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CC Baxter
Akron, OH
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#28
Apr 21, 2008
Jack wrote:
<quoted text>
This area is zoned residential. Did you also miss that fact?
You obviously don't understand how zoning works.
There are reams of case law, stacks of legal briefs, and millions of hours of litigation tied up in the simplistic statement "This area is zoned residential".
me-ksu alum
Joined: Jan 2, 2008
Comments: 473
Akron
ISP Location: Youngstown, OH
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#29
Apr 21, 2008
god forbid. as the 'melting pot' that we were once known as, and all of us have benefitted from...it's so refreshing to see the culture of paranoia that has pervaded the united states.
xenophobia can be used as crowd control, similar to religion, to very negative ends.
let the temple be built, even go check it out! you might learn something. embrace other religions, learn about them. it doesn't mean you have to follow them, or even believe in the same ideals, but it never hurts to learn. unless you're in the Akron Public Schools...
CC Baxter
Akron, OH
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#30
Apr 21, 2008
Joe Below wrote:
<quoted text>
I would! Boot em back to Africa.
Of course you would.
KBHR
North Benton, OH
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#31
Apr 21, 2008
This is fear of the unknown - nothing more, nothing less. If the rules are followed, there should be no reason why this church/temple shouldn't be built. I know of no laws that say a religious building can't be built in a residential neighborhood.
CC Baxter
Akron, OH
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#32
Apr 21, 2008
THE BRICK SLAYER wrote:
relax some of those hindu women are really hot, and don't forget the kama sutra! wow i wish i had a hindu temple to go to, sit by some hot hindu chicks and study the kama sutra with them. sexy hot hindu chicks F%*% YEAH
My, how very urbane you are.
smart guy 8
Akron, OH
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#33
Apr 21, 2008
Hey R-Tards, Hindu's never attacked us. I hate NIMBY's
Figures
Athens, OH
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#35
Apr 21, 2008
Joe Below wrote:
<quoted text>
I would! Boot em back to Africa.
Of course - this guy lives in the Falls. Grow up.
Jack
Cleveland, OH
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#36
Apr 21, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
<quoted text>
Would you say the same thing if you replaced the words "black people" with "Hindu temple"?
Do you enjoy making ignorant statements, if you're going to try to compare apples-to-apples, then do so. Your example is apples and oranges (people to a building).
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Jack
Cleveland, OH
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#37
Apr 21, 2008
Figures wrote:
But if they have been sleeping on their rights regarding other large, well-lit structures in the area, they'll have an uphill battle to fight.
Based on what statutes and/or case law?
Jack
Cleveland, OH
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#38
Apr 21, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
<quoted text>
You obviously don't understand how zoning works.
There are reams of case law, stacks of legal briefs, and millions of hours of litigation tied up in the simplistic statement "This area is zoned residential".
Comparing a nursing home to a mega-religion place are not the same.
Jack
Cleveland, OH
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#39
Apr 21, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
People in the suburbs are such bumpkins. Parking lot light glare? Give me a break.
While I wholeheartedly disagree on their "parking lot lights" and "strangers coming in" reasonings, not all of us suburban folks are "bumpkins."
I see the building of this as opening up a huge can of worms.
Jack
Cleveland, OH
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#40
Apr 21, 2008
Arnie Argenio wrote:
<quoted text>
I would be honored to have a Hindu temple in my neighboorhood.
Not only wealthy, smart, and clean...but also peaceful, hardworking, and very devotional.
Seems like a win/win to me.
It would be IF they were residing there.
Thomas
Akron, OH
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#44
Apr 21, 2008
If the members lives in the same area it would be great. You would think they would want to put this closer to their members. I can understand them wanting to put it in a nice quiet area but it's not looking like it's going to be that way.
it's just the way things are. Just like your not going to put a black church in the middle of white neighborhood.(even though I wouldn't mind, those churches get down) just like your not going to put a Jewish church in the middle of a muslim neighborhood.(now that would be funny)
If the people who live there don't want it there then so be it, find another location.
Ohio
Akron, OH
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#45
Apr 21, 2008
I worked next to a Temple in Florida and the only problems we had was the trafic jams on Friday afternoon. They had to use the local police to direct traffic and it did cause major back up on a busy main road.
TyRaX
Akron, OH
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#47
Apr 21, 2008
I hear all these people saying to put the temple where the followers live. It's not that simple. These folks will come from all over the place to worship, not one little area. This isn't a dime-a-dozen neighborhood chruch that opens up on the corner then starts recruiting new parishioners from the area. This is a temple for families that don't want to drive even farther to visit their place of worship.
For those residents concerned about the noise of "chanting and singing" that would pollute their neighborhood, I urge them to drive past any Christian church during a service and listen. I live within a couple blocks of two churches and cannot hear any singing, praying, or organ music from my house. I do, however, hear the tolling of the bells... which is something you will not hear as frequently from the Hindu temple.
B_Radley
âJust Watching the Paradeâ
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Comments: 572
Akron
ISP Location: Mogadore, OH
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#48
Apr 21, 2008
''Why has Richfield become the place where all these odd religions want to be?''
Gotta love it. In the U.S., everyone has the freedom to worship their own religion.
As long as it's not an odd one.
class_o_92
Cleveland, OH
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#49
Apr 21, 2008
idiots wrote:
<quoted text>
Thanks, DNB. You are so right. Hinduism is also the oldest "living" religion. I dare say other religions borrowed some of their concepts from Hinduism and that told their people the religion was pagan. Hinduism has the concept of one God. It also has a Trinity. It also has saints and angels. Some scholars believe that Jesus' sermon on the mount is a compilation of Hindu and Jewish sayings. Hindus also have the most incredible respect for life - especially human life! The idiot bigots need to get their acts together. You want good neighbors? You want safe neighbors? You want the value of your neighborhood preserved? Well welcome the Hindus with open arms then. Help them move in!
surely you're not from akron. you speak so well! LOL
Ohio
Akron, OH
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#50
Apr 21, 2008
B_Radley wrote:
''Why has Richfield become the place where all these odd religions want to be?''
Gotta love it. In the U.S., everyone has the freedom to worship their own religion.
As long as it's not an odd one.
Rev Moon and his Moonies have taken over Lake City Florida. They have tried to get rid of them for years. Muslims are nothing like those crazy moonies. Interesting reading.
me-ksu alum
Joined: Jan 2, 2008
Comments: 473
Akron
ISP Location: Youngstown, OH
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#51
Apr 21, 2008
B_Radley wrote:
''Why has Richfield become the place where all these odd religions want to be?''
Gotta love it. In the U.S., everyone has the freedom to worship their own religion.
As long as it's not an odd one.
LOL exactly. and the only one who doesn't rate as odd is christian. jews are out. hindus? toast. buddhists? they're too noisy with all that 'ohm'-ing and what-not. voodoo? too many blacks for my neighborhood. but if you wanna put up a church, go right ahead...i'll donate my garage for jeebus
Ahau Kin
Akron, OH
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#52
Apr 21, 2008
I think it's a great idea. Then they can all be hired to work customer service phone lines that currently are routed to India!
Akron Beacon Journal
Forum
Akron Beacon Journal
Neighbors fight proposed Hindu temple
* Posted in the Akron Beacon Journal Forum
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Showing posts 41 - 60 of 95
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The Big Lebowski
âAt least I'm housebroken.â
Joined: Jun 21, 2007
Comments: 3314
Canton, OH
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#53
Apr 21, 2008
B_Radley wrote:
''Why has Richfield become the place where all these odd religions want to be?''
Gotta love it. In the U.S., everyone has the freedom to worship their own religion.
As long as it's not an odd one.
True. Sad, but true. If there was a cross on the building, all would be well.
Emma
Huntington, WV
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#54
Apr 21, 2008
It this area does not want a Hindu temple in their backyard, perhaps it would be a good idea for them to build else where. If is built, the member of the temple can/will have major problems.
Tyler Durbon
Las Vegas, NV
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#55
Apr 21, 2008
Can't we all just get along?
Americans are very unrealistic:they expect everyone to be just like them. Come on people, love your neighbor. This is the United States. We should allow anyone to move anywhere they want and build a temple anywhere hey want, right?
Now the Hindu knows how certain groups feel now.
concerned citizen
Indianapolis, IN
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#56
Apr 21, 2008
Jack wrote:
<quoted text>
This area is zoned residential. Did you also miss that fact?
and the article said there are plenty of Christian curches in the residential area. did you miss that fact?
guest
Cleveland, OH
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#57
Apr 21, 2008
And right across the street is a large natural gas pumping station. That place is noisy and all lit up.
Almost all of Brecksville Rd in that area is mixed residential and commercial.
Oh jeez Edith
Cleveland, OH
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#58
Apr 21, 2008
Arnie Argenio wrote:
<quoted text>
That's because you are an idiot.
Also, how about we send back whatever "mutt" nationality you belong to?
What if the Native Americans said the same thing about your white-trash family?
We did but you bastards are still here.
CC Baxter
Akron, OH
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#59
Apr 21, 2008
Emma wrote:
It this area does not want a Hindu temple in their backyard, perhaps it would be a good idea for them to build else where. If is built, the member of the temple can/will have major problems.
Again, "Jack's" comments about my ignorance notwithstanding, you could use the same rationale about the KKK keeping black people, Jews, or Catholics out of a neighborhood.
In America, someone's right to assemble and peaceably practice their religion should not be predicated on whether someone else "wants it in their backyard". If we did things based on what the majority wanted, the south (or based on this board, the north too) would have never been integrated, because there would still be plenty of racist whites that wouldn't want to share a bathroom, lunch counter, or drinking fountain with blacks.
If by "major problems" you are insinuating that the attendees' safety will be at risk from xenophobic wackos, well, that is what the Richfield police are for.
Arnie Argenio
Canton, OH
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#60
Apr 21, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
<quoted text>
Again, "Jack's" comments about my ignorance notwithstanding, you could use the same rationale about the KKK keeping black people, Jews, or Catholics out of a neighborhood.
In America, someone's right to assemble and peaceably practice their religion should not be predicated on whether someone else "wants it in their backyard". If we did things based on what the majority wanted, the south (or based on this board, the north too) would have never been integrated, because there would still be plenty of racist whites that wouldn't want to share a bathroom, lunch counter, or drinking fountain with blacks.
If by "major problems" you are insinuating that the attendees' safety will be at risk from xenophobic wackos, well, that is what the Richfield police are for.
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think
Akron, OH
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#63
Apr 21, 2008
As I Hindu myself, I look forward to a place of worhip nearby- I am also pleased with some of the comments made by Dr. Ram Bandi in the paper because this is the real example of what all religions point to- peace, kindness, an open heart to your neighbors, and in Hinduism philosophy- also an open mind- The basis for all bigotry is ignorance and fear.
me-ksu alum
Joined: Jan 2, 2008
Comments: 473
Akron
ISP Location: Youngstown, OH
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#64
Apr 21, 2008
think wrote:
As I Hindu myself, I look forward to a place of worhip nearby- I am also pleased with some of the comments made by Dr. Ram Bandi in the paper because this is the real example of what all religions point to- peace, kindness, an open heart to your neighbors, and in Hinduism philosophy- also an open mind- The basis for all bigotry is ignorance and fear.
god knows there is plenty of both running rampant on these boards. i hope you get your *insert official name for the place of worship* built soon. open minds can equal open hearts. unfortunately, the ruling party right now is dredging up all the closed minds they can find.
Beth
Akron, OH
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#65
Apr 21, 2008
I was the resident quoted in the story. Unfortunately, Ms. Jenkins took it upon herself to put a racist slant on a story that I very clearly explained to her had nothing to do with race or religion and everything to do with trying to maintain a peaceful residential neighborhood. I never said anything about them "chanting and singing." In fact, I begged her to make clear that our position would be the same if this were a school, bank or any other building that wasn't a house. The site we have suggested to the Temple is less than 1/4 mile away from the current site, but is across the street from a hotel and next to another commercial business. The project-if anyone would bother to check-does not meet the code requirements of our Village. That is a simple fact that nobody, not even the Temple can argue with. It has nothing to do with understanding or not understanding their religion. The property is a heavily wooded residential piece of property that the Mayor of the Village had indicated should be preserved. Waterways run through the property that feed into the Furnace Run stream. Disturbing the current make up of that property will affect those waterways and destroy mature trees. It is very convenient to label this a religious or racist argument, and unfortunately that type of commentary has gained momentum, not through any of us, but through the reporters who write the stories in the paper. We have always said and continue to say that we welcome the Temple group to our community and have only asked that they build their structure in a location that suits the purposes of their members and does not detract from the wooded residential and peaceful properties we have worked so hard to build. When "busloads of people" are anticipated by the Temple administrators and in fact bragged about (see Village Planning and Zoning notes) it hardly represents something that is in keeping with the residential flavor of this particular area. We just want to keep houses where there are already houses. Be very clear as you throw your comments around that you know the facts, because it is quite clear that many of you do not.
RU Kiddingme
Cleveland, OH
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#66
Apr 21, 2008
I'd be happy to have a Hindu temple next door to me.
A megachurch, that's another story...
Beth
Akron, OH
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#67
Apr 21, 2008
JAFO wrote:
It is interesting to note that just 2 doors South of the proposed building site on the same side of the street there is an Alzheimers nursing facility & Doctor & Dentistry building, but they don't seem to be too concerned about that.
The Alzheimer facility (Pine Valley) is a 24 hr. operation with a lit parking lot.
Their concerns sound a bit suspect perhaps?!
The nursing home and dental buildings were constructed before there were any code requirements in the Village. They are classified as Non-Conforming usage and if destroyed may not be re-constructed. They are out of place and do not belong in the area either. And yes, we have repeatedly raised concerns about the nursing home lighting which the Zoning Inspector refuses to address.
class_o_92
Cleveland, OH
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#68
Apr 21, 2008
Beth wrote:
I was the resident quoted in the story. Unfortunately, Ms. Jenkins took it upon herself to put a racist slant on a story that I very clearly explained to her had nothing to do with race or religion and everything to do with trying to maintain a peaceful residential neighborhood. I never said anything about them "chanting and singing." In fact, I begged her to make clear that our position would be the same if this were a school, bank or any other building that wasn't a house. The site we have suggested to the Temple is less than 1/4 mile away from the current site, but is across the street from a hotel and next to another commercial business. The project-if anyone would bother to check-does not meet the code requirements of our Village. That is a simple fact that nobody, not even the Temple can argue with. It has nothing to do with understanding or not understanding their religion. The property is a heavily wooded residential piece of property that the Mayor of the Village had indicated should be preserved. Waterways run through the property that feed into the Furnace Run stream. Disturbing the current make up of that property will affect those waterways and destroy mature trees. It is very convenient to label this a religious or racist argument, and unfortunately that type of commentary has gained momentum, not through any of us, but through the reporters who write the stories in the paper. We have always said and continue to say that we welcome the Temple group to our community and have only asked that they build their structure in a location that suits the purposes of their members and does not detract from the wooded residential and peaceful properties we have worked so hard to build. When "busloads of people" are anticipated by the Temple administrators and in fact bragged about (see Village Planning and Zoning notes) it hardly represents something that is in keeping with the residential flavor of this particular area. We just want to keep houses where there are already houses. Be very clear as you throw your comments around that you know the facts, because it is quite clear that many of you do not.
How would a Hindu temple keep you from maintaining a "peaceful" neighborhood? churches have existed peacefully in residential neighborhoods for centuries.
Jerry
Akron, OH
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#69
Apr 21, 2008
Beth wrote:
I was the resident quoted in the story. Unfortunately, Ms. Jenkins took it upon herself to put a racist slant on a story that I very clearly explained to her had nothing to do with race or religion and everything to do with trying to maintain a peaceful residential neighborhood. I never said anything about them "chanting and singing." In fact, I begged her to make clear that our position would be the same if this were a school, bank or any other building that wasn't a house. The site we have suggested to the Temple is less than 1/4 mile away from the current site, but is across the street from a hotel and next to another commercial business. The project-if anyone would bother to check-does not meet the code requirements of our Village. That is a simple fact that nobody, not even the Temple can argue with. It has nothing to do with understanding or not understanding their religion. The property is a heavily wooded residential piece of property that the Mayor of the Village had indicated should be preserved. Waterways run through the property that feed into the Furnace Run stream. Disturbing the current make up of that property will affect those waterways and destroy mature trees. It is very convenient to label this a religious or racist argument, and unfortunately that type of commentary has gained momentum, not through any of us, but through the reporters who write the stories in the paper. We have always said and continue to say that we welcome the Temple group to our community and have only asked that they build their structure in a location that suits the purposes of their members and does not detract from the wooded residential and peaceful properties we have worked so hard to build. When "busloads of people" are anticipated by the Temple administrators and in fact bragged about (see Village Planning and Zoning notes) it hardly represents something that is in keeping with the residential flavor of this particular area. We just want to keep houses where there are already houses. Be very clear as you throw your comments around that you know the facts, because it is quite clear that many of you do not.
Beth,
Given the description you provided, I would have second thoughts - since, as you say, the article did not present it that way. Sounds as if there are 2 issues - preservation of the wooded area (reasonable, but not primary) and the code issues (is primary). If the construction does not meet code - then I certainly would agree you should bring the issue up.
Beth
Akron, OH
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#70
Apr 21, 2008
class_o_92 wrote:
<quoted text>
How would a Hindu temple keep you from maintaining a "peaceful" neighborhood? churches have existed peacefully in residential neighborhoods for centuries.
Because this particular congregation holds its services from 9a.m.-9p.m., we feel that this is in excess to what is typical of other churches. The plans for this group also originally contained a community center to be used for extra/social activities. They have removed the center for now but have reworked a community room into their plan. Through quite a bit of research, we have learned that expansion is probable. This is a cause for concern. The congregation of this church is regional, not local and the particular location they wish to build on is at the bottom of a hill with site lines that make stopping a hazard. Combine the hazard of one car turning with a number of cars stopping to turn and you magnify a safety issue. The site we suggested slightly down the road has a safe approach, directly from the freeway with an entrance from a 4 lane road. The road in front of the current site is 2 lanes and is heavily trafficed by trucks. Additionally, if you choose to live next to a church, bank, school or other building that invites an influx of people, that is your choice. If you choose to live next to other residential properties that are heavily wooded, that should be preserved.
frank
Cleveland, OH
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#71
Apr 21, 2008
You would think the Hindu folks would not want to be some place that causes problems ,since they strive for harmony in their religion. They want to be in a more secluded spot and the neighbors want to keep their places secluded. Gotta go with the neighbors on this one.
