SHREE AYYAPPA SEWA TRUST- STEPPING TOWARDS THE PROGRESS.
THE AYYAPPA DEVOTEES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY USE TO OBSERVE A 41 DAYS FAST EVERY YEAR BEFORE THE PILGRIMAGE TO SABARIMALA.TO START WITH THEY PERFORM LORD AYYAPPA POOJA FROM MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER. THIS HOLY PERIOD ENDS IN MIDDLE OF JANUARY WITH CELEBRATION OF MAKARA SANKARAMA POOJA.IN THE YEAR 1983, AT PARLI VAIJNATH, ALL THE DEVOTEES HAVE ATTENDED THE POOJA CONDUCTED AT A LOCAL RESIDENCE.DURING THIS PERIOD IT WAS DECIDED TO CELEBRATE THE MAKARA SANKARAMA POOJA IN A GRAND MANNER ON THE 14th JANUARY 1984.
IT WAS ON 14th JAN.1984- THAT THE LONG CHERISHED DREAM OF MALAYALEES TO CELEBRATE LORD AYYAPPA POOJA MATERIALISED. IN 1983 THE AYYAPPA SEWA SAMITHI WAS FORMED.THE SAMITHI COULD CELEBRATE THE “MAKARA VILAKKU POOJA “ON MAKARA SANKRANTHI AND AYYAPPA POOJA ON ALL SATURADAYS FROM VRUCHIKAM 1st TO MAKARAM 1st. ON 14th JANUARY 1984, THE MAKARA VILAKKU POOJA WITH VARIOUS CULTURAL PROGRAMMES WAS CELEBRATED ON A GRAND SCALE AT BHEL SECONDARY SCHOOL, SITUATED NEAR THERMAL POWER STATION GATE. THE PROCESSION (SHOBHA YATRA) WITH PANCHA VADYAM FROM KERALA AND THALAPPOLI, STARTED FROM VAIJNATH TEMPLE, AFTER THE “ANNADANAM”(FEEDING THE POOR) BHOJAN PRASAD, AFTER THE RECEPTION ARRANGED IN VARIOUS PLACES OF PARLI TOWN AND THERMAL COLONY, IT REACHED THE BHEL SCHOOL AT ABOUT 6.45 PM. THE DEEPARADHANA (MAHAPOOJA) PERFORMED AFTERWARDS WAS REALLY MEMMORABLE NOT FOR MALAYALEES BUT ALSO FOR THE LOCAL PUBLIC.HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FROM BEED, NANDED, PARBHANI, LATUR, OSMANABAD, AMBAJOGAI, GEORAI,SOLAPUR,etc, PARTICIPATED IN THE FUNCTION.IT WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC FUNCTION OF THE MALAYALEES, BY CO-ORDIANATING SO MANY PEOPLE OF MARATHWADA REGION. THE AYYAPPA SEWA SAMITHI MEMBERS WAS FULLY SATISFIED, AS THEIR AIMS AND ATTEMPTS WERE A GREAT SUCCESS.
FURTHER IT WAS DECIDED TO CONDUCT THE MAKARAVILAKKU POOJA ON JAN.1985 WITH SOME CULTURAL PROGRAMMES OF KERALA. AS PART OF IT, A “KATHAKALI” FROM KERALA WAS ARRANGED. CONSIDERING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE KATHAKALI TROOP, THE 1985 JANUARY POOJA AND PROGRAMME INCLUDING SOBHA YATRA, THALAPPOLI, AND KATHAKALI WERE CONDUCTED ON 30th DECEMBER 1984 AT THE TEMPORAY TEMPLE CONSTRUCTED IN THERMAL COLONY.
IN 1986 THE MAHOTSAVAM WAS PERFORMED AT THE TEMPORARY TEMPLE CONSTRUCTED IN NATRAJ RANG MANDIR PARLI.BY THIS TIME THE PROGRAMME WAS BECOMING POPULAR AMONG THE PEOPLE AND A COMMON STAGE FOR THE MALAYALEES OF THE MARATHWADA. FROM 1986 TO 1990 THE POOJA PROGRAMME WAS PERFORMED IN NATRAJ RANG MANDIR WITH VARIOUS CULTURAL PROGRAMMES ETC.EXCEPT THE ANNADANAM AND BHOJAN PRASAD WHICH WAS HELD AT VAIJNATH TEMPLE.
AFTER THE 1986 POOJA A VERY CLEAR OPINION OF HAVING A RECOGNISED ORGANISATION AND PERMANENT LOCATION WAS DEVELOPED IN THE MINDS OF THE MEMBERS. WITH THIS OPINION ON 6th MARCH 1986 AN ORGANISATION IN THE NAME OF “SHREE AYYAPPA SEWA TRUST” HAS SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS TO ASSTT: CHARITY COMMISSIONER, BEED FOR RECOGINITION. IT WAS DECIDED TO DISSOLVE THE AYYAPPPA SEWA SAMITHI WHILE RECEVING RECOGNITION FOR SHREE AYYAPPA SEWA TRUST. SHREE AYYAPPA SEWA GOT ITS REGISTRATION ON 3rd JULY 1986. (Reg. No.E-91, BEED 3rd JULY 1986). THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE TRUST.
