Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Australia

Hindu Council of Australia, Homebush, Australia

Address:

The Hindu Council of Australia
17 The Crescent, Homebush NSW 2140
Phone Number: (02) 82504007
Fax : (02)82089810

The Hindu Council of Australia was set up as an umbrella organisation for the purpose of bringing together various Hindu Associations for having a unified voice for all Australian Hindus, living in the multicultural community of Australia, irrespective of their caste or country of origin.

The Hindu Council aims to have the responsibility to act as the representative of the Australian Hindu community in dealings with the federal, state and local governments, as well as other organisations and institutions.

The Hindu Council will act to assist and promote the activities of its member organisations, but it does not exercise control over the internal matters of any of its member organisations.

Objectives

The Hindu Council of Australia Ltd. (HCA) is an umbrella organisation representing the interest of all Hindus living in Australia, irrespective of their caste or country of origin.

The following are some of the objectives of HCA:

1. To articulate issues that concern Hindus at the local, state and national levels in Australia.

2. To negotiate with the government at all levels or other organisations/associations in matters related to Hindu culture and religion.

3. To organise functions, festivals etc promoting Hindu culture and religion to foster cooperation among participating organisations.

4. To act as a non-political, non-sectarian, non-profit organisation to promote legitimate social, cultural, educational and religious needs of Hindus in Australia.

5. To support the establishment of any charitable institution for the benefit of Hindus and the overall community.

6. To function as an information source for schools, general community concerning Hindu philosophy, culture and religion.

7. To print and publish books, leaflets etc to promote the activities of the Hindu Council.

8. To arrange seminars, conventions, conferences etc to promote better understanding of Hindu culture and religion.

9. To help members of the Hindu community against inappropriate or unjustifiable treatment in matters of issuance of visas for priests, dignitaries and speakers for conferences etc.

10. Represent the Hindu community at official functions such as the opening of parliament and Australia Day celebrations.

11. Assist in dealing with the media, written and visual, in regard to possible problems such as the publication or broadcasting of material offensive to the Hindu community.

12. To present a unified Hindu viewpoint on various current social issues relevant to the Australian multicultural society at conferences and in submissions to government institutions.

13. To organise conferences, symposia etc nationally and overseas and to represent such meetings on behalf of local associations.

14. To publicise the existence of the council by advising the media, local councils and state and federal governments.

Why we need Hindu Council of Australia?

A central organisation is needed to represent all Hindu associations, temples, missions and other interested groups in dealing with federal, state and local governments. This will provide all associations greater strength and enable effective action in all matters relating to any unjustifiable or inappropriate treatment by the authorities.

There are a large number of Hindu/Indian associations or societies in Australia, eg in NSW itself there are more than 150 such associations having membership from as few as 5-10 to 200-300. It makes it very difficult to get recognition from the Government, both Federal and State and other external bodies. An umbrella organisation like the Hindu Council of Australia can represent the collective interests of all Hindus living in Australia.

All other religious groups have such Councils to represent their religious groups’ interests.

Similar councils have been established and operating effectively in the U.K. and elsewhere.

Operation

The Council will not interfere in the internal affairs of member associations.

1. Each Australian State will have a sub-branch of the Council. One or two delegates from each State shall be nominated by the local associations to represent the State.

2. The central body will coordinate the activities of all its State branches, which will be represented in the overall national body. The national body will directly interact with the Federal government departments and officials.

Memberships

The Hindu Council membership is open only to registered, non-political and democratically constituted Hindu Organisations. Full membership is not open to individuals. The major field or activity or function of the member organisation should be spiritual, cultural or religious and predominantly related to the Sanatan Dharma – the eternal sustaining values of life including Vedic philosophy, doctrines of Karma and re-incarnation.

There are two types of Memberships:

Organisation Member – is an approved organisation, which has been admitted to the membership of the Hindu Council and is represented by one or two duly authorised persons having one vote only for each organisation. Ordinary member shall have full rights and privileges attaching to the membership of the Council, including the right to have representative to attend and vote at meetings, to have representatives become a member of the national executive committee, State Branch executive committee and other committees or subcommittees, provided the ordinary member is a financial member.

