Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in USA
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Canton, MI
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
3175 S. Canton Center Road,
Canton, MI 48188. USA
Tel: (734) 397 2233
Fax: (734) 397 3012
3175 S. Canton Center Road,
Canton, MI 48188. USA
Tel: (734) 397 2233
Fax: (734) 397 3012
Daily Aarti:
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7:00 a.m.
& 7:00 p.m.
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Darshan Timings:
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Monday -
Friday:
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7:00 a.m.
to 12:00 noon
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4:00 p.m.
to 8:30 p.m.
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Saturday-
Sunday:
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7:00 a.m.
to 8:30 p.m.
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Weekly Schedule
Bal / Balika Sabha :
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Sunday
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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Kishore / Kishori Sabha :
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Sunday
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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Mahila Sabha:
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Sunday
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Satsang Sabha:
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Sunday
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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Bal Gujarati Classes:
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Sunday
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Balika Gujarati Clases:
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Sunday
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Day - Date
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Festival
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Makar Sankranti - Jholi
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Vasant Panchami
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Holi - Fuldol
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Swaminarayan Jayanti / Ram Navmi
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Yogi Jayanti
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Guru Purnima
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Janmastami
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Jal Jhilani
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Sharad Punamima
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Diwali - Annakut
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Pramukh Swami Janma Jayanti
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Patotsav
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Hindu Temple of Minnesota,
MN
Mission Of Hindu Temple And Hindu Socity Of Minnesota
1.
To provide a Hindu Mandir (place of worship) in the Twin Cities
area.
2.
To bring into closer relation the members of the Hindu community
in the State of Minnesota.
3.
To provide a forum for scholarly discussions of the Hindu
philosophy
4.
To conduct and sponsor religious, spiritual, charitable,
educational, social and cultural activities for the benefit of the Hindu
community.
5.
To establish a library in the Mandir (Temple) that will depict Hindu philosophy and
religion.
6.
To preserve and embellish Hindu traditions and cultural heritage.
7.
To teach its younger members the history and development of the
Hindu philosophy and religion and to inculcate a pride of their heritage.
Encourage their participation and involvement with daily activities of the
Mandir (Temple).
History of The Hindu Society &Temple
Like many aspirations, the dream to establish a place of worship
grows slowly into reality, unfurling from unpretentious seeds into a
multipetaled blossom of perfection through a gradual process of fruition; honed
by nurturing, care, as well as careful guidance and oversight. The
establishment of the society, founding of the original Hindu Mandir, and
building of the new Mandir in Maple
Grove was such an endeavor, living as a seed of hope
in the hearts of the community members for many years, slowly growing stronger
and more beautiful over time. The society really blossomed over a period of
time and celebrated its Silver Jubilee in February 2004.
The early 1970s, Hindu families in Minnesota sought a place of
worship where they could connect with one another, where their children could
learn about religion and culture, and their identities, as Hindus, could be
preserved. Lacking a formal location for conducting such activities, several
families began to meet on a weekly basis in each others' homes, where they
would study the Gita, conduct puja and celebrate holy festivals. This tradition
continued through the years, and a close bond of friendship materialized
amongst these Hindu families who came together to honor their faith on regular
basis.
By the late 1970s, an innovative idea was envisaged: the
establishment of a formal society whose purpose would be to celebrate the richness
of the Hindu faith and to preserve the age old Hindu customs and traditions
within Minnesota's
Hindu community. From this concept, the Hindu Society of Minnesota (HSMN) was
born and was established as a non-profit organization within the state of Minnesota in 1978. The
first Constitution & Bylaws of the society were drafted by Dr. Krishna
Saxena, Dr. Shashikant Sane, Dr. V. Premanand and Dr. Surender Chaudhary. At
that time Dr. Saxena was elected as the President, Dr.Sane as the Secretary and
Dr. Chaudhary as the Treasurer of the Executive Committee.
