inside: reader forum, summer calendar and more photos · swati bajpayee, manish kenkre and rohit...

THE BHARATIYA TEMPLE QUARTERLY

WINTER/SPRING 2008The Bharatiya Temple of Metropolitan Detroit6850 N. Adams Road Troy, MI 48098 • 248.879.2552www.bharatiya-temple.org Copyright © 2008The Bharatiya Temple.All Rights Reserved.

Inside: Reader Forum, Summer Calendar and More Photos

WINTER/SPRING 2008

2008 Chetana CommitteeKrishnan M. Anantharaman

Shanti Patel

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ON THE COVER: An Odissi-style classical

dance performance capped the Sita-Rama Kalyanam

celebrations in May. Photo by Krishnan

Anantharaman.

Published by The Bharatiya Temple

Of Metropolitan Detroit6850 N. Adams Road

Troy, MI 48098248.879.2552

www.bharatiya-temple.org© 2008 The Bharatiya Temple.

All Rights Reserved.

I N S I D E4 A LONG WAY TO GO A Message from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees ................... Swarn Rajpal

6 MEMBERS: REGISTER ONLINE Access Membership and Donation Records ................Krishnan M. Anantharaman

7 TEMPLE’S BEST FRIENDS Our Thanks and Best Wishes to Sudha and Rao Chalasani

........................................................................... Swarn Rajpal and Minal Engineer

8 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Highlights of the Temple’s Summer Schedule 10 LET CONSTITUTION STAND An Alternative View on Our Founding Document ......................... Bhushan Bhatt

11 FUND-RAISING: WE ALL CAN HELP A Few Simple Ideas ...........................................................Raja and Rupa Gokhale

12 ‘DEATHBED PHILOSOPHY’ Death Is Not a Curse. It Gives Life Meaning ................................ Pradeep Srivastava

13 TEMPLE PHOTO FILE Sita-Rama Kalyanam ... Maha Sivaratri Celebrations ... Expansion Progress

20 VISITORS’ LOG Reactions to a Temple Visit ........................Students of Macomb Community College

24 DOUBLE IDENTITY Young People Navigate Between Parents and Society ................................................ Swati Bajpayee, Manish Kenkre and Rohit Maramraju

26 TEMPLE LEADERS FOR 2008

THE BHARATIYA TEMPLE QUARTERLY

A Long Way to GoA MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

by Swarn Rajpal

DEAR MEMBERS:For many years, my predecessors as

chairperson have come before you and made promises about a planned temple

expansion. They have talked at length about offering our community a facility that can accommodate the very large crowds that gather here for cultural and religious observances, such as Diwali, Ganesh Chaturti or Sivaratri. And as a community, you have been very gracious and patient in listening to these promises.

But in recent years and months, we are proud to say, we have finally been able to go well beyond talk. And today, with your help and support and God’s grace, we are able to look outside the windows of our temple and see some very real, concrete progress toward our goal.

The hole in the ground is now occupied by the framework of a large banquet hall. You can see the outlines of a rotunda with a grand staircase and

the main prayer hall. The classroom and connector section, linking the old and new buildings, are visible. The domes forming the roof of the main prayer hall are in place. Very soon, the concrete floors, roof and walls will be built. And then we can move to the next phase of construction: turning this mass of steel and concrete into a temple full of life, learning and laughter.

But I want to be very clear about something: We have a long way to go. There is much more work to do. And we need your help to be able to get it done.

THE NEW BHARATIYA TEMPLE that we are building today promises tremendous benefits to our community for generations to come.

Already, our temple is unique in its character and its composition. It is perhaps the most diverse temple in the nation, not only in its membership but in its leadership. Our priests are not merely practitioners of rituals; they are true religious scholars and

WINTER/SPRING 2008 • CHETANA • PAGE 4

teachers, grounded in the eternal philosophy that guides our faith. Our traditions here are pluralistic, inclusive and progressive. We have been the leader among Hindu temples in fostering an organization for seniors, and in starting our own Montessori preschool program for young children. And we are continually seeking to build on this foundation with innovative programs that will benefit our growing and changing community, including social services, youth programs and interfaith outreach.

THE NEW BHARATIYA TEMPLE will give us the unique opportunity to do much more of that. But as a community, we cannot hope to

share in these benefits unless we are also prepared to share in the sacrifice. The leadership of the temple has invested a considerable amount of time and resources to develop an expansion project that is worthy of this community. Now we are counting on you to do your part as well.

As we go forward, the pace and success of this expansion project will depend directly on the amount of support we are able to generate. And so I appeal to each of you today to make a generous

and long-term commitment to support our temple in this endeavor, to make an investment in our organization, our community and our children’s future. Clearly, the bigger the contribution, the bigger the impact, but every dollar will get us a step closer to our goal.