Ordinary Member - is an individual person who has been admitted to membership of the Council for a period of two years and who has the spiritual, religious or educational background, which the Directors of the Council believe will benefit the objects of the Council. Honorary member will be admitted without a fee. The Honorary member will be entitled to all privileges of membership of the Council, including rights to attend all meetings but will not be entitled to vote at such meetings and neither will they be entitled to become a member of the national executive or the State branch executive committee

Membership Forms:

Ordinary Membership
Organisation Membership

Member Organisations:

All World Gayatri Pariwar
Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Austratalia
BAPS Pty Ltd (Shree Swaminarayan Mandir)
Bhraham Vidhya, Stanwell Park, NSW
Brahama Kumari Yoga Centre,Ashfield, NSW
Hare Krishna Temple, North Sydney, NSW
Hindu Heritage Society
Indian Arts & Cultural Association of Australia
Sewa International (Aust) Inc
Shri Shiva Mandir
Shree Swaminarayan Temple Sydney (Under Nar Narayan Dev Bhuj Kutch)
Sri Om Foundation
Sri Venkateswara Temple Society
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Australia
Ramcharitmanas Institute
Veerashaiva Samaj
Nepalese Hindu Society
Association of Bhutanese Australia
Shri Swaminarayan Temple
Karphaga Vinayakar Temple
Australian Hindu Multicultural Association Inc
The Melbourne Vanayagar Hindu Sangam
Hindu Society of Victoria
Shiva School of Meditation
Hindu Ahlaya Sangam Queensland Inc, Middle Park, QLD
Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre
Hindu Society of South Australia
Hindu Society of Northern Territory, Wulagi, NT
Hindu Association of Western Australia (Inc), Winthrop, WA

Motion by the Hon. DAVID CLARKE agreed to:

1. That this House notes that:

(a) On 4 November 2012, a major all day celebration took place at Sydney Olympic Park Homebush to mark the occasion of the Festival of Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, a major event in the Hindu calendar,
(b) The celebration was attended by some 20,000 members of the public, especially members of Sydney’s Indian-Australian community, and was an outstanding success in highlighting the cultural heritage of Indian civilisation spanning thousands of years, and
(c) Parliamentary and local council dignitaries who attended and addressed the official opening comprised:
(d) Senator the Hon. Kate Lundy, Federal Minister for Multicultural Affairs, representing the Hon. Julia Gillard, MP, Prime Minister of Australia,
(e) Mr Craig Kelly, MP, Federal member for Hughes, representing the Hon. Tony Abbott, MP, Leader of the Federal Opposition,
(f) Hon. Victor Dominello, MP, Minister for Citizenship and Communities, representing the Hon. Barry O’Farrell, MP, Premier of New South Wales,
(g) Hon. John Robertson, MP, Leader of the New South Wales Opposition, and
(h) Councillor Ned Attire, Mayor of Auburn.
That this House:
(a) Congratulates the Hindu Council of Australia for its outstanding efforts in organising this major all-day celebration which has become a landmark event in Sydney, and
(b) Commends Professor Nihal Agar, Chairman of the Hindu Council of Australia, for the leadership he provides to New South Wales’ Hindu Community.

2. That this House:

(a) Congratulates the Hindu Council of Australia for its outstanding efforts in organising this major all-day celebration which has become a landmark event in Sydney, and
(b) Commends Professor Nihal Agar, Chairman of the Hindu Council of Australia, for the leadership he provides to New South Wales’ Hindu Community.

Australian Hindu Temples

ACT

Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre, Canberra

81 Ratcliffe Crescent (Cnr. Connah St.), Florey ACT 2615
Ph: 02 6259 3057
Email: htcctemple@yahoo.com.au
http://www.htcc.org.au/
Vishnu Siva Mandir, Canberra
82 Mawson Drive, Mawson, ACT 2607
Ph: Mandir priests (02) 6286 6404
Email: vishnusiva@hotmail.com
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/church/416/index.html
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple
1 Quick St., Ainslie ACT 2602
Ph: (02) 6262 6208
Email: adi-p@canberra.teknet.net.au

