(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth, lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)

Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in United Kingdom

The Derby Hindu Geeta Bhawan Temple, Derby, UK

Derby Hindu Temple Geeta Bhawan
96 - 102 Pear Tree Road
Derby
Derbyshire
DE23 6QA

PHONE US:
01332 380 407

OPENING HOURS

MONDAY-TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY

Morning opening: 9.00am - 12.00pm
Aarti at 10.15am

Evening opening: 4.30pm - 7.00pm
Aarti at 5.30pm

THURSDAY

Morning opening: 9.00am - 12.00pm
Aarti at 10.15am

CLOSED in the afternoon/evening

SATURDAY - SUNDAY

Morning opening: 9.00am - 12.00pm
Aarti at 10.15am

Evening opening: 4.00pm - 7.00pm
Aarti at 5.30pm

Welcome to the Derby Hindu Temple, also known as The Geeta Bhawan. Located in Pear Tree Road in Derby, the temple is laid out in a brand new purpose built modern building with two floors. The ground floor has a large hall and catering size kitchen suitable for marriages and other events.

On the second floor, accessible by stairs or elevator, our deities adorn and offer their blessings in a serene, peaceful and very spacious mandir finished in hand carved marble.

There is also an Education block which houses the Malayalam and Hindi language classes, offices, priest's quarters and catering size kitchen and dining hall for bhojan.

Throughout the year, we hold events at the temple. There are aartis and pujas everyday and yoga classes three days a week, meditation once a month, bollywood dance class, bharat natyam classical dance class for children, senior citizens luncheon club every Tuesday mornings.

There is a private tarmac car parking around the temple (spaces are limited however).

Hindu Holidays

It's been said often enough that Hindus celebrate everything. So they do. The birth of gods, death of asuras, victory of the gods, marriage of the gods, the new year, new months, full moons, new moons, harvests, birthdays, initiations, marriages, deaths, anniversaries - you name the event, and it is reason for music, dance, processions, and what have you.

And there is the religious bit lurking behind it all. The reasons for this lie deep, in the origin of Hinduism as an organic religion. Its followers have over time considered anything, animate or inanimate, to be sacred and aspects of divinity.

That is also why even secular events like harvests take on religious overtones, with the patron deity presiding over the festivities. As soon as something happens, there is a kind of thanksgiving to the divine that follows it.

Apart from the universally celebrated festivals like Dussehra, Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi, there are others that are observed in specific communities or geographical areas. Hindu holidays are also confined to particular regions by the importance a certain god enjoys.

Worship of Kartikeya (as during the festival of Skanda Shashti) is predominant in Tamil Nadu, where the god is considered a patron of the region. Onam is a good example of a festival that is celebrated solely by Keralites. Another interesting aspect of Onam is that it is perhaps the only major Hindu festival that celebrates the reign of an asura king, although a benevolent one.

The profusion of legends and the contradictions inherent in them is reflected in festivals too. Travel around the country, and you will hear people tell you a variety of legends involving different gods behind a single festival. Besides, you will also find versions of the same festival being celebrated under different names in different regions.

All this adds that facet of unending novelty and constant change to the strikingly colorful kaleidoscope that is India. You might end up thinking the thought: "The more things change, the more they remain the same", which is something often said about India and its magical agelessness.

With so many holy days and more than 20 major Hindu festivals, the calendar should be liberally sprinkled with them. But it isn't so. There is a distinct festival season, which runs from late August through December. This is when there is a fever of celebrations, with a string of important festivals following one another in a rush.

But the major festivals are not the only ones that the people celebrate. Browse through the Hindu almanac, and you will find a mention of holiness or sacredness against almost every day of the year. Most of the lesser festivals are lesser because they have a private rather than public face. There are rituals for phases of the moon, solar and lunar eclipses, days of the week, a person's auspicious star or zodiac sign.

Hindu Festivals Calendar 2014:

July	12, Saturday	Guru Purnima
August	01, Friday	Naag Panchami
	10, Sunday	Raksha Bandhan
	17, Sunday	Shri Krishna Janmashtami
	29, Friday	Ganesh Chaturthi
September	17, Wednesday	Vishwakarma Puja
	25, Thursday	Navaratra Begins
	25, Thursday ~ Friday, Oct 03	Sharad Navratri
	30, Tuesday ~ Saturday, Oct 04	Durga Puja
October	04, Saturday	Dussehra
	11, Saturday	Karva Chauth
	21, Tuesday	Dhan Teras
	23, Thursday	Diwali
	23, Thursday	Kali Puja
	24, Friday	Govardhan Puja
	25, Saturday	Bhai Duj
	27, Monday	Chhath Puja Begins (Nahai Khai)
	29, Wednesday	Chhath Puja Ends (Sandhya Argh)

Regular activities for all

The temple is busy with a host of daily, weekly and monthly actitivies for all sorts of interests

· Kirtan Bhajans by Gujarat Samaj Derby
Day: 1st Friday of the month
Time: 8pm to 10pm

Sai Baba Bhajans by Sai Baba Bhajan Mandlee
Day: Every Friday
Time: 8pm to 10pm

· All devotees are cordially invited.

Bharat Natyam Classical Indian Dance class - for children

When: Mondays

Time: 4.30pm

Location: Main function hall

Information: Very professional and learned exponent of Indian Classical Dance. Conducted by the
Malayalam Association.

Contact: Please contact the teacher before or after class on Mondays to enrol your child

Day: Saturday

Time: 4.30pm

Cost: Free

Malayalam language classes are held in the temple conducted by South Indian Malayalam Association.

If your child wishes to learn another different language please contact The Malayalam Association or teacher.

Meditation

Guided meditation to get rid of the stresses of modern life to reach the calmer inner peace we are born with but have lost touch with.