Concerned in Richfield
Akron, OH
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#72
Apr 21, 2008
As a resident of Richfield I am upset about allegations made by Beth. Contrary to her statement, the Hindu Temple DOES meet code specifications, and the only action the Planning Commission could legally take is to allow the plan. After the Commission ruled on this issue, Beth began a series of VERY personal attacks on members of the Commission and others who voiced their support of the Commission's action. She monopolized discussion at public meetings, crying and sobbing about the many hardships she would personally suffer if the Temple were built in the proposed location. She and her husband have put their house up for sale and plan to move out of the community. I say that Richfield will be a better Village without her, and I, for one, would welcome the Hindus with open arms. We are fortunate to live in a community that has always been open to everyone, and I hope never to see that change. Thanks for giving me a venue to express my point of view.
Ma Kettle
Canton, OH
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#73
Apr 21, 2008
Do you go to church? Then it is none of your business! Do you believe in Jesus? Then it is none of your business. Do you go to Bible Study in the middle of the week? Then it is none of your business!
If a Jewish Temple can be resurrected anywhere, you should have known as America opened its arms; educated their people, that this would happen sooner or later.
Did you do anything to stop it?
Then it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS NOW!
You should have not turned your head when it first started back 50 years ago.
Revelation playing itself out.
Ma Kettle
Canton, OH
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#74
Apr 21, 2008
Do you go to church? Then it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Do you go to Bible Study? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Do you have a Gaming Room next to you? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Do you have a bar/tavern in your neighborhood? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
If you couldn't keep these out, you will not keep a Hindu temple out.
We allowed them to come here to America with 'open' arms-educated them 'all'; except for our own for 'free'.
Now the subtle takeover, because you did nothing about it but bury your head in the sand. Oh what's one more.
Well here we are, Revelation playing itself out.
Suffer your fate!
Above URL continued
--
Beth
Akron, OH
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#75
Apr 21, 2008
Concerned in Richfield wrote:
As a resident of Richfield I am upset about allegations made by Beth. Contrary to her statement, the Hindu Temple DOES meet code specifications, and the only action the Planning Commission could legally take is to allow the plan. After the Commission ruled on this issue, Beth began a series of VERY personal attacks on members of the Commission and others who voiced their support of the Commission's action. She monopolized discussion at public meetings, crying and sobbing about the many hardships she would personally suffer if the Temple were built in the proposed location. She and her husband have put their house up for sale and plan to move out of the community. I say that Richfield will be a better Village without her, and I, for one, would welcome the Hindus with open arms. We are fortunate to live in a community that has always been open to everyone, and I hope never to see that change. Thanks for giving me a venue to express my point of view.
You are right, George, I did cry at two meetings and you are also correct, I sent a scathing letter to council regarding the absolute refusal of the Planning and Zoning Commission to apply the code as it is written, or to require this applicant to supply the necessary documentation to support their application-the same as any other applicant would have to do. But you are wrong, George, this plan does not meet the code. I would invite anyone to take a trip to the Village Town Hall to review the file and make a decision based on the evidence presented. One of the greatest gifts we have in this Village is the ability to choose who we have in office with our power to vote. It is a shame that some people just can't accept loss when it hits them in their face.
Followin Ma Kettle 2 Hell
Orrville, OH
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#76
Apr 21, 2008
You sound very edjumacated. Did you got you're deeploma from Hawward? Or is you too very smart in high skoo to get good enuff grate to get youre edjumacation paid four?
THE BRICK SLAYER
Ashland, KY
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#77
Apr 21, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
<quoted text>
My, how very urbane you are.
i like those people, i never heard of them robbing their fellow citizens, i don't see them hanging out on street corners selling crack and smoking it. nope the only thing i ever see them doing is going to school, working, and helping their neighbors. oh yeah, the hindu girls are really hot.
THE BRICK SLAYER
Ashland, KY
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#78
Apr 21, 2008
think wrote:
As I Hindu myself, I look forward to a place of worhip nearby- I am also pleased with some of the comments made by Dr. Ram Bandi in the paper because this is the real example of what all religions point to- peace, kindness, an open heart to your neighbors, and in Hinduism philosophy- also an open mind- The basis for all bigotry is ignorance and fear.
WOW! WOULD YOU CONSIDER RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF AKRON?
THE BRICK SLAYER
Ashland, KY
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#79
Apr 21, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
<quoted text>
Would you say the same thing if you replaced the words "black people" with "Hindu temple"?
you mean goverment housing like edgewood apartments instead of a hindu temple? probably not!
THE BRICK SLAYER
Ashland, KY
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#80
Apr 21, 2008
December 2 marked the 21st anniversary of the methyl isocyanate gas leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal that killed some 15,000 people and left another 800,000 suffering from the after-effects of inhaling toxic fumes, according to figures from the Indian government.
if we can build in hindu neighborhoods don't you think they should be able to build in ours?
concerned citizen
Indianapolis, IN
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#81
Apr 22, 2008
THE BRICK SLAYER wrote:
December 2 marked the 21st anniversary of the methyl isocyanate gas leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal that killed some 15,000 people and left another 800,000 suffering from the after-effects of inhaling toxic fumes, according to figures from the Indian government.
if we can build in hindu neighborhoods don't you think they should be able to build in ours?
good post. I work with hindus and they are the most polite and respectful people you will ever meet. America is enriched by their presence as Richfield will be
Ohio
Akron, OH
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#82
Apr 22, 2008
concerned citizen wrote:
<quoted text>
good post. I work with hindus and they are the most polite and respectful people you will ever meet. America is enriched by their presence as Richfield will be
Very peaceful and polite people. If given a choice of your neighbors they would be building next to me right now.
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Lawcat
Canton, OH
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#83
Apr 22, 2008
Jack wrote:
<quoted text>
Comparing a nursing home to a mega-religion place are not the same.
Actually, it is. Both are non-residential buildings.
Lawcat
Canton, OH
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#84
Apr 22, 2008
Ohio wrote:
I worked next to a Temple in Florida and the only problems we had was the trafic jams on Friday afternoon. They had to use the local police to direct traffic and it did cause major back up on a busy main road.
They do this for The Chapel in Akron...I say if they need it, they should be able to use it.
Lawcat
Canton, OH
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#85
Apr 22, 2008
Jack wrote:
<quoted text>
It would be IF they were residing there.
Do you live right next to your church? If I attend a Catholic church 20 min. from where I currently live doesn't that make me a stranger to the area?
Smaller religions have to build to reach a wide area of followers. Richfield is a great area between two metro regions.
Lawcat
Canton, OH
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#86
Apr 22, 2008
Ahau Kin wrote:
I think it's a great idea. Then they can all be hired to work customer service phone lines that currently are routed to India!
...Or extremely talented engineers, doctors and architects.
Lawcat
Canton, OH
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#87
Apr 22, 2008
Ma Kettle wrote:
Do you go to church? Then it is none of your business! Do you believe in Jesus? Then it is none of your business. Do you go to Bible Study in the middle of the week? Then it is none of your business!
If a Jewish Temple can be resurrected anywhere, you should have known as America opened its arms; educated their people, that this would happen sooner or later.
Did you do anything to stop it?
Then it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS NOW!
You should have not turned your head when it first started back 50 years ago.
Revelation playing itself out.
what...the...heck? Are you for serious?? God forbid someone let in the Jews...the parent religion to Christianity...the religion practiced by Jesus.
This comment is just a continuous reminder of how few educated, logical people there really are in America.
Ohio
Akron, OH
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#88
Apr 22, 2008
Lawcat wrote:
<quoted text>
They do this for The Chapel in Akron...I say if they need it, they should be able to use it.
Did i say otherwise?
MachineryMan
Enterprise, AL
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#90
Apr 22, 2008
These people are not radical Muslims. The are Hindus. The only other religion more peaceful is the Amish. Ignorance is the bane of modern society.
Excalibur
North Benton, OH
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#91
Apr 22, 2008
MachineryMan wrote:
These people are not radical Muslims. The are Hindus. The only other religion more peaceful is the Amish. Ignorance is the bane of modern society.
You don't really expect the average joe American Christian to understand that, do you?
TrishTehAwesome
âAin't she cute?â
Joined: Jan 28, 2008
Comments: 809
Akron, OH
ISP Location: Cleveland, OH
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#92
Apr 22, 2008
Excalibur wrote:
<quoted text>
You don't really expect the average joe American Christian to understand that, do you?
I'd like to think that they have more brains than we're attributing to them, however, having said that...no.
Mack the Knife
Nashville, TN
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#93
Apr 22, 2008
Lawcat wrote:
<quoted text>...This comment is just a continuous reminder of how few educated, logical people there really are in America.
LOL! Not exactly, Cat. It's a reminder of how loud the more ignorant can be, beyond their numbers. Compare the posting discussion between Beth and George. Well spoken, both of them, and as far as zoning deviation is concerned, a "she said, he said" situation, IMHO. But the Kettles definitely need to go back to...I don't know...SOMEWHERE else than this forum!
Mack the Knife
âRolling Stones Gather Momentumâ
Joined: Feb 12, 2008
Comments: 437
Mogadore, OH
ISP Location: Nashville, TN
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#94
Apr 22, 2008
Lawcat wrote:
<quoted text>...This comment is just a continuous reminder of how few educated, logical people there really are in America.
LOL! Not exactly, Cat. It's a reminder of how loud the more ignorant can be, well beyond their numbers. Compare the posting discussion between Beth and George. Well spoken, both of them, and as far as zoning deviation is concerned, a "she said, he said" situation, IMHO. But the Kettles definitely need to go back to...I don't know...SOMEWHERE other than this forum!
Mack the Knife
âRolling Stones Gather Momentumâ
Joined: Feb 12, 2008
Comments: 437
Mogadore, OH
ISP Location: Nashville, TN
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#95
Apr 22, 2008
Excalibur wrote:
<quoted text>
You don't really expect the average joe American Christian to understand that, do you?
You lower yourself with ignorant statements like that. Are the Kettles neighbors of yours?
Richfield Resident 2
Connersville, IN
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#96
Apr 22, 2008
Concerned in Richfield wrote:
As a resident of Richfield I am upset about allegations made by Beth. Contrary to her statement, the Hindu Temple DOES meet code specifications, and the only action the Planning Commission could legally take is to allow the plan. After the Commission ruled on this issue, Beth began a series of VERY personal attacks on members of the Commission and others who voiced their support of the Commission's action. She monopolized discussion at public meetings, crying and sobbing about the many hardships she would personally suffer if the Temple were built in the proposed location. She and her husband have put their house up for sale and plan to move out of the community. I say that Richfield will be a better Village without her, and I, for one, would welcome the Hindus with open arms. We are fortunate to live in a community that has always been open to everyone, and I hope never to see that change. Thanks for giving me a venue to express my point of view.
Well said. Richfield is a wonderful community and we have had no problems with our Hindu neighbors. They are wonderful, caring people and I wish for them to know that the vast majority of people support them. I am disgusted by Beth's behavior, and look forward to her move out of the community as well.
Akron native
Akron, OH
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#97
Apr 22, 2008
CC Baxter wrote:
<quoted text>
My, how very urbane you are.
Really....Some days I am so embarrased to be from Akron
Excalibur
North Benton, OH
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#98
Apr 22, 2008
Mack the Knife wrote:
<quoted text>
You lower yourself with ignorant statements like that. Are the Kettles neighbors of yours?
The reality is that the average American Christian couldn't give you 3 facts about Hinduism.
Duke for Mayor
Akron, OH
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#99
Apr 22, 2008
Ma Kettle wrote:
Do you go to church? Then it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Do you go to Bible Study? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Do you have a Gaming Room next to you? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Do you have a bar/tavern in your neighborhood? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
If you couldn't keep these out, you will not keep a Hindu temple out.
We allowed them to come here to America with 'open' arms-educated them 'all'; except for our own for 'free'.
Now the subtle takeover, because you did nothing about it but bury your head in the sand. Oh what's one more.
Well here we are, Revelation playing itself out.
Suffer your fate!
Methinks you missed your opportunity a few decades back in Europe. I hear there was a gentleman in power there then whose philosophies may have meshed quite well with yours.
woof
bobbo
Akron, OH
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#100
Apr 22, 2008
Judged:
[Funny]
1
[Brilliant]
1
[Nuts]
1
blue fellas with 10 arms,
elephants with cute names,
silks and flowers,
it's like livin' next to a pretty circus staffed by slightly darker mexicans.
put me down for two.
RU Kiddingme
Cleveland, OH
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#101
Apr 22, 2008
Ma Kettle needs her meds adjusted. Today is Tuesday - just take the blue ones today, sweetie.
Bond
Baltimore, MD
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#103
Apr 22, 2008
bobbo wrote:
blue fellas with 10 arms,
elephants with cute names,
silks and flowers,
it's like livin' next to a pretty circus staffed by slightly darker mexicans.
put me down for two.
I dont think you are human, are you?
because, human dont insult other people's feelings.
Mack the Knife
âRolling Stones Gather Momentumâ
Joined: Feb 12, 2008
Comments: 437
Mogadore, OH
ISP Location: Nashville, TN
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#104
Apr 22, 2008
Excalibur wrote:
<quoted text>
The reality is that the average American Christian couldn't give you 3 facts about Hinduism.
Probably true. But what's your point?
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TrishTehAwesome
âAin't she cute?â
Joined: Jan 28, 2008
Comments: 809
Akron, OH
ISP Location: Cleveland, OH
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#105
Apr 22, 2008
Bond wrote:
<quoted text>
I dont think you are human, are you?
because, human dont insult other people's feelings.
Are you new?
Excalibur
North Benton, OH
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#106
Apr 22, 2008
My point is most Americans don't understand the difference between Muslims and Hindus, which brings into question whether their fear of the unknown is what's driving their opposition.
Beth claims the Planning Commission didn't do their job, and the planning commission says they have no reson to deny the plan.
If Beth is right, then no foul. If the commission is right, then I suspect the entire issue was based on fear.
RU Kiddingme
Cleveland, OH
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#109
Apr 22, 2008
Bond wrote:
<quoted text>
I dont think you are human, are you?
because, human dont insult other people's feelings.
Then who does **** Are you saying we're **** Or that we evolved from **** Those are fighting words in Akron!
RU Kiddingme
Cleveland, OH
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#110
Apr 22, 2008
Why is "m.onkeys" filtered?
concerned citizen
Indianapolis, IN
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#111
Apr 22, 2008
RU Kiddingme wrote:
Why is "m.onkeys" filtered?
maybe to keep you from saying something stupid as you are inclined to do
RU Kiddingme
AOL
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#112
Apr 22, 2008
concerned citizen wrote:
<quoted text>
maybe to keep you from saying something stupid as you are inclined to do
You don't know me!
M.onkey
Kalamander
Maumee, OH
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#113
11 hrs ago
Get em hinjoos off our land
07-20-2008, 01:45 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-20-2008, 01:47 AM by G.Subramaniam.)
http://www.tcgcohio.org/Numrich/CH2_CND_...n_0207.htm
Rev. Bushi senses a significant attitude shift within the immigrant Hindu community in recent years. He feels that the early immigrants tried to assimilate to Americaâs dominant Christian culture, downplaying their Hindu identity and practices in order to fit in. But he thinks that a societal rise in secularism and tolerance for religious diversity has emboldened Hindus. â[Society] says you can believe in any god, so we have religious freedom. They say that there is no need of prayer in the schools, at Christmastime donât use Christâs name in any public places, and even the Supreme Court takes out the 10 Commandments. So these guys [Hindus] get some kind of encouragement, âOK, we can have our own idols, we can have our practice.â So they become stronger and stronger. And Hindus never stop at one place. If they are allowed to go in a evangelistic way, they will try to change and convert people because they also believe in the same kind of conversion that we talk about.â Rev. Bushi identified several strategies used by Hindu temples to attract new members, such as free medical care, classical Indian dance classes, and yoga instruction.
For Rev. Bushi, this Hindu assertiveness is a harbinger of ill for America. âI take it seriously that this country is blessed because of prayers and [Christian] values. But slowly these values are going away because people are not paying attention. So once these idol worshipers come and bring evil things into the society, then probably we will face a lot of problems.â
Recall this statement by Rev. John Bushi: âHindus never stop at one place. If they are allowed to go in a evangelistic way, they will try to change and convert people because they also believe in the same kind of conversion that we talk about.â Discuss the implications of multiple new religious groups with conversionary agendas encountering each other in the United States. Can they all get along? Does this situation strengthen or weaken American society?
http://www.racematters.org/consecratehindutemple.htm
Holy Men Consecrate Hindu Temple
May 28, 2001
Holy Men (and a Cow) Consecrate Hindu Temple
By SHAILA K. DEWAN
POMONA, N.Y., May 27 â Everyone crowded onto the fresh black asphalt and stood looking up at the gods. There they were, monkey gods and winged gods, sleeping gods and praying gods, posed around the ornate onion- domed towers of the Sri Ranganatha Temple, awaiting consecration.
But how to attain the heavens?
Today, the eight priests who had traveled from India for the opening of the temple in Rockland County, their bare chests and foreheads painted with a fierce symbol of "the footprint of God," ascended in a Genie TMZ-34/19 cherry picker. The helicopter was delayed by fog.
The temple is too new to have been landscaped, so a sea of sticky mud separated it from the hundreds of devotees, women in bright saris trimmed with gold, children in embroidered shifts, and men who simply wore dhotis, long pieces of white cloth fashioned into loose pants. But they did not hesitate to squish through it, barefoot, for a chance to be sprayed with saffron-scented holy water from the priests above.
One person opted out of the holy shower: Kimberley Camburn, who had brought her Holstein cow, Hope, from nearby Stormville early in the morning, and watched as Hindu women, many of them more at home in front of a computer than an udder, milked her in the temple.
Some celebrants came from the nearby towns of Spring Valley, West Nyack and White Plains for the camaraderie and pomp of the opening, which ended today after a week of ceremonies and performances. The Hindu temple, many in attendance said, is the first in Rockland County, where Asians have increased by 50 percent since 1990, according to the 2000 census.
