Installation of Bhuvaneshvari Devi Temple and Inauguration of Chinmaya Bhuvanam Ashram (Chinmaya Mission’s Brisbane Centre for Vedantic Studies promoting Knowledge, Devotion and Service)

On Saturday the 26th of July 2025, a spiritual seed planted by His Holiness Swami Chinmayananda, on his visit to Brisbane in 1991 finally took fruit.
Chinmaya Mission Brisbane was a hive of activity as devotees, guests and friends celebrated the inauguration of Chinmaya Bhuvanam, the Mission’s newest Australian Ashram, at 8 Julie Road, Ellen Grove. Pujya Swami Swaroopanandaji (Pujya Swamiji}, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission presided over the joyous event.
The auspicious day began with a traditional Puma Kumbha welcome for Pujya Swamiji, Swami Shrikaranandaji, Spiritual teacher for Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide Region, Swami Aprokshanandaji, resident teacher for Perth and Brahmacharini Vasudhaji from Melbourne. The Sthapana ceremony for the installation of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari Devi, the presiding deity at the Ashram, commenced with invoking the blessings of Sri Ganesha, Vastu pooja and Navagraha Pooja. Thereafter, Nethronmeelanam (opening of the eyes) ceremony, performed by Pujya Swamiji accompanied by the chanting of auspicious vedic mantras completed the installation and consecration of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari Devi.
The inauguration was graced by the attendance of Federal MP and speaker the right honorable Milton Dick; the Consul General of India, Honorable Neetu Bhagota; Federal MP, the Honorable Margi Nightingale and leaders from a wide cross section of local Hindu religious and cultural associations. Perhaps the happiest guests were the builders, Tom Tokich of Ahrens and Simon McGuire Project Manager. They witnessed the unique purpose-built structure they had worked on for months transform into a sacred spiritual hub, alive with colour, beauty and joyous cultural activity.

All those gathered were spell-bound, captivated by the mesmerizing beauty of the glistening marble murti of Mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi. In this form she is indeed Maha Tripurasundari, the loveliest, Tripuramohini, the enchantress, and Tiruparapalini, the protector of the three worlds. Following the completion of the Sthapana ceremony, Devi Puja was performed by devotees worshipping Bhuvaneshwari Devi was with flower$, fruits and naivedyam.
Thereafter, Pujya Swamiji addressed the devotees and guests noting that a cherished dream had come to fruition. He thanked the donors and the army of workers and devotees for their dedicated seva in making Chinmaya Bhuvanam, Centre for Vedantic Studies, a reality. Emphasizing that understanding the knowledge of the Self is what leads to peace, love and harmony in the world, Pujya Swamiji noted that the study of the scriptures and Vedanta are essential for understanding one’s own true Self. Understanding one’s true Self leads naturally to understanding the purpose of life and to embracing a greater vision leading to a life·that is filled with happiness and is productive to the whole society, to the nation and to the world. It was with this noble objective that Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayanandaji, designed various programs for all age groups, from the ‘womb to the tomb’ and beyond, Chinmaya Mission offers programs from garba samskara (Pre-natal) through Shishu Vihar (0-4 years), Bala Vihar (Primary school), Yuva Kendra (Teens & Youth), Adult study groups and Vanaprastha groups for senior citizens, all of which nourish and foster both spiritual development and serve as a pathway to leading a productive life. Chinmaya Bhuvanam, Centre for Vedantic learning through knowledge, devotion and service will offer all of these programs.

Pujya Swamiji explained that Bhuvanan means the entire universe and Bhuvaneshwari Devi means goddess or ‘mother of the universe’. He explained that just as our own home can be called a home only wtien there is true love for everyone, and mother epitomizes that love, so we have invoked Bhuvaneswari Devi as the Divine Mother to bless our Centre, our homes, our city and our nation.

