(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

Shree Hindu Mandir and Community Centre, Leicester, UK

Shree Hindu Temple & Community Centre
34 St Barnabas Road
Leicester
LE5 4BD
Tel: 0116 246 4590
info@shreehindutemple.net

Temple Opening Timings:

Monday To Friday
Morning 7.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon 3.00pm to 8.00pm
Weekend: Open all day
Aarti
Mangala Aarti 7.30am
Shringar Aarti 10.00am
Sandhya Aarti 7.00pm

Temple History:

Registered Charity, Leicester’s Shree Hindu temple was established in 1969. It is the first HinduTemple to be opened in the United Kingdom.
Our Mission
It was founded on pure Sanatan Dharma; the timeless consciousness of God, as taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. We believe that all religions stem from, and merge into the one Reality; God is One, though His forms are many.
Eradicate Poverty, Educate children and help the old without expecting any kind of reward in return.

Priests

Shree Natvarlal Archarya, Shree Jayeshbhai Bhatt, Shastri Shree Dilipbhai Joshi

Temple Deities:

Shree Durga Devi, Shree Ram, Sitaji, Laxman and Humanji, Shree Radha Krishna, Shree Randal Mataji, Shivalay – Mahadev, BaliyaDev, Shitla Mataji, Jalaram bapa, Shirdi Siabapa and Shree Vishwakarma, Shree Ganesh, Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre, Shree Hanumaji.

Committee Members
Trustees
Dr Bhimabhai Odedra (Chair)
Mr Pareshbhai Patel
Mr Jivabhai Odedra
Mr Vrajlalbhai Karia
Mr Rajeshbhai Unadkat
Management Committee
President : Mr Bhikhubhai Kotecha
Vice President : Mr Bhikujibhai Odedra
Treasurer : Mr Amitbhai Kanani
Treasurer : Miss Varsaben Barot
Secretary : Mr Rambhai Odedra
Asst Secretary : Mr Rajivbhai Vaiyata and etc.,

Bhakti Darshan Advertisements:

Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre publishes an annual publication called “Bhakti Darshan”, distributed free to all devotees through out the year. New edition is published on Diwali every year. Publication contains news articles, event diary, panchang, a highlight of previous year’s events and also highly interesting and religious articles.
New “Bhakti Darshan” is for everyone old and young. There’s something for everyone to read and interact with.
This new B5 size book has 128 pages and only has 40 pages on advertisements. All ads are full page and colour. If you would like to advertise in this years publication then please contact Mayurbhai Sisodia on Tel: 0116 246 4590 or email us at info@shreehindutemple.net
Deadline to Advertise on Bhakti Darshan 2013 – 2014 edition is 1st October 2013

Scriptures and Vedas:
The four books of the Vedas – Rig,Yajur, Sama and Atharva – include over 100,000 verses.
The knowledge imparted by the Vedas ranges from earthy devotion to high philosophy. Their words and wisdom permeate Hindu thought, ritual and meditation. The Vedas are the ultimate scriptural authority for Hindus. Their oldest portions are said by some to date back as far as 6,000 BCE, orally transmitted for most of history and written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world’s longest and most ancient scripture. TheVedas open a rare window into ancient Indian society, proclaiming life’s sacredness and the way to oneness with God.
Elaboration: For untold centuries unto today, the Vedas have remained the sustaining force and authoritative doctrine, guiding followers in ways of worship, duty and enlightenment. TheVedas are the meditative and philosophical focus for millions of monks and a billion seekers. Their stanzas are chanted from memory by priests and laymen daily as liturgy in temple worship and domestic ritual. All Hindus wholeheartedly accept the Vedas, yet each draws selectively, interprets freely and amplifies abundantly. Over time, this tolerant allegiance has woven the varied tapestry of Indian Hindu Dharma. Each of the four Vedas has four sections: Samhitas (hymn collections), Brahmanas (priestly manuals), Aran yakas (forest treatises) and Upanishads (enlightened discourses). The Samhitas and Brahmanas affirm that God is immanent and transcendent and prescribe ritual worship, mantraand devotional hymns to establish communication with the spiritual worlds. The hymns are invocations to the One Divine and to the Divinities of nature, such as the Sun, the Rain, the Wind, the Fire and the Dawn- as well as prayers for matrimony, progeny, prosperity, concord, protection, domestic rites and more.
The Aranyakas and Upanishads outline the soul’s evolutionary journey, provide yogic philosophical training and propoundrealization of man’s oneness with God as the destiny of all souls. Today, the Vedas are published in Sanskrit, English, French, German and other languages. But it is the popular, metaphysical Upanishads that have been most amply and ably translated.
The Vedas advise: “Let there be no neglect of Truth. Let there be no neglect of dharma. Let there be no neglect of welfare. Let there be no neglect of prosperity. Let there be no neglect of study and teaching. Let there be no neglect of the duties to the Gods and the ancestors” (Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11.1).
“United your resolve, united your hearts, may your spirits be one, that you may long to gether dwell in unity and concord” (Rig Veda10.191.4).
“There, where there is no darkness, nor night, nor day, nor being, nor nonbeing, there is the Auspicious One, alone, absolute and eternal. There is the glorioussplendor of that Light from whom in the beginning sprangancient wisdom” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.18).
“Taking as abow the great weapon of the Upanishad, one should put upon itan arrow sharpened by meditation. Stretching it with a thoughtdirected to the essence of That, penetrate that Imperishable asthe mark, my friend” (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.3)