TO ESTABLISH SPIRITUAL CORDIALLY AMONG VARIOUS RELIGIONS.
TO PROPOAGATE THE PRINCIPLE OF GOD, UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND EQUALITY OF MANKIND.
TO CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN BUILDINGS, INSTITUTIONS IN THE NAME OF “LORD AYYAPPA”.
TO PROPAGATE THE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES OF LORD AYYAPPA CULTURAL, ORGANISE MEETINGS, DISCOURSES WITH A VIEW TO INSPIRING THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE SUPREME DEITY.
TO CONSTRUCT LORD AYYAPPA FESTIVALS AND RELATED CULTURAL FUNCTIONS.
TO RUN STUDY CLASSES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, ORPHANAGES, LIBRARIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS FOR THE WELFARE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND TO ACQUIRE MOVABLE AND IMMOVABLE PROPERTIES AND TO RAISE FUNDS FOR MEDIATION HALL (FOR SPIRITUAL STUDY) AND OTHER INSTIUTIONS OWNED AND TO BE OWNED BY THE TRUST.
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE TRUST WAS CONDUCTED ON 06.07.86 AT VIDYA BHAVAN, VIDYA NAGAR, PARLI VAIJNATH WHICH WAS THE REGISTERED OFFICE OF THE TRUST. AS PER DECISION OF THE MEETING, ENROLLMENT OF NEW MEMBERS WAS DONE. A GENERAL BODY MEETING AND ELECTION HAD BEEN HELD ALONG WITH MAKRAVILAKKU MAHOTSAVA ON 14th JANURY 1987.
WE HAVE APPLIED TO DISTRICT COLLECTOR, FOR GOVT. LAND FOR CONSTRUCTING AN OFICE AND AYYAPPA TEMPLE. WHEN WE REALISED THAT WE WILL NOT GET PROPER LAND, WE APPROACHED THE VAIDYANATH DEVASTAN TRUST FOR SOME LAND FOR TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION. BUT THAT ALSO WAS NOT MATERIALISED. THE GENERAL BODY MEETING HELD ON THE 14th JANUARY 1988 HAD GIVEN AUTHORITY TO LOCAL COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASING PROPER LAND NEAR VAIDYANATH TEMPLE AND ON 18th JULY 1988 TRUST HAS PURCHASED LAND FOR OUR TEMPLE.EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE PURCHASED LAND, WE COULD NOT PERFORM THE POOJA OR START THE TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION DUE TO THE DISPUTE FROM VAIDYANATH DEVASTAN TRUST ABOUT THE BOUNDARY OF THE PURCHASED LAND. AFTER WARDS WE HAVE GOT 15,000 sq.ft. LAND WITH OUT ANY DISPUTE.IN 14th JANURAY 1991 THE MAKARAVILAKKU POOJA WAS PERFORMED AT THE TEMPORARY TEMPLE CONSTRUCTED IN OUR OWN LAND. UPTO THAT TIME THE POOJA WAS CONDUCTING AT NATRAJ RANG MANDIR, FOR YEARS TOGETHER.THE TRUST PUBLISHED ITS SOUVENIR ON 12th MARCH 1989. TRUST HAS RENTED AN OFFICE ROOM. OUR MEMBER’S DREAM FOR A TEMPLE REACHED ITS MAXIMUM LIMIT BY THIS TIME. AFTER THE DEVA PRASHNAM (ASTROLOGY) CONDUCTED AT KEARALA ON 7th SEPT. 91 VARIOUS POOJA AND HOMAM NECESSARY FOR THE COSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE WERE PERFORMED BY SHRI JANARADHANAN EMBRANTHIRY. 
THE GENERAL BODY MEETING ON 14th JANUARY 1982 DECIDED TO PERFORM THE 1993 POOJA IN OUR OWN TEMPLE. MOST OF THE MEMBERS OFFERED THEIR DONATIONS AT THE GENERAL BODY MEETING.14th JAN.1993—THE DAY WHICH CAN NOT BE FORGOTTEN BY MARATHWADA MALAYALEES (ESPECIALLY MALAYALEES FROM BEED, NANDED, PARBHANI, LATUR, OSMANABAD, AMBAJOGAI,GEORAI,SOLAPUR). AT THE END OF THE POOJA AND HOMAM WERE HELD FOR DAYS TOGETHER BY THANTHRI RAMAKRISHNAN POTTI, AMIDST THE SOUNDS OF PANCHAVADYAM AND “SWAMIYE SARANAM AYYAPPA” SLOGANS THE IDOL OF LORD AYYAPPA PRATHISHTA WAS CONDUTED AS PER “SHADADHARA” TEMPLE SYSTEM. THE DEITIES OF GANAPATHI, NAGAGODS, MALIKAPPURATHAMMA (DEVI), VANADURGA (DEVI) WERE ALSO INSTALLED AS SUB GODS (UPADEVAS). DAILY POOJAS ARE BEING PERFORMED TILL TODAY.