A century-old church in northeast section of Minneapolis was identified as the potential
location for a formal place of worship for the members of the society. On
February 2, 1979, a purchase agreement was signed to legally make 1835 Polk Street NE
a property of the Hindu Society of Minnesota. Three couples namely Shanti &
P.C. Mangalick, Kumud & Shashikant Sane and Kusum & Krishna Saxena
initially contributed $5,000 apiece to meet $15,000 down payment for the
purchase of the property. The antiquated church became the Hindu Society of
Minnesota's new Hindu Mandir.
On February 17, 1979, first formal Hindu prayers and services were
performed in the Hindu Mandir in the presence of ten families. Framed pictures
of Sri Ram Parivar, Sri Krishna, Sri Ganesh, Sri Saraswati Sri Laxmi and Sri
Mahadev adorned the main dais as the society inaugurated this new temple.
In the fall of 1979, Dr.Krishna Saxena was formally elected as the
chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Shashikant Sane was elected as the
Vice-Chairman of the Board and Dr.Padmakar Dixit was elected as the President
of the Executive Committee for the year starting 1980. The following ten
individuals were the Board of Trustees, by the end of 1979. Mr. Srinivas
Kolatkar, Dr. Suresh Chandra Lagalwar, Mr. Amir Chand Mangalick, Dr. V.
Premanand, Dr. Kamal Kumar Sahgal, Dr. Mrs. Kumud Sane, Dr. Shashikant Sane,
Dr. Krishna Mohan Saxena and Dr. Mrs. Kusum Saxena. The first formal meeting of
the Board of Trustees took place on December 12th, 1979. All these original
members of the Board of Trustees remained consistent supporters and were duly
recognized 25 years later in February 2004.
The purpose of the Hindu Society of Minnesota society was to
provide a Hindu Mandir (place of worship) in the Twin Cities area; to bring
into closer association the members of the Hindu community in the Twin Cities
area and the State of Minnesota; to provide a forum for scholarly discussions
of the Hindu philosophy; to conduct and sponsor religious, spiritual, and
cultural activities for the benefit of the Hindu community; to establish a
library that will depict Hindu philosophy and religion; to preserve and
embellish Hindu traditions and cultural heritage; to teach its younger members
the history and development of the Hindu philosophy and religion and to
inculcate a pride of their heritage.
The very first discourse on Bhagwadgita was conducted by Dr.
Shashikant Sane on May 6th 1979 as soon as the temple was adequately renovated
and that tradition to conduct scholarly spiritual discourses every Sunday has
continued ever since. Several spiritual leaders from around the world such as
Late Swami Bhashyananda, Late Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Dayananda, Late Sant
Keshavdas, Swami Viditatmananda and Swami Kartikeyananda have given discourses
and conducted Seminars on Spirituality in the Mandir.
The first major renovation of the Mandir took place in 1979, under
the guidance of Mr.Arun Shirole. The first murti of Sri Ganesh was donated by
Drs. Kumud & Shashikant Sane and their family in India and was installed in 1983.
Sri Mahavir's murti was donated by Drs Ranjit & Renu Jain in 1984.
Subsequently several other murtis followed. The tradition of a week long Hindu
Youth Camp was initiated in 1983 and has continued ever since because of the
dedicated volunteers. Hindu Philosophy, Hindu Values, Yoga, Meditation, various
sports including Tennis, soccer, softball, swimming, leadership skills were
taught at the camp.
In 1986, the second major renovation of the Mandir was undertaken,
under the architectural guidance of Mr. Shashi Suri. By the early 1990s, the
size of Minnesota's
Hindu population had grown tremendously, and consequently, the framework of the
Hindu Society was rapidly evolving. The number of attendees at the Mandir's
weekly satsangs and pujas was growing exponentially, and the small Mandir would
be filled beyond its capacity during the celebration of many holy festivals.
The Mandir now offered a variety of services to the Hindu community, in addition
to the annual youth camps, and weekly spiritual discourses, Ski trips, Anand
Bazars larger scale celebrations of major Hindu festivals, and the Mandir's
official publication, the Patrika became regular features. The Celebrations of
religious festivals such as Diwali and Holi, once relatively small affairs,
became elaborate community events under the skillful planning and direction of
enthusiastic and talented volunteers.