Frequently asked questions about Hinduism.:
Q1. Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?
A: Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created theuniverse. He is all-pervasive. He created many Gods,highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers.
Q2. Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?
A: Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birthtime and time again. Through this process, we haveexperiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually.Finally we graduate from physical birth.
Q3. What is karma?
A: Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Ouractions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helpingus to learn from life’s lessons and become better people.
Q4. Why Do Hindus worship the cow?
A: Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor andadore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, whogives more than she takes, we honor all creatures.
Q5. Are Hindus idol worshipers?
A: Hindus do not worship a stone or metal “idol” as God. We worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with Him and receive His blessings.
Q6: Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?
A: Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to livewith a minimum of hurt to other beings. But in today’s world not all Hindus are vegetarians.
Q7: Do Hindus have a Religious Holy Book?
A: Our holy books are called the Vedas. The Veda, which means“wisdom,” is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God. Most widely read is “Bhagvad Gita”
Q8:Why do many Hindus wear a dot (tilak) near the middle of their forehead?
A: The dot (tilak) worn on the forehead is a religious symbol. It represents divine sight and shows that one isa Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark.
Q9: Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?
A: It is true that God is often depicted with a spouse in ourtraditional stories. However, on a deeper philosophical level, the Supreme Being and the Gods are neither male nor female and are therefore not married.
Q10: What about caste and untouchability?
A: Caste is the hereditary division of Indian society based on occupation. The lowest class, deemed untouchables, suffer from discrimination and mistreatment. It is illegal in India to discriminate against, abuse or insult anyone on the basis of caste

Events // Browsing posts in Events

Volunteering:

Volunteers play a unique and valuable role in the services we provide at Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre. Their time, commitment, dedication, and skills are valued both by us and by the people they give their time to.
People volunteer for a variety of reasons, with the main reason being that volunteers simply enjoy helping others. Many volunteers also want to learn new skills and gain experience. Volunteering can help people build confidence and self-esteem, and meet new people.
Volunteers make a positive difference and provide a personal touch to our services. We recruit volunteers with the aim of complementing and enhancing the services we provide.
Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre recognise the value a volunteer brings to the Mandir, it supports and encourages individuals who have chosen to give their time and energy freely to benefit the quality of our services, and contribute to enhancing service users and devotional experience.

Why Volunteer?

Volunteering for Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre is highly rewarding it can really benefit your self-esteem, confidence and wellbeing, while you make a valuable contribution to the quality of people’s life. You gain valuable experience and it can also be a stepping stone into new careers. No previous experience is required and training and support will be provided.
Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre provides a wide variety of volunteering opportunities such as:

Activity support in Mandir
Befriending in the community
Serving Food – during events, functions and festivals
Preparing and organising events including; Janmashtami, Ram Navami, Navratri, Holi, Diwali, Shivratri, Path Utsav and Ankut
Administrative Support
Fund Raising
Media – taking photographs, video of event and putting them on to Mandir’s website
IT and Internet – maintaining, updating and enhancing online profile, including Mandir’s official website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google Plus profiles.
Fullfill your duty as a Hindu
Gain sacred knowledge

Booking the Centre:

Centre can be booked for either whole day or part of the day for various functions including:

Weddings
Receptions
Birthday Parties
Bhajan/ Kirtan
Jalaram Prashadi
Functions
Community Gathering
Charity Events

If you would like to book the Community Centre section of the Temple/ mandir the please contact us.
info@shreehindutemple.net
Shree Hindu Temple & Community Centre
34 St Barnabas Road
Leicester,
LE5 4BD
UK
Tel: 0116 246 4590
Fax: 0116 246 4590

Youth Activities:

At Shree Hindu Mandir we are running Gujarati classes every Thursday’s & Friday’s from 5pm to 6.30pm where approximately 120 children are being educated on Gujrati. They study upto GCSE level. Also every year we hold Diwali and Christmas celebrations where most of the students from the Gujarati classes take part in Rangoli, Aarti, Fancy dress and Healthy dish competition’s.
We also award them with First, Second and Third prizes along with consolations are given to each and every participants.
Another activity for the children is teaching the Harmonium and Bhajan Kirtan to children.