SEPARATE TEMPLE WAS CONSTRUCTED AND ON 16th JANURAY 1995 THE IDOL OF MALIKAPPURATHAMMA WAS INSTALLED PERMENANTLY.DEVAPRASHNAM WAS
CONDUCTED AT PARLI TEMPLE COMPOUND BY ASTROLOGER SHRI CHEMPIL BALAKRISHNA KANIYAR ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE DEVELOPMENTS.AS A PART OF THIS SUBRAHMANYAN TEMPLE WAS CONSTRUCTED AND THE IDIOL WAS INSTALLED ON 24th JANUARY.96.PRESENTLY THE TEMPLE IS HAVING THE “NAMASKARA MANDAPAM” “MUKHA MANDAPAM” ETC.THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMMUNITY HALL IN THE TEMPLE COMPLEX IS IN PROGRESS. EVERY YEAR THE MAKARA-SANKRANTHI MAHOTSAWAM IS BEING CELEBRATED WITH VARIOUS HOMAM, POOJA, CULTURAL PROGRAMMES ETC, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THANTHRI SHRI RAMAKRISHNAN POTTI. MORE THAN THAT, ON FESTIVAL DAYS LIKE 1st CHINGAM, VISHU,PAINKUNI UTHRAM, PRATHISHTA DAY, GANESH UTSAV, NAVARATRI UTSAV, MANDALA POOJA (1st VRUCHIKAM ONWARDS) SPECIAL POOJAS ARE BEING PERFORMED. ALL SATURDAYS ARE HAVING SPECIAL POOJA WITH GANAPATHI HOMAM, ON AYILYAM DAYS SPECIAL POOJA FOR NAGAGODS, ON SHASHTI DAYS SPECIAL POOJAS FOR SUBRAHMANYAN (MURUKAN), BHAGAVATI SEVA FOR DEVI, DURGA POOJA etc.ARE PERFORMED REGULARLY. DARSHAN TIMINGS ARE FROM 5.30 AM TO 10.00 AM IN MORNING AND EVENING 5.30PM TO 08.30PM.THERE IS FACILITY TO RESERVE POOJA IN ADVANCE AND GET PRASADAM BY POST. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OFFERINGS (VAZHIPAD) OF LORD AYYAPPA, i.e., ANNADANAM IS BEING CONDUCTED ON 14th JANUARY FOR THE LAST SIXTEEN YEARS AT VAIJNATH TEMPLE. FROM 1995 ONWARDS DEVOTEES OF LORD AYYAPPA OFFERED THIS OFFERING AS THEIR PERSONAL OFFERING. THERE IS FACILITIES IN OUR TEMPLE FOR THE ANNADANAM ON 1st CHINGAM, VISHU, PANIKUNI UTHRAM, PRATHISHTA DAY, MANDALA POOJA ETC. DEVOTEES CAN ARRANGE THEIR BIRTHDAY POOJA IN ADVANCE, AND GET THE PRASADAM BY POST, IN CASE THEY COULD NOT ATTEND THE POOJA IN PERSON. EVERY YEAR AFTER OBSERVING “VRUTHAM”, DEVOTEES ARE GOING ON PILGRIMAGE TO SABARI MALA FROM OUR TEMPLE ON MANDALA POOJA PERIOD, GENERALLY IN DECEMBER 1st SATURDAY . DEVOTEES CAN RESERVE IN ADVANCE FOR THIS PILGRIMAGE. 
DEVOTEES OF LORD AYYAPPA FROM VARIOUS PART OF THE COUNTRY REACHING PARLI AYYAPPA TEMPLE FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD, “KALIYUG VARDAN”, WHO IS THE ONLY SOLUTION IN KALIYUGA.
SHRI AYYAPPA STUDY CIRCLE.—A CENTRE FOR DISCUSSION OF VARIOUS IDEAS- HAS CONDUCTED DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCE TEST TO SCHOOL CHILDREN AND DISTRIBUTED PRIZES AND CONDUCTED SPEACHES OF VARIOUS PESONALITIES. EXCEPT THE GENERAL BODY MEETING IN JANUARY AT PARLI . THERE ARE REGIONAL MEETINGS ALSO, CONDUCTING AT BEED, NANDED AND PARBHANI. WITH HELP AND EFFORTS OF OUR MEMBERS AND WELL WISHERS NOW THE TRUST IS HAVING HALF AN ACRE OF LAND, VARIOUS BUILDINGS AND A COMMUNITY HALL.
THE TRUST IS VERY MUCH THANKFUL TO ITS MEMBERS AND WELL WISHERS FOR ITS ACHIEVEMENTS. NOW SHREE AYYAPPA SEWA TRUST HAS BECOME AN ORGANISATION FOR ALL TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT OF DEVOTEES AND PUBLIC WITHOUT ANY CASTE, CREED OR RELIGION.
MAY LORD AYYAPPA BLESS US ALL…