Trustees said 10 families took out second mortgages on their homes to help finance the $2.2 million temple, whose 6,500-square-foot sanctuary held a sea of people today who sat elbow to elbow on thin rugs, chanting for hours and reaching out to touch a camphor-scented flame that was carried about the room.
"It's a very auspicious occasion, the beginning of the temple," said Bhakti Vijnana Swami, a computer consultant from Jamaica, Queens, as he made his way past the embers of four ritual fires that had been set outside the temple. "It's purifying but also satisfying."
The temple also drew guests from places like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Massachusetts, who came because Sri Ranganatha is said to be the first temple in the country devoted to Sri Vaishnavaism, a strain of Hinduism that is devoted to the god Vishnu and his many incarnations and has its roots in southern India.
Sri Vaishnavaites maintain that one can reach enlightenment but still retain a separate identity, albeit one whose purpose is to serve God. Initiates are lightly branded with the symbol of the discus and the conch shell, one on each shoulder. The women wrap their saris in a distinctive fashion, and the men wear dhotis at religious functions.
"I never thought when I came here in 1973 that I would see a temple this authentic and of this grandeur, following this very prescribed way," said Nagu Satyan, explaining that it was built according to the Vedas, or Hindu scriptures. Ms. Satyan, a senior manager at a defense company who lives in Littleton, Colo., said she was happy at last to have a place of worship dedicated to the one god that Sri Vaishnavaites like her believe in, rather than the multitude of deities to be found in typical temples.
"Most temples in the U.S.A. sort of modify to appeal to more people," she said.
For non-Sri Vaishnavaites, attending the temple is something akin to Lutherans' attending a Methodist church, some of them said. They said they did not mind, and were just happy to have a place to worship.
"We get a sense of belonging, putting down roots," said Aruna Bharati, who has lived in the area for almost 23 years and who said she had been a member of a group that tried to open a temple before there were enough Indians to sustain one. "If you have no temple in the community, you feel rootless."
The Sri Ranganatha Temple was a long time coming. Fourteen years ago, a Sri Vaishnavaite teacher in India asked one of his students, a Pomona physicist named Venkat Kanumalla, to build a temple in America. Dr. Kanumalla, who is also a Sri Ranganatha priest, began to raise money by performing what he estimates amounted to 600 religious ceremonies, or pujas, in people's homes all over the country.
This afternoon he emerged after hours in the temple's inner sanctum, where he had been attending to a granite Vishnu reclining on a coiled, five-headed cobra, sheltered by its hoods. He looked as drained and blissful as a victorious athlete. His "footprint of God" had faded from sweat, his foot was smudged with yellow powder, and he carried a wilting garland under one arm.
Eight years ago, he said, he bought acres in Ladentown, a hamlet Ladentown that straddles Pomona and Ramapo. But then, he said, he had to work to quell fears among local Indian-Americans that the temple would exclude those who were not Sri Vaishnavaites. And a neighborhood group sued to prevent construction.
Finally, in 1997, a construction permit was granted. And today the conflicts over the temple's construction seemed well in the past. "I've been in this country a long time," said Ms. Bharati, the temple trustee, with no particular rancor. "If people don't know what it is, they're afraid of it. They didn't know what to expect. If it was just a church, I don't think we would have that problem, because people know what a church is."
But Ian Banks, who lives next door to the temple and is a Pomona trustee and past president of the Ladentown Preservation League, said the concerns had more to do with the size of the temple, which he said had been larger in the original plans, and its effect on traffic, noise and the neighborhood's rural character. "They try to turn it into some kind of anti- religious thing, but it's not," he said.
From Mr. Banks's shady backyard, where he spent the day replacing the shingles on his old clapboard farmhouse, the temple presented a striking contrast to the red barn and humble woodshed. Where horses once grazed, fuchsia banners fluttered, anchored to golden balls that crowned elaborate turrets.
And then, as Mr. Banks looked on, a stiff wind bent the trees in his yard and caused the women on the temple driveway to clutch at their saris. The helicopter, five hours late, arrived and opened a hatch, depositing a heavy rain of multicolored flowers onto the expectant crowd.
07-24-2008, 11:34 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-24-2008, 11:35 PM by dhu.)
Hindu temple plan is denied in Readington Township
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><i>-Vote is unanimous; concerns raised over applicantâs credibility</i>
READINGTON TWP. â The township Board of Adjustment unanimously denied an application to build a Hindu Temple on Coddington Road at its meeting on last Thursday, July 17, citing the need to protect what little small business zoning remains and maintain a rural neighborhood atmosphere and not add more traffic to a narrow road served by a one-lane bridge.
The board also cited a lack of credibility in the applicantâs testimony.
Each of the seven board members publicly stated how they had arrived at their decision before casting a vote, and the primary theme was that the applicant had offered too much conflicting or otherwise unbelievable testimony during the two and a half year public hearing process.
Testimony stating the proposed CharDham Hindu Temple on Coddington Road would never have more than 150 devotees on the premises at any given time undermined the applicantâs credibility with the board.
Variances Sought
The applicant, Yogendra Bhatt, had sought variances to place a sign only 44 feet from the road instead of the 50 feet required by local zoning regulations and to permit a 52.5 foot spire that would exceed the 50-foot height restriction. Public hearings on the application began in February 2006.
âThere has been confusing testimony about 150 members,â said board member Diana Hendry in her summation.
Hendry said the applicant had testified the proposed 30,000 square foot Hindu temple would never have more than 150 people present one time, but at another time said there would be up to 150 devotees worshiping on the upper floor while children and those watching them would be downstairs.
âThat means more than 150 people on the premises,â said Hendry.
Hendry said the credibility of the applicant on several issues was one of the factors in making her decision.
âThat overall effect was noticeable to me when I sat and read all the testimony,â said Hendry. âIn my view Mr. Bhatt was not credible and I reject his testimony on the number of members. A limitation of 150 people on the land is impossible.â
Hendry, the first board member to cast a vote, presented a long list of problems she felt would emerge if the temple were to be built on Coddington Road. As each board member stated their viewpoint, most of her comments were strongly supported.
Road Too Narrow
Other issues board members cited as being important factors in their decision were that Coddington Road is too narrow to safely handle much more traffic, and the importance of safeguarding the townshipâs Master Plan, establishing an ROM-2 (Research, Office and Manufacturing) zoning area for the development of small businesses.
âIâve lived in Readington Township 22 years and have been on the Board of Adjustment seven,â said George Shepard. âThis is one of the longest and most difficult applications Iâve ever heard. I am indeed concerned about Coddington Road. Even 150 cars one time each week would be detrimental.â
Shepard said the number 150 was the crux of the problem for him.
âWe have this 29,000-plus square foot building and are being told there would never be more than 150 attendees,â said Shepard. âWe donât know if there will be more, but the size of the building would allow more. Weâve had conflicting testimony. It is difficult to say whose testimony was right. To me, it makes no common sense that any church would limit membership.â
Shepard said the simple solution would be to build a smaller building, but the applicant had rejected that idea and the board could not impose that as a requirement.
Board member Mary Grace Flynn said the board could not limit the number of devotees attending a religious building.
âAll the applicantâs reports and witnesses based their testimony on 150,â said Flynn. âThe applicant told them to use that number. The board never suggested a limit on devotees, the applicant did.â
âOn one hand we have a house of worship, clearly a benefit,â said Flynn. âOn the other hand there are detriments. A variance goes with the land. If Mr. Bhatt moved, the township would have a building that could accommodate 3,000 people. The applicant did not agree to reduce the size of the building.â
Flynn also said Bhattâs suggestion of limiting the number of devotees may be discriminatory and flies in the face of federal right to worship laws.
Flynn said Bhatt had refused the suggestion of building slightly smaller towers and did not even seem to be familiar with the nature of Coddington Road and surrounding neighborhood, particularly the difficulties imposed by a one-lane bridge over nearby railroad tracks.
âIn fact, his engineer even denied the bridge existed,â said Flynn.
Board member Michael Denning expanded on Hendryâs previous comments that Bhatt had testified the number 108 has religious significance. The proposed building would have been 108 feet by 108 feet. However Hendry had noted the 108 could be applied to 108 bricks or 108 of something else.
âMr. Bhatt changed his testimony,â said Denning, noting Bhatt had given conflicting testimony about the number of people that might be in the building during times of worship.
Board member Richard Thompson said Bhatt had testified never having known of another Hindu temple that limited the number of devotees, which supported the testimony of Tunis Cox Road resident Savita Singh, a strong opponent of Bhattâs application.
Asked For Demographics
âThe Board (of Adjustment) had asked for demographics as to the number of Hindus in the area to consider the need for a new temple. The applicant declined,â said Thompson.
âThere have been too many inconsistencies, and Iâm left with real concerns about the real use of this property,â said Thompson.
Board member Eric Stettner said the township needs a small business area, and the current zoned use for the property should be protected.
Last to vote, Chairman Betty Ann Fort said a house of worship is an inherently beneficial use, but she said she believed the proposed CharDham Temple would rank low on the scale if it serves a limited number of devotees.
âKeeping the zone ROM-2 would generate jobs and ratables; a house of worship would not,â said Fort. âThis piece of property and one on Ridge Road that is still being farmed are the last two undeveloped properties that suit the zoning. Houses of worship are permitted in residential zones as a conditional use and such zones would be better suited. Granting this variance would be detrimental to the Master Plan.
Fort took exception to closing statements made by Bhattâs attorney the previous month concerning a limitation of the templeâs devotees, noting the board had never suggested any limitation.
âThe board has heard six applications over recent years on houses of worship and never imposed limits on membership,â said Fort. âWe would not do that and, in fact, questioned how that could be done.â
Something else Fort said she had found disturbing throughout the lengthy hearing process was that not a single one of Bhattâs devotees had shown up to offer testimony in support of his application.
âThis would be one of the largest temples in New Jersey, yet no temple members showed up to testify,â said Fort. âMy opposition is in no way to be construed as opposition to a Hindu temple in Readington Township, but in opposition to this size building on this lot.â
After the decision had been rendered, the nearly 20 area residents who had steadfastly attended most meetings in opposition to Bhattâs application clapped in appreciation of the boardâs stand.
âThank you for supporting the zoning regulations,â said Jim Casey, owner of the Minalex Corporation, a small business adjacent to the lot Bhatt proposed to build on.
Afterward, Casey said, âWe need as many ratables as possible. Things are hard enough. Everyone (businesses) cannot afford large tracts. We need smaller parcels like this one.
Bhattâs attorney, Lloyd Tubman, declined to comment on the boardâs decision as she left the meeting. She also declined to say whether or not her client would file an appeal.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Gwinnett says no to Hindu Temple
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^
Posted on Friday, June 30, 2006 12:36:32 PM by The Lion Roars
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/27/06
Gwinnett County commissioners struck down plans Tuesday for a Hindu group to build a temple down the street from a second, larger temple in Lilburn.
Commissioners made the unanimous decision because a temple of its size would be out of character with the area and the neighbors, said commissioner Bert Nasuti.
"I've never seen a church or a religious organization that didn't desire to grow," Nasuti said. "This is too much structure for this property."
Ramesh Suhagia, speaking for the Hindu group, proposed scaling down the size, but to no avail.
The 13,000-square foot temple for the Swaminarayan Satsang Mandir of Atlanta would have been on on four acres on Lawrenceville Highway. The property is behind a Walgreens in a largely residential negihborhood about a mile from a second temple more than twice as large already under construction by another Swaminarayan Hindu congregation. Because the larger temple is in Lilburn's city limits, its builders did not need permission from county government.
Leaders of the group denied construction permission Tuesday said they would meet together and sort out their options. Mansukh Dhanani [cq], president of Swaminarayan Satsang Mandir of Atlanta, said his group would look for land elsewhere in Gwinnett County, and expressed optimism.
"I've lived for 10 years in Gwinnett. My business is here," he said. "Man will let you down. God will not."
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1989...989-03-08.shtml
Confusion and Outcry Deny Georgia Temple Use of Lands
When Ajodia Persaud went to the meeting of the Gwinnett Country Board of Commissioners on December 20th, 1988, he was reasonably confident that his society would get the special permission it sought to build a temple in this suburban area of Atlanta, Georgia. There were a large number of people at the public hearing, he noted upon entering, but he figured they were there for some other issue. It came as a great shock (one he has hardly recovered from to this day) to discover that some one-hundred irate Gwinnett county residents had shown up there to voice their "vehement opposition" to the temple. According to the meeting minutes, the chairman had only just begun the discussion when there was such an uproar in the chamber that one commissioner, Mr. Suffridge, stated, "If you are all going to be nasty, I am going to leave now."
The meeting did calm down, but the inexperienced and unprepared Hindus were overwhelmed by the homeowners' attack. The commissioners denied the temple a special use permit. It was a disastrous end to a series of disasters in public relations and land-use technicalities.
On the brighter side, the temple society has already recovered from the setback and is searching, according to Persaud, for a five-acre site which will not require special county permission for the temple. This happy ending has yet to be written, but the Atlanta experience is well worth recounting for the benefit of other temples seeking to build in local communities. This is not the first time that a Hindu temple has been denied special zoning permission in situations where there is reason to believe a more skillful approach could have brought a different outcome.
It would be easy to chalk the whole unseemly Atlanta episode up to blatant racism. This is, after all, Georgia-heart of the Deep South, buckle on the Bible Belt, where most Christian churches remain segregated into all-black and all-white congregations. Gwinnett county in particular is 95% white in a state 25% black. "Off the record" just about every local resident HINDUISM TODAY spoke with said there was a strong racist element in the opposition to the Hindu temple. But at least the Ku Klux Klan wasn't burning crosses on anyone's lawn, and it's only fair to say that a lot of people who opposed the temple did so for reasons not based on racial prejudice. Perhaps they are prejudice against what they don't know or don't understand, but that is different.
Here's how the story unfolded. Over a year ago, Ajodia Persaud found a piece of land in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. Thinking it would make a good home and place for a large garden, he purchased the four-acre lot and house for $135,000. According to Persaud, he cleared a portion of the land to plant a garden. Standing one day on the cleared spot with Dr. Deen Chandora, fellow member of the Greater Atlantic Vedic Temple Society, Persaud said they were inspired that this could be the place to build the temple they had so long wanted. A decision was quickly reached to lease the site from Persaud and build the temple there. Anxious to get the ball rolling and money coming in, the group hastily organized a ground-breaking ceremony to coincide with the September 11th, 1988, visit of His Holiness, Paramahamsa Swami Maheshwarananda, who maintains an ashram in Vienna, Austria. Announcements of this event were distributed throughout the neighborhood and were the first notice many local residents had that a temple was planned for the site.
This rather simple series of events effectively sealed the fate of the temple as far as the local community was concerned. To understand why, it is important to first understand American zoning regulations. These regulations vary with each locality and are designed to permit controlled use of the land. Thus, certain areas are designated for residences, others for businesses, still others for industry. Just about anything can and is specified in zoning regulations, including fencing, landscaping, building height, etc. Temples come under the same regulations as churches. In some towns, churches can be build anywhere, in most, however, specific requirements must be met or a "special use permit" issued. That permit requires a review by county officials, a public hearing and a vote by a county, and sometimes a state, commission. It's during this public hearing process that opposition can and often does occur. The typical arguments are heavier traffic and increased use of public services such as water and sewage.
The current land owners of most neighborhoods are frequently suspicious of any new development, fearful that it will lessen the value of their property. In the cases of church construction, this is often true, for land adjacent to a church is valued less highly. Much opposition stems from this property value issue. But loss of property value itself is not usually a sufficient reason to have a special use permit denied. Hence the introduction of other reasons, such as traffic.
The final shoot-out over the Vedic Temple's special use permit occurred at the December 20th public hearing. The principle opponent of the temple was the South Gwinnett Home Owner's Alliance. It is frequently involved in zoning issues such as this. Armed with a petition with 314 signatures against the temple, their representative, Mr. Randy Dresher, Jr., launched a skillful barrage of well-prepared objections: "We want you to know," he told the commission, "that applicant decimated the trees and clear-cut this property without a grading permit, and this was done prior to applying for this special use permit...The applicant has presented a number of conflicting stories which have had the effect of deceiving neighbors as to the true intentions for property use...The applicant has already clearly demonstrated little to no regard for the privacy and rights of the neighborhood...Traffic hazards would undoubtedly increase in an area already beset by hazards, curbs, steep grades and numerous accidents...Applicant's proposed 20-foot buffer is totally inadequate to protect the home-owner's interest, especially considering how the trees have been raped from the property already." Temple member Vishnu Whutemburg, who was at the hearing, said the temple representatives were "totally unprepared and complete novices," unable to answer the charges.
Seeking to understand the opposition to the temple, HINDUISM TODAY interviewed Mrs. Donna Fisher, a member of the Alliance who spoke against the temple at a preliminary Planning Commission meeting. Mrs. Fisher is a former school teacher and full-time mother of three. She minored in religion for her degree and taught at a black college for five years. Often active in zoning disputes, she was once nearly involved in filing a lawsuit against her own church for zoning violations. She told HINDUISM TODAY, "What upset me was that these people did not know enough about our laws, customs and procedures. I think it was a sad thing to happen." She admitted that the alliance "did not expect to win...If they had left the land wooded, the homeowners would have been overruled." "It was certainly not an issue of being prejudice against Hinduism," she claimed, "the temple encroached on the rights of the neighbors...Totally raped the land, cut every single tree down."
The tree clearing was a central issue and set the emotional tone of the proceedings. Since Persaud personally owned the land at the time of the clearing, and only later conceived the idea of leasing it to the temple, he was clearly within his rights to remove trees. But the local people, including the county planning department, interpreted the land clearing as a first step in the construction of the temple, a step requiring county permits. Then when the groundbreaking was held on the heels of the land clearing, the community felt they were being misled. Neighbors inquiring about the site received different answers-that the clearing was for a garden, for a family gathering or for a second house. All legal reasons, but the subsequent confusion raised a great deal of suspicion and hostility and ultimately led to the temple's defeat.
As the Vedic temple members are first to admit, they went into the proceedings blindly. Their inexperienced handling of the county regulations and public relations with the local residents left them facing overwhelming opposition. The Livermore, California, Siva/Vishnu temple and the New Jersey Swaminarayan Fellowship faced similar problems. Analysis of these experiences reveals two central rules for establishing a temple and successfully ingratiating it with the existing community.