If you’re ready to make the commitment, please do so right away. We need your support today.

Many of the pioneers of our organization still recall the sense of excitement they felt a generation ago when this temple was first built, in 1981. Remember that they took the risk, they made the sacrifice and investments so that we could enjoy the facility we have today, so that new immigrants and young second-generation families could have a temple to call their own.

Now I look to all of you, especially the families with young children, to become our new pioneers, to make the investment and help lead the Bharatiya Temple to a brighter and more exciting future.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank you for being involved in this profound endeavor.

May Lord Lakshminarayan’s blessings be with you and your family. \

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Members: Register Online

YOU’VE BEEN A TEMPLE MEMBER for years, and you know you’re close to Life Member status.

But how close?That’s the type of information

you can find now in the special Member Area of the Bharatiya Temple’s Web site.

Simply go to www.bharatiya-temple.org and click on the “Access Your Account” link at the upper left. You’ll see complete instructions for registering and logging in to your membership account.

The process involves filling out a quick registration form with your name and email address. Upon verification by the temple office, you’ll receive a password by email that will allow you to log into your account anytime. After login, you can change your password to something that’s easy to remember.

This new feature also makes it possible, for the first time, to make contributions by credit card or access

tax receipts online. And all your contributions will be promply recorded in your account history.

Please register today! \

AFTER MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS of de-voted service to the Bharatiya Temple, Rao and Sudha Chalasani and their daughter, Pushpa, are relocating to Bangalore, India,

where Rao is beginning a new three- to five-year as-signment with General Motors.

For all of us who value the Chalasanis’ friendship

and dedication, their absence from the community will be difficult to accept. But their legacy here in Detroit is a stronger, more vibrant Bharatiya Temple, and generations of devotees will have the good for-tune to share in the benefits of their work.

Rao was an active member of the Temple Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2006. As Chairman for 2005 and 2006, he helped guide the Temple ex-pansion project beyond the discussion stage to-ward reality. He collaborated on the business plan, worked with the Long Range Planning Committee and forged consensus on a design that would unite the community. During this time, he was active on the Fund-Raising Committee as well, and was in-strumental in attracting several large donations to support the expansion. He also worked diligently to secure financing for the expansion.

Following his term on the Board, Rao served on the committee that got the pioneering Gurukul Mon-tessori Academy, one of the first temple-based school ventures in the U.S., off the ground. The school now has some 40 full-time students, allowing the temple to optimize the use of its space during weekdays and attract new families to the temple community.

Sudha has been the type of leader and volunteer whose impact at the temple is not only seen but genuinely experienced. She was a recurring chairperson of the Reli-gious Committee, and as head of the Special Projects Committee, spearheaded a number of religious, cultural, philanthropic and social events, from the Bhoomi Puja for the expansion to the Fun Walk.

Beyond conceiving and orga-nizing special events, Sudha had a keen understanding of how to make any event seem special, weaving together religion, tradition and aesthetics to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. For any big occasion, you would likely find her decorating the hall the day be-fore, assisting the priest during the ceremony, serving prasad to wor-

shipers afterward, and staying late to help clean up.

FOR ALL THE COMMITTEES and projects on which they served, and for all their financial generosity, the Chalasanis’ most significant

contribution to the temple has been the shining example they have set for the leadership, the mem-bership and our entire community. They have un-dertaken all these initiatives and tough challenges with immeasurable grace, not for the sake of glory or recognition but for the sake of serving the Lord and the community. Together, they embody the central values of the Hindu faith.

On behalf of the Bharatiya Temple community, the Board of Trustees gratefully acknowledges the Chalasanis’ contributions and wishes them good health, prosperity and peace. \

Temple’s Best FriendsOUR THANKS AND GOOD WISHES TO SUDHA AND RAO CHALASANI

by Swarn Rajpal and Minal Engineer


Calendar of Events


FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.BHARATIYA-TEMPLE.ORG

¶ BHAGAVAD GITA DISCUSSION GROUPPractical Applications of Gita PrinciplesStarting Thursday, June 19, 20087:30 to 8:45 p.m.Regular discussion sessions on applying Gita teach-ings to our daily lives. Sessions will be interac-tive, not in a lecture format. Initial moderators will be: Balarama Murty, Mahaveer Khetawat, Manjula Patel, Madhvi Doshi and Madan Kaura. Series will begin June 19, and continue on the first and third Thursdays of each month.

¶ GENERAL BODY MEETINGSunday, June 29, 20081:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Meeting will focus on the status of the expansion project, with reports presented by the Long-Range Planning, Fund-Raising and Finance committees, and time for questions and discussion. New ideas and support from the attendees will be solicited. All temple members and persons with interest in the temple expansion are invited to attend.