Gujarati Classes:

Free Yoga Classes:

FREE YOGA CLASSES EVERY MONDAY from 7:30pm to 8:30pm at Shree Hindu Temple & Community Centre,
34 Barnabas Road, Leicester LE5 4BD.
Tel: 0116 2464590

શ્રી હિંદુ મંદિર Leicester's oldest Hindu Mandir (Temple). Explore our new of this historical temple

Hanumant Katha by Pujya Chinmayanand Bapu
Dates: Saturday 2 to 9 August 2014
Time: 4pm to 7pm
Mahaprasadi after 7pm arti
Live on Aastha TV

Shravan Mas Shiv Abhishek
Date: Monday 4 August 2014 Time: 7.30pm to 9:30pm

Forth Coming Festivals:

Date/Day	Festival
14 January 2014 Tuesday	Makar Sankranti
26 January 2014 Sunday	Indian Republic Day & Janki Jayanti
04 February 2014 Tuesday	Vasant Panchami
12 February 2014 Wednesday	Viswakarma Jayanti
27 February 2014 Thursday	Maha Shivratri
16 March 2014 Sunday	Holi
31 March 2014 Monday	Chaitri Navratri Starts
08 April 2014 Tuesday	Shree Rama Navami - Shree Ram Birthday
15 April 2014 Tuesday	Hanuman Jayanti - Shree Hanuman Birthday
04 May 2014 Sunday	54 Randal Mataji Lota at shree Hindu Temple, Leicester
18 May 2014 Monday	Mandir Patotsav (Aniversary of Pranpritstha)
10 June 2014 Tuesday	Bhim Ekadashi & Shaneshwar Jayanti
13 June 2014 Friday	Vat Shavitri Vrat
07 JUly 2014 Monday	Morakat Vrat Begins
09 July 2014 Wednesday	Jaya Parvati Vrat Begins
12 July 2014 Saturday	Morakat Vrat & Guru Purnima
14 July 2014 Monday	Jaya Parvati Jagran
27 July 2014 Sunday	Shravan Mas begins
31 July 2014 Thursday	Nag Paancham
01 August 2014 Friday	Raandhan Chath
02 August 2014 Saturday	Shitla Satam
10 August 2014 Sunday	Raksha-Bandhan
14 August 2014 Thursday	Nag Pancham
15 August 2014 Friday	Indian Independence Day
16 August 2014 Saturday	Shravan Vad Shitla Saatam
17 August 2014 Sunday	Janmashtami - Shree Krishna Birthday
25 August 2014 Monday	Shravan Mas Ends
28 August 2014 Thursday	Kevada Trij
29 August 2014 Friday	Ganesh/Vinayak Chaturthi
10 September 2014 Wednesday	Shradh Begins
24 September 2014 Wednesday	Shradh Ends
25 September 2014 Thursday	Navratri Starts
02 October 2014 Thursday	Shree Durgashtami
03 October 2014 Friday	Navratri Ends
03 October 2014 Friday	Vijaya Dasami/Dusshera
07 October 2014 Tuesday	Sharad Purnima
11 October 2014 Saturday	Karwa Chauth
21 October 2014 Tuesday	Dhan Teras
22 October 2014 Wednesday	Kali Chaudash
23 October 2014 Thursday	Diwali (Chopda Pujan in Mandir)
24 October 2014 Friday	Vikram Samvant New Year 2071
25 October 2014 Saturday	Bhai Beej
28 October 2014 Tuesday	Laabh Pancham
30 October 2014 Thursday	Jalaram Jayanti
03 November 2014 Monday	Tulsi Vivah (Tulsi wedding in Mandir

Shani Dev and Shani Jayanthi:

