It’s literally been a leap of faith for Sri. S Jankiraman. From Manjakkudi to now Melbourne, Sri. Janakiraman carries with him the soft power of our Vedas and ancient wisdom. As soon as he landed in Melbourne around four years back, Sri. Janakiraman not only got accustomed to his new surroundings almost immediately but also started to immerse himself in temple seva.
As a priest at the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple, Carrum Downs, Victoria, Australia, his main temple duties revolve around daily pujas, servarthi darshan and homam on function days.
Sri. Janakiraman is very happy that his Vedic education has been put to good use. An alumnus of the Swami Dayananda Vedaptashala, Kodavasal, Tamil Nadu, he is amazed to see the growing interest in Santana Dharma, the Indic tradition worldwide. “I joined work here on 12th May 2022. I was surprised to see so many Aussies coming in to our place of worship. There were also many Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian devotees. On the first day itself, more than 500 people came to the Pradosha Puja and Saturday Puja. That was very impressive. “
Sri. Janakiraman credits his knowledge to what he learnt at the Swami Dayananda Vedapatashala, Kodavasal. He joined the institute in 2008 when he was of 12 years of age. “In the beginning, I did not have much interest in studies. But then with Ishvara and my acharya’s blessings, I got 100% marks in my first examination and this inspired me to do well in my studies, work and spend time with my friends, play sports, do temple and other seva work. Those were very happy and fun filled moments.”
The Swami Dayananda Educational Trust (SDET) which currently manages the Swami Dayananda Vedapatashala at Kodavasal saw this young man’s potential and appointed him as an acarya of Vaikanasa Agama around 11 years back. In addition, Sri. Janakiraman was also actively involved in temple duties of the places of worship managed by the Swami Dayananda Educational Trust (SDET).
“Janakiraman was deeply involved in the five day Kumbabhishekam (Samprokshanam) of the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Manjakkudi in 2022. His way of involvement during the Kumbabhishekam (Samprokshanam) was copy book style,” says an important stakeholder from Swami Dayananda Educational Trust (SDET).
While he recollects the pleasant memories back home, Sri. Janakiraman is equally happy with his new role at the temple in Carrum Downs, Victoria. “While doing any special puja, havan or kalyana utsavam, we are allotted 20 minutes to explain the process. I always make it a point to convey the universal message of Sanatana Dharma during the time specified,” shares Sri. Janakiraman.
Sri. Janakiraman first came to the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in 2019 for the Kumbabhishekam which was a 10 day affair. This is his second innings in the country.
It’s indeed been a soft landing for Sri. Janakiraman Down Under. And he has spread the wings of our ancient culture and heritage quite effortlessly among the temple goers.
Here’s wishing Sri. Janakiraman all the very best in his spiritual pursuits.
