மிச்சிகன் கிராண்ட் ராபிட்ஸில் மாபெரும் இந்துகோவில் துவக்கம்
by எழில்
அமெரிக்காவின் மிச்சிகன் மாநிலத்தில் கிராண்ட் ராபிட்ஸில் மாபெரும் இந்துகோவில் துவக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. கட்டட வேலைகள் வேகமாக நடந்து வருகின்றன.
http://www.westmichiganhindutemple.org/
அனைவரும் வருக
அருள் பெருக
செல்வம் உள்ளவர்கள் செல்வம் கொடுங்கள். உழைப்பு உள்ளவர்கள் உழைப்பு கொடுங்கள்.
Hindus celebrate Grand Rapids area's first temple
Posted by Charles Honey | The Grand Rapids Press June 07, 2008 08:00AM
Categories: Editors' Choice
Press Photo/Adam Bird
Tanya Juneja, left, and Dr. Sarla Puri pray in front of the Juneja family's altar in their Cascade Township home.CASCADE TOWNSHIP -- When Dr. Rashmi Juneja moved from Big Rapids to Cascade Township five years ago, she was attracted by Forest Hills schools and a community that welcomed her Hindu faith.
But, with the closest temples in Ganges, Kalamazoo and Lansing, she mostly confined her worship to an altar in her home. She also wished her daughters could learn more about the beliefs and culture of this ancient faith.
So Juneja is delighted that the Grand Rapids area's first Hindu temple is about to open just a mile from her house. She expects Ananya, 17, and Tanya, 11, also will worship and take classes there.
"It's very important for the future generations to understand what their heritage is all about," said Juneja, an internal medicine specialist. "There's evidence that (Hinduism) has been in existence since 2,000 B.C. It's nice to be able to preserve that."
The West Michigan Hindu Temple will preserve cherished rituals and traditions for many area Hindus. After years of hoping and planning, they will celebrate the new facility with colorful opening ceremonies next weekend.
The public is invited to the mix of religious and cultural activities that begin at 9 a.m. Friday in the temple and an adjoining cultural center. However, non-Hindus likely will get the most out of programs at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday featuring traditional Indian dancing and music.
Meet the deities
Hindus worship millions of gods and goddesses, all considered different forms of the one supreme God. Following are a few whose statues will be installed at the West Michigan Hindu Temple:
Ganesha
One of the most-worshipped gods, he is revered as a remover of obstacles, lord of beginnings and patron of arts and sciences. His elephant head represents wisdom and intelligence.
Murugan, Valli and Devayani
Murugan is a powerful god of creation and protection and a destroyer of evil. Valli and Devayani are his wives.
Shiva and Parvathi
Shiva is one of the trinity of gods at the foundation of Hinduism, with Brahama and Vishnu. Brahama is the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer in the cycle of life. Parvathi is Shiva's wife.
Lakshmi
She is the goddess of wealth, luck, love and beauty. Representations of her also are found in Jain and Buddhist monuments. Her husband, Balaji, also is an important deity.
Ambaji
Believed to be a goddess of the pre-Aryan race, she destroys evil forces aided by her tiger and many arms.
SOURCE: West Michigan Hindu Temple
Stories for children about Hindu deities will be part of Saturday's program. Both nights will end with Indian dinners at no charge, though donations will be accepted.
Educating the public about Hinduism and cultivating interfaith understanding are central aims of temple organizers.
"It's important to carry the message we can all be different but live peacefully and respect each other's values and opinions," said Juneja, who also sees the temple as a resource for community health care and other social services.
For her and others, the temple represents a sort of coming-out of West Michigan's mostly hidden Hindu community.
Apart from the yearly Diwali festival held in a local school, the public rarely glimpses the rich and mysterious traditions of about 250 Hindu area families.
Temple leaders hope non-Hindus feel free to visit and learn about the faith, which has a multiplicity of gods and goddesses that may seem confusing to outsiders.
"There are a lot of misconceptions about Hinduism, partly because of not being able to understand what it is," said Dr. V.J. Desai, president of the temple's executive board. "This is a place that will be opening up and talking about it."
A psychiatrist at Forest View Psychiatric Hospital, Desai has seen the slow growth of the Hindu community in his nearly 20 years here. Families attracted by health care, information technology and other professions gathered in basements, garages and banquet halls to pray.
"We always were thinking about developing a temple," Desai said. "We would go to Lansing or Chicago or Detroit to pray, so there was a great need to have a temple here."
A group of about a dozen backers decided in 2002 to build one and put in seed money, Desai said. Two years later, they bought 5.7 acres at 4870 Whitneyville Ave. SE and announced plans for an 8,000-square-foot temple.
Construction began last year on the building set into a wooded hillside. About $750,000 of its $1 million cost has been met through donations. Backers are prepared to take out a loan for the rest, said board treasurer Sridhar Sundaram.
