is ruled by one of the Planets. Prayer to the Nine Planets helps to ease the effects of past karma, especially when offered during crucial Planetary transits. The karmas of society are eased and human suffering is reduced a great deal when offerings are made for the Nine Planets.
A Place of Divine Connection
We invite you to deepen your spiritual connection in a truly scared space, where the Divine is active and alive. The Vedic / Agamic tradition of worship revealed by the Ancient Sages helps to establish a Divine presence on Earth. The shakti of the Temple helps ease people’s troubles and mitigate the karmas of society. Many people do not easily see spiritual things. In the sacred energy of a Temple it is easier to perceive the Divine presence all around and to realize the ultimate truth of oneness with Brahman, the Universal Source. Spiritual awakening is quickened for sincere devotees by the Devas working through the Temple.
Each of the Deities enshrined in the Temple is the embodiment of a different aspect of Divine grace. Each has their unique purpose to fulfill the various needs of their devotees. These Deities, called Devas in Sanskrit, are spiritual beings created by the formless Lord to serve humanity and govern various aspects of nature. Each Deity’s has powerful mystical symbolism, but the sacred image is not thought to be the Deity itself. The Temple murtis (or icons) are more so a point of focus for people’s prayers and meditations. The Devas send their blessings to the people from the inner realms through channels open in the Temple (which may or may not be in close proximity to the physical icons). Though there are seven main shrines in our Temple, there are literally thousands of Devas working through a Temple to bless the people. The Temple is a place where the spiritual realms connect with the physical realm for the benefit of all beings.
The regular rituals and offerings allow the Devas to manifest their grace in the physical realm. Spiritual things are commonplace in a Temple and mystical experiences are more easily achieved. The Devas working through a Temple work to heal the people visiting the Temple. The Devotees find that sometimes their questions are answer or their problems are resolved after visiting the Temple. Sometimes they just feel a deep sense of peace or bliss as they bask in the Divine presence. Other times, the powerful blessings of the Devas unfold gradually through the months after visiting.
A Temple is a spiritual hub for the community, where it is possible to reconnect with Divine forces around us. Everyone has guardian Devas assigned at birth, ready to guide and guard the soul through life. Many people are not yet aware of their gentle presence. A sacred Temple provides a space where these divine connections are amplified, enabling people to more easily connect. Many times, Devas connected to a Temple will go with the devotees as they leave the Temple to continue too help and serve. This also helps to empower people’s home shrines and their individual spiritual practices. The outer journey to a sacred Temple, fosters the inner journey by enabling people to connect with the Divine and too remember the sacred.
Join Us in Our Journey Towards a Permanent Temple Home
Our Temple operates from a temporary location while we work towards securing a permanent site.