In our routine lives, there is a great importance of the kindness and the power of God Shani. Shani occupies the seventh place among the nine planets which govern the world. This is viewed as unlucky in conventional astrology. As per ‘Kaagol Shastra’, the distance of Shani from the earth is 9 crore miles. Its radius is about one billion and 82 crore and 60 lakh kilometers. And its gravitational force is 95 times higher than that of the earth. Planet Shani takes 19 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. The astronauts have viewed the Shani’s colours as beautiful, strong, influencing and eye-catching. It has twenty two satellites in its ring.
Shani’s gravitational power is more than that of the Earth’s. Therefore, when we think good or bad thoughts and make plans, they reach Shani by the strength of his power. In astrological terms, the bad influence is considered as unlucky. But the result of good deeds will be good. Therefore, we must understand God Shani as a friend and not as foe. And for bad deeds, he is Sade Saathi, disaster and an enemy.
As regards the birth of Shani, there are different stories. Foremost and accepted is the one in the ancient ‘Scanda Poorana’ of Kasi Khanda which is as follows.
God Soorya was married to Daksha Kanya Sadnya. Sadnya could not tolerate the radiance of God Surya. She used to feel that by doing penance she could increase her brilliance. Or, by the power of her penance, she could diminish the glare of God Surya. But for God Surya, she was a spouse worshipping wife. From God Surya, she had three children. One was Vaivastahva Manu. The second was Yama Raj. And the third was Yamuna. Sadnya loved her children very much. But, she was very upset with the radiance of God Surya. One day, she thought that she would separate from God Surya, go to her parents’ home and undertake great penance. And if there was opposition, she would go far away to a lonely and undertake great penance.
By strength of her penance, Sadnya created a ‘Chaya’ (shadow) of herself and named her Suvarna. And, and then the shadow of herself became Suvarna. After handing over the children to Chaya, Sadnya told her that Chaya would thereafter play the role of womanhood and nurse her three children. She told her if any problem arose, she should call her and she would come rushing to her. But she cautioned her that she must remember that she was Chaya, not Sadnya, and nobody should know this difference.
Sadnya hander over her responsibilities to Chaya and went away to her parents’ place. She went home and told her father that she could not stand the radiance of God Surya. And therefore, without telling her husband she had come away. Listening to this, her father scolded her very much and told her that without being called, if the daughter returns home, both her and her father would be cursed. He told her to go back to her home immediately. Then, Saudnya began to worry that if she went back, what would happen to the responsibilities which she had given to Chaya. Where would Chaya go? And their secret would be exposed. So, Sadnya went to the dense jungles in Uttar Kurukshetra and took repose there.
She was fearful of her safety in the jungle because of her youthfulness and beauty. And she changed her form into that of a mare so that none could recognize her and started her penance. Elsewhere, the union of God Surya and Chaya begot three children. God Surya and Chaya were happy with each other. Surya never doubted anything. The children of Chaya were Manu, God Shani and Putri Bhadra (Tapti).
As per the second story, the creation of God Shani was the result of Maharishi Kashyap’s great ‘yagna’. When God Shani was in the womb of Chaya, Shiv Bhaktini Chaya was so engrossed in penance of God Shiva that she did not care for her food even. She prayed so intensely during her penance that the prayers had a profound influence on the child in her womb. As a result of such a great penance of Chaya, without food and shade in the blazing sun, the complexion of God Shani became black. When God Shani was born, Surya was surprised to see his dark complexion. He began to doubt Chaya. He insulted Chaya by saying that this was not his son.
From birth itself, God Shani had inherited the great powers of his mother’s penance. He saw that his father was insulting his mother. He saw his father with a cruel gaze. As a result his father’s body was charred black. The horses of God Surya’s chariot stopped. The chariot would not move. Worried, God Surya called out to God Shiva. God Shiva advised God Surya and explained to him about what had happened. That is, because of him the respect of mother and child had been tarnished and insulted. God Surya accepted his fault and apologized. And regained his earlier glorious looks and the power of his chariot’s horses. Since then, God Shani became a good son to his father and mother and an ardent disciple of God Shiva.
God Shani as judge
Remember that God Shani is the judge of our thoughts. In this society, whenever people become preys to lust, anger and greed and spoil their purity and with full awareness commit sins, injustice and crimes on others all around them and while hiding in such darkness they commit such sinful deeds, they are mistaken that whatever deeds they are doing is not being watched by anybody. And then by doing so, people begin to believe that God is pleased with them and in such a state of vanity and ego, they begin tom believe that they are everything. They begin to feel that there is no God and they are God himself. Thus, to make such people repent for their follies, and to purify them God Shani punishes them. So Sade Saathi starts, God Shani becomes the Judge and after punishes the person and purifies him. Firstly, remember that God Shani has a delicate gaze. Secondly, he gives the fruits of one’s ‘Karma’. Thirdly, whatever a person does, God Shani grants him the results accordingly. God Shani gives proportionate happiness and unhappiness to people based on their ‘Karma’.

School Visits:

We have regular visits from Schools from Leicester and all surrounding town and cities (including; Shefield, Nottingham, Derby and Coventry).

We inform/educate the children about:

Hindu Religion/ Sanatan Dharam
The Dieties
Our Temple
Religious Ceremonies (such as Havan and Katha)
Our Religious Scriptures
Bhagvat Gita
Ramayan
Mahabharat
Vedas and why these are so important to us, what they mean to us

Contact us:

We want to know what you think about our web site, our Mandir, and what we have to offer. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments by clicking on the e-mail address below.
info@shreehindutemple.net
Shree Hindu Temple & Community Centre
34 St Barnabas Road
Leicester,
LE5 4BD
UK
Tel: 0116 246 4590 or 0116 276 3293
Fax: 0116 246 4590

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)