With the simultaneous growth of the Hindu community in the Twin
Cities, the Hindu Society of Minnesota came to the realization that there was a
need for a much larger facility in which to hold temple functions. During the
1990s several society members, in conjunction with the society's Board of
Trustees and the Executive Committee, began an extensive search for an
appropriate piece of land on which a new Mandir could be built.
In December 1998 Asha & Mahendra Nath, Kumud & Shashikant
Sane and Kusum & Krishna Saxena felt that there was a great sense of
urgency in purchasing an ideally situated 80 acres of land parcel in the city
of Maple Grove which potentially could be the
perfect site for the new Hindu
Temple. They agreed that
this purchase could be shared amongst friends if the Board of Trustees of the
HSMN felt otherwise. Mr. Nath personally provided the down payment with the
purchase offer. The Board of Trustees of The Hindu Society of Minnesota
unanimously approved the purchase of that land parcel at the very next meeting
of the Board four weeks later.
Initial Bhoomi Puja was performed by Swami Kartikeyan on the
grounds of the new temple site in Maple
Grove during the summer of 1999. Subsequently an
additional formal Bhoomi Puja was performed in the summer of 2001, followed by
Sudarshan Homa for Sri Vishnu. In the following years, two major religious
festivals were conducted on these very grounds to increase the sanctity of the
land namely, Sita Ram Kalyanam in 2002 and Sri Krishna Mahotsava in 2003. All
events were attended by hundreds of devotees in joyous anticipation of the new
temple.
By 2003, the Trustee membership of the society had grown from its
original 10 members in 1979 to nearly 130 members. This group of individuals
was the lifeblood of the organization, providing, through their annual dues and
additional donations. It was at this time Trustee Executive Council (TEC) was
established as the overall Governing Body of the Board of Trustees. Fifteen
trustees were elected to represent the TEC with Umesh Singh as the Chair.
On Vijaya Dashami, October 4, 2003, the ground breaking ceremony
was held at the site of the new Mandir in Maple Grove. Many devotees attended,
as the Society formally began the building of the new 43,000 square foot Mandir
with Leo Daly Inc. as Architects and Rochon Corporation as the Building
Contractors.
The construction committee consisted of Dr.Shashikant Sane as the
chair, Byron Byraiah, Swami Palanisami, Umesh Singh and Narender Venkata. Dr.
Sane summarized the pertinent portions from the ancient Hindu Vastushastra and
familiarized the selected Architects and the Builders so that they could follow
very closely the key principles, the dos and don'ts. Mr. Umesh Singh provided
much needed leadership and administrative skills. Palanisami oversaw the
construction process meticulously through its every phase and introduced
several new ingenuous corrective techniques. Byron Byraiah in addition to
supervising the architectural details kept in touch with city administrative
staff & elected officials to ascertain that all the city & state laws
were strictly adhered to.
Narender Venkata with his superb managerial & interpersonal
skills brought the best creative art out of the Shilpis brought by Padmashree
Muthiah Sthapathi who by then had joined the process of making this superb
temple into an authentic Hindu Temple from within as well as from outside. He
is one of the foremost scholars of building classic Hindu temples. He has built
scores of them around the world. He has built and decorated every shrine of
worship in the new temple in Maple Grove to represent a proportionate human
form in perfect harmony with the central icon representing the Divinity as
described in the Vastu Shastra. The entire Hindu Community has a great deal of
appreciation for the shilpis who with their dedication, devotion and God given
skills hand crafted all the beautiful pieces of art that adorn every shrine of
worship and their Gopuras with unique and fascinating artistic features. Each
of these temples in the Prayer Hall is the replicas of famous temples from
India. The art work is so beautiful and unique that it will continue to touch
devotees’ hearts in deep appreciation for generations to come.
Almost three years later, from June 29, 2006 through July 2, 2006,
the first Kumbhabhisheka was performed at the Hindu Mandir. After the initial
ceremonies of Dhanyanivas (Emersion of the statues in rice and other grains),
and Jalanivas (emersion in water),, the grand Mahotsava of Kumbhabhisheka and
Pranapratishtha was concluded through multitudes of sacred rituals over four
days. Several learned priests around the country as well as our own priests
conducted the Poojas and Havans according to Agama Shastra. Mr. Varada Ramanuja
Chari was invited as the Head Priest from India specifically for this purpose.