¶ ASHTOTTARA SHATA SHANKHA ABHISHEKAM AND SRI MAHA VISHNU YAGNYAFriday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13, 2008Conch-shell pooja for the well-being of the community and the elimination of poverty.

Friday9 a.m.: Ganesh Pooja, Ganesh Abhishekam, Sahsranam Pooja10:30 a.m. Punyahavachanam, 108 Shankha Sthapana, Kalasha Sthapana, Lalitasahasanam ArchanaNoon: Arati6 to 9 p.m. Sri Lakshminarayan Pooja, Sri Lakshmi Sahasranam Pooja, Navagraha Kalasha Sthapana Pooja and Arati

Saturday9:30am - noon: Sri

Venkateswara Suprabhata Seva Vishnusahasranam Pooja, Arati Mantapushapanjali, Agni Pratishtha, Ganapati Homam, Sri Mahavishnu Yagya Purnahuti

Sunday9 a.m. - noon: Gayatri Homan Purnahuti, 108 Shankha Abhishekam, Alankaram, Lakshminarayan Pooja, Maha Arati, Mantrapushpanjali, Mahaparasad.

¶ AKHAND RAMAYAN PAATHSaturday, July 19, 10 a.m.To Sunday, July 20, 2008, noon.This event, now in its 28th year, features a 24-hour-long reading of the Ramayana. Sponsorships are welcome. Suggested donation: $21.

¶ FUN WALKSaturday, July 26, 20089 a.m. to 1 p.m, Troy Community CenterWalk for fun, exercise and to support the temple ex-pansion. Meet at the Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois Ave. Suggested donation: $25, students $10.

¶ ANAND BAZAARSunday, July 27, 200811 a.m. to 7 p.mJoin this annual fun fair, featuring more food stalls, a collection of boutiques and jewelry stores, plus a new indoor section designated for children’s activities. Please note that because of construction on the temple site, all Anand Bazaar attendees must

park off site in the designated lot at the corner of Adams Road and Square Lake Road. A shuttle

will transport visitors between the lot and the temple. Cars parked improperly are subject to ticketing and towing by the city.

¶ BAL BHARATI YOUTH CAMPFriday - Saturday, Aug. 1 -2, 2008

Youth counselors lead an annual overnight camp at the temple for

children ages 6 to 13, featuring a talent show, sports, crafts, and more.

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¶ RAKSHA BANDHAN/YAJURVEDA UPAKARMASaturday, Aug. 16, 20085:30 - 7:30 a.m.: Yajurveda Upakarma led by Sri Janaki Rama Sastry, Sri Ramachandra Bhat and Sri Gopalakrishna Bhat7:30 a.m.: Sri Satyanarayan Katha

¶ SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMISaturday - Sunday, Aug. 23 - 24, 2008

Saturday9 a.m. to noon: Sri Bala Gopalabhishekam,Sri Krishna Sahasranama Pooja, Aarti7 to 9:30 p.m.: Sri Gopala Sahasranama Pooja, Neerajanam, Mantrapushpam, Unjal (Jhulan) Seva9:30 - 11:30 p.m.: Raas Garba11:30 p.m. - midnight: Sri Krishna Janma Katha, Pravachan from Bhagavad Purana, Aarti, Prasad

Sunday9:30 a.m.: Sri Krishna Sahasranama Puja10:30 a.m. Cultural ProgramNoon: Aarti, Prasad

¶ HEALTH FAIRSunday, Sept. 14, 20089 a.m. to noonPresented by the Bharatiya Temple, Michigan Asso-ciation of Physicians of Indian Origin and Crittenton Hospital Medical Center. Blood screening panel in-cluding fasting sugar, Cholesterol, Hemoglobin and PSA will be conducted free for everyone (preregistra-tion requested). Fasting for 12 hours is suggested. Bone density measurement test will be available to women. Information booths on hormone-replace-ment therapy, breast cancer, mammogram, pros-

tate health, cataracts, nutrition, exercise, lifestyle enhancement and more. Cardiologists, urologists, OB-GYNs, ophthalmologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, internists, dentists, pharmacists and other specialists will be available for guidance. Please register by sending your name, address, phone number and email address to Minal Engineer, at [email protected].

¶ FUND-RAISING BANQUETSaturday, Sept. 20, 20086 p.m.The Bharatiya Temple presents the 2008 Annual Fund-Raising Banquet, to raise funds for the expansion project and the long-term development of our temple. Tickets will be available at the temple office. Dinner will be followed by live entertainment. Please plan on attending with your family and contributing generously to the temple.

Upcoming Events at a Glance:

July4: Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra6: Vishnu Sahasranama Havan, Sri Jagannadha Ratha