A three-day elaborate Grand Opening of a Hindu Temple based on ancient Hindu rituals is scheduled from March 29-31 in West Mobile (Alabama) on a reportedly seven-acre plot of land.
Raised by Gulf Coast Hindu Society (GCHS), a religious non-profit organization, this “Gruha Pravesha and Hariahra Parivara Pranaprathista Mahotsavam” (Grand Inauguration of New Temple and Consecration Process) of 5000 square feet temple for the Greater Mobile and the Gulf Coast comes after “years of hard work and waiting”, and will include various rituals “as per Hindu Shastras and Sampradayam”.
Celebrations and rituals will include Gruhapravesam, Harihara parivara pranaprathista, Visesha Abhisekham, Divya Darshanam, Ksheerabdhivaasam, Dhaanyadhisvaasam, Moola Mantra Homam/Havan, etc. Families have been requested to “bring fruits and cut/loose flowers to offer GOD”.
Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of temple leaders and area community towards realizing this temple complex.
Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would help in this direction.
This temple will serve devotes from Gulf Coast area of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi; where the Hindu population has been growing. Besides worship services; it will also celebrate various festivals, hold events, have meditation and yoga sessions, organize discourses, etc.; reports suggest.
The mission of GCHS, launched in 2015, includes “to practice Hindu Religion, Culture &Tradition”. Haribhai Patel is Board of Trustees Chair; while Madhu Chilukuri, Pawan Agarwal, Rajneesh Singh and Venkatesan S are President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary respectively of the Executive Committee. Area Hindu community has reportedly been meeting in individual homes and rented public places to pray since about 1986.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.1 billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