The Kumbha Abhishekam literally means anointing the newly built temple with
holy water from Kumbhas (vessels) that has been sanctified and charged with
spiritual energy. Abhisheka means bathing or sprinkling and is derived from the
Sanskrit root "sich" meaning to sprinkle. The prefix ''Abhi'' means
all around. Thus this grand celebration invoked spiritual energy (Prana) into
Vigrahas (Multiple Sculpted images in Marble or Granite of the same single
Divinity namely Brahman) and transforming them into vivid Incarnations of
Divinity. The shrines of Sri Ganesh, Sri Jagannatha, Sri Varadaraja, Sri Devi
& Sri Bhu Devi were consecrated on that occasion After 45 days of
continuous Poojas after that initial celebration, these shrines became truly
JAGRUT and have been blessing the devotees and will continue to bless the
humanity for centuries to come.
Shrines for Sri Ram, Sri Laxman & Sri Sita and Shri Hanuman
were consecrated with similar Kumbhabhisheka & Pranapratishtha Ceremonies
which were conducted on March 23 -24 and 25, 2007. Shrines for Sri Radha-Krishna,
Sri.Meenakshi (Sri Parvati), Sri Shivji, Sri Subramanya, Sri Balaji, Sri
Ayyapa, Sri Satyanarayana and Navagrahas were consecrated with identical
Kumbhabhisheka & Pranapratishtha ceremonies which were conducted from June
14th through 17th 2007. Shrines for Sri Adi Nath, Sri Parshwa Nath and Sri
Mahavir underwent Kumbhabhisheka ceremonies on July 20-21- and 22, 2007. The
Shrines for Sri Dattatreya, Sri Durga and Sri Saraswati were consecrated with
similar majestic ceremonies which were conducted on October 18th through 21st
of October 2007. Shrines for Sri Bhairava & Sri Vishwakarma were
consecrated in similar fashion on the weekend of July 4th 2008.
The centerpiece of this beautiful new facility is a huge, sunlit
Prayer Hall with decorated pillars, polished granite floors and 21 ornate
shrines. These shrines are temples within a temple each honoring a different
representation of the same single God. God is only one; people call the same
God by different names. The largest of the shrine is dedicated to Sri Vishnu,
one of the most revered figures in the Hindu faith. Intricate designs and
handmade figures of musicians and lions speckle the shrines crown. Brightly
colored string and strands of fresh flowers liven up the beautiful
architecture. Inside the temple is a standing depiction of Vishnu who is
blessing his devotees and is appropriately called Varadaraja. Flanked on the
either side of Sri Varadaraja are two Shrines, one representing Mother Earth,
Sri Andal or Sri Bhu Devi, and the Goddess of Prosperity, Sri Laxmi (Sridevi).
An important fact and as a sign of immense respect, the sculpture of Sri Vishnu
himself is 1” shorter than the statue on which he is modeled. That original
stands in a 1,500-year-old Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram, southern India.
The local Hindu community chose that temple as the inspiration for this one.
This standing, blessing divine form of Sri Vishnu is the first of its kind on
the American Continent. This deity became the central deity because of the
strong sentiment VISHNU on the part of the majority of Devotees in the Twin
Cities area.
The main entrance of this beautiful Hindu temple faces east, and
consists of two sets of massive, hand made brass-covered copper doors when
opened allow the light of a summer sunrise to shine on the face of the central
deity during special festivals and celebrations. In front on the east are one
large man made lake with several large watershed areas adjutant to it. A fresh
water stream runs through the temple property on the north side. The temple is
situated at the highest elevation on the property with gradual incline towards
the east and north side as suggested in our age old and time tested Vastu
Shastra.