The first rule is careful attention to public relations. Every effort must be made to meet both residents and community leaders, such as ministers. Considering the misinformed press Hindus often receive in America, it may well be necessary to re-educate people about Hinduism (perhaps with a few issues of HINDUISM TODAY!).
The second rule is for the temple to seek the advice of professionals who are experts in their area's land-use laws. One kind of expert is a lawyer who specializes in real-estate law. Lawyers cost money, but properly chosen ones will earn their own fees through sound counsel. With this expert advice, the temple can carefully plan its entire development right from the first acquisition of the land to the kumbhabhishekam.
Finally, when opposition occurs, it is easy to fall back upon cries of "racism" and "bigotry." But the long-term effect of such tactics is only to harden feelings and prevent true amalgamation with the community-if the temple is ever built. The wiser course is to follow the land-use laws precisely and to educate and make friends with the local community.
With these and other lessons under its belt, the Atlanta temple society can now more knowledgeable procure an appropriate site to build upon their community's temple.
Article copyright Himalayan Academy.
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1991...991-06-04.shtml
Underground Temple Gets A Tough 'OK' in Australia
Years of Bigoted Opposition Finally Overcome by Small Hindu Community
Lord Siva was busy last February 12th - Maha Sivaratri, the most auspicious festival day in His honor. On this exact date in England He won a court decision returning a stolen icon of Him to its rightful South Indian temple, and in Australia He won government approval for His temple to be built in the Sydney suburb of Campbelltown.
The England court case [HINDUISM TODAY, May, 1990] was a subdued and cerebral affair compared to the town council scene in Australia. Rowdy temple opponents threw punches when ejected by police. Supporting council members required armed escort past a hundred local residents enraged at the council's narrow seven-to-six approval of the Hindu temple.
There was a poignant incident at the following week's council meeting which dismissed a last-ditch parliamentary maneuver to overturn the decision. One Hindu lady (originally from Andhra Pradesh and now living in Macquarie Fields) came who had heard about the meeting on television. Not particularly aware of the rancor, she sat near the opposing residents. One of these, who had been taking notes, got up and said, "I am a journalist and I am going to write how horrible Hindus are!" The Hindu lady said in tears, "Why do you say that? What have we done?" The resident replied laughingly and mocked her accent, "Speak in English!" Our reporter at the meeting tried to console the now greatly distressed lady. She told him that she had a young son who had never seen a temple, and she wanted her children to have the opportunity to follow their heritage and culture here in Australia, where they lived.
It was just such concerns that prompted the area's Hindu families - numbering 200 adults and 180 children, all permanently settled in Australia - to decide to build a temple. Local resident and well-known architect Prem Misra was commissioned to design the work and pursue the necessary permits. Hostile resistance from local citizens was instantaneous. The first site selected was rejected by the city council because of "opposition by residents, noise and traffic" even though there are other churches in the area, some newly built. A Baptist Church is just 1,500 feet away from the site. The aldermen suggested Misra build the temple on a rural block - a suggestion which led to the present site. Antipathy from residents only became more vigorous and support from opposing councilmen was not forthcoming.
In interviews with HINDUISM TODAY rival councilmen Jim Merry, Richard Cerveny and Gordon Fetterplace all insisted their opposition was on planning considerations only - that the area in question had been designated as "scenic protection" and not appropriate for a place of worship. But religious prejudice could easily be inferred from remarks such as Merry's statement at a council meeting that the area would be overrun with Hindus and there would be "enclaves and ghettos." An area resident speaking at the council meeting said, "The only reason they're moving in our area is to get in and get our homes cheap." Opponents in the public gallery (later ejected by police) shouted "Go back home" to the Hindus. Residents also cleverly focused on a casual comment by Misra that the temple might be a "tourist attraction" to claim it wasn't a religious development at all but a commercial enterprise about to bring bus-loads of tourists.
A Catholic Franciscan monk, Friar Peter Confeggi, convened a meeting of local Christian leaders who listened respectfully to a presentation by the Hindus, but ultimately refused to issue a statement in their support. Appeals to the World Council of Churches by HINDUISM TODAY resulted in sympathetic responses, but no concrete action or strong statements. The national Australian Council of Churches said in a letter to our Malaysia Editor, Pathmarajah Nagalingam, that they are "concerned at what appears to be a violation of people's right to public worship" and a promise "to seek intervention by the Federal authorities in defense of minority rights" if all legal appeals failed. The Christian's muted reaction was in stark contrast to the international pressure applied by them against Nepal last year in efforts to assure similar rights for Christians in that 97% Hindu country. Australian evangelists had even managed to endanger Australia's foreign aid to Nepal if their desires were not met by the impoverished Himalayan country.
A Catholic church is planned for the same area of Campbelltown just a short distance from the temple and in the same scenic protection zoning. Not a single protest has been raised against it by residents or the council members so vehemently protecting the zoning regulations. Consequently, it was approved by the Campbelltown Council.
The temple's difficulties have taken place against a larger pattern of racial discrimination. The "National Inquiry into Racist Violence" ordered by the Australian government and presented to parliament on April 18th concluded, "Evidence to the Inquiry overwhelmingly demonstrated that racist attitudes and practices, both conscious and unconscious, pervade our institutions." The native Aborigines are the most seriously oppressed, according to the report.
Late in 1990 a report of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of New South Wales analyzed the difficulties of minority religious groups securing sites for places of worship. In one case, Strathfield City Council had refused an application to build a Buddhist monastery after receiving a 273-signature petition against the development and an 840-signature petition supporting it. The council refused the application on the basis the monastery was too big, out of character with the area and "not in the public interest" - grounds which the Land and Environment Court later rejected.
Labor party members of the council led by Mayor Jim Kremmer supported the Hindu's right to a place of worship and their votes ultimately carried the day.
With permit in hand, the temple society is rapidly moving to start construction. The land sale is expected to close in June and fundraising is accelerating. Bhoomi Puja (ground-blessing ceremony) is scheduled for April 28th and will be sanctified with the presence of Swami Chidananda Saraswati (Muniji) and Rameshbhai Oza.
The Campbelltown Hindu temple is planned to be an entirely underground artificial cave. Several famous Hindu temples are in caves - Badami's four cave temples and the Elephanta Siva temple both near Bombay, Tirupparankunram and Rock Port temple in South India, and Ellora in Hyderabad. The temple is for Shiva and Shakti (Parvati). The shape will be elliptical, created through low-profile arches of precast concrete, and built to accommodate 230 worshippers.
Architect Prem Misra is an leading advocate of underground constructions - one of his buried houses in Australia is world famous. He cites some of the numerous advantages: "The main benefit of earth-covered buildings is that the ground surface remains open [retaining] the site's rural characteristics. There is complete noise reduction compared with above-ground buildings. The earth keeps the building at a constant temperature so it need be neither heated nor cooled. We do not have to worry about expensive exterior artwork or carvings. There is no roof or walls to maintain. It is many, many times stronger than above-ground construction."
But Misra, an underground proselytizer in the true sense of the term, doesn't stop with such worldly considerations. He goes right to scripture to support his building methods: "Our ultimate goal in this human form is to attain Self-Realization and liberation from re-birth. A cave-shaped temple sitting deep into the ground connotes the Atman seated deep into the cave of intellect. The Upanishads state. "In the cave of the intellect is the heart, and in the heart the Atman is apprehended. He who enters the cave through meditation and comes to apprehend that he himself is the pure consciousness, to him there is no re-entry into a fresh body."
Article copyright Himalayan Academy.
http://www.illinoistimes.com/gyrobase/Co...oid%3A6464
Keeping the faith
Plans proceed for a Hindu temple in Springfield, but another faces resistance in Champaign-Urbana
BY MANJULA BATMANATHAN
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Elaborate three-day pooja services are conducted by Hindu priests before the temple can be considered sacred and ready for worship.
Elaborate three-day pooja services are conducted by Hindu priests before the temple can be considered sacred and ready for worship.
PHOTO COURTESY OF QUAD CITY HINDU TEMPLE
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A dozen Hindu worshipers in the Springfield area are working with members of the local Indian community to open a permanent temple.
The group is scouting potential locations and raising money for a $1 million temple, which will serve several hundred families, says Krishna Brahmamdam, who leads the Springfield temple project.
âThe time has come for Springfieldâs Indian community to establish a permanent worship site,â he says.
In the past, differences of opinion and skepticism have kept the project on hold, but no more, Brahmamdam says.
âFinally we are able to see in unison,â he says.
âWe have a clearer idea of what we want the temple to represent, and with strong commitment from the Indian community we are moving toward that goal.â
In April, the Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and an exploratory committee put in place to plan the initial development phases of the project.
The first step of the plan involves establishing an interim site where worship services can be conducted. A Hindu priest is expected to travel to Springfield in the coming months to conduct traditional pooja services.
âWhile deciding on a temporary temple location, we are also exploring available properties both within city limits and countywide as HGTSâs future home,â says Brahmamdam.
A foreclosed property â a former church building southeast of town â holds promise.
âWe are looking at all available properties, including existing buildings and land, as a possible temple site,â Brahmamdam says.
The temple is expected to serve almost 400 Hindu families. Many of them now travel hundreds of miles to worship at temples in Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.
âThe temple will not only serve Springfield residents but will also draw Hindus from neighboring towns, including Taylorville, Jacksonville, Bloomington, and Decatur,â he says.
Brahmamdam, a 20-year resident of Springfield, says that the Indian community has established strong roots in the city and has grown over the years, largely because of the expanding medical, software, and engineering industries.
âEstablishing a temple in Springfield meets our needs for a central worship house where all Hindus can gather as a community,â he says.
Many traditional functions and religious gatherings are being held at either the Indian Association House on Peoria Road or in rented facilities.
Although Brahmamdam is confident that Springfield will embrace the presence of a Hindu temple in the area, he is also aware of the ongoing opposition to the proposed Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of Central Illinois in Champaign County.
There, Hindu worshipers have pushed for a temple for more than two years, with no success.
Led by University of Illinois professor Shiv Kapoor, the groupâs first attempt, in 2005, to build a Hindu temple in Urbana was thwarted by opposition from neighbors and an unsuccessful land-acquisition effort.
Their ongoing second attempt also faces opposition from area homeowners, who have raised concerns over property values, protection of rural farmland, drainage and flooding problems, increased traffic, and preservation of the rural quality of life.
Kapoor says that the process has been frustrating, especially the recent inaction by the Champaign County Board of Appeals, because of the absence of some members, during its April meeting.
More than 70 Hindu worshipers who attended the hearing hoping for a decision were disappointed.
âThree hearings later, and the fate of the project still hangs in the balance,â Kapoor says. âWe are hoping the May session will hold a positive outcome.â
Kapoor says the temple committee has been working with city planners and engineers to address suggestions that will help assuage homeownersâ concerns.
The proposed $1 million Hindu Temple would serve approximately 200 Champaign-Urbana Indian families, Kapoor says.
The group plans to purchase a 40-acre parcel near a county highway, in a development known as the Thor-O-Bred Acres subdivision, while proposing to develop just five acres, including the temple, parking, and a landscaped area.
A âspecial useâ permit is required for the property, which is now designated âbest prime farmland.â
Attorney Kevin Luebchow, representing homeowners who oppose the temple, argues that although no specific development is scheduled for the farmland, granting a special-use permit for the property could pose an array of problems for residents in the area.
During a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing in late March, Luebchow told board members that the temple could have a negative impact on residential properties in the area.
He also noted said that âthere have been proposed temples throughout Illinois and the United States that have been denied zoning requests because the determination was made that the design of the facility did not comply or match the characteristics of the district.â
Kapoor is disheartened by assertions that the temple design will be an eyesore.
âI have heard such references about the temple, and itâs pretty discouraging that ignorance could lead to rejection,â he says. âWe are looking to expand the Hindu communityâs reach to our younger generation with a temple that not only serves as a religious hub but as a cultural center that offers more that just prayer services.â
Approximately 29 residential lots, many located next to small commercial operations, sit adjacent to the proposed temple site. Several churches are located in the area, but homeowners say the temple would change the nature of the neighborhood and constitute âhaphazard development.â
Kapoor says that a Hindu templeâs functions are similar in many ways to those of a church.
âWorshipers gather, pray, socialize, counsel, educate, and celebrate,â he explains. âLack of understanding and ignorance over faiths of foreign origin leads to negative reaction. Thatâs one reason why we need to foster a more tolerant society by exposing different cultures to different people.â
Hinduism, which has more than 200 temples and more than 1.5 million worshipers in the United States, is an established religion, ranking third in the world behind Christianity and Islam.
There are at least eight Hindu temples in Illinois, several with grand structures resembling Indiaâs traditional architecture.
Kapoor says although the proposed temple in Champaign County will not be a mirror image of an Indian Hindu temple, with an intricately carved exterior and towering columns, it will reflect some Indian elements.
âAfter all, itâs a Hindu temple,â he says.
Champaign County Hindus are hoping that the next Zoning Board of Appeals hearing will deliver the much-anticipated approval and end their long wait.
Rock Island physician Dr. Anand Reddy understands Kapoorâs frustration, but he also knows that patience and perseverance will pay off in the end.
As a board member of the newly opened Quad Cities Hindu Temple, he has been on the forefront of the six-year effort on the part of western Illinoisâ Hindu community to build a temple.
On April 28, Hindus from eastern Iowa and Illinois gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the $1 million temple with traditional religious services, consecration of deities, facility tours, and an Indian feast.
The atmosphere was joyous, with hundreds of worshipers and many non-Hindu friends of the temple gathering to mark the occasion.
âItâs a matter of pride and joy for the entire Hindu community in the area to see a long-awaited dream become a reality,â Reddy says. âThe temple was entirely funded by contributions from people of all faiths.â
The temple serves more than 450 Hindu families.
Reddy says although the first phase of the 7,200-square-foot single-story temple structure is complete, plans are in the works for a $1 million addition that will feature marble and granite deities and for the construction of a gopuram, the traditional Hindu temple tower, which will distinctly identify the structureâs purpose.
Reddy says that the Quad City Hindu Templeâs success serves as a model for other Indian communities to initiate temple projects.
âThere were mixed reaction among people who didnât understand our beliefs or our culture,â he says. âThere are always those who doubt, question, and even oppose our right to worship where we want to.â
Faith is the key, Reddy says.
In a wooded 25-acre neighborhood in Peoria sits the idyllic Hindu Temple of Central Illinois. Built in 1999, the temple serves as a reminder that, over time, objections turn into acceptance.
Neighbors who once opposed the presence of a Hindu temple in the area have not only come to embrace its existence but have actually have learned to reap some of the benefits the center has to offer.
âFamilies come for a walk on the landscaped area, utilize the extra parking lot when there are family functions, and even enjoy the extra security the temple has to offer in a secluded area,â says Prakash Babu.
Babu says there is a need for the Illinois Hindu community to establish a presence and celebrate its customs and traditions.
âAfter seven years in the community, we have held many functions and events and opened the facility to anyone interested in utilizing the space,â he explains. âIt has served the community well, not only the Hindu population but all Peoria residents.â
Babu says that the center has brought together Indians of many beliefs under one roof.
âDespite uncertainties during the initial development, we have prevailed,â says Babu, who also shares some advice for other Hindu groups working to establish temples.
âDonât be discouraged by small obstacles along the way,â he says. âKeep moving forward.â
Above all, he says: âKeep the faith.â
M.D. Batmanathan of Springfield is a former reporter for the Paris Beacon News. She has also written for The Sun of Kuala Lumpur and other publications in Singapore and Malaysia.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/sum...406222_ITM
Hindu Temple Development in the United States: Planning and Zoning Issues.
Publication: Journal of Cultural Geography
Publication Date: 22-MAR-98
Author: Johnson, Jay ; Costa, Frank J.
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COPYRIGHT 1998 JCG Press
Abstract. Hindu temple construction has become common in suburban areas of the United States, following a steady wave of immigration from India. Immigrants hope to pass along traditional beliefs and cultural practices to a generation rapidly approaching adulthood. Small but committed groups have raised millions of dollars to build over 200 temples in the 1980s and 1990s. Temple builders face the usual land use concerns of any rezoning request, such as providing parking or shielding neighbors from externalities such as light and noise. Some proposals have met resistance from the established community based on misunderstandings and fears about Hindu practices and beliefs. Such resistance has slowed but not stopped the diffusion of Hindu temples across the United States.
In 1965, the United States ended immigration quotas. An immediate surge in the number of people immigrating from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia followed. Arthur J. Pais and Etta Sanders (1994, 34), writing in the Far Eastern Economic Review, quote Ron Takaki, professor of ethnic history at the University of California at Berkeley: "It took them [immigrants] about a decade to settle down, and once they had made their homes and saw their children doing well[ in schools and colleges, they began building temples."
Building a New Spiritual Home
Asian immigration since the 1970s has led to the construction of many new temples in the United States. In 1994 approximately three million Buddhists and one million Hindus resided in the United States. The number of Buddhist and Hindu shrines, temples, monasteries, and retreat houses is estimated at 1,500. About $200 million has gone into land development and construction, with money raised by both overseas temples and United States immigrants. Pais and Sanders (1994, 34-35) estimate that $100 million is currently being raised for new building and expansion. They suggest that the motivation for this expansion is one of cultural and religious preservation. Immigrants saw their children and grandchildren drifting away from the temple. In the Japanese Buddhist community, for example, religious buildings began to be called "churches" instead of temples.
Temples in the United States serve as places of worship just as they do elsewhere. However, several other functions are required of the structure, and certain changes in religious practice must be made to comply with health and fire codes. Mirta Ojito (1996, 1), makes these distinctions clear with respect to a New Jersey temple:
In traditional temples, hundreds of candles burn at all hours as part of the religious ritual. In Edison, a few candles will do for special occasions. In Gujarat, nobody would walk into a temple with shoes on. But in Edison, where snow can be part of the landscape, visitors can walk into a temple with shoes on but they have to leave them at the door. In India, temples are for prayer and congregation. In Edison, where the temple also has a library and several classrooms, community leaders want the center to play an important role in the education of children and new immigrants.
