Dhanwantari Pooja 08-08-2021

After a long pandemic effect of Covid. Temple is organizing Dhanwantari Puja to thank Shri Laxmi Narayan and pray for the well being, good health and happiness of the community at large. Puja is conducted by Dr Suresh Kalagnanam  on Sunday 8th August 2021 at Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada. On behalf of the community Mr. Vishal & Mrs. Deepika Gupta & family sponsored the Dhanwantari pooja, offered Bhoj to Shri Hari and served Mahaprasadam to the devotees.

Dhanvantari is the Hindu god of medicine and an avatar of Lord Vishnu. He was the king of Varanasi. He is mentioned in the Puranas as the god of Ayurveda. He, during the Samudramanthan arose from the Ocean of Milk with the nectar of immortality. It is a common practice in Hinduism for worshipers to pray to Dhanvantari seeking his blessings for sound health for themselves and/or others 

According to the ancient Sanskrit work Vishnudharamottara, Dhanvantari is a handsome individual and should usually be depicted with four hands, with one of them carrying Amrita, the ambrosia. Dhanvantari is depicted as Vishnu with four hands, holding Shankha, Chakra, Jalauka (leech) and a pot containing Amrita. He is often shown with a leech in his hand rather than the scriptures.

Some texts describe him as holding a conch, Amrita, medicinal herbs and a book of Ayurveda. In ancient texts there are some shlokas devoted to origin of Lord Dhanvantari:

ॐ शंखं चक्रं जलौकां दधदमृतघटं चारुदोर्भिश्चतुर्मिः।

सूक्ष्मस्वच्छातिहृद्यांशुक परिविलसन्मौलिमंभोजनेत्रम॥

कालाम्भोदोज्ज्वलांगं कटितटविलसच्चारूपीतांबराढ्यम।

वन्दे धन्वंतरिं तं निखिलगदवनप्रौढदावाग्निलीलम॥

सूक्ष्मस्वच्छातिहृद्यांशुक परिविलसन्मौलिमंभोजनेत्रम॥