This is a super-exciting post for me!
Similar to Ponniyin Selvan Part 2, Chicagoland Kanchi devotees also have a Part 2 release! Four years back I made a post announcing the arrival of all devatas to GG Temple from Kanchipuram – Kamakshi Amman, ekambareswarar, Kumarakottam Subrahmanyar, Adi Acharya with 4 sishyas etc Read here for that post.
Here is Part 2!
In early 2022, a group of Chicagoland families joined Sivasri Chandrasekhara Gurukkal to fast track the construction of a temple that befits the grand deities at Ganesha Gayathri Temple. The new trustees have taken the responsibility of constructing the temple and operations management, Gurukkal Mama will continue to head religious activities, teach Veda, and build a team of priests to help with the day-to-day poojas. As I have written multiple times in this blog, the entire Chicagoland’s asitka community owes to mama for building such a strong Vedic community and is well sustained and growing for the past 40 years or so. We will always be indebted to mama for the vidhya dhanam he has given to us.
The new trustees are all Kanchi Matam devotees, and part of Chicagoland’s astika community for several decades. Since late 2022, many positive developments have happened. This is where the actual Part 2 starts!
- Within the span of very short time , they purchased a property in a very prime location (See the map below) and shifted the temple from the old location late last year.
- This location is central to everything – more importantly 10 minutes from Patel Brothers in Schaumburg – I think that says it all!
- Got required approval from the county to start worship and was officially opened on Maha Shivarathiri in Feb 2023.
- Nitya puja has started – Somavara abhishekam to Shiva, Friday abhishekam to Kamakshi Amman.
- Starting very soon, anusham and guruvara padhuka abhishekams/puja will be conducted in the temple – I will be taking the holy padhukas of Mahaperiyava from my place on these days. I am super-excited personally on this.
Amazing and passionate volunteers are running the show with bursting enthusiasm.
The trustees have already started the expansion work. Here is the small video on the proposed plan. These plans are already shared with Sri Periyava and received blessings to start – trustees are updating Periyava on regular intervals. Some highlights:
- 40 feet gopurams are planned for swami and ambal
- 12 feet valanchuzhi Vinayakar – largest vinayakar
- Only temple in North America with Adi Sankarar with 4 sishyas
- Once Ekamabareswar is installed on the Peetam, this would probably the tallest Shivalingam in North America.
- I am going to apply my personal petition to Mahaperiyava for a separate Sannidhi for Him along with Adi Sankara here! Let us see what happens!
With Kamakshi ambal sametha Ekambareswarar’s blessings, all work would be completed in mid-2024! While there is a lot of work in front of us, we are super-excited to see this temple coming up really fast. So what that means – we need more volunteers to join this satsang!
All devotees in and around – pl come and visit Chicago’s mokshapuri Kanchi and receive the blessings of swami and ambal!
Please feel free to contact me/us if you need help in visiting this temple and to volunteer etc.
Visit https://ggtemple.org/ for more details.
Kamakshi Sharanam!