Ojito goes on to note that in Edison, college students teach traditional Indian music to children born in the United States, and English classes to recent immigrants. The rapid growth in numbers and visibility of Hindu temples has caused a natural reaction on the part of many communities and local governments to something strange and exotic.
Resistance by Local Governments and the Public
Some of the most serious resistance to construction of a Hindu temple was in Gwinnett County, Georgia. A temple was proposed for a site near the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. The Greater Atlanta Vedic Society applied for a permit to build a temple in December 1988, but was denied permission by local authorities.
Most resistance to the temple drew few people from the immediate neighborhood on Harmony Grove Road, according to a 1989 article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The temple debate mirrored the plight in the same community of a proposed synagogue, Temple Beth David. Vedic Society members spoke before the Gwinnett County Commission in support of the synagogue. The owner of the Hindu temple site, Ajodia Persaud, said: "They are a minority just like me and they are having five acres just like me" (Lavin 1989a, 1).
Neighbors of the Hindu temple objected since trees were cleared on the site before a permit had been issued. Before the hearing, neighbors even thought the Vedic temple would be a commune where members might live and use drugs. Typically, the County Commission would require a year's wait before taking up the same land use issue again, making this request too early by two months. The Vedic Society chose to approach the commission since a special use permit was issued for the synagogue in September 1989.
A special-use permit was again denied. The county asked the Vedic group to add trees and other landscaping to the site. Persaud is quoted in November 1989: "They are trying to add expenses so the Hindu organization will back off, but I'm not going to back off even if it takes every last penny I have to show the people of Gwinnett County that Hindus are here. to stay" (Lavin 1989b, 1). Persaud believed no other religious organization had received similar requests to provide landscape buffers. He said: "We might as well put it in a hole in the ground." The temple was in the district of Plan Commission member Davida Baker. She had been an advocate of extensive buffering. She reminded Persaud that a recently approved Mormon church had been subject to the same landscaping requirements. "I would like to see a Hindu temple in Gwinnett County," Baker said, but added that Persaud's unwillingness to compromise made approval "very difficult." She also stated: "Because the temple is surrounded on all sides by single-family residences, it must be very carefully planned." Douglas Lavin (1989b, 1) noted that since the temple was in Baker's district, most commissioners would follow her lead.
In an another article, Lavin (1989c) commented that between 1986 and 1989, four other churches were denied zoning changes by Gwinnett County. Two were fundamentalist Christian churches, one was affiliated with the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, and one was Japanese Presbyterian. Lavin does not elaborate, so whether the denials prevented construction or remodeling is not clear. The suggestion left unspecified is that churches out of the religious mainstream have difficulty in receiving approval.
The approval of a temple in Norwalk, California was equally protracted and difficult. In 1992, 30 Hindu families wanted to build a temple near two Christian churches, along a busy boulevard. According to the Los Angeles Times (Faris 1992), neighborhood residents questioned the project. They wondered why a $1.2 million temple would be constructed for only 80 people. One neighbor suggested that the group's leader really wanted to invite Hindus from across the West Coast, stating: "It's a lot bigger than he's letting on." Neighborhood residents were worried about noise, traffic, and excessive drinking (from Hindus!). Some residents even thought cremation might be conducted at the site. The area had already successfully resisted Sunday adult soccer at a nearby school.
Natoo A. Patel, who led the group of families, said that critics of the temple did not understand Hinduism. The families all worshipped Lord Swaminaraya, a specific deity within Hinduism. The services would be conducted in Gujarati, the language of the Indian state of Gujarat. If Hindus from other parts of India came to the temple, they would not understand what was being said.
Nyal Royse, pastor of a church next to the temple site, called the proposed temple domes a "grotesque monstrosity." However, Carol Savely, who lived across from the temple site, wondered why the nearby Church of Christ and Mormon churches caused no problems, while the Hindus would. She is quoted as noting: "It's very hard to figure out" (Faris 1992, 1). Other neighbors insisted that the issue was not religious or cultural, but simply a desire to avoid more non-residential land use in the area.
The planning staff in Norwalk favored the project. Before the temple land was purchased, the city said that the temple could be built with a conditional-use permit. The refusal to grant a permit surprised Patel and the families. Plans for the temple had already been scaled down with the removal of elaborate carvings and a reduction in the maximum allowable capacity of the building from 531 people to 320. To justify their decision, plan commissioners cited neighborhood opposition. Plan Commissioner Jim Sweet supported the temple at first, but became concerned that expansion was never addressed (Faris 1992).
In 1994, the temple was approved. The group abandoned plans for a traditional temple, and instead submitted a design that resembled a Spanish .mission. This design was approved by the Norwalk City Council since it fit well with the stucco homes in the neighborhood, which were built in the 1950s (Gottesman 1994).
Resistance by Churches
In Northridge, California, a group of Hindus purchased a former Baptist church in November 1995. The Valley View Baptist Church was located in a geodesic dome. Declining membership left the Conservative Baptist church with only 10 people in the congregation. Part of the facility was rented out to a small Korean congregation. During previous financial troubles, the church building had been deeded to the Conservative Baptist Association's local district office. The district needed money, and chose to put the property up for sale, despite protests by the pastor of Valley View.
Interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, the pastor, Justin Houk, said: "We did not want the property to be sold to anyone. There will be a pagan practice where the Gospel used to be preached." Bal K. Sarad, the vice president of the Hindu temple, said: "I was surprised that a professional priest would use any language like that toward any religion. God is one; if we did not believe in God, we would not be saying our prayers." Sarad also stated that the group of 75 Hindus felt lucky that the building had been a church: "To us, it is a sacred place that will continue to be used for a sacred cause" (Dart 1995, 5).
The Northridge Hindu group met in the homes of families throughout the region. The group hoped that the temple also would become a social center and contain a library. There were plans to hire a full-time priest. The president said that the Saturday night religious services in member's homes were a hit: "Everybody likes our performances--just as they like Michael Jackson" (Dart 1995).
Temples Which Avoided Planning-Related Controversy
The California temples were run by relatively small groups. Although tens of thousands of Hindus are estimated to live in Southern California, there were only 12 temples in 1995. By contrast, the Sri Siva Vishnu temple in Lanham, Maryland was meant to unify the worship of 12 Hindu gods for believers in the Washington, D.C. metro area. It drew thousands of people to its grand opening. The shrines, towers and statues were designed by a team of artists supervised by a professor from the College of Temple Architecture in Madras, India. The architect was Ganapathi Stapathi, whose family had been practicing temple architecture for over 1,000 years. The temple was first proposed in the 1970s. Land was finally purchased in the mid-1980s as fund-raising gathered steam (Nirula 1991).
The Sri Lakshmi Temple in Ashland, Massachusetts has a similar history. In 1978, eight Indian immigrants proposed a temple in the Boston area. By 1981, enough money had been raised to buy the land. The group began meeting with a temple architect from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. While the construction process went on, the Hindu group held services in a local village hall. The main temple hall was completed in 1986, and the temple dedication took place in 1995 (Ribadenaria 1996). The dedication ceremony lasted four days. On the last day, a cow considered sacred by Hindus was venerated. The veneration was explained to a Boston Globe reporter: "During the ceremony, the goddess Lakshmi opens her eyes and the first thing she is supposed to see is a cow as well as little children because they represent life's purity" (Ribadenaria 1996, 1).
A temple in Edison, New Jersey was converted from a 43,000 square foot abandoned toy factory into a striking, saffron yellow structure. Temple leaders here may have learned from past controversies, as they looked at about a dozen sites before finding a location that was large, had adequate parking, and was removed from residential areas. In this case, the land and structure were purchased by the Indian home office of the Bochasanwasi Swaminarayan organization for $1.8 million. The United States group then raised $1.5 million for renovation. Planning for the temple took a year, with 42 drawings made and five trips abroad taken before decisions were finalized on the building style and materials (Ojito 1996).
Church Zoning and Constitutional Law
Zoning is the most common regulatory tool used to enforce land use plans. This power is granted by the state to cities and other general purpose government jurisdictions. Laws restricting the exercise of religion are unconstitutional. Zoning laws must respect free exercise of religion without diminishing the value of the public health, safety, and welfare that land use regulation can provide.
Most of the battles have been over proposed placement of religious structures in residential districts. Determining what religious activities qualify as a "church" under a given definition also has been a thorny issue.
While the United States Supreme Court has ruled on cases pertinent to the free exercise of religion, none of these were related to land use or zoning. In the absence of a definitive ruling, legal scholars seem to agree that there are two camps into which state approaches to land use regulation can fall: either the more permissive "New York" majority position or the more restrictive "California" minority position (Pearlman 1987). Different authors disagree about whether there is a third approach, what the current trends are, and how a reasonable balance can be created between the interests of zoning and religion.
In cases following the New York example, the free exercise of religion is paramount. The courts have been reluctant to allow zoning to restrict church land use. This is the majority view held by most states. An early Indiana case, Board of Zoning Appeals of Decatur v. Jehovah's Witnesses (233 Ind. 83), serves as an example of this view-point. In this case, the planned church would not be set back far enough from some adjacent homes. Parking and traffic generation were also problematic. Here it was argued: "Each zoning case must stand upon its own set of facts and a zoning ordinance may be valid generally, but invalid as applied to certain property." It was also stated that no test of "reasonable interference" with the enjoyment of the rights of property or with personal rights was available, so each case must be decided on its own merits. Finally, it said: "The law is well settled that the building of a church may not be prohibited in a residential district, and if the refusal of the zoning board to grant a variance results in the exclusion of a church from a residential district, such action is illegal and must be reversed" (233 Ind. 83). Traffic issues were considered less important than the right of assembly; partly because services were held at times of light traffic.
There is also the minority, or "due process" view. Here, zoning regulations are considered necessary and permissible, just as a building code would be. Judicial deference to local ordinances is the rule. California law follows the landmark case Corporation of Presiding Bishop of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints v. City of Porterville (203 P. 2nd 823, 1949). In this case, a building permit was denied to a church. The property was partly in the R-1 residential district at the time of purchase, and was later annexed by the city and included in this zone. The R-1 district was meant strictly for single family dwellings. Precedent had been set for the exclusion of businesses and apartments from residential zones. It was suggested that the "peace, comfort, and quiet" created by an R-1 zone would be abused by the assembly of a large number of people in churches. This interpretation of the R-1 zone was upheld by the Fourth District Court of Appeals: "Such a zoning regulation bears a substantial relation to the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare because it tends to promote and perpetuate the American home and protect its civic and social values."
Hindu temples are noticeably absent from the arguments of legal scholars and judges on church zoning. It is difficult to believe that no litigation has ever taken place that involved temples and land use. The issues and argument,; used in these cases usually have some applicability to the problems Hindu temples have experienced. For example, the Norwalk temple and the Decatur church both faced parking lot requirements, despite the fact that neighboring churches already used public streets for parking.
The resolution of these two cases differed, but not for reasons of belief. The California temple was expected to follow zoning requirements as would any other church in California. The Jehovah's Witnesses were allowed a variance from the parking requirement because of the time of day for services, the limited impact of the cars of 40 to 45 believers, and the setting near three other churches.
Concerns and Impacts
The concerns of Hindu groups are usually not with zoning. Small but committed groups of Hindus have raised sums from a few hundred thousand dollars to well over $1 million to purchase land and to build and furnish temples. Where zoning controversies have occurred, temple leaders normally have diplomatically avoided returning the criticism from church officials and community members. The only episode of uncivil behavior might have been in Georgia, where after a series of attempts to receive approval for a temple, there was name-calling between local residents and the temple president.
The relation of land and temples in India is quite different. Instead of concern over zoning, the federal government has had to regulate the control of land by temple trustees, who oversee hundreds of acres and sometimes use temple land rights for their own profit. The temple plan and location are decided by a connected series of mathematical rules. A series of grids and circles also control temple form.
In the end, planning and zoning has had a limited impact on Hindu temple builders. There are no accounts of Hindu groups defeated in their efforts to build, although it is certainly possible that this could happen. The Gwinnett County Commission approved the Lilburn temple in January 1990. Along with this decision, they also approved the concept of houses of worship in residential neighborhoods. The Hindus vowed to invite the neighborhood residents to a service to help neighbors understand their religion. The planning process has served as a forum for compromise between residential landowners, Christians, and Hindus.
References
Anonymous. 1994. Zoning Ordinances Affecting Churches: A Proposal for Expanded Free Exercise Protection. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 132 (June): 1131-1162.
Dart, John. 1995. Former Baptist Church to be a Hindu Temple. Los Angeles Times, 18 November, sec. B, p. 5.
Faris, Gerald. 1992. Hindus' Plan for Temple in Norwalk Encounters Unfriendly Neighbors. Los Angeles Times, 21 July, sec. B, p. 1.
Gottesman, Jill. 1994. East Meets West. Los Angeles Times, 22 July, Sec. B, p. 1.
Lavin, Douglas. 1989a. Hindus Try Again to Get Temple. Atlanta Journal Constitution, 29 August 29, sec. XJ, p. 1.
--. 1989b. Hindu Accuses County of Bias. Atlanta Journal Constitution, 20 November, sec. XJ, p. 1.
--. 1989c. Hindus Cry Foul at Panel's Finding. Atlanta Journal Constitution, 20 December, sec. XJ, p. 1.
Nirula, Gagan. 1991. New Hindu Temple is Vision of Past. Washington Post, 6 July, sec. C, p. 1.
Ojito, Mirta. 1996. A House of Worship, A Sign of Permanence. New York Times, 12 August, sec. B, p. 1.
Pais, Arthur J. and Etta J. Saunders. 1994. Transplanting God: Asian Immigrants are Building Buddhist and Hindu Temples Across the U.S. Far Eastern Economic Review, 157:34-35.
Pearlman, Kenneth. 1987. Zoning and the Location of Religious Establishments. Catholic Lawyer, 31(Fall):314-345.
Ribadenaria, Diego. 1996. A Hindu Haven in Ashland. Boston Globe, 19 August, sec. B, p. 1.
Teegardin, Carrie. 1989. Hindus Will Reapply for Permission to Build Temple. Atlanta Journal Constitution, 4 September, sec. XJ, p. 1.
Jay Johnson, 1133 Catherine Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540 is a recent M.A. graduate of the geography and urban planning program at The University of Akron.
Frank J. Costa is Professor Emeritus of Geography and Planning, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325.
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/docu...documentID=3394
N.J. farmers who oppose planned Hindu temple urge zoning rule change
By The Associated Press
10.31.00
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CRANBURY, N.J. â A proposal to construct a Hindu temple in the middle of permanently preserved farmland here has sparked a dispute between farmers and worshippers.
The Langhorne, Pa.-based Chinmaya Mission wants to build a temple on a seven-acre tract off Cranbury Neck Road. Vish Murthi, who lives in West Windsor and teaches a mission youth group, says the barnlike structure would blend in with its agricultural surroundings.
He estimated that the temple would draw about 100 people on the average Sunday, and up to 350 on festival days.
But farmers worry that worshippers will complain about heavy machinery, dust and pesticides. At their request, the township committee has introduced a zoning ordinance that would block the group from building the temple.
Under the proposed ordinance, the group would have to cut the size of its proposed temple and parking lot in half.
While hesitant to criticize, Murthi said the township's action is unfair.
"We were taken in for a rude shock when we heard they wanted to do away with it," Murthi told The Star-Ledger of Newark. "We are mostly gentle folk who want to go about our business."
Stanley Stults, 51, owns 200 acres of preserved farmland near the proposed temple site and said he could not farm with the proposed facility next door.
He fears worshippers would eventually start complaining about dust from the fields and pesticide spraying. Although he is protected by right-to-farm laws, Stults said nuisance lawsuits could end his livelihood. He also worries that laws could change as farmers lose influence in Trenton.
Stults comes from a long line of farmers. His grandfather founded the farm in 1915, and his son and daughter work with him now.
"I hate to say I was here first, but the farmers were here first," he said.
He said accusations that farmers really object to the Hindu culture are wrong.
"Even if it was the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, I would feel the same way."
Township committee members also said they were not trying to keep the mission from building in the township as they voted to introduce the ordinance on Oct. 23.
Mayor Alan Danser suggested that a compromise could be reached as the proposal goes through the hearing process.
"We're not trying to slam the door in anybody's face," Danser said.
The property owner, Gordon Tantum, has had trouble selling the land. His planner, John Madden, said Tantum cannot finish the deal until the mission has permission to build.
Madden told the township that it had to be careful how it applied zoning regulations in cases dealing with religious groups.
"When you're dealing with houses of worship, you're dealing with a very specific land use (and) you're touching on constitutional issues of freedom of religion," Madden said. "You have to recognize the special treatment that a church deserves."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/wellington/co...w_tim_0709.html
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Neighbors oppose Hindu temple construction
By TIM PALLESEN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
A proposal to build a Hindu temple on Lantana Road has sparked concerns among neighbors.
The Sevashram Sangha congregation was set to ask county commissioners this month for zoning to allow a 4,672-square-foot sanctuary plus offices to be built on the northeast corner of Lantana Road and Bentbrook Boulevard.
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But the proposal was postponed at least a month after residents of Country Lakes West voiced opposition after the congregation's architect showed them the temple plans on June 24.
"We don't care if it's Hindu, Christian or Catholic - we don't want a place of worship there," said resident Jerry Parker, an opposition leader.
The Hindu congregation has worshipped for three years in a single-family home on the 1.65-acre site that Country Lakes residents must pass to access Lantana Road.
"The owners and their worshippers already cause a traffic nightmare," Parker wrote County Commissioner Jeff Koons. "They constantly have garbage all over the property."
The congregation's pastor, Pandig Maharaj, didn't return a phone call for comment. Temple architect Christopher Barry declined to comment.
Country Lake's property owners' association has focused on traffic as its primary reason to oppose building the new temple.
"We believe this project will cause a traffic problem at the entrance to our community," the homeowners association wrote in a letter that urged residents to attend the June 24 meeting.
After the meeting, Barry asked for the zoning request to be delayed one month to address the neighborhood's traffic concern. He proposed adding a right-turn lane on Bentbrook Boulevard.
http://ws.gmnews.com/news/2007/0124/Front_Page/023.html
Hindu temple proposed for Route 27 site
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - The township might be the home of the only temple for a particular sect of Hinduism in all of New Jersey, if the Zoning Board approves.
