08-14-2008, 09:37 AM
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll...312/1023/FEAT05
Sacred Space: $4M temple project reflects Hinduism's growth
Renowned Indian guru visits site
Jean Gordon ⢠jmgordon@clarionledger.com ⢠August 9, 2008
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BRANDON â Suseela Reddy slipped off his shoes before walking into the Hindu temple here out of respect for the sacred space.
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Once inside, the Jackson State University professor joined some 150 devotees awaiting the arrival of a renowned Indian guru.
"He's a good, spiritual saint," Reddy said about Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji, who is known for his healing and meditation music and has established more than 50 temples worldwide.
The special occasion this week drew Hindus from throughout the region, who flocked to the temple for a glimpse of the holy man. The crowd also got to survey the progress of a new, Indian-style temple that's been under construction on the grounds for close to four years.
The nearly $4 million building project signals the growth of the metro area's Hindu community, which over the past two decades has swelled from about 100 to 500 families.
"Music from Hindu temple"
With nearly a billion followers worldwide, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind Christianity and Islam.
Most Hindus live in India, though there are some 2 million believers in the United States.
"We need a new temple because the old one was very small and our community is growing," said Reddy, a native of south India who has lived in Mississippi for 15 years.
The new "Indianized" temple is a massive structure made of sand, cement and pilings. It is being built on land in front of the metro area's first Hindu temple.
Founded in 1990, the original house of worship is a one-story, cinder-block building that lacks the ornate architectural details for which Hindu temples are known.
The new temple is expected to be complete for a dedication ceremony in late November, said Baldev Patel, a business owner and chairman of the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi.
About 10 artisans from India have been working six days a week for close to four years hand carving intricate designs, patterns and figures into nearly every inch of the structure.
Though it's not yet complete, the uniqueness of the new temple already causes some motorists to stop and take a closer look, Patel said.
"It is a one-of-a-kind, beautiful temple," he said.
Once completed, the temple will have 16 4- to 6-foot niches that will house murtis, which are statues or other icons representing various deities.
Hindus believe the deities are all manifestations of one God.
Hindus don't worship murtis, rather, they consider them sacred symbols that provide focal points in meditation and prayer.
The new structure will allow believers to circle the niches holding the murtis, which is a customary sign of respect, said V.V. Prakasa Rao of the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi.
"That was one of the problems we had," he said about the existing temple, where the niches are embedded in the wall.
The temple is tucked on a street behind Old Fannin Road, where traffic has picked up considerably in recent years because of commercial development there and along Lakeland Drive.
"Indian people in most of the Hindu culture felt at that time it was too far away from Clinton and Canton and all those places," said Rao, a Jackson State University sociology professor. "Now it's almost in the middle of all the development."
Rao said after an initial period of wariness, the community around the temple has come to embrace its presence.
"Even our next door neighbor was so upset with it," he said. "But later on he became a good friend."
Rao said the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi initially had a difficult time finding a location to build its house of worship.
"Whenever we said we were trying to buy land for a Hindu temple, many people refused to sell the land," he said.
So representatives from the temple society eventually stopped telling prospective sellers what the land would be used for, Rao said.
Today there are three Hindu temples in the metro area.
Though most Indians are Hindu, the country's diverse culture includes millions of Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Christians.
In another sign that the Indian community is growing, Jackson now boasts two Indian grocery stores, and Indian movies show monthly at the Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison.
The size of the local Hindu population is not always evident, as Hindu temples do not hold regular worship services. Instead, believers visit temples on their own time and pray or meditate at home.
"In the Hindu religion most of it is individualized," Rao said. "Most families also have puja rooms or worship rooms."
Once the new temple is completed, the old structure will be converted into gathering hall, Rao said.
"We are excited, exuberant and anxious to see that this one is open as soon as possible," he said. "I have seen at least 25 or 30 temples in this country but I have not seen anything like this one."
