Murugan Bhakti Newsletter No. 19
Kanda Sashti 2004 Issue

In this issue...

1. New web site: Annadanam.org
2. New Publications on Murugan Bhakti sites
3. All-India National Conference on Murugan
4. Computer needed for Murugan Bhakti
5. Changes coming to the Newsletter

I. NEW ANNADANA MURUGAN WEB SITE: ANNADANAM.ORG

A new service designed especially for Muruga devotees living abroad, the Murugan Bhakti site www.Annadanam.org now makes it possible for devotees anywhere to sponsor an annadanam at famous Murugan temples in India and Sri Lanka.

• Any size, any occasion
• Sponsor specifies the date and temple or sabha
• Secure, online payment using PayPal payment method

• The temple (Tiruchendur, Kathirkamam, Selva Sannidhi, etc.)
• The date for the annadanam
• Any other special requests

The number of devotees fed will depend upon the size of your donation.
Questions? Contact Murugan Bhakti editor Patrick Harrigan kataragama@gmail.com.

II. NEW PUBLICATIONS ON MURUGAN BHAKTI SITES

1. "Is Hindu Kataragama disappearing?"
2. "Nallur Kumaran: History, Layout, Festivals & Worship"
3. "The Worship of Muruga" from The Sivathondan
4. 2004 Kathirkama Pada Yatra
5. "Annadanam from Kailasa to Kataragama"
6. "Tiruppukazh: Polytheism and Absolute Reality"
7. Sages of Kataragama and their Traditions (in Tamil)
8. "History of the Tamil Diaspora'' by V. Sivasupramaniam
9. First All India Murukan Conference 2005
10. Subrahmanya Saptakam (in Tamil)

Kathirkāmam the classic 1947 guide booklet Murugan Bhakti Publications also republishes popular out of print publications, starting with the classic 1947 Tamil guide and song booklet Kathirkāmam by Kula. Sabhapati. This booklet of 110 pages, for many years the standard guide booklet to Kathirkamam, gives an early 20th Century devotee's eye view of the powerful shrine's history, traditions and practices, together with 40 pages of Tamil stotras or songs in praise of Kataragama Skanda. NSK Print House in Chennai will print 1500 copies for release soon. For details contact: kataragama@gmail.com.

III. INDIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MURUGAN 7-9 JAN 2005

The First All-India National Murukan Conference will take place 7-8-9 January 2005 at Arulmigu Sangameshwarar Temple, Bhavani, Tamil Nadu. Organized by Sathiyathin Sakthi Nilai Sangam & SSM College of Engineering in association with ICSMS.

Papers on any topic and activity relevant to the conference theme are invited. Multi-media presentations including video productions & slide presentations are also being accepted. The papers accepted will be published as part of the First National Conference proceedings, and authors will be invited to give their presentations when the Conference convenes.

For details and registration, contact:

V. MURUGAN BHAKTI NEEDS A NEW COMPUTER

Yes, the entire Murugan Bhakti publishing works, both printed and online, comes from a single overworked computer. Our computer, a Sony Vaio donated 3-1/2 years ago by a devotee in Atlanta, has logged uncounted thousands of hours but is now approaching the end of its useful life.

Murugan Bhakti has accumulated many hours of digital video documentation from which an documentary on Pada Yatra can be edited and produced. But our old Sony laptop cannot do it; we need a standard desktop PC with larger hard drive, CD-writer, more memory and faster processor. Lately our overworked computer has spent weeks in the repair shop. The diagnosis: it needs a new motherboard or, better, it should be replaced altogether.

Can you help by providing a newer used laptop? We can arrange for a devotee to hand carry it from North America to Sri Lanka or India. Or could you help us in the purchase of a brand new desktop PC? If so, contact the Editor, Patrick Harrigan at kataragama@gmail.com

VI. CHANGES COMING TO THE NEWSLETTER

The Murugan Bhakti Newsletter was launched in 1998 as an eGroups.com newsletter group, until eGroups.com was acquired by Yahoo.com two years ago.

Kindly note that we are considering changing to Ezine Director, a free service that offers greater flexibility and supports HTML newsletters (formatted with graphics, etc.), unlike Yahoo Groups. Hence, if we migrate to Ezine Director and you start getting email from www.ezinedirector.com, kindly accept and approve any changes so your Murugan Bhakti Newsletter subscription can continue unbroken as we aim to upgrade our service to you.

Murugan Bhakti Newsletter No. 19: Newsletter of the Murugan Bhakti Network

To read past issues, go to the Murugan Bhakti online archives.

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