An application presented Jan. 11 was filed by Bharat Sevashram Sangha of North America Inc., which currently maintains a house in Kendall Park for use in religious practices. The project, if approved, would entail the construction of a 6,904-square-foot temple on Route 27.
According to the applicant's attorney, Rosalind Westlake, the temple will have a main floor for religious services, a mezzanine above that would have classrooms, and a 5,000-square-foot basement with a kitchen and bathrooms. The entire site would occupy a little less than 2 acres.
"This application will be a tremendous benefit to South Brunswick Township," said Westlake.
If approved, it would be the first of its kind to serve this particular sect in the state. According to Ramendra Nandi, a trustee with Bharat Sevashram, there are other centers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, with a central base of operations in Calcutta, India.
Nandi said that the building would mostly be used for religious services and that those services usually draw only about five to 10 people during the week and about 20 to 25 people during the weekend. He said that the current space is inadequate due to large festival days, which the sect has about eight or nine of each year. These, Nandi said, would draw about 100 to 120 people. With the current facilities, they needed to rent outdoor pavilions for those events.
The board spent much time trying to pin down exactly how many people could be expected if the temple were built, especially given that it would be the only temple for that particular sect in the state.
"I'm just trying to get an understanding of what the future could hold here," said board member James Allen.
Nandi said that the building isn't so much of a church as one might think of in a Judeo-Christian tradition, but more of a base of operations. While people do come to the temple, visitors are not its overriding purpose. For example, Nandi said he does not anticipate it being used for weddings or funerals. It would be more like a monastery that would be maintained by the two monks currently living in the present facility, with occasional visiting monks.
When open, however, it was noted that some of the classrooms would be used for activities like teaching Sanskrit (which the scriptures are written in), yoga and meditation. Nandi said that people from Bharat Sevashram Sangha currently travel elsewhere to teach. He said he expects there to be 10 to 12 people at the temple at different times.
"A building of that size is going to be a lot of noise," said Silviu Nedelcu, who lives near the site where the proposed temple would be built.
Nandi said that he can hardly hear any noise when he comes to services, and that during festivals all they really do is sing hymns. As for the classes?
"Meditation and yoga, it does not produce much sound," said Nandi.
No decision was made on the application. Board Chairman Martin Hammer said that the matter would be continued Jan. 25.
http://forums.hometownlife.com/viewtopic.php?t=32485
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:26 am Post subject: Homeowners hire attorney to force temple changes
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Homeowners hire attorney to force temple changes
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desi
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:50 am Post subject:
McGraw (the attorney for the homeowners around the temple) says the Planning commission failed to address whether the new construction would meet current zoning requirements.
The Planning commission has already approved the Hindu temple plans. Now the homeowners are suing the Hindu temple, because they feel the Planning Commission didn't do its job??!!! Shouldn't they sue the Planning Commission instead? Why sue the temple?
It's almost like the homeowners will do whatever they need to do to thwart the temple plans. How about suing the temple to recover the cost of black paint they had to buy to paint their windows black?
I hope Canton is not becoming a Red Neck town. It's beginning to quack like one.
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amaun
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:51 am Post subject:
This is my suggestion to residents, in the three subdivisions bordering the Hindu temple, who agree that the temple ought to expand since it was approved by the Planning Commission.
1) Speak with your homeowners association president/secretary and let them know that you agree with the Planning Commission approval of the expansion of the Hindu Temple.
2) Ask the president/secretary if any association funds are being used to retain the lawyer opposing the temple expansion.
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Fsquared
Joined: 12 Nov 2006
Posts: 32
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject: More race baiting....
Pay close attention Canton residents, because amaun and desi are back again and are once again showing their true side. desi writes: "I hope Canton is not becoming a Red Neck town. It's beginning to quack like one."
Why desi? Because some Canton residents are exercising their rights to avail themselves of the court system? Playing the race card is divisive and is a tell-tale sign that your opponents are getting desperate folks. People like desi and amaun only like the rules when they favor their agenda. Going to court and placing your case before a judge isn't racist, it's the American way. Now perhaps you don't like that. But, until this Country becomes something else, you are going to have to live with the fact that people have a right to their opinion just as you do. The difference here is that you are now engaging in a smear campaign against the entire populace of Canton. If a race problem exists here, it's because you own the problem, not the rest of Canton.
You got rid of Ms. Johnson with smear tactics and bullying. Now what? you're going after a homeowners association for exercising their rights?
I submit that Canton is in desperate need of adopting architectural standards In an effort to maintain the aesthetic and economic value of the homes in our township, architectural standards and a design review procedure should be established. These architectural standards would be designed to regulate the style, size, location, proportion, color, material and basic construction methods of all structures within the Township.
Has anyone taken a good look at some of the religious structures that have been erected along Canton Center road? Are they at all proportionate to the surrounding homes and businesses? It's about time the Township Planning Commission stop cowering to a few shrill voices and start doing their duty in protecting what values we have left in our homes in Canton. If not, then they can all be replaced from the top down.
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amaun
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:19 pm Post subject:
> Has anyone taken a good look at some of the religious structures that have been erected along Canton Center road?
Yes.
> Are they at all proportionate to the surrounding homes and
> businesses?
No, and neither is the baptist church on Cherry Hill or the catholic church on Lilley.
> It's about time the Township Planning Commission stop cowering
> to a few shrill voices and start doing their duty in protecting what
> values we have left in our homes in Canton.
The values in my home are Vedic-Hindu. I am a contributing member of this township. I expect the Township Planning Commission to represent me and my values just as you expect them to represent you and your values.
Why would you expect them to protect only your values?
What are your values?
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hurray
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject:
AMAUN
You listed 2 other churches in the area.
1. Baptist Church on Cherryhill
2. Catholic Church on Lilley
Both of these building are build away from existing homes and as close to the main street as possible. They made it a point prior to any building plans to get input from the neighbors. This avoided any bad feelings.
No one opjects to the Hindu Temple. We just want it built as close to Cherryhill as possible.
Please go look at the site. You will see it is 200 ft wide by 1,300 ft deep. It is a very unusual site. Not really suited for this type of layout.
I would object to any building that deep into the site. Whether a business or religious building.
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desi
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:21 pm Post subject:
The Hindu temple MET ALL the zoning regulations. The homeowners say the Planning commission didn't do its job. So the homeowners want to sue the Hindu temple, not the planning commission! Brilliant!
This is AMERICA. You are supposed to punish the guilty, not the innocent. You are going after the temple that spent more than $30,000 to COMPLY with all the zoning regulations that YOU and YOUR ELECTED representatives created.
This is AMERICA, not your third world christianstan. We live by the laws we create. We don't just tell the immigrants to obey and live by the laws when it suits us, but when the law goes against us, we'll sue the immigrants to take out our frustrations. If you don't like the zoning regulations, go CHANGE THE ZONING REGULATIONS. Go after the Planning commission.
The fact is the homeowners want to sue the temple for complying with all the laws, and they don't want to hold the planning commission responsible for supposedly not doing its job. That tells me all I need to know about the motive of those who are suing.
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marscal
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: Its all about the building...
This is not about race, religion or ritual! This is merely about a building that is too large for the property where it is planned to be placed. We welcome the diversity in the township and have no objection to expansion to meet the needs of the temple. However, the site selection and placement for a building that to too large is what most of us object to. Moving the building to the north east side of the property would minimize the impact to the surrounding homes and serve the expansion needs of the Hindu Community. It is unfortunate that people jump to the lowest, most offensive denominator when referring to this issue. Please see the facts for what they are...size of the building, narrow lot, placed too close to lot lines and homes.
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desi
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:35 am Post subject:
Marscal and others: If the issue is really about the lot size and other zoning issues as you claim, and not about religion, YOU SHOULD BE SUING THE PLANNING COMMISSION which approved the plans and NOT THE TEMPLE.
Please answer why the temple which met all the rules is being sued, and not the planning commission which (according to you guys) didn't enforce or have enough regulations.
MAKE the planning commission add new zoning regulations and/or change the existing regulations so that ALL buildings will have to comply with the new rules. MAKE the planning commission ENFORCE the SIZE and SHAPE of lot rules on ALL THE buildings. All the churches. All the public schools. Not just the Hindu temple selectively.
Selectively suing a Hindu temple that MET all the zoning regulations, but NOT WANTING TO CHANGE the regulations so they will apply to ALL buildings (including future churches) has all the hallmarks of a banana republic with shotgun justice. You are saying a Hindu temple has to MEET A HIGHER STANDARD THAN the existing rules, but you don't want to change the rules? Why? So future churches and other buildings don't have to be held to this higher standard about lot shapes and sizes?
Any judge with half a brain will see thru' this lawsuit.
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hurray
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:20 am Post subject:
desi
It is true that the Temple has met all zoning requirements. However, zoning requirements and ordinances never anticipated a lot size and shape with such a deep impact (1,300 ft deep) into a subdivision.
You really need to go and look and the site to appreciate the issues of the Temple being build so deep and so out of character with the surrounding homes. The questions you need to ask yourself are;
Will home values go up or down?
Will there be security issues with parking so close to peoples homes?
Will there be noise and other problems from parking & lighting?
I have attended many events at this Temple. The people are great. However, I must admit that this was an odd shape site that we never should have purchased to begin with. We should have known this would be a future problem for planned expansion.
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desi
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:11 am Post subject:
I grant you all the points about the lot size and shape. But my question remains: WHY ARE THE PEOPLE SUING THE TEMPLE, AND NOT THE PLANNING COMMISSION to change the rules about lot sizes and shapes? Is it because they want ONLY the temple to be held to more stringent requirements, and not the next Church that's built on an odd shaped lot?
Is it the temple's fault that the planning commission supposedly didn't enforce the existing rules? Is it the temple's fault that the planning commission didn't have more rules about lot shapes?
As for the question of home values, I have two points to make:
1. Extensive studies in UK has shown that home prices normally go UP when a Hindu temple is built nearby. People like a good landmark. I can give you references if you want.
2. In any case, home value issue has NOTHING to do with complaince with the laws. The existing laws must be uniformly enforced whether or not it's favorable to the home owners. Can I sue the Canton schools saying the presence of dumb students there depreciates the value of my kid's education?
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hurray
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:45 am Post subject:
desi
You maintain that the residents are suing the Temple. That may mislead readers to believe the residents want $. That is incorrect. They only want it moved closer to Cherry Hill.
I do not understand why you believe this to be unreasonable. And this request would be made regardless of the purpose of the building. Have you visited this site?
Regarding changing the zoning requirements - that may occur. However, it would not address existing zoning laws.
I encourage you to visit this site.
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desi
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:55 am Post subject:
I have visited the temple many times, though I am not a member of that temple.
BTW, talking about home values, read the below from BBC website:
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A Hindu temple in London has won the inaugural pride of place award - meaning, it has won the rank of the landmark that residents are most proud of. The temple beat the Manchester United Football Club by a whopping nine ranks.
According to BBC News, more than 2,300 residents from nine different councils voted for the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London for the award. The Swaminarayan Mandir is one of the largest Hindu temples in Europe.
According to the Mandir's website, the temple was built "using 5,000 tonnes of Italian Carrara marble and the finest Bulgarian limestone", which was then "hand-carved into 23,600 pieces by 1,526 skilled craftsmen" and then flown to London. It took three years to assemble these pieces.
------
Granted the Canton temple is MUCH smaller than this landmark, but I would rather have an outstanding landmark in my neighborhood than rows and rows of cookie cutter houses anyday. What depreciates the home values in American neighborhoods is that ALL houses look exactly the same. There are no distinguishing features (unique architectural styles, unique colors etc), so buyers usually play one house against another to beat down prices.
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hurray
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:35 am Post subject:
I will agree that landmarks may increase the value of homes nearby. However, the issue here is that the new Temple is too close to the homes. Moving the new Temple closer to Cherry Hill solves many of the issues.
Also, this is not the U.K.
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H.T.
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 1
Location: Canton
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: Hindu Temple
Desi-
Not sure where your information is coming from but the residents are NOT suing the Temple!!
> hurray Posted: Also, this is not the U.K.
Not yet. We can only hope we reach the same level of religious tolerance that Europeans practice. I know you probably think America is more tolerant than Europe, but that's only on paper. American tolerance towards religion has NEVER BEEN PUT TO TEST. I'm not talking about different flavors of Christianity, but different (non Judeo-Christian) religions.
Non Judeo-Christian people are still less than 5% of the population. When we have about 20% Hindus, 20% Buddhists, 20% Muslims etc in population (if that ever happens) the real test of tolerance will begin.
Right now the U.S. behaves like a Christian country that tolerates non-Christians. Whereas infact it should behave like a secular country where Christianity is just one of many religions practiced. Public tax money, and public laws and rules should NEVER favor Christianity or any other religion.
Witness the spending of tax money on Christmas lights, but try asking the township for allocation of tax money for Diwali lights and see what response you get! Witness the traffic rules which require the traffic to stop to let a Christian funeral procession to pass, but try asking for permission to stop traffic to let a Hindu wedding processing thru' and see what response you get!
I've asked for these, and have been told there's no public support for them. But that only proves that our elected representatives don't understand the constitution! You don't need public support to enforce the separation of church and state.
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hurray
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject:
desi
Again. You keep trying to turn this into a religious issue. IT IS NOT. It is about a potential building they is far to close to existing homes. That is all.
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daisydot
Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:48 pm Post subject: Canton
DESI:
You said:
MAKE the planning commission add new zoning regulations and/or change the existing regulations so that ALL buildings will have to comply with the new rules. MAKE the planning commission ENFORCE the SIZE and SHAPE of lot rules on ALL THE buildings. All the churches. All the public schools. Not just the Hindu temple selectively.
THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO! no one cares that this is a religious institution... I am not christian nor would i condone any christian church trying to overbuild an area the way the Temple is trying to do. THIS IS AN ISSUE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING. No one can make the planning commission DO ANYTHING. ALSO NO ONE IS SUING ANYONE!! They are just consulting a lawyer the way the hindu temple is consulting THEIR LAWYER. You are making very rash judgements about the citizens trying to live in this area. Please don't be so ignorant about the issues and immediately think that EVERYONE IS A RACIST because there is racism. You should try and look at this from both perspectives RATIONALLY before you jump to conclusions and make generalizations.
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desi
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:00 am Post subject:
Oh, I know it's NOT about religion. *Everyone* knows that! This is America! It's illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion. Everyone knows that! No,no, this is strictly about the rules. This is America. We go by the rules ... What? WHAT? The planning commission says they actually MET all the rules? Are you sure? Oh, then it's about the lot size. No, the lot shape. Wait, maybe parking lot size? Building shape? C'mon lawyers, think of something quick. We're running out of time. How bout public safety issues? Fire safety? Security!! That's it, security issues. We value our kids. There, we got them! ... Wait, they'll pay for security 24x7? Rats! What now? ... Oh, they agreed to delay their start date? Oh good, we have more time!
C'mon, c'mon you lawyers! We're paying you good money. Think of some more issues fast. How about public sanitation issues? Urination issues? Wet land issues? Easement? Land use? Mode use? Eminent Domain? Didn't you guys learn ANYTHING in law school? Anything, anything!! But NOT religion. No siree Bob! THAT would be illegal!! WE don't discrinminate on the basis of religion. Or race.
Where do these immigrants come from anyway? To think we would make religion an issue. Really! How dumb do they think we are? Don't they know it's illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion! We would NEVER do that. This is not some third world country where they openly discriminate on religion. Give me a break!! We go strictly by the rules here. This is America. I wish these immigrants would understand how things work here. Oh wait, strike that!
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amaun
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 61
PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:59 am Post subject:
daisydot wrote:
> I am not christian nor would i condone any christian church trying
> to overbuild an area the way the Temple is trying to do.
The planning commission has not found the temple trying to "overbuild"! The temple met all zoning regs and hence the approval.
Is your definition of "overbuild" a function of religion?
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hurray
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:
desi / amuan
Let's try a different approach.
Let's say you are a Hindu Priest. Just of the plane at metro and you would like to buy land & build a Temple in Canton.
Q.
Would you honestly buy this site to build when there are so many other sites available that are better suited (And much cheaper today - thanks to Jenny)?
I do not believe you would pick this site on Cherry Hill - too deep and too too narrow.
The Priest and representatives at the Temple were told this by the membership. I was there. However, the Priest and many of the Temple officials now live very very close to this site. They are not open to finding another site becuase they would have to move and believe they would take a big loss on their home sale (thank you Jenny).
The problem as I see it is we at the Temple we will not admit to a mistake and continue to compound it by claiming this is a religious issue. No one likes to feel they are being told what to do - this is human nature.
However, it is time we let go and find a new site that is better suited.
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daisydot
Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:32 am Post subject:
Okay, the planning commission found the zoning regulations fine. THE RESIDENTS DIDNT HOWEVER! If you have ever been to this space you would know that a giant building in that small of a space in two neighborhoods wouldn't be right.
amaun:
I am not religious at all and I have no problem with people practicing their religions. By overbuild the area I mean that the building is twice the height of surrounding houses, it butts right up to the property lines, blocks people's views out of their windows, possibly causes so many water and waste runoff issues. There is land next door that would be perfect for them to purchase but because of who owned it before, it can only be used for "christian purposes". I think that is purely wrong. I would have no problem with them building this temple, which will be beautiful I am sure, if they had a bigger space. If there was any way that land could be purchased, then a lot of these issues would go away. But because of someone's religious views that there is something "holy" or whatever about that land this can't happen. SO they should find a new place to build or comply with the residents to not face so many difficulties.
Desi:
You are still really ignorant and making no logical sense. The residents didn't have a lawyer from the beginning and they still had concerns. Have you ever lived somewhere in canton where they were building right up to your property line? Where construction disrupts your everyday routine? Where, when you moved in, a main concern was a building expansion and you were promised that it wouldn't be expand because it was on protected land? I don't live there but this situation is not right. You are saying that because we live in America and we are all pretty much christian narrow minded people that only want Americans in our country and if immigrants try and build something then us Americans need to stop them. Now, I am neither christian nor narrow minded. Your argument, on the other hand, is very narrow minded. You never put yourself in the situation of the residents. You never took religion out of the picture and you never considered that people are worried about their quality of life and the lives of others. You seem not be able to consider the other people's side because you are blinded by race and religion. You have a prejudice against Americans or the people of Canton and you cannot see that this issue has nothing to do with religion or race. Come look at the site and consider this from another perspective.
http://www.witchvox.com/wren/wn_detaila.html?id=12147
Hindus Appeal Temple Denial
Author: Leroy Standish Source: Daily Press (CA)
Title: HINDUS APPEAL DENIAL
Area Hindus hoping for a temple on Apple Valley Road are not giving up without a fight.