While careful attention was paid to the thousands of years of
religious tradition, this building also represents modern design. The small
lakes, for example, are also the source of water for the site's lawn sprinkling
system. The outside walls are designed to look like stone, but they're actually
a never-before-used kind of pre-cast concrete made right in Maple Grove. These
panels were a practical response to a problem temple designers in India never
have to worry about cold North American weather The doors and windows have a
simple design but a powerful message for humanity. A lighted candle represents
light of Consciousness. It represents the human potential where he/she moves
from untruth to truth, from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to
enlightenment and finally from death to immortality.
Minnesota being a place where the weather is so harsh and extreme,
it is very hard to place these beautiful but delicate decorations created by
skilled Shilpies on the exterior of the building. Even though that is what the
temple architecture is typically in India, the Hindu Society selected the
American architecture as its exterior, simple and as yet elegant! When one
looks at the temple from outside, it doesn't feel very big, however when one
enters inside, the enormity of the structure, colossal internal height ,
mesmerizing windows and skylights, and artistic shrines of worship reflecting
recreation of several majestic temples from the Indian continent overwhelm
everyone with its enormous beauty . Everything in the temple appears to be
perfectly proportioned and at the right place
The Rajagopuram has some unique features to counteract the extreme
nature of the Minnesota weather. Mr. Palanisami is making some major
modifications in the construction materials and processes with encouragement
from Muthiah Sthapathi. At the end, Rajagopuram would retain its classic beauty
in front of this Hindu Temple but it would be enormously stronger to last for a
very long time.
In addition to the sunlit Prayer hall upstairs where many devotees
are seen deeply engrossed in silent prayers and meditations, a large Auditorium
with a capacity of 450, a dining hall with a capacity of 250 and a fully
furnished commercial kitchen. There are additional 4 conference rooms, Board
Room, Library and a meditation room. A gift shop is being planned.
It's not what one would expect to find in the middle of a
cornfield on the outskirts of Maple Grove. But here in the ex-urban fringe, at
the end of a dead end road, a huge Hindu temple rises over the fields. The
Hindu Mandir of Minnesota is the new spiritual center for the Hindu population
of the twin cities, state of Minnesota and the nearby 6 states. The doors of
the temple are open to anybody regardless of the faith one practices. Scores of
Hindus as well as non-Hindus are seen visiting this unique place of worship
everyday
We witnessed the remarkable evolution of the society since the
Sthapana of the first Mandir in 1979. Simultaneously, we look to the future and
see the promise of even greater achievements to come. The journey of the
society has been extensive, and not without its trials and tribulations.
However, along with the burden of difficulty and the angst of struggle, the
passage of time has brought countless triumphs and gratifying rewards to the
devotees of this blessed community.
On April 5th 2006, barely a few weeks before the first
Kumbhabhisheka, the mettle of the Hindu Community was tested when the new Hindu
Temple near completion was vandalized. Several sanctified sculptures which were
getting ready to be consecrated were decapitated, dismembered, and disfigured.
The walls and columns were greatly damaged by a baseball bat at 125 different
places. The Hindu community rallied together, made certain that the vandals
were apprehended and tried in the court of law. After the two young men pleaded
guilty to their heinous acts of “Stupidity” as they described, the leadership
of the Hindu Society appeared on behalf of these two young men and pleaded for
the punishment which included a suspended sentences where the youngsters can
pursue the life of productive citizen, rather than becoming hardened criminals
through a long jail sentence. Of course for that the youngsters had to choose
the right path of performing community service in the very temple that they had
damaged. The entire American Society was privileged to see the Hindu Values of
truth, Non-violence, Love & Compassion expressed in real life through these
actions of the Hindu Community.
The Hindu community is totally cognizant of the fact that nothing
worthwhile happens without the divine GRACE. It has been bestowed on our
community from countless helpful citizen and very supportive city counsel
members, mayors and the administrative staff of the City of Maple Grove for
which we are eternally grateful. As the Hindu Society of Minnesota embarks on
this new phase of the society's existence, everyone in the Hindu Community
faces an unknown future because of the fairly large debt load but knows that
with devotion, determination, unity, and hard work, ingenuity and generosity,
the society will endure and succeed in its endeavors, and the Hindu Society of
Minnesota will continue to be an interminable blessing in the lives of the
entire community at large and the Hindu community members in particular for
many generations to come.