Canberra Saiva Temple
151 Beasley Street, Torrens A.C.T 2607
Ph: (02) 6286 8918

NSW

Sydney Murugan Temple

217 Great Western Hwy, Mays Hill, Sydney NSW 2145
Ph.: 02 9687 1695, Fax: 02 9687 8907
Email: winnerbal@hotmail.com
Web : http://www.tamilnet.net.au/sydmurugan/index.htm
Sri Mandir
286 Cumberland Road, Auburn, Sydney, NSW 2144
Ph: 02 9643 1919
Email: srimandr@easy.com.au
Web: http://www.easy.com.au/srimandr
Sri Venkateswara Temple
Temple Road, Helensburgh, NSW 2508
Phone:(02) 4294 3224
Email: svt@acay.com.au
Web : http://www.svtsydney.org
Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir
40, Eleanor Street, Rosehill , N.S.W. 2142
Ph: 02 9897 2776
Mukti-Gupteshwar Mandir Society
203 Eagleview Road, Minto NSW 2566
Ph: Mrs Rama Misra (02) 9820 3751; 0413 139 000
Email : info@muktigupteshwar.org
Web : www.muktigupteshwar.org
Shri Shiva Mandir Ltd
201 Eagleview Road, Minto NSW 2566
Ph: (2) 9820 1094
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple
180 Falcon Street, North Sydney NSW 2060
Ph: (02) 9959 4558
Email: sydney@com.bbt.se
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple
3296 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042
Ph: (02) 9550 6524
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple and Farm
New Govardhana, P.O. Box 687 Murwillumbah, NSW 2484
Ph: 066 795375
Email: stoka@nor.com.au
web : http://www.nor.com.au/users/stoka/index.html
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) New Gokula Farm
Lewis Lane (off Mt. View Rd, Millfield, near Cessnock
P.O. Box 399, Cessnock, NSW 2325
Ph : (049) 981800
Shri Sanatan Dharam Mandir
24/7 Lyn Parade, Prestons, NSW 2170
Ph: 02 9646 3369
Sita Ram Mandir
47 Wattle Avenue, Carramar, NSW 2163
Ph: 02 9788 8261
Bhartiye Mandir
42 Kibo Road, Regents Park NSW 2143
Ph: 0412 243 430
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir (Kalupur)
1/44 Bessemer St., Blacktown NSW 2767
Ph: 02 96764480
Web : www.swaminarayansydney.org.au

VIC

Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple

52 Boundary Road Carrum Downs VIC 3201
Ph: 039872 0878
Fax: 03 9782 0001
Sri Vakratunda Vinayaka Temple
1292 – 1294, The Mountain Highway, The Basin, Vic 3154
Ph: 03 9793 1652
Melbourne Murugan Temple
17-19 Knight Ave., Sunshine VIC 3020
Ph: 03 9310 9026
Durga Temple ( Durga Bhajan Mandali)
Neales Road, Rockbank, Vic 3335
Ph : 0401 333 738 (Mobile for the Priest) & 03 9747 1628
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple
197 Danks Street, Middle Park Vic 3206
Ph: (03) 9699 5122
Hare Krishna New Nandagram Rural Community
Oak Hill, Dean’s Marsh Rd., Bambra VIC 3241
Ph : (052) 887383 Fax: (052) 887309

QLD

Hindu Mandir Association of Qld Inc.

1173 Mt Cotton Road, Burbank, QLD 4156
Postal address: P O Box 2211, Mansfield D C, Qld 4122
Ph: Surendra Pratap (07) 33908110 (Home)
Email :s.pratap@qut.edu.au
Vinayak Temple
Beau Desert Road, McLean QLD 4280
Sai Saileshwara Temple
1614 Sandgate Rd Virginia Qld 4014
Sri Sri Gaur Nitai – Hare Krishna Temple
95 Bank Rd, Graceville QLD 4075
Ph : (07) 3379 5455
Email: brisbane@com.bbt.se
http://www.iskcon.qld.edu.au/

Ganesh Temple

3A Dwyer Road, Oaklands Park, South Australia 5046

Hare Krishna Temple

227 Henley Beach Rd,Torrensville SA 5031

Ph : 08 8234 1378

Murugan Temple Adelaide

Hindu Temple

44 Patterson Street, Malak NT 0812

Organisation: Hindu Society of Northern Territory

Ph: S. Prathapan (08) 8927 0837 (home)