Appeals were filed Tuesday with the Town Council and the town's Planning Commission, which last week denied a request by Hindu residents to build a temple and cultural center on 2.4 acres just north of Ottowa Road.
The Town Planning Commission cited traffic concerns in denying the Hindus' request for a conditional use permit to build the temple. Commissioners contend that the 55 mph speed limit on Apple Valley Road is too fast for people to safely make left turns out of the temple.
The Planning Commission last Wednesday denied the project despite a town planning staff report that determined that the temple would not affect public health, safety or welfare.
The Sonlife Community Church sent a letter to the Planning Commission signed by Pastor Mark Allen Mikels asking that it deny the request to build the Hindu temple nearby, mostly based on traffic concerns.
The letter also noted that, "Certainly some of the commission will have other concerns with other aspects of this project ... such as the appropriateness of the proposed structure itself for the neighborhood or the appropriateness of placing a Hindu temple immediately adjacent to a Christian church."
Submitted by and Thanks to: Lyn
Options: [Read Full Story] [Comments Locked] [Email to a Friend]
Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted Reverse Sort
Appropriateness? Feb 1st. at 6:29:27 pm EST
Kara Harkins (Arlington, Virginia) - Email Me - Web
"...the appropriateness of placing a Hindu temple immediately adjacent to a Christian church."
Okay, if they do not want it next to them I am sure they will not mind buying the property. Otherwise I can tell them what they can do with their "appropriateness" issue.
Since they bring it up though, from the point of view of zoning wouln't it actually be MORE appropriate to cluster the different churches together? :-)
THe More Things Change Feb 1st. at 12:01:42 pm EST
Gary DeLoriea (Port Jervis, New Jersey) - Email Me
New jrsey hindus are haveing the same problem. This time the township in question revoked the permit AFTER the varience was issued. Makes me think religious igotry as involved here too.
Shame Shame And More Shame Feb 1st. at 4:35:17 am EST
Lee McCleary (Beech Grove, Florida) - Email Me
Thi is not an issue about speed limits and other such garbage this is Christians up in arms about Hindus next door. I am sure they would be happy if the temple was somewhere else, like in another country. I will never understand why people do not understand that what they can do too others can in fact be done to them. If you allow a law or ruling to prevent the construction of a temple then someone else can prevent a church using the same law. Wake up people Hindus temples will cause you no harm and you might even learn something.
55 miles per hour indeed !
Peace
Some Reminders... Jan 31st. at 11:24:00 pm EST
Youngermoon (Columbia, Texas) - Email Me
The city's own staff report indicates that traffic issues are NOT a problem.
There does seem to be some soft bigotry in the traffic argument itself: the Christian Church was approved with no traffic-argument-hassles. Referring to the current situation one opponent to the temple stated that the road for the Christian Church had a stop sign, and that those "get more respect." OK, I am assuming that this is not a 4-way stop, since the main road is 55mph, so the people coming out of the church are the ones giving respect, implying that the temple-goers do not? This person seems to be implying that the traffic problem is due to the Hindu's poor driving ability. People coming out of the Church have respect for the traffic laws. Those coming out of the Temple, don't. There seems to be a subtext here that indicates that they are not as concerned about the Temple-goers safety as they are thinking that they will be to blame for the problems...
Move Over And Make Room Jan 31st. at 8:50:34 pm EST
bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Surely they can come to some agreement for traffic situations, after all it surely can't be that insurmountable. As to anything else, I guess 'Love thy neighbor' only applies if the neighbor in question is Christian too. It's amazing just how quickly that some become rather condescending when the religion is anything else. I guess they're afraid that something might rub off from any of the Hindu worshippers. Or that their congregation might become Hindu overnight for some reason. As for competition-- well for a few Christians that's always been the name of the game. To win followers-- not friends.
Traffic Concerns? Yeah, Right. Jan 31st. at 5:36:44 pm EST
Kyra (Jordan, Minnesota) - Email Me
I think their only traffic concern is that the traffic is going to a non-Christian house of worship.
The whole traffic argument is a load of crap. Around where I live there are plenty of T-bone intersections onto fifty-five mile per hour streets, many of which carry a good amount of traffic on both roads. It isn't a problem so long as you have good visibility. AND the city in question here has plans to build an island where the intersection would be, which would be completed when the temple is completed. The city has no complaint worth denying these people a place to worship.
And that idiot who questioned the appropriateness of a Hindu temple and a Christian church next to each other really ought to hire a proctologist to find his head. It's not like they're competing with each other; no one's going to say, "Well, salvation is fifty cents a pound cheaper over at the Hindu temple so I'll do my shopping there from now on." Not like the Rainbow Foods (I keep expecting the Christian Right to complain that Rainbow is enforcing the gay lifestyle) that just popped up across the street from Cub Foods one town north of me. THAT's competition; this is diversity.
I noticed that it was a Christian pastor who suggested that he didn't want the Hindus near his church (unless, presumeably, they were coming into his church to be Saved) . So bigotry and segregation are Christian family values now? Way to love thy neighbor!
Sometimes I wonder if the people who approve these things ought not to do it blind, i.e. submit the proposal calling it a "house of worship, " so they can't tell if it's going to be a Christian church, a Hindu temple, or what.
I've spent the last few years watching new churches sprout up like daisies all over the place, with impressive (and expensive) architecture and sitting on acres and acres of tax-exempt land. A Hindu temple would make for a nice change of pace.
Par For The Course Jan 31st. at 1:53:43 pm EST
stalkingwolf (Cornville, Arizona) - Email Me
for this town. I grew up in that area. about 30 miles away actually . this towns major claim to fame
used to be the Roy Rogers Museum, The Roy Rogers
Apple Valley Inn , and the fact that Roy Rogers lived
there.
over 20 years ago as i recall Roy dumped his interest in the Inn ( it is now a resident facility or was
last time i was through there) , Moved his Museum
as far on the other side of Victorville as possible (land availability im sure) , removed the AV name from everything includind the tire cover on his parade car.
Rumor for many years was that Roy had lost a sizeable chunk of money in a deal which the city was involved. I never heard one way or the other, but then
I moved out of the area also.
This sounds so Apple Valley
The Sonlife Community Church sent a letter to the Planning Commission signed by Pastor Mark Allen Mikels asking that it deny the request to build the Hindu temple nearby, mostly based on traffic concerns.
The letter also noted that, "Certainly some of the commission will have other concerns with other aspects of this project ... such as the appropriateness of the proposed structure itself for the neighborhood or the appropriateness of placing a Hindu temple immediately adjacent to a Christian church."
its not just "in My back yard." its not in my town
or anywhere around me.
Secret Code Jan 31st. at 12:42:38 pm EST
Aramor Silvanus (Lubbock, Texas) - Email Me
"Other concerns" sounds like a code that's used to say, "We don't want any Godless people next to our church."
And whatever happened to the "Establishment of Religion" clause in the United States Constitution?
Gnothi Seauton,
AS
NIMBY Is Hard To Overcome Jan 31st. at 9:25:54 am EST
Archer Jadephoenix (Trenton, New Jersey) - Email Me
Not In My BackYard is one of the hardest things to overcome. It takes money, political influence, and a will of steel to do something that the locals don't approve of. But I've noticed that many times (if not the majority of times) the change is actually for the better, and helps the community - even those that are directly affected.
For example - A HUGE Wal-Mart/ShopRite strip mall complex was proposed in my area along a very busy route. The locals protested - the last strip mall like that put in anywhere near them had caused traffic bottlenecks, jams, etc. It generated more traffic than the roads could handle, and to this very day is a pain in the royal patook to navigate through, despite the great stores within.
People were screaming NIMBY at the top of their lungs.
But the people who had proposed the strip mall continued anyhow, as the farmland they were building on had been unused/abandoned for nearly twenty years - it was just a barren field with a few shrubs that had barely managed to grow in the area. The mall was built within a handful of months....
And is now the best shopping center to go to. It has clothing/retail shops. It has craft shops and restaurants and shoe stores and pet stores and an icecream shop, a hairdresser, a grocery store (huge!) and a liquor store all within a quarter of a mile from each other. You can get EVERYTHING you want in that complex.
As for the traffic? It hasn't be hindered in the least. Good traffic patterns were put into place, along with efficient lights and ramps to keep the flow continuing. There has never ONCE been a jam there as long as I've been going to it, even when they were holding major blow-out sales in some of the stores.
I honestly hope it puts the other strip-mall out of business. This one has been designed wonderfully, and has given jobs back to our still-struggling economy.
Granted, a strip mall is not a place of worship. Still, these NIMBY shouting people need to think about the good of their community, rather than themselves for a change. If the Christian church can exist without causing a major traffic concern, then the Hindu Temple shouldn't cause any more of a problem.
Instead of looking at this new project as a threat, the pastor of Sonlife Community Church needs to think of this as an opportunity to bridge the gaps between religions and "make friends".... not that I think he actually will.
But this is his chance.
*Shakes Head* Jan 31st. at 12:42:09 am EST
SLiver of Jade (Eugene, Oregon) - Email Me - Web
"I just wish it was in another location."
Such as "not in my backyard?"
"Not In My Backyard" ? Jan 30th. at 10:26:47 pm EST
Youngermoon (Columbia, Texas) - Email Me
These two quotes are, I think quite revealing:
"I am not against it in any way. I know people need places to worship and this is something that is sorely needed by the Indian population, " said Planning Commissioner Peter Allan, who voted against the temple. "I just wish it was in another location."
The letter also noted that, "Certainly some of the commission will have other concerns with other aspects of this project ... such as the appropriateness of the proposed structure itself for the neighborhood or the appropriateness of placing a Hindu temple immediately adjacent to a Christian church."
I get the impression that some of the people in the community are all in favor of diversity as long as it is not in their back yard. Also, you wouldn't want an alternative religion's temple sitting there in plain sight of the church...bored parishioners might be tempted to wander down the street...
When you are in the business of absolute truth, diversity of opinion, or relativism, are a threat to your authority...
I Wonder? Jan 30th. at 8:26:53 pm EST
Ghostcatbce (Calgary, Alberta) - Email Me
At first I accepted completely the traffic problems were why they didn't want the temple built where it's planned. But that little note about there being "other concerns" makes me wonder if traffic is the only reason why the temple plans were rejected.
http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/News/2002...t_Page/001.html
Panel says Hindu temple
not their plan to decide
Applicant has 45 days
to decide what action,
if any, to pursue
By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer
The Marlboro Planning Board has determined that it is not the proper municipal body to hear plans for a Hindu temple on Route 79 and Orchard Parkway.
In comments made at a June 5 meeting, board members said the 3.4-acre property was not adequate for the building design. However, the board did not technically vote to reject the plan. Instead, a vote to end the proceedings was taken and approved.
In a third public hearing on the application, about 100 area residents crowded the main meeting room at Town Hall as they waited for a decision on the proposed Jalaram Seva Samaj Temple. Two police officers stood by in the chambers, although the meeting went on without incident.
At the first public hearing on the plan, held March 6, about 20 neighborhood residents attended, some of whom voiced complaints about traffic, parking and aesthetic problems they said could result from the construction of the temple. By the time of the April 17 continuation, that number of people had increased several times.
Area resident Arthur Haase used a series of visual aids and self-conducted studies at the April hearing to cover a gamut of complaints about the building: too tall; too much potential traffic; too large for the lot. Haase also addressed environmental concerns and the buildingâs impact on the neighborhoodâs character.
But in the end, it was the buffer zone issue which most determined the boardâs decision. Although the applicant made several changes to its site plan in order to address the concerns of residents, the buffer zone around the temple, expanded from 25 to 35 feet, was still viewed as too thin.
On a motion from board member Stanley Young, the board voted 6-1 to end the proceedings. The boardâs vote meant it did not have a right to decide the issue, which was more appropriate for a use variance, according to Board Attorney Dennis Collins. The applicant now has 45 days to challenge the ruling in court or apply for approval of the project before the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
One of the applicantâs representatives, attorney Bill Mehr of Freehold, said he was totally surprised with the boardâs decision. Mehr would not speculate on whether the ruling would be challenged.
Mayor Matthew Scannapieco, who sits on the board, first raised the possibility that the application would be more appropriate for the zoning board.
After some exchanges between the applicantâs representatives, the board members and their professional advisers, Chairman Mario Giudice said, "The piece of property is just not big enough for this building." After a burst of applause from the crowd the chairman warned the audience members they would be ejected if such outbursts recurred.
After the hearing, Giudice said public pressure had no bearing on the boardâs decision.
The one dissenting vote came from Robert Haefeli, who said the definitions of boundaries were ambiguous, and the changes the applicants made to their plans should be considered. In addition to the buffer changes, the new plans called for reducing the domeâs height, adding a fence along the boundary and moving the building further from nearby homes.
After the meeting, residents said they were pleased with the decision.
"As was stated, this structure was much too large for this neighborhood," said Orchard Parkway resident Richard Wysocki, who attended the hearing with five family members. "I feel it is only the first round. Iâm afraid itâs not over."
http://www.nerve.in/news:25350012081
Row over Hindu complex in New Jersey
Tuesday, 15 August 2006 | http://www.nerve.in/news:25350012081 | channel: Americas
"It followed this up by recently clinching a zoning clearance for a temple in Paripanny, Morris County, also in New Jersey, in the face of heated opposition from local people concerned about traffic flow, parking spaces and the smell of Indian food."
New York, Aug 15 - Plans by a Hindu group to set up a $142 million religious and cultural centre in New Jersey have run into rough weather with local residents calling for a scaling down in size of the project.
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a non-profit Indian organisation, is planning to construct 17 buildings and a monument on 20 acres of land near East Windsor, Mercer County.
The proposed complex will include a 71-foot-tall house of worship, an assembly hall, a yoga and meditation centre, a visitor's centre, a lavish garden, food court, restaurant, library, research centres and a 120-foot-tall monument.
But local residents say the complex would only create traffic problems, according to the local Trenton Times website. They have also objected to the height of the structures.
Scott Pohl, president of the Twin Rivers Homeowners Association, a community of about 10,000 residents, said the respective sizes of the buildings don't meet the township's ordinances.
'I would be a lot happier if they were lower,' he was quoted as saying.
Some people have also alleged that East Windsor mayor Janice Mironov has been secretly negotiating with the religious organisation, a suggestion she has denied.
Pohl told the Times that Mironov approached him about the plans a year ago when they only included a monument and a garden.
But now, he said, he believes the mayor has been secretly negotiating with BAPS since the plans have drastically changed to include 17 buildings.
Liz Thomas, a spokeswoman for BAPS, said it was too early to decide if the height of the buildings would be reduced.
The mayor said BAPS did approach the township a year ago but that she had not taken a position on the matter and instructed the group to hold a public meeting before filing its official plans.
'Because it is such a significant and unique proposal, I strongly urged them to hold a public meeting,' Mironov told the Times. 'If I had taken a position on it I would have just told them to file their plans.'
Another local resident, an Indian American, said the complex would bring cultural diversity to the area.
Indian Americans comprise six percent of East Windsor's population of around 25,000.
Controversies, according to the Times report, is nothing new to BAPS. In 2000, the organisation converted a nightclub into a house of worship in North Bergen, Hudson County, New Jersey, after a prolonged court tussle.
It followed this up by recently clinching a zoning clearance for a temple in Paripanny, Morris County, also in New Jersey, in the face of heated opposition from local people concerned about traffic flow, parking spaces and the smell of Indian food.
With one million members across the world, BAPS bases its roots in the Vedas. Its ideals were first revealed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the late 18th century, according to its website. It was established in 1907.
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/aug/20/news/cl-7354
Test of Faith
By Margaret Ramirez
August 20, 2000 in print edition E-1
Note This article includes corrections to the original version.
A pungent stick of incense burns in the living room as the sun sets over this La Palma home. Dinner is almost ready as Rakesh Patel prepares for arti. The Long Beach pharmacist lights the divo flames on the little lamp and passes it to his 7-year-old daughter, Shatabdi.
With her little hands, she takes the lamp, steps before the familyâs home shrine and begins waving the flames. She chants loudly and sweetly to Lord Swaminarayan.
âJay Sadguru Swami Prabhu Jay Sadguru Swami Sahajanand Dayalu⦠.â
Her 13-year-old brother, Yogi, rings a bell to the rhythm. Her mother, Jayshri, runs in from the kitchen when she sees they have started arti without her. Soon, the family is chanting, clapping, smoke swirling above their heads, eyes closed, immersed in prayer.
For devotees of the Swaminarayan religion, arti is one of the rituals that shape daily life. Behind closed doors, thousands of followers of this Hindu faith live and breathe Swaminarayan. Their faith saturates almost every aspect of their livesâfrom the golden U and vermilion dot known as tilak and chandlo that men apply to their foreheads during morning puja to the flames and devotional songs chanted before dinner.
Here in Southern California, where sin and temptation pervade so many aspects of life, droves of Indian immigrants are embracing the puritanical lifestyle mandated by the Swaminarayan faith as a way of preserving culture and protecting their children from what they perceive to be the evils of Western society.
Every weekend, their immense devotion is on display as hundreds converge on the temple in Whittier. After resting shoes in the shelves at the entrance, they pad into a cavernous hall. The worn carpet becomes hidden under the bare feet of worshipers lost in prayer in this holy place. The temple, or mandir, is filled with hundreds of women wrapped in silk saris cooking samosas in the kitchen, teenagers learning Gujarati and Sanskrit in the bungalows, and the beat of the tabla drum coming from the back room.
Fueled by immigration and a fear of losing touch with Indian culture, the Swaminarayans have emerged as one of the fastest-growing and dynamic Hindu sects in the U.S.
Central to the faith is intense devotion to a spiritual leader and guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a 78-year-old man believed to be the manifestation of God on Earth. Under his guidance, monumental temples are rising in Houston, San Antonio, Toronto and Miami, as Swaminarayans put their mark on the religious landscape of America. The newest mandir, a $15-million project in Chicago, will be dedicated by Pramukh Swami in October.