Sacred Space: $4M temple project reflects Hinduism's growth
Renowned Indian guru visits site
Jean Gordon ⢠jmgordon@clarionledger.com ⢠August 9, 2008
* Read Comments(1)
* Recommend (3)
* Print this page
* E-mail this article
* Share this article:
* Del.icio.us
* Digg
* Newsvine
* Whatâs this?
BRANDON â Suseela Reddy slipped off his shoes before walking into the Hindu temple here out of respect for the sacred space.
Advertisement
http://www.mississippimoms.com/apps/pbcs.d...mplate=archgall
Once inside, the Jackson State University professor joined some 150 devotees awaiting the arrival of a renowned Indian guru.
"He's a good, spiritual saint," Reddy said about Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji, who is known for his healing and meditation music and has established more than 50 temples worldwide.
The special occasion this week drew Hindus from throughout the region, who flocked to the temple for a glimpse of the holy man. The crowd also got to survey the progress of a new, Indian-style temple that's been under construction on the grounds for close to four years.
The nearly $4 million building project signals the growth of the metro area's Hindu community, which over the past two decades has swelled from about 100 to 500 families.
"Music from Hindu temple"
With nearly a billion followers worldwide, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, behind Christianity and Islam.
Most Hindus live in India, though there are some 2 million believers in the United States.
"We need a new temple because the old one was very small and our community is growing," said Reddy, a native of south India who has lived in Mississippi for 15 years.
The new "Indianized" temple is a massive structure made of sand, cement and pilings. It is being built on land in front of the metro area's first Hindu temple.
Founded in 1990, the original house of worship is a one-story, cinder-block building that lacks the ornate architectural details for which Hindu temples are known.
The new temple is expected to be complete for a dedication ceremony in late November, said Baldev Patel, a business owner and chairman of the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi.
About 10 artisans from India have been working six days a week for close to four years hand carving intricate designs, patterns and figures into nearly every inch of the structure.
Though it's not yet complete, the uniqueness of the new temple already causes some motorists to stop and take a closer look, Patel said.
"It is a one-of-a-kind, beautiful temple," he said.
Once completed, the temple will have 16 4- to 6-foot niches that will house murtis, which are statues or other icons representing various deities.
Hindus believe the deities are all manifestations of one God.
Hindus don't worship murtis, rather, they consider them sacred symbols that provide focal points in meditation and prayer.
The new structure will allow believers to circle the niches holding the murtis, which is a customary sign of respect, said V.V. Prakasa Rao of the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi.
"That was one of the problems we had," he said about the existing temple, where the niches are embedded in the wall.
The temple is tucked on a street behind Old Fannin Road, where traffic has picked up considerably in recent years because of commercial development there and along Lakeland Drive.
"Indian people in most of the Hindu culture felt at that time it was too far away from Clinton and Canton and all those places," said Rao, a Jackson State University sociology professor. "Now it's almost in the middle of all the development."
Rao said after an initial period of wariness, the community around the temple has come to embrace its presence.
"Even our next door neighbor was so upset with it," he said. "But later on he became a good friend."
Rao said the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi initially had a difficult time finding a location to build its house of worship.
"Whenever we said we were trying to buy land for a Hindu temple, many people refused to sell the land," he said.
So representatives from the temple society eventually stopped telling prospective sellers what the land would be used for, Rao said.
Today there are three Hindu temples in the metro area.
Though most Indians are Hindu, the country's diverse culture includes millions of Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Christians.
In another sign that the Indian community is growing, Jackson now boasts two Indian grocery stores, and Indian movies show monthly at the Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison.
The size of the local Hindu population is not always evident, as Hindu temples do not hold regular worship services. Instead, believers visit temples on their own time and pray or meditate at home.
"In the Hindu religion most of it is individualized," Rao said. "Most families also have puja rooms or worship rooms."
Once the new temple is completed, the old structure will be converted into gathering hall, Rao said.
"We are excited, exuberant and anxious to see that this one is open as soon as possible," he said. "I have seen at least 25 or 30 temples in this country but I have not seen anything like this one."