More details about the Hindu Temple in Darwin

WA

Perth Hindu Temple

Hindu Association of Western Australia Inc.
41 Warton Road, Canning Vale, WA 6155
Ph: 08 9455 2097
Email: emailus@hindu.org.au
http://www.Hindu.org.au/index.html
Sri Bala Murugan Temple
12 Mandogalup Road, Mandogalup WA
Ph: Temple priest 08 9437 9995
Email: leslie1973@hotmail.com
http://www.tamilnet.net.au/templepage/index.html
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
189, Hancock Street, Double View, Perth, WA 6018
Ph : 08 9246 0536
Fax: 08 9480 0318
Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple
144 Railway Parade (corner of The Strand), Bayswater WA 6053
Ph: 08 9370 1552 Fax 08 9272 6636
Email: perth@com.bbt.se
http://www.iskcon.net/perth/

Ecology and Hinduism

Ecology is the study of the relationship of living organisms with each other and their surroundings in nature. Nature maintains an ecological balance amongst all these ecological systems and human beings are part of that whole ecosystem. By over exploiting the nature’s abundant resources human beings have created an imbalance resulting in the current situation of climate change whereby nature is not able to generate the resources at the rate they are being consumed. This imbalance has created various problems of environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, water and food shortage etc.
Realising this as a moral and ethical issue, The Climate Institute (Australia) Ltd in 2006 invited various religious organisations in Australia to submit their views according to their faith on the problem of climate change facing the world community. Hindu Council of Australia made its submission on Hinduism’s view on climate change. The Climate Institute published that document entitled “Common Belief – Australia’s Faith Communities on Climate Change”.
This marked the beginning of the involvement of the Hindu Council of Australia in the Climate Change movement. Its representatives have attended various interfaith Conferences and forums on the subject and have made their contributions. Then on 2nd October 2008 (Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday) the Hindu Council of Australia together withARRCC (Australian Religious Response to Climate Change) Inc launched a campaign for observing “Meat-Free Day” to tackle the problems relating to climate change, global warming, cruelty to animals and human health. Since then Hindu Council is actively involved in addressing the climate change problem.

Hindu Declaration on Climate Change

Presented for Consideration to the Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders

Parliament of the World’s Religions, Melbourne, Australia, December 8, 2009

Earth, in which the seas, the rivers and many waters lie, from which arise foods and fields of grain, abode to all that

breathes and moves, may She confer on us Her finest yield.

(Bhumi Suktam, Atharva Veda xii.1.3)

The Hindu tradition understands that man is not separate from nature, that we are linked by spiritual,

psychological and physical bonds with the elements around us. Knowing that the Divine is present everywhere

and in all things, Hindus strive to do no harm. We hold a deep reverence for life and an awareness that the

great forces of nature—the earth, the water, the fire, the air and space—as well as all the various orders of

life, including plants and trees, forests and animals, are bound to each other within life’s cosmic web.

Our beloved Earth, so touchingly looked upon as the Universal Mother, has nurtured mankind through

millions of years of growth and evolution. Now centuries of rapacious exploitation of the planet have caught

up with us, and a radical change in our relationship with nature is no longer an option. It is a matter of survival.

We cannot continue to destroy nature without also destroying ourselves. The dire problems besetting

our world—war, disease, poverty and hunger—will all be magnified many fold by the predicted impacts of

climate change.

The nations of the world have yet to agree upon a plan to ameliorate man’s contribution to this complex

change. This is largely due to powerful forces in some nations which oppose any such attempt, challeng

ing the very concept that unnatural climate change is occurring. Hindus everywhere should work toward

an international consensus. Humanity’s very survival depends upon our capacity to make a major transi

tion of consciousness, equal in significance to earlier transitions from nomadic to agricultural, agricultural

to industrial and industrial to technological. We must transit to complementarity in place of competition,

convergence in place of conflict, holism in place of hedonism, optimization in place of maximization. We

must, in short, move rapidly toward a global consciousness that replaces the present fractured and fragmented

consciousness of the human race.

Mahatma Gandhi urged, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” If alive today, he would

call upon Hindus to set the example, to change our lifestyle, to simplify our needs and restrain our desires.

As one sixth of the human family, Hindus can have a tremendous impact. We can and should take the lead

in Earth-friendly living, personal frugality, lower power consumption, alternative energy, sustainable food

production and vegetarianism, as well as in evolving technologies that positively address our shared plight.