With the completion of the Sthaphana of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, Pujya Swamiji said that the Divine Mother is now present in Chinmaya Bhuvanam endowed with all love and all power to bestow upon all seekers, the knowledge of all sciences and the greatest of all sciences, the science of Knowledge of the Self. Pujya Swamiji said that Goddess Bhuvaneshwari with Her blessing hands represented Her ever readiness to remove all our fears and bestow boons. She also held an Ankush (goad) and a Pasha (rope) in her hands to signify that She is the devotee’s saviour to rescue them from the ocean of transmigration, the ocean of change and uncertainty. The Ankush (goad) signified that She is the all-powerful Mother who reins in our haughtiness and ego. Just as our own mother is the controller of our home, the Divine Mother holds the Ankush (goad) in her hand to guide and lead us in the right path. Pujya Swamiji concluded by invoking Goddess Bhuvaneshwari Devi and the Guru Parampara to always bless, guide and uplift everyone from the world of sorrow, change and uncertainty and guide us to our inherent nature of Sat Chit Ananda – infinite, eternal and blissful Self. The morning’s program concluded with special Aarati songs for Goddess Bhuvaneshwari and Chinmaya Bhuvanam composed by Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji.

The Aarati can be downloaded through the QR code below:

The Inauguration programme concluded with prasad -a delicious feast all home-cooked and prepared with love by many mothers. Pujya Swamiji also had a satsang in the evening at the Chinmaya Bhuvanam ashram and outlined the contribution the Centre would make through its activities. He implored all to uphold Sanatana. Dharma and Bharatiya culture with pride by following it earnestly and enabling the future generations also to follow the path. Pujya Swamiji noted that many ancient cultures across the world had perished but the Bharatiya culture, the eternal Sanatana Dharma, is the only culture that has stood the test of time. It was only due to upholding the Bharatiya culture, respecting our Gurus, saints and sages and following the tradition and path of knowledge chalked out by them that this was possible. It is imperative For the true seekers of knowledge, Pujya Swamiji said that the Divine Mother, Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, is ever willing to bless them, guide them in the path of Dharma and protect them. Just as our own mother keeps showering us with love, protects us from all dangers and guides us in the right path so also Goddess Bhuvaneshvari, the Divine Mother, is the combination Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Saraswati ready to answer all our earnest prayers, set us on the right path and bestow on us true knowledge, abundance and love. And for that all we need to do is invoke Her earnestly and with dedication.
Pujya Swamiji, invited the audience, devotees, sevaks and sevikas to keep their devotion ever fresh by visiting Goddess Bhuvaneshvari, the Divine Mother of the entire universe at the aptly named Brisbane Ashram -CHINMAYA BHUVANAM -as often as possible and engage in spiritual learning and seva, and to inspire as many others as possible.
In concluding his talk, Pujya Swamiji reminded all that the year 2026 is the 75th anniversary of the Chinmaya Mission and a grand celebratory event, Sammelan, is planned to be held at Bharat Mantapam in New Delhi, India, from October 23rd to October 25th, 2026. Pujya Swamiji invited all the devotees, sevaks and sevikas to attend the event and assist with organizing.
Pujya Swamiji noted that, these days, not many people know even one verse of the Bhagavad Geeta -the ultimate manual for self-unfoldment -and, with that in mind, he had put together 5 verses from the holy text and aptly named it Gita Panchamrit. Pujya Swamiji implored all to learn this Gita Panchamrit, apply it in our daily lives and spread it out to maximum number of people.

The Gita Panchamrit can be downloaded through the QR code below.