Locally, however, the sect has faced opposition and misunderstanding. Searching for a place to build a $50-million temple complex of Bulgarian marble, the group believed it had discovered the perfect 5 1/2-acre site, on Beach Boulevard in Buena Park. But to the groupâs shock, the plan was rejected last year by local officials, who refused to change zoning. At the public meeting last November, one Buena Park resident criticized the temple as âout of character with our city.â
But City Council member Jack Mauller says the issue came down to money. âThat piece of land is a prime location in the city for a shopping center or hotel. Those are all tax-based businesses,â says Mauller. (Though Swaminarayans proposed building a hotel as part of the project, city officials say their religious restrictions would discourage tourists.)
âA lot of things were said by residents, and Iâm not proud of some of the things they said,â says Mauller. âBut it was decided that project was not correct for the location. Itâs the right of the community to decide what they want and where they want it.â
Swaminarayans were stumped. Were they victims of racism? Religious discrimination? Cultural misunderstanding?
Bharatsingh Zala, president of the temple, maintains that the city acted âout of ignorance and prejudice. We were not given an opportunity to explain the project or ourselves. If they really understood what we brought to the community, they would have welcomed us.â
Just when their hopes for the new temple were dimmest, Swaminarayans received news that lifted their spirits.
He is coming! Swami is coming to Los Angeles!
And when he arrivesâtentatively on Sept. 7âblessings will come, that much they are certain of. Many hope that his visit will work a miracle . . . and that somehow their temple will rise among the strip malls of Orange County.
Contradictions of the Faith
To some, the Swaminarayan way might seem contradictory. Extensive community outreach is coupled with the groupâs isolation from âwaywardâ Western society. Followers use multimedia displays and the Internet extensively to uphold ancient Hindu philosophy. The swami and his disciples embrace a life of poverty while followers are praised for wealth and financial success.
On the street, Swaminarayans fade into the immigrant fabric of their new land. Their most cherished traitâpurity withinâcannot be seen: Purity of body means a strict vegetarian diet prohibiting even onions and garlic, believed to stimulate impulses toward anger and sex. Purity of mind means no television, drugs or alcoholâwicked poisons in the home. Purity in relations means no dating before marriage and the separation of men and women during worship.
Indian immigrants, such as Indu Mehta, adopted this discipline as a way of instilling moral values in their children. âReligion has given me peace of mind,â says Mehta, the 50-year-old mother of two girls and head of the temple womenâs wing. âOur friends say we no longer enjoy life. They just donât know the amount of happiness and peace that comes from this temple.â
Leela Dhanak, a convert from Madras, echoed Mehta. âIf I was not in the faith, I would probably be sitting in a bar, drinking beer, watching TV, wasting my life,â she says. âInstead, I have learned to control my desires through my guru. He gives me food for the soul.â
Many college-age members of the faith have to contend with the criticism of peers, who mock their conservative culture and beliefs. Darshika Vaghashia, a UC San Diego student whose friends call her âPinki,â says the barbs come not from Americans, but from other Indians.
âThere have been Westernized Indians who have commented on my clothes and told me I donât need to do that anymore because Iâm in America,â she says. âThese are Indians who think watching Hindu films is culture, and then they look at me and say Iâm old-fashioned, and Iâm just like, âGet a life!â â
By Indian standards, the Swaminarayan faith is fairly new, 219 years old compared with the origins of Hinduism, which date back to 1000 BC. The sectâs founder, Lord Swaminarayan, was born in 1781 in the village of Chhapaiya in north India. At 11, he renounced his home and embarked on a seven-year pilgrimage on foot across India until he settled in Gujarat, on the west coast. There, he became known as a social reformer and established the faith.
The mantle of Lord Swaminarayan was then bestowed upon a succession of leaders. In 1907, a faction known by the acronym BAPS splintered from the sect, and it is this group that the Whittier Swaminarayans are part of. Their current spiritual leader was anointed in 1971. Under his leadership, the breakaway BAPS group has grown so fast that an entry in next yearâs Guinness Book of World Records will recognize the swami for consecrating 355 temples in 11 countries during his tenure.
Today, the sect counts more than a million members worldwide, including 25,000 in the U.S. and Canada. The largest Swaminarayan temple in the country, in Edison, N.J., serves as U.S. headquarters for the group. In Whittier, anywhere from 600 to 800 members attend temple each Sunday; lavish monthly festivals draw up to 3,000.
Foreigners to Followers
The groupâs establishment in this country can be traced to passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which gave preference to skilled foreigners. Thousands of well-educated professional Indiansâmainly from the Gujarati regionâemigrated, seeking jobs in medicine, computer science and business. The Swaminarayans who settled in Southern California soon began holding gatherings in devoteesâ homes. By 1982, the congregation had outgrown living room space and purchased a building for $340,000 on Pellissier Road in Whittier, where it remains today.
The temple is uninspiring, a warehouse-style building in the middle of a suburban tract. Inside, however, the aura of Swaminarayan permeates the senses. Dressed in crisp whites, the temple priest, Rajandran Trivedi, tends to the marble images of Radha, Krishna, Hanuman and Ganesha. In the corner, a life-size statue of Lord Swaminarayan sits resplendent on a throne.
Here, too, are the sadhus, or saints. Unlike Christian saints, these are ascetics in unstitched saffron robes who have renounced their families to devote their lives to Swaminarayan. Among the vows taken are poverty and absolute celibacy, which forbids them from touching, talking or even looking at women (although women are allowed to hear their lectures). The Whittier temple has two saints assigned to teaching and counseling followers. One, Kevalyamurti Swami, born and raised in Dallas, is the sectâs first U.S.-born saint.
In the middle of the wide carpeted space is a low divider separating the sexes. Upon entering, men prostrate themselves before the deities, lying on their stomach with arms outstretched, in total surrender to God.
Although women make up 60% of the movement, Swaminarayans require the separation of sexes during worship. Women are barred from holding leadership positions and may not speak to the saints or the swami. Nor may they enter the temple during menstruation. Because such rules are not common among other Hindu sects, the religion has been criticized by some as sexist.
Swaminarayan women see things differently. Jyotsna Shah, a volunteer teacher at the temple, points to Lord Swaminarayan, who helped elevate womenâs status. During his life, he worked to eradicate the practice of sati, immolation of widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. He also spoke out against female infanticide in which newborn baby girls were drowned in a pot of milk.
Says Indu Mehta: âOur guru is making sure we donât suffer unwanted advances of men. Look at what happened to Jimmy Swaggart. Thatâs what happens when you put men and women together.â
One early Sunday morning, groups of women had already arrived at the temple to begin preparing food for the more than 600 devotees who would come for prayer, religion classes and dinner. Families begin filtering into the temple by 3 p.m. when the place really starts to cook. Jyotsna Shah, a certified public accountant and teacher at the temple, drove from Encino with her 9-year-old son, Neil. Entering a classroom, she floated in as if walking on air, her long, lime green scarf waving behind her in the breeze.
âJai Swaminarayan,â she greeted the ladies with a big smile.
Like many of the members, Shah devotes almost all her free time volunteering for the temple. In each Swaminarayan community, there is a highly organized volunteer corps responsible for upkeep of the temple and the ambitious community projects.
During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Swaminarayans helped clean the city and set up free medical camps for the injured. After the Northridge earthquake in 1994, temple members distributed food, water and diapers. With doctors from the congregation, the temple regularly organizes health fairs and blood drives. Plans for their future temple include a free medical clinic that would be open to the public.
âThe more I volunteer,â Shah explains, âthe more blessings I receive.â
Discovering a âGuiding Lightâ
The day begins with puja, the Hindu prayer ritual.
Anoop Gandecha, a 37-year-old videographer, rises from bed in his Chino Hills apartment about 7. He sits before his home shrine for about 15 minutes, reading from Scriptures and chanting âSwaminarayan, Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan.â âYou feel like you have a guiding light with you all day,â he says.
Gandecha had been a Swaminarayan devotee in his native Kenya. His wife, Hazmita, also from Kenya, adopted the religion after they married in 1986. Four years later after winning the âimmigrant lottery,â they moved to the U.S. with their newborn son, Bhauik. In Los Angeles, they became concerned that Bhauik would grow up knowing little about his Indian identity.
âIf you ask us how we found the temple, I guess you could say our son led us there,â says Anoop Gandecha. âYou can see why parents go there. Theyâre looking for an outlet for their kids, a safe haven, a sanctuary.â
Like most immigrants, Indians struggle to transmit language, religion and culture to children who are eager to assimilate. But where other groups may be losing the battle against Westernization, this one has wrapped its children in a Swaminarayan cocoon. And it keeps them there by making some concessions: At the Whittier temple, prayers, songs and rituals are conducted in Gujarati, but discussions by teenagers are in English. And many of the new American temples have added sports centers, especially basketball courts, to their plans to satisfy American youth culture.
Hazmita explains delicately that educating her son on morality is difficult in a youth culture defined by bellybuttons and Britney Spears. âIâm not criticizing any religion or culture,â she says. âWe just felt the temple would be the best place for our son to learn those things.â
The strict teachings of the faith are the main reason the religion is growing so quickly, says Raymond B. Williams, a professor of religion at Wabash College in Indiana, who has been studying the Swaminarayans for the past 20 years.
âIn coming to the United States, they often wonder whether theyâve gained the whole world, and lost their children,â says Williams, author of the upcoming book, âAn Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduismâ (Cambridge University Press).
From the time Indian children take their first steps, they are fed religious teachings. Some come to believe that without the temple they would have become drunks or drug addicts âwith other American kids,â in the words of one high school student.
Many of the younger boys idolize the saints at the temple. Several, like 10-year-old Bhauik, say they want to become saints when they grow up.
What about leaving his family forever?
Bhauik hesitates, looks at his mother and is suddenly torn.
âYeah, that would be hard.â
Young men wishing to become saints need written permission from parents before the swami initiates them. Asked if they could give up their son, Hazmita and Anoop say they have not yet discussed that.
âOf course, we would be pleased if he became a saint,â says Anoop, beaming with pride.
Hazmita quickly adds: âAnd if he got married. That would be fine, too. Whatever he decides. Weâre not going to pressure him.â
The Power of the Swami
Among his devotees, the swami has many nicknamesâSwamishri, or even more affectionately, Swamibapaâand his image is everywhere.
At Rakesh Patelâs La Palma home, a life-size framed photo of the swami stands beside the familyâs home shrine. In the kitchen, small magnets of his face dot the refrigerator.
âWhen you see him, thereâs a strong feeling inside your whole body,â says Roma Patel, who met him in Whittier in 1990. âIt makes you feel peaceful and puts your life in perspective.
A grandfatherly man, the swamiâs saffron robe covers a chubby belly. He has no home and travels widely despite bypass surgery in 1998. His movements are tracked and monitored closely at http://www.swaminarayan.org. Today, for example, he is scheduled to leave Washington, D.C., for Philadelphia.
So great is their anticipation of his visit that followers here have spent hours writing his name on tiny grains of puffed rice. Writing and writing, on millions of little grains, until there is enough rice to be strung around Swamiâs neck for an incredible welcome garland.
In addition to a temple, plans for the Swaminarayanâs 100,000-square-foot complex call for an assembly hall, sports facilities, a school and health clinicâand would be the most lavish in the country.
For many Swaminarayans, gaining approval from Buena Park would symbolize success and acceptance in their adopted land.
Temple spokesman Rakesh Patel, who attended the public meeting when the project was rejected, says the group did not realize that the issue would be decided that night and felt ambushed. City officials say no vote was taken at the meeting; the council simply decided not to consider zoning changes that would allow a religious building on the site.
âIt made us all angry,â says Patel. âI wanted to file a discrimination suit with the ACLU, but our guru said no. We are supposed to be peaceful.â
Until Swami says otherwise, they plan to keep fighting for the Buena Park site, hoping the city will come to understand them better.
Pinki Vaghashia, meanwhile, prays that when Swamibapa comes on Sept. 7, there will be a miracle. âI feel like weâve disappointed him by not getting Buena Park. But I keep thinking his coming might bring something good.â
http://www.hvk.org/articles/0606/101.html
TM centre faces opposition in Kansas
Author: Arthur J Pais in New York
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: June 9, 2006
URL: http://ia.rediff.com/news/2006/jun/09ajp...&file=.htm
The farming town of Smith Center in Kansas, which calls itself the Heart of the Nation, Still Beating Fast, can certainly do with extra cash flow.
One of the poorer towns in America, this mostly meat and potato town with an almost all-white population, has a household income of $15,000.
Though it attracts a few thousand tourists, it certainly does not seek controversial publicity. But it has been getting plenty of that with a group of pastors led by a Lutheran, John Hubbard, opposing (in vain, some could say) the construction of over a dozen peace palaces for Transcendental Meditation.
Hubbard has accused the movement of lying, hiding its Hindu roots, and said doing so is a violation of good neighbourly policy.
The TM leaders involved in various projects connected to TM and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi believe that the spiritual complex would eventually cost over $100 million.
The construction of some 20, two-story peace palaces within the next year could cost about $30 million. They also sound hopeful that hundreds of jobs would be created on a long-term basis, and the work on the projects will be carried out without any legal hassles.
Unlike in many towns where the opponents of a Hindu temple or a mosque have used zoning laws to prevent them opening, Smith Center seems to have no such devices.
The opponents also do not like the idea of TM practitioners and men and women, allied to the peace movement started by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, wanting to set up their World Capital of Peace there.
But many of Smith Center's farming citizens and pastors would tell you that this is not a racial issue. For, except for the Maharishi, the only people who have been there on TM missions are whites, and they are mostly American.
Many of the struggling farmers could also be a bit envious that suddenly (at least to their eyes) a group of outsiders have turned up to buy 1,100 acres of land for organic farming and peace palaces.
But more than anything else, the Rev Hubbard would say it is the question of transparency.
Hubbard, who led an opposing effort soon after the March 28 bhoomi pooja for the peace complex and published a letter in a local newspaper questioning TM movement, does not believe it is not religious.
He does not buy the argument that people of any faith can practice TM and still remain in their original faith. TM is like yoga, he says, and asserts like many Christians across America, especially those who oppose its practice in public schools, that its umbilical code connects it to Hinduism.
The fact that many eminent Americans ranging from the internationally renowned baby-doc Benjamin Spock (author of the phenomenally influential and successful book, Baby and Child Care) and the fiercely independent Hollywood director David Lynch (Lost Highway) have praised TM won't impress the citizens of Smith Center.
Lynch announced last year a $7 billion effort to teach TM across American schools, especially in the inner city schools where drug consumption and violence are rampant.
Lynch, who too grew up in Midwest America, believes that raising money for the project would be easier than raising finance for his own films. The estimated six million TM practitioners -- including Lynch, his partner and three children -- will chip in, and the $7 billion will go towards forming 'peace-creating super groups of 8,000 meditators each' across the globe, he says.
None of this seem to impress the Smith Center people.
The heart of the controversy in the town centres on the question whether the TM advocates and the leaders of the several projects that would be coming up soon in the town can speak in plain language, Hubbard and fellow objectors say.
In their letter, the pastors announced: "They (the Maharishi people) are welcome, but they must understand we are competing for the eternal souls of people."
For TM followers or people of other faiths, even liberal Christians, this would certainly sound like bigotry.
"But I hope all this will pass soon," says Kent Boyum, the group's director of government affairs, adding, "the protests are surely a product of misunderstanding as to who we are, what we are and what we really want to do."
He says Smith Center was chosen as a location for the new projects because it is the geographic centre of contiguous US states.
To a certain extent, he can understand the mistrust. "We have no history in Kansas," he adds. On the other hand, people who are opposing the TM centre in their midst should look at Maharishi institutions in Fairfield, Iowa, and how the TM people have lived harmoniously with their neighbours over the last 25 years.
They also point out to Maharishi University of Management that replaced a bankrupt college and slowly became a respected university in Iowa.
Boyum believes that people across Kansas have shown "enormous" interest in TM and its quieting influence on the mind, and time would bring the protestors on the side of TM. "We will be able to live with each other," he says.
But he also acknowledges that while many TM leaders, including himself, have spoken to many people in the town who have an open mind about the project, they have yet to meet with Hubbard.
Hubbard told reporters last weekend: "The thing that bothers us is what we perceive to be their blatant dishonesty about who they are."
To say TM is not religion is "baloney", he thundered. "The bottom line is, dishonest neighbours aren't good neighbours."
Boyum says a TM meditator called Laurie Edwards had sought to meet with a dozen women in Smith Center over two months ago to discuss TM and allay any misgivings they had.
Suddenly, Edwards heard that over 100 people including the pastors wanted to meet her and she felt uncomfortable, fearing there was some hostility in the air.
The meeting did not take place, but she individually visited several churches after the Sunday service and tried to engage people in discussions, according to Boyum.
Boyum says the town's mayor Randy Archer has been very understanding. Last week Archer acknowledged that the group's move has caused a lot of tension, especially among the older people, but he wasn't really alarmed.
Nevertheless, he understands the anxiety around him. "They came in and, boom, here we are," he was quoted in the media this week.
"People thought they were sneaking in. But you just can't sneak in when you have been planning this for over a year and visiting the town quite often," Boyum says.
Boyum wishes the opponents could travel to the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield and the surrounding Maharishi community and see how over a period of three decades, the TM people have been well connected with their rural neighbours.
He adds that amidst the mild tension accruing from the protests, he and fellow meditators were glad to hear from a former Fairfield resident, who is an Episcopalian minister, asking her neighbours in Smith Center not to devalue their own faith.
The Rev Sharon Patton of the First Christian Church had recalled last week how some people in Iowa were worried when the Maharishi's people bought a bankrupt college and turned it into one of the better known schools in the region.
In the past two and half decades since the school became fully operational, any fears people had about the TM group turning arrogant like the Acharya Rajneesh followers in Oregon and turning the movement into a cult have firmly disappeared.
"Those who are secure in their faith aren't worried about these people coming," she was quoted as saying in the local media. "We are going through the same thing as the folks in Fairfield and that passed. In time, it will die out," she added.
And that is the hope of Boyum and his peers.
"TM is meant to bring down tension and create a better world, that is organic and interconnected," he says. "Naturally, we do not want any conflict. And I feel most people in the town do not want a conflict, either," he adds.
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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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."
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