"They have accepted this as their temple and are supporting it," noted Sundaram, chairman of the finance department at Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business.
Contractors have donated considerable labor and materials to the facility, including general contractor Jiten Shah and granite contractor Mahi Mahesh.
Though nondescript from the outside -- more eye-catching domes will be added later -- the interior will feature a dozen depictions of deities. Sculpted at about $5,000 apiece in India, the statues represent some of the more popular gods and goddesses among the millions that Hindus across the globe worship.
The statues will be set into separate alcoves surrounding the main room, allowing worshippers to stop and pray at any or all. More devout adherents may chant a deity's many names 108 or even 1,008 times.
The deities were chosen based on the makeup of area Hindus, who come from different regions and traditions in India, Sundaram said.
"We can only sustain one temple, so we want that temple to represent the community," said Sundaram, who hails from southern India where the god Murugan is popular.
Worshippers typically circle all the gods three times, explained Prasad Reddy, one of the temple's main organizers.
"When you go around the gods, it's like you have visited the entire universe, and that pleases God," said Reddy, a management consultant.
He and others emphasize the many deities are considered different forms of the one supreme God, Brahman.
"We can pray to any god we want, but we will reach the same goal in reaching moksha, or salvation," Desai said.
The first shipment of six deities will be welcomed in ceremonies next weekend. In one ritual, holy water will be used to instill life into the deities before they are placed in the temple for worship.
In another, the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is honored by couples sitting with lamps between them while seven priests chant prayers for her.
Presiding will be the resident priest, Chakrapani Bhattacharya, who will live in a house to be built on the grounds. He will conduct daily lighting ceremonies and regular devotions, including weekend worship open to the public. Special rituals, such as purification ceremonies over a fire pit, also are his purview.
The cultural center will be home to weddings, birthdays, lectures and cultural classes. Youths will come for instruction in Hindu Scripture, dance and language.
Instruction is crucial for local Hindu youth, especially those born and raised in the U.S., organizers say. For adults, the center will provide a place to socialize, knitting the community closer together.
"In India, we all had the social communities and support," Sundaram said. "Here, the community is the extended family. (The temple) has taken on an even more significant role as a community and social place."
Ramshi Juneja thinks it will be an important place for her and her family. She looks forward to sharing her faith and more deeply instilling it in her daughters.
"To do the right thing, take care of the community and do the right karma is what Hinduism is based on," Juneja said. "It's good if kids can understand that concept."
Press photos/Paul L. Newby II
Opening ceremonies for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, under construction near Whitneyville, begin Friday.
http://www.westmichiganhindutemple.org/
அனைவரும் வருக
அருள் பெருக
செல்வம் உள்ளவர்கள் செல்வம் கொடுங்கள். உழைப்பு உள்ளவர்கள் உழைப்பு கொடுங்கள்.
Hindus celebrate Grand Rapids area's first temple
Posted by Charles Honey | The Grand Rapids Press June 07, 2008 08:00AM
Categories: Editors' Choice
Press Photo/Adam Bird
Tanya Juneja, left, and Dr. Sarla Puri pray in front of the Juneja family's altar in their Cascade Township home.CASCADE TOWNSHIP -- When Dr. Rashmi Juneja moved from Big Rapids to Cascade Township five years ago, she was attracted by Forest Hills schools and a community that welcomed her Hindu faith.
But, with the closest temples in Ganges, Kalamazoo and Lansing, she mostly confined her worship to an altar in her home. She also wished her daughters could learn more about the beliefs and culture of this ancient faith.
So Juneja is delighted that the Grand Rapids area's first Hindu temple is about to open just a mile from her house. She expects Ananya, 17, and Tanya, 11, also will worship and take classes there.
"It's very important for the future generations to understand what their heritage is all about," said Juneja, an internal medicine specialist. "There's evidence that (Hinduism) has been in existence since 2,000 B.C. It's nice to be able to preserve that."
The West Michigan Hindu Temple will preserve cherished rituals and traditions for many area Hindus. After years of hoping and planning, they will celebrate the new facility with colorful opening ceremonies next weekend.
The public is invited to the mix of religious and cultural activities that begin at 9 a.m. Friday in the temple and an adjoining cultural center. However, non-Hindus likely will get the most out of programs at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday featuring traditional Indian dancing and music.
Meet the deities
Hindus worship millions of gods and goddesses, all considered different forms of the one supreme God. Following are a few whose statues will be installed at the West Michigan Hindu Temple:
Ganesha
One of the most-worshipped gods, he is revered as a remover of obstacles, lord of beginnings and patron of arts and sciences. His elephant head represents wisdom and intelligence.
Murugan, Valli and Devayani
Murugan is a powerful god of creation and protection and a destroyer of evil. Valli and Devayani are his wives.
