Sri Satyanarayana Pooja is a sacred ritual performed by all Hindus before the commencement of any auspicious event like Marriage, House warming, New Business etc. The significance of this pooja is that it can be performed on any day, any time or for any good reason, within one’s financial capacity. It is also done as an offering of gratitude to the Lord SrimanNarayana ie.,Vishnu Avatara. This Pooja is also performed to remove the hardships in the course of life…like not having children, aiming for promotions, aiming for good results in examinations etc. However, this pooja too starts off by offering prayers to Lord Ganesha, to remove any obstacles that may happen as a result of wrong doing during the pooja.
Generally, Sri Satyanarana Pooja is performed on Purnima ( Full Moon Day ) or Ekadasi ( the eleventh Lunar Day ), very popular in the Southern State of India – Andhra Pradesh . Andhraites have a special faith and belief in this Lord, that even other religious people too participate in this pooja. Because, as per the story of Sri Satyanarayana , whoever listens to the story - “Katha” of Sri Satyanarayana and who eats / consumes “Prasad” ( food that is offered to deity first ) is also equally blessed by the grace of God.
There’s a very famous Sri Satyanarayana Temple at Annavaram in Andhra Pradesh, where this “Katha” is performed daily.. It is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations.
It was in the year 2010, in the auspicious month of “Kaartikamasam”, that The Hong Kong Telugu Samakhya (THKTS) performed “Samuhika Satyanarayana Pooja”, at the Hindu Temple. “Samuhika” means a few number of families / individuals together perform the same pooja simultaneously at the same time and at the same place. After that successful event, The Hong Kong Telugu Samakhya, organizer Smt.Peesapaty Jaya wanted to continue this as a yearly norm and had conducted “Samuhika Satyanarayana Pooja” this year too on November 5, 2011.
THKTS is indebted to Sri Bhimsen Patri garu , who had guided through the rituals of pooja and that, all the Telugu people of Hong Kong enjoyed participating in the divine Katha.
Among the participants were new comers to Hong Kong – who prayed for a smooth beinning at Hong Kong, and young couples who were doing this pooja for the first time after their marriage, while there were others who do this pooja in every “Kaartikamasam” etc.…and doing Satyanarayana Pooja in a Temple is considered very auspicious, and that invites members to perform this pooja with great peace and devotion.