The inauguration of Chinmaya Bhuvanam and the installation of Mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi provide a beautiful sacred space for Hindus in Brisbane as well as an opportunity for all seekers, regardless of background and religion, to grow spiritually as part of a community dedicated to knowledge, devotion and service.
Join Chinmaya Mission Brisbane to make a positive difference in your life and to those around you! Visit our website https://www.chinmaya.com.au/pages/brisbane-centre.
—Sevak Anantharaman
In Your Service
At His Feet

PEEL THE LABELS

Pastor Suresh Dass Joseph
[email protected]

Dear reader, it is with great joy that we bring you the word of God. I want to talk to you today about “Peeling off negative labels.” Throughout life, people constantly stick labels on us, telling us what we can and cannot become, and sometimes this is good. People speak faith into us; they encourage us. But then there are times when people stick negative labels on us. You cannot stop the negative comments, you can’t prevent the negative labels, but you can choose to peel them.
Wrong labels can limit how far you can go in life. Like a brake, it will keep you from rising higher. Labels like, “You are just average, you don’t measure up, you are a low achiever” can hold you back from your full potential.
Some people have the strength, energy, and education, but what is holding them back are the wrong labels they wear. The longer we wear them, the less they describe our past and the more they determine our future.
The good news is that we serve a supernatural God. He can do what medicine cannot do. He’s not limited by your education, your background, or the family you come from. He’s not moved by the things people have spoken over you. He’s not up in heaven all worried, trying to figure out how to get you to your destiny. He knows the end from the beginning. He is called the alpha and the omega. He already has solutions to problems you’ve not even had. He’s all-powerful and all-knowing. People may have tried to push you down, but if you peel off those labels and agree with God, he’ll push you up. He’ll take you where you could not go alone, and you don’t have to figure it all out.
In the Bible, we read about Saul, who was going about persecuting and threatening Christians. On his way to Damascus, he had an encounter with Jesus. His life changed, and he became a Christian himself. But the people around him labeled him a persecutor, a threat, and a violent man. Saul found his new Identity through Jesus and changed his name to Paul. People didn’t love him, yet he felt the love of the Heavenly Father. He made mistakes and failed in the past, but he can now succeed in the future. Though people rejected him, he was chosen by God.
Paul knew that all the wrong labels from people did not match his new Identity through Christ. Like Paul, we, too, are offered the wrong labels by people, but we can choose not to accept them. Labels are for bottles, boxes, and packets, but our true Identity is in Jesus.
In the scriptures, we read about Gideon (Judges 6 &7). The children of Israel were suffering greatly and coming under attack from the Midianites and Amalekites. Their produce from the earth, including their animals, was continually being taken from them. God came to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor.” God said, He was going to use him to save Israel. Gideon was amazed to hear that. All these years, he was carrying the labels, “I am from the weakest tribe, I am the least in my father’s house, etc.”
Gideon was even more fearful when God said He would use Gideon and 300 men to defeat this vast enemy army of the Midianites and the Amalekites. He didn’t think he could do it. So God told him to go and listen to what the enemies were saying. Gideon went at night and heard two men talking. They talked about a dream they had, saying God had delivered them in the hands of Gideon.
Soon after, God caused the enemy army to be defeated, and Gideon won the victory.

Here are 3 things we can learn from Gideon.
1. God called Gideon a mighty man of strength, power, and bravery. Before God could use him, He wanted Gideon to know that he was not what people said he was but what God said about him. People put some labels on him, but God gave him his true Identity. He could only go so far with the labels, but now, with his Identity, he could accomplish his dreams. The scripture says, “I can do everything through Christ, who strengthens me.” Your labels speak of past performance. Your Identity shows your position in Christ.
2. God caused him to hear what two men were saying about him. Gideon’s fear turned into faith when he heard them talking. In the same way, you can feed your faith by listening to the words of encouragement and faith. The Bible is full of inspiration and faith-building words. It says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.”
3. With only 300 men, Gideon had to trust God to come through for him. God defeated the enemy army, and Gideon was victorious. In the same way, we are to remove those negative influences from our lives. Be careful in what we are watching or listening to. Stay away from people who try to label you. You can choose to stop them from putting the wrong labels on you. Listen to what God says about you. He says, “You are a new creation, deeply loved, masterpiece, chosen and redeemed, a child of God.”
I believe all this is possible through a relationship with Jesus.

God bless you.