7. अन्नपूर्णाप्रतिष्ठाता Annapūrṇā-pratiṣṭhātā

One who consecrated Goddess Annapūrṇā (at Varanasi)

The darśana of Śrī Annapūrṇā Devī at Varanasi is considered as important as that of Śrī Viśvanātha. It is an age-old tradition in India to pray to Goddess Annapūrṇā before partaking of food, chanting the verse that means, ‘O Annapūrṇā who is ever perfect and the beloved of Lord Śiva! O Pārvatī! Bestow alms upon me for the attainment of knowledge and dispassion.’²⁴

The legend goes that when there was a great famine in the land, Goddess Pārvatī came to earth to provide food for all beings. She opened a kitchen in the holy city of Varanasi, and provided food to all. Parameśvara Himself came to Her with His bhikṣā-pātra (vessel for bhikṣā) asking for food, which She readily served. She has since been celebrated at Varanasi as Śrī Annapūrṇā Devī, the Divine Mother of the universe who provides food to all. To this day, Her temple provides food every day to all who come, irrespective of caste, creed, gender and religion. Her food stock never diminishes for She is ‘pūrṇā’, full, with ‘anna’, food, and none is sent away from her temple without food. It is said that Goddess Annapūrṇā does not eat until all Her devotees are fed in the temple for the day.

In this nāma, His Holiness is described as the pratiṣṭhātā, One who consecrated, Śrī Annapūrṇā Devī at Varanasi. This consecration happened in 1977. Perhaps it was divine will that the Jagadguru, Preceptor of the world, consecrate the idol of the Jaganmātā, Mother of the world, so that She may continue to grace devotees with not only food and prosperity, but also liberation, which gives ‘pūrṇatā’, the ultimate satiation.

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When His Holiness first visited Varanasi in 1967, the idea of temple renovation was mooted. Once the intended work was completed, the Mahant in-charge of the temple was resolute that His Holiness perform the consecration. He waited for more than four years for this and visited Sringeri many times to request the Jagadguru to come to Varanasi. Much to the Mahant’s joy, His Holiness acceded to perform the kumbhābhiṣeka in 1977.

The consecration was slated for 24^th January, 1977, the sacred Vasanta-pañcamī day. Atirudra and Sahasracaṇḍī yajñas were performed over three days, with the pūrṇāhutis (final oblations) slated for the 24^th morning. The aṣṭabandhana (process of affixing an idol to its pedestal) was completed on the night of the 23^rd itself.

On the morning of the 24^th, His Holiness along with His successor-designate, Sri Bhāratī Tīrtha, and the Jagadguru of Puri, Śrī Nirañjana Deva Tīrtha, who had specially come for the kumbhābhiṣeka, were received with temple honours. They entered the temple after attending the pūrṇāhutis. The consecration of Śrī Annapūrṇā Devī by His Holiness took place at 9:15 a.m. Then His Holiness Himself performed special pūjā to the deity amidst Vedic chanting by the ṛtviks (priests) and to the accompaniment of maṅgala-vādya (auspicious music).

When His Holiness broke a coconut to offer as naivedya, He found a coconut flower inside. He regarded this as rather auspicious, and even held up the coconut for all to see. His Holiness then delivered an anugraha-bhāṣaṇa in Hindi and blessed the devotees.

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