Ceremonies

Havans (Fire Sacrifices) are traditional ceremonies performed by priests at the Iskcon temple or other suitable locations such as your home or a banquet hall. These ceremonies are highly beneficial and sanctifying. Havans destroy bad karma and increase auspicious influences.

They help one to progress peacefully in life to the ultimate goal: reaching the Absolute Truth —by smoothing the path of spiritual progress. Havans sanctify relationships between family and friends, parents and children, husband and wife. Havans help to support one socially, culturally, and spiritually for elevation in life. They drive away evil influences and attract the blessings of saintly persons. Most importantly, havans provide a ceremonial focus for the spiritual process for this age (harinama - sankirtana) the chanting of the names of God. Havans are performed at particular times during one’s life and are considered rites of passage. They purify the body and soul, and prepare one for devotional service to God by invoking auspicious qualities for those who perform them. They are performed for the benefit of both the individual and the family.

The chanting of the holy names of God (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) perfects the process of havan by invoking the presence and blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The following types of Havan ceremonies are offered by the temple:

Marriage Ceremony (Vivaha-havan):
Bless your marriage by performing a marriage ceremony.
Name Giving (Naam-karan):
This ceremony is performed on the first convenient auspicious day, or festival day, after the birth of the child to formally give the child their name.
First Grains (Anna-praashan):
This is when the child eats their first grains. It is performed six months after birth. During the ceremony the child is offered grains in the form of prasadam sweet rice. The child may also be offered different articles, such as Holy Scripture (Srimad-Bhagavatam) and money (Lakshmiji), which indicates the inclination of the child for work.
Education (Vidyarambha-havan):
This is performed before the child first goes to school. During the ceremony the child is shown the alphabet (A-Z) and writes it down on paper to provoke blessings for good education.
New Dwelling (Griha-pravesh):
To open a new office or entering a new residence, an auspicious ceremony is performed to purify the atmosphere of the new dwelling.

Charges

The temple charges for any of the above ceremonies are as follows:

Ceremony	$108
Temple Hall –Rental	$1000 ($108 for using the facility for less than 10 people)
Reception Hall – Rental	$450

All the above charges are for a period of 3 Hours, not including charges for Chairs, Tables, Decorations, etc

For each additional hour after 3 Hour period, there will be a charge of $108/Hr

Dakshina to the pujari will be at the discretion of the host of the ceremony.