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Krishna Anugraha Mahotsava draws hundreds in Maryland
Five-day celebration at Sri Siva Vishnu Temple concluded with a grand 108 Kalasha Abhisheka.
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Staff Reporter - Mon, 27, Jul 2026
- 18:22 EDT
- 8
Sri Krishna Anugraha Mahotsava / Handout
Hundreds of devotees attended the Sri Krishna Anugraha Mahotsava at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland, from July 15-19.
Held under the guidance of Sri Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji, the five-day festival featured rare Madhva Sampradaya rituals, Vedic ceremonies, devotional music, and spiritual discourses.
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The event brought together Madhva Acharyas, temple priests, volunteers, musicians, and devotees from across the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region.
The Mahotsava was preceded by four weekends of community-participation poojas, during which hundreds of devotees chanted mantras and Krishna shlokas taught by Swamiji. Bhajans and devotional songs performed by community groups were also part of the preparations.
As part of the lead-up to the festival, the temple hosted a Nagara Samkirtane on June 28, featuring devotional music, classical dance performances, Kolata, and a procession around the temple with devotees singing the names of Lord Krishna.
A Vidvat Goshti, or Vedanta Scholars Conference, held on July 11 brought together scholars including Purna Prasad, Jayakrishna Nelamangala, Kalika Uttarkar, Pratosh Acharya, and Brahmachari Pratyagatma Chaitanya.
The speakers discussed the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Acharya Madhva's philosophy, stress-free living, and the relevance of Sanatana Dharma, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with young participants.
The Mahotsava began with Punyaha Vachanam and Ganapathi Homa before continuing with daily rituals. July 16 featured the Ashta Mahamantra Homa and Sri Krishna Abhisheka, while July 17 included the Mahalakshmi Hridaya Homa and the Ashta Lakshmi Deepa Pooja, where an illuminated sacred mandala representing the eight forms of Mahalakshmi was the centerpiece of the evening's worship.
July 18's Pavamana Sukta Homa included the chanting of more than 600 mantras from the Rig Veda's Pavamana Mandala. The evening concluded with the Chakrabja Mandala Pooja, an elaborate ritual centered on a sacred mandala representing the divine cosmos.
The festival concluded Sunday with the Hari Vayu Stuthi Punascharana Homa and a 108 Kalasha Abhisheka to Lord Sri Krishna. During the ceremony, 108 sanctified kalashas were ceremonially offered as Vedic hymns, the Vishnu Sahasranama, and devotional music filled the temple.
The ceremonies were conducted by Acharya Sri Harish Baipadithaya, Acharya Sri Balakrishna Bhat, Acharya Sri Rakesh Bhat of SSVT, Priest Sri Vishwas Tantry, and Priest Sri Sudharshana Bhat, with support from temple volunteers, donors, musicians, and devotees.
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