INDIA, May 16, 2012 (azcentral.com): Hindu devotees and other well-wishers will have a rare opportunity to witness Srinivasa Kalyanam, “The Marriage of Srinivasa,” at the Sri Venkata Krishna Kshetra Temple in Tempe. Visiting priests from the Tirupathi temple will perform the ceremony there from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.
The temple is one of 10 in the country to host the original, centuries-old “uthsav murthis,” portable statues of deities used in religious ceremonies from the Tirupathi temple.
The Tempe temple was chosen from 43 Hindu temples around the country that applied to host the venerated delegation and religious ceremony.
“The Marriage of Srinivasa” is a long story in Hindu mythology. Lord Srinivasa (a manifestation of god Vishnu, also known as Venkateshwara, who is devotional focus at the Tempe temple) is fulfilling a promise to marry his consort Maha Lakshmi, in the Kali Yuga. The lord is believed to be the savior of this yuga, the last of the four stages the world goes through, according to Indian scriptures.