Benefits of helping build a temple for the Lord

 

Lord Dattatreya  is giving us an opportunity to become a part of this project

“On building a temple of Sri Madhav one an attain the eternal Vaikunthaloka” — Vamana Purana

“Having acquired wealth and built a temple with a small portion of it, a person acquires piety and gains favors from Hari.” — Agni Purana

In the Srimad Bhagavatam we find the following verses: “By installing the Deity of the Lord, one becomes king of the entire earth, by building a temple for the Lord, one becomes ruler of the three worlds, by worshiping and serving the deity, one goes to the planet of Lord Brahma, and by performing all three of these activities one achieves a transcendental form like My own. But one who simply engages in devotional service with no consideration of fruitive results attains Me. Thus whoever worships Me according to the process I have described will ultimately attain pure devotional service unto Me.”

“Whoever constructs or helps to construct a temple will protect eight generations of father, grandfathers and forefathers from falling into Hell” – Vamana Purana

“ one who builds a beautiful temple for Lord Nrsimhadeva will be freed from all sinful reactions and he will enter the Vaikuntha planets.” – Narasimha Purana

“Just by starting the construction of a temple for Lord, sins committed in seven births will be wiped out and one will deliver his forefathers who are suffering in hellish planets” and who sponsors a temple of Lord Vishnu, gains ten million times the merits accured by Yajna, Austerities, Charities, Pilgrimage and study of Vedas. – Skanda Purana

Mortals who help to construct a temple of Lord Vishnu do not return to this world, they return to the abode of Lord Vishnu (Padma Purana)

“A person who builds a temple of Sri Vishnu will get the same results as performing the Rajasuya yagna and Ashwameda yagna. O best of the brahmanas, as many atoms as there are in the temple, for so many thousands of years will he be able to reside in the heavenly planets.” – Vishnu Dharmottara

If one contributes towards temple construction, devotional service becomes increasingly a more tangible and feasible reality in one’s life. The intent to build temples around the world, is especially to provide an opportunity for fallen souls everywhere to acquire spiritual benefit by participation and charity. This is known as ajnata sukriti, which means pious credit acquired unknowingly.

Information from Kanchi kamakoti peetha:

Essence Of Agni Purana

(Agni-purana,’ XXXVIII, 1-50) ::  Temple Construction and its fruits. Even a thought of constructing a Temple  is adequate to demolish sins of long standing nature and  establishing a right to reach Vaikuntha. The devotee who completes the temple construction also redeems the sins of his previous generations; indeed, his ‘pitaras’ would secure instant relief from the torments of hells and qualify for substantial dispensations.The person(s) responsible for this deed of extraordinary merit is eligible for ‘Yagna Phal’, ‘Samasta Tirthta Snaana Phal’, and ‘veera phal’.  The construction of even an ‘Ekayatan’ or single one room temple would attain Swargaloka. A ‘trayayatan’ ‘mandira nirmaan’ enables reaching Brahma loka.  Even when children for fun or playfulness build temples with sand would also qualify for salvation. Persons who undertake repairs, let alone construct temples new, are also eligible for attaining Mukti.  

Those who are responsible for constructing temples of Vishnu, Shiva, Surya or Devi become residents of those very Lokas and more significantly their family members too to share the same benefit.   Lord Yama Dharmara Raja addressed the ‘Yamadootas’ and said: ‘Never bring human beings to ‘Narakas’(hell) who constructed temples, or set up Idols of Devas, or were engaged in regular Pujas there.Never even look at those who built ‘Mandirs’ of Bhagavan of any name like Vishnu/ Shiva/ Shakti and other Forms or even the progeny or relatives of those illustrious devotees as there is no question of bringing those to Narakas at all.

Agni said: I will now describe the fruits of making temples for the residence of Vasudeva and other deities. Those who think of building a temple in their minds are freed from the sins of a hundred births.  The construction of a temple for a deity dissipates even the sin of Brahmanicide. By building a temple one acquires the fruits of bathing at all the sacred shrines. By building a temple one goes to heaven.By building with a lakh of rupees, or a thousand, or a hundred, or fifty, a man goes where the Garuda-emblemed deity resides. By building temples for other gods, a man reaps the same fruit which he does by building one for Vishnu.  Sins accumulated in seven births are dissipated even at the very commencement. On building a temple one goes to heaven; he never goes to hell. By building a temple for the Lord he takes his family, a hundred generations past and a hundred to come, to the region of Acyuta.

 Dharmaraja said:Ishtakachaya vinyaaso yaavantyaabdaani tishthati,taadvarsha sahasraani tatkarturdivi samsthitih /Pratimaakrud Vishnu lokam sthaapako leeyatey Harou,Devasadyaprati kruti pratishthaakruttu gocharey

(The person who constructed the Temple should reside in Swarga for so many years as the totality of bricks used in it. He who made the Pratima would attain ‘Vishnuloka’and he who made the temple and established the Pratima would live in that loka forever!)

Agni Deva quoted Yama Dharma Raja about the far-reaching results of Temple Construction warning Yama dootas not to reach any where near those devotees who constructed Places of Worship.

Lord Dattatreya is trimurthyatmaka swaroopa. He is a combination of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. So, whoever wants to give help for construction of Dattaguru temple are indirectly helping for construction of Vishnu/Shiva temple.  Actually the  temple has mainly been built from numerous small donations from the poorer sections of our society. Our humble entreaty to all our  friends/relatives  is “Please  make your lives perfect by rendering loving devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Please take advantage of this rare occasion by coming forward and helping us in our service to construct LORD DATTATREYA  temple . By doing so, you will find that your lives will become happy and prosperous and that the darling of all our hearts (Paramatma – Supersoul) will fulfill all desires.