Hindus recognize that it may be too late to avert drastic climate change. Thus, in the spirit of vasudhaiva

kutumbakam, “the whole world is one family,” Hindus encourage the world to be prepared to respond with

compassion to such calamitous challenges as population displacement, food and water shortage,

catastrophic weather and rampant disease.

Sanatana Dharma envisions the vastness of God’s manifestation and the immense cycles of time in which it

is perfectly created, preserved and destroyed, again and again, every dissolution being the preamble to the

next creative impulse. Notwithstanding this spiritual reassurance, Hindus still know we must do all that is

humanly possible to protect the Earth and her resources for the present as well as future generations

What does Hinduism teach us about ecology?

Life is sacred

All living beings are sacred because they are parts of God, and should be treated with respect and compassion. This is because the soul can be reincarnated into any form of life. Hinduism is full of stories that treat animals as divine, such as how Krishna used to herd cows, or how the monkey Hanuman was a faithful servant of the Rama. Most Hindus are vegetarian because of this belief in the sanctity of life. Even trees, rivers and mountains are believed to have souls, and should be honoured and cared for.

Simple living

The virtue of a simple life has always been prized in Hindu society. Teachers, or brahmanas, are advised to live on the charity of others and not accumulate too much wealth. The most highly respected person in Hindu society is the sadhu, or sage who lives outside normal society, in forests or caves, or travels on foot from one town to another. Sadhus take pride in living simply and consuming as little as possible.

Inner peace

Hinduism stresses that true happiness comes from within not from outer possessions. This means that the search for material possessions, and the consumption of materials and energy it brings, should not be allowed to dominate life. Life’s main purpose is to discover the spiritual nature and the peace and fulfilment it brings. The efforts to exploit the things of this world is considered by Hindu teachers to be a distraction from this central purpose of life.

How do Hindus care for the environment?

Hindus revere sacred rivers, mountains, forests and animals, and love to be close to nature. For example, many Hindu villages have a sacred lake, and around it a grove of trees to catch rainfall and protect the banks from erosion. The lake and its grove store rainfall to irrigate surrounding fields and supply village wells with drinking water. These lakes and groves are places of tranquillity and sanctuaries for wildlife, but in recent times the neglect of these simple techniques for gathering and protecting clean water has led to serious water shortages and advancing desertification in many parts of India. This is a common story in India: traditional Hindu practices of caring for nature are being forgotten and as a result human survival is becoming more difficult.

What do Hindus believe about genetic modification?

One of the world's best-known campaigners against genetic modification is Vandana Shiva, an Indian scientist motivated by her native Hindu beliefs to champion the rights of rural women and farmers. She fought against the genetically modified 'terminator' seeds: seeds that produce only one crop and force farmers to buy new seeds each year from the suppliers. And she campaigns to stop the patenting of the sacred Neem tree, which Hindu stories say came from a drop of divine nectar carried to earth. Neem provides a natural and harmless alternative to pesticides, but global corporations have tried to patent it for their own use. She has written many books, and her Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology is a useful source of information.

Harmony Day

Hindu Council of Australia in co-operation with Auburn City Council is holding a half day Forum on “Creating Harmony through Mutual Cultural and Religious Understanding” on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at the Auburn Centre for Community, corner of Macquarie Rd and Hutchinson St, Auburn ( ~ 5 minute walk from Auburn station ).
This is a unique initiative by Hindu Council of Australia behalf of our community create better understanding of our culture among other faiths and cultures.
The program will begin at 1 pm with a key note address by Senator Kate Lundy ( Parliament Secretary to the Prime Minister and Parliament Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs )  followed by a panel of speakers, time to share ideas and experiences, entertainment and food and will finish at ~ 5 pm.
Please participate in the forum and thus help us in making the event a success. Program includes talk, discussion, Entertainment and food.
Though the program is free, registration is essential for catering purpose.

Further details are given in the attached flyer.

We look forward to receiving you on Sunday, March 11 at about 12.45 pm

Harmony Day Flyer1

Contact Us

The Hindu Council of Australia
17 The Crescent, Homebush NSW 2140
Phone Number: (02) 82504007
Fax : (02)82089810

Hindu Council of Australia Ltd
17 The Crescent, Homebush, NSW 2140, AUSTRALIA

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

(My humble salutations to the great devotees , wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Holy Pilgrimage - Theertha Kshetra)