The current class schedule is as follows but will adapt to the needs and requests of the class:

15 - 20 minutes	Chanting (to prepare for meditation)
20 minutes	Quiet breathing and meditation
10 minutes	Discusison

Timetable
1st Friday of the month
6.30pm to 7.30pm

Location
The Derby Hindu Temple (address below)

Cost
£1 (no profit is made - all the money goes towards hire cost of the hall)

Senior citizens lunch club

From	To	Programme
9.30am	10.15am	Bhajan
10.15am	10.30am	Aarti
10.30am	11.00am	Ram Chritmanas Path by Priest Mukesh Kumar & Pt Kapil Dev Sharma
11.00am	12.00am	Free time
12.15pm	1.00pm	Bhojan (sumptous vegetarian Indian lunch) for small cost of £1-00

Yoga in Derby

DAY	TIME	COST
MONDAY	6.30pm to 8.00pm	£1-00 (no profit is made - just a small contribution towards cost of hall)
WEDNESDAY	6.30pm to 8.00pm	£1-00 (no profit is made - just a small contribution towards cost of hall)
SUNDAY	9.00am to 10.30am	£1-00 (no profit is made - just a small contribution towards cost of hall)

Patanjali Yoga Classes taken by Jayshree who is trained in Swami Ramdev Maharaj yoga .

The large auditorium on the ground floor of the building houses the Conference/Stage Room/Hall. With a prominent raised stage at the front, the Yoga Instructor(s) lead the class which can hold 50 students at a time.

Go at your own pace for gentle yoga which is a truly beneficial way to keep your mind and your body in prime condition.

End with a session of meditation and relaxation for the mind and body.

There are no formalities, just come and have a taster session.

Yoga is a gentle form of exercise which is extremely beneficial to the body and mind with regular classes. If you feel the benefit, please let your friends know so they can come too.

Please bring your own mat as there is a limited number of mats available.

The benefits of Yoga is beautifully summarised as below (excerpt taken from the Patanjali Yog Trust UK website):

The most important benefit of Yog and Pranayam is physical and mental cleansing. The aging process, which is largely an artificial condition, caused mainly by auto-intoxication or self-poisoning , can be slowed down by practicing Yog. By keeping the body clean, flexible and well lubricated, one can significantly reduce the catabolic process of cell deterioration.

Meditation class 1st Friday of the month
Yoga classes Mon, Wed, Sun
Looking forward to a full and fun

Upcoming Events

Holi
Date: 18 March 2014
Time: 10.30am

Please note we will celebrate
with flowers only - Phool Holi

Bhojan/Lunch will be served at 12.30pm

Hall Hire

There are 3 halls available for hire for any occasion with onsite parking.

To book please call: 01332 380 407

MAIN HALL

Location: The MAIN HALL in the temple is located on the ground floor.

SMALL HALL

Location: The SMALL HALL is located on the ground floor of the Administration block and is more suitable for smaller parties and ceremonies.

UPPER FLOOR SMALL HALL

Location: This a smaller hall located on the 1st floor of the Administration block (there is no lift).

PARKING

There is on-sight parking for 30 cars in the marked bays. There are some free Council car park space adjoining the temple as well as plenty of spaces in the local streets surrounding the temple. Please be considerate of local residents when parking by not causing any obstructions please.

EVENTS OF 2013

Diwali Celebration by The South Indian Association (Duffield, Derbyshire) on 9 Nov 2013

25 October 2013 - Switching on of Diwali Lights ceremony at
The Derby Hindu Geeta Bhawan Temple

April 2013
Swami Vivekananda 150 anniversary celebration

(from Meera Lynn)

I begun work on the garden at the temple on Saturday 5th October to turn it into the Garden of Peace. A place where nature brings its softness and calming influence onto the grounds of The Derby Hindu Geeta Bhawan Temple.

Donation of the following would be highly appreciated and a special mention of your details (with your permission) will be made on this page:

Large rockery rocks
Cobblestones
Slate - for gardens
Stepping stones
Trellis
Garden ornaments
Bamboo log roll
Clay pots of all sizes

Tall growing grass
Shrubs
Conifers
Ground cover
Prunus/flowering cherry tree
Shade loving shrubs

Arbour
Bench
Garden furniture
Solar lights
Wind Chimes
Old chimney stacks
Large clay pots

Also looking for someone to donate their time and paint to improve one of the walls surrounding this garden. It's mostly bare red brick with some white paint at the moment and I am looking to turn the whole wall into a vibrant purple. The wall measures approximately 20 feet X 10 feet (ladder is available).

In return for your kind generosity and donation, I'm happy to give you a mention on here or if you're a business, I am happy to put a link to your website on here (free advertising).

Also would be grateful for a bench as there is no seating area. (from Meera Lynn)

Civil Marriage Ceremony:

The Derby Hindu Geeta Bhawan Temple is licensed for Civil Marriage ceremonies.

The Derby Registrar Bureau will conduct civil marriages in the temple.

For further information or to arrange a date, please contact Mr Atul Raithatha on :

Tel: 01332 332 978 or 01332 688 441

We have a choice of Halls for hire for your marriage and reception with catering facilities.

Members of a Great Family

Values are related to each other as if they were members of a great family . From peace and happiness emerges inner joy. From this state of wholeness love awakens and with is the desire to share and give . Two of its relatives are tolerance and respect. All values have a shared origin which unites them - the peace of spirituality. When you lose peace you begin to lose everything.

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Derby Hindu Temple Geeta Bhawan
96 - 102 Pear Tree Road
Derby
Derbyshire
DE23 6QA

PHONE US:
01332 380 407

EMAIL US:

All enquiries:
derby.hindu.temple@gmail.com

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

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

(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth, lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)

Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Holy Pilgrimage - Theertha Kshetra)