Glories Of Temple Construction ( A small story):

In the Puranas, there’s an inspiring history of a dacoit (thief) who due to his karma was going through a difficult period. One evening he shared the camp of a party of pilgrims who invited him to share their meal. While honoring their prasadam together, the pilgrims, who were devotees, were describing the wonderful opulence of the beautiful temple of Lord BALAJI that they have recently visited. The dacoit then prayed within his mind as follows, “O Lord, You are the cause of all causes and the maintainer of every living being, by Your transcendental sanction (anumanta), my destiny is that of being a thief, and it has been many months since I have not been able to steal anything worthwhile in order to maintain my livelihood. My situation has now become so desperate that I shall now steal from You at this opulent temple that these pilgrims have described to me”.

And so the dacoit went to the holy place where the temple of Lord Balaji was situated and upon entering the temple through the seven gates, he saw that the opulence was much more than what he expected. SHREE BALAJI were decorated with fabulous gold ornaments incrusted with huge diamonds, rubies and emeralds, even Lord Krishna’s arati plates and bowls were made of solid gold. Following the example of the other pilgrims, he offered his prostrated obeisances and mentally prayed to the Lord for forgiveness for coming there to steal from Him. But that he had no choice seeing his situation was so desperate.

After carefully studying the rounds of the guards and the temple timings, he made his plan and, choosing a stormy night during the new moon, he climbed over the temple walls and entered into the temple. Due to the stormy weather, he noticed his feet were covered in mud. On the marble floor slabs of the temple entrance, there was one corner of a floor slab that was missing, so he scraped the mud off his feet against the hole, thus filling up that missing corner of the slab. Then he broke in.

Once in front of the Deities he offered his obeisances, took the Deity’s dhoti off, spread it on the floor, put all the valuables and gold articles on it, thus making a bundle. Then he again offered his obeisances, praying to the Lord for forgiveness for having stolen from him, and made his escape. While climbing over the last wall, due to the rain he slipped from the rope and fell down at the bottom of the wall. The bundle of paraphernalia made a loud clattering sound which alerted the soldiers guarding the entrance gate. Upon discovering that the thief had dared to steal from their worshipable Lord, they became so angry that they beat the dacoit to death. The Yamadutas (the servants of the demigod of death and hell, Yamaraja), came to take him to hell, but were prevented from doing so by effulgent Vishnudutas (four handed servants of Lord Vishnu) who suddenly appeared before them. The Yamadutas inquired, “How come you want to save this sinful soul from the punishment in hell? All his life he has been committing all kinds of crimes and sinful activities, and now he has had the audacity to steal from the Supreme Lord Himself.”

The vishnudutas replied, “By his prostrated obeisances when first entering the temple, all his past sinful activities were forgiven. By having filled up that missing corner of the temple room floor slab, even though only with mud, still he has acquired a house in Vaikuntha (the anxiety-free Kingdom of God). After stealing from Lord Krishna’s Deity, he prayed for forgiveness while offering his humble obeisances. Thus the all merciful Lord has pardoned him and sent us to bring him to His spiritual world.” So we can see from this story how beneficial it is to participate in even the smallest way in the construction of a temple where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshipped with love and devotion.

Construction of Lord Dattatreya Temple (Sree Guru Datta Samsthan)at Markapur in Andhra Pradesh:

With the blessings of Lord Dattatreya, it is proposed to construct a Dattatreya Temple at Markapur of Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh. It is just 90 kms to Srisaila  Ksehtra.

Unknowingly, a thought  came to construct the temple to arrange  a platform for the recitation of Dattanama for the present and coming generations. The temple is named as “SRI GURU DATTA SAMSTHAN”.

The temple is in Jawaharnagar Colony, Nearer to Mother’s India Hospital of Markapur. The temple is under construction and 4 walls are constructed with rock stone in addition to Datta Dhyana  Mandir.

It is a plan  to install the padukas of Marakatha stone with Lord Dattatreya(black stone). Regular Pujas are been performed to Panchaloha vigraha of Lord Dattatreya which was brought from Srikshetra Ganagapur. Dattajayanthi, Gurupoornima and Sri Nrusimha Saraswathy swamy Aradhanotsavas are been  performed every year.

Visesha Annadana programme is performed on the days of Gurupoornima and Dattajayanthi .

Oudumbar deeksha programmes are organised by the Mandir authorities every year during Datta jayanthi. Rudrabhisheka, Dattahoma and Anagha vratha are performed every year on the day of Datta jayanthi and Satya Datta vratha is performing on the day of Gurupoornima.

Sri GVLN Vidya Sagara Sarma , who is a great Datta sadhaka informed during his visit to the temple that, Sri Nrusimha saraswathy swamy crossed this place at the time of his Anthrdhaana yatra to Kadalivana of Srisailam as the kshetra is nearer to this place.

He also added that, all the famous datta kshetra names are ending with PURAM like Pithapuram, Kuruvapuram, Ganagapuram,  this place is Markapuram which will be a turned as a great shrine of Lord dattatreya in the coming years. Major construction work of the temple is still pending for completion.

Lord Dattatreya is giving an opportunity to us to become  a part of this project and the interested devotees are informed to utilize the opportunity,and contribute towards the temple construction so as to redeem the sins of previous generations, lives will become happy and prosperous and reach the SALVATION.

||Namo Datta Namodatta || Datta Datta Namo Namo||

||Guro Datta Guro Datta || Datta Datta Guro Guro||