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LAKSHA
SHIVA PANCHASKSHARA JAPAM
Significance
and benefits
Panchakshara, the "five-syllable"
mantra is part of the Sri Rudraprasana (Śatarudrīya, and Rudradhyaya),
is a Hindu stotra or hymn taken from the Yajurveda. The Panchakshara is recited
by Shiva devotees during pooja, homa, and Japa. The meaning of the Namaḥ Śivāya mantra was explained by Saatguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
(also known as Gurudeva by his followers, established a Hindu monastery in
Kauai, Hawaii in the 1970s and founded the magazine Hinduism Today) Namaḥ Śivāya is the most holy name of God Śiva, recorded at the very
center of the Vedas and elaborated in the Śaiva Agamas.
Na is the Lord's concealing grace, Ma is
the world, Śi stands for Śiva, Va is His revealing grace, Ya is
the soul. The five elements, too, are embodied in this ancient formula for
invocation. Na is earth, Ma is water, Śi is fire, Vā is air, and Ya is ether,
or Akasha. Many are its meanings. Namaḥ Śivaya has immense
power and the mere intonation of these syllables reaps its own reward in
salvaging the soul from bondage of the treacherous instinctive mind and the
steel bands of a perfected externalized intellect. Namaḥ Śivāya quells the instinct, cuts through the steel bands and
turns this intellect within and on itself, to face itself and see its
ignorance. Sages declare that mantra is life, that mantra is action, that
mantra is love and that the repetition of mantra, japa, bursts forth wisdom
from within.
The holy Natchintanai proclaims, "Namaḥ Śivāya is in truth both Āgama and Veda. Namah Śivāya represents
all mantras and tantras. Namaḥ Śivaya is our souls, our bodies and
possessions. Namaḥ Śivāya has become our sure
protection."Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. While many mantras have
restrictions as to when and how it can be chanted, there is no such restriction
to the panchAkshara mantra. It can be chanted by anyone at anytime.
Temple Timings: Monday to Friday 9:30am to
11:30am and 5:30pm to 8:30 pm, Weekends and Holidays 9:00 am to 8:30 pm
Front
Desk
(763) 425-9449 |
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Physical
Address
Hindu Society of Minnesota 10530 Troy Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55311 |
Mailing
Address
Hindu Society of Minnesota PO Box number 2518 Maple Grove MN 55311 |
Chairman
Mr. Byron Byraiah chairman@hindumandirmn.org |
President
Sushmi Aggarwal
612-710-2453
president@hindumandirmn.org |
Manager
Mr.Narender Venkata (612) 860-5136 manager@hindumandirmn.org |
Administrator
Anu Panda 763-438-0019 admin@hindumandirmn.org |
Religious
Committee Chair
Mr. Raj Balasubramanian (651) 631-9301 raj.balaumich@gmail.com |
Food
Services
Mrs. Nayana Ramakrishnan (Chair) nayanadixit@yahoo.com |
Priests
Sri Ronur Murali Bhattar (763) 898-3959 Sri Jignesh Joshi - (952) 847-3922 Sri Gowtham Sharma - (763) 445-9396 Sri Ravi Kanth Chilakapati - (763) 772-8194 Sri Govardhan Mayuram - (763)447-7366 |
Web
Master
Mr. Baskar Gopalan (763) 463-0813 baskar@hindumandirmn.org |
Directions
From I-94 and 494
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1. Take exit 213 for 95th Ave N/County Hwy-30
2. Turn left at Maple Grove Pkwy
3. Turn right at 95th Ave N/97th Ave N/County Rd-30
4. Continue to follow 97th Ave N/County Rd-30
5. Turn right at Lawndale Ln N
6. Turn left at 101st Ave N
7. Turn right at Troy Ln N
-----------------------
1. Take exit 213 for 95th Ave N/County Hwy-30
2. Turn left at Maple Grove Pkwy
3. Turn right at 95th Ave N/97th Ave N/County Rd-30
4. Continue to follow 97th Ave N/County Rd-30
5. Turn right at Lawndale Ln N
6. Turn left at 101st Ave N
7. Turn right at Troy Ln N
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection )
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