Shiva and Parvathi
Shiva is one of the trinity of gods at the foundation of Hinduism, with Brahama and Vishnu. Brahama is the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer in the cycle of life. Parvathi is Shiva's wife.
Lakshmi
She is the goddess of wealth, luck, love and beauty. Representations of her also are found in Jain and Buddhist monuments. Her husband, Balaji, also is an important deity.
Ambaji
Believed to be a goddess of the pre-Aryan race, she destroys evil forces aided by her tiger and many arms.
SOURCE: West Michigan Hindu Temple
Stories for children about Hindu deities will be part of Saturday's program. Both nights will end with Indian dinners at no charge, though donations will be accepted.
Educating the public about Hinduism and cultivating interfaith understanding are central aims of temple organizers.
"It's important to carry the message we can all be different but live peacefully and respect each other's values and opinions," said Juneja, who also sees the temple as a resource for community health care and other social services.
For her and others, the temple represents a sort of coming-out of West Michigan's mostly hidden Hindu community.
Apart from the yearly Diwali festival held in a local school, the public rarely glimpses the rich and mysterious traditions of about 250 Hindu area families.
Temple leaders hope non-Hindus feel free to visit and learn about the faith, which has a multiplicity of gods and goddesses that may seem confusing to outsiders.
"There are a lot of misconceptions about Hinduism, partly because of not being able to understand what it is," said Dr. V.J. Desai, president of the temple's executive board. "This is a place that will be opening up and talking about it."
A psychiatrist at Forest View Psychiatric Hospital, Desai has seen the slow growth of the Hindu community in his nearly 20 years here. Families attracted by health care, information technology and other professions gathered in basements, garages and banquet halls to pray.
"We always were thinking about developing a temple," Desai said. "We would go to Lansing or Chicago or Detroit to pray, so there was a great need to have a temple here."
A group of about a dozen backers decided in 2002 to build one and put in seed money, Desai said. Two years later, they bought 5.7 acres at 4870 Whitneyville Ave. SE and announced plans for an 8,000-square-foot temple.
Construction began last year on the building set into a wooded hillside. About $750,000 of its $1 million cost has been met through donations. Backers are prepared to take out a loan for the rest, said board treasurer Sridhar Sundaram.
"They have accepted this as their temple and are supporting it," noted Sundaram, chairman of the finance department at Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business.
Contractors have donated considerable labor and materials to the facility, including general contractor Jiten Shah and granite contractor Mahi Mahesh.
Though nondescript from the outside -- more eye-catching domes will be added later -- the interior will feature a dozen depictions of deities. Sculpted at about $5,000 apiece in India, the statues represent some of the more popular gods and goddesses among the millions that Hindus across the globe worship.
The statues will be set into separate alcoves surrounding the main room, allowing worshippers to stop and pray at any or all. More devout adherents may chant a deity's many names 108 or even 1,008 times.
The deities were chosen based on the makeup of area Hindus, who come from different regions and traditions in India, Sundaram said.
"We can only sustain one temple, so we want that temple to represent the community," said Sundaram, who hails from southern India where the god Murugan is popular.
Worshippers typically circle all the gods three times, explained Prasad Reddy, one of the temple's main organizers.
"When you go around the gods, it's like you have visited the entire universe, and that pleases God," said Reddy, a management consultant.
He and others emphasize the many deities are considered different forms of the one supreme God, Brahman.
"We can pray to any god we want, but we will reach the same goal in reaching moksha, or salvation," Desai said.
The first shipment of six deities will be welcomed in ceremonies next weekend. In one ritual, holy water will be used to instill life into the deities before they are placed in the temple for worship.
In another, the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, is honored by couples sitting with lamps between them while seven priests chant prayers for her.
Presiding will be the resident priest, Chakrapani Bhattacharya, who will live in a house to be built on the grounds. He will conduct daily lighting ceremonies and regular devotions, including weekend worship open to the public. Special rituals, such as purification ceremonies over a fire pit, also are his purview.
The cultural center will be home to weddings, birthdays, lectures and cultural classes. Youths will come for instruction in Hindu Scripture, dance and language.
Instruction is crucial for local Hindu youth, especially those born and raised in the U.S., organizers say. For adults, the center will provide a place to socialize, knitting the community closer together.
"In India, we all had the social communities and support," Sundaram said. "Here, the community is the extended family. (The temple) has taken on an even more significant role as a community and social place."
Ramshi Juneja thinks it will be an important place for her and her family. She looks forward to sharing her faith and more deeply instilling it in her daughters.
"To do the right thing, take care of the community and do the right karma is what Hinduism is based on," Juneja said. "It's good if kids can understand that concept."
Press photos/Paul L. Newby II
Opening ceremonies for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, under construction near Whitneyville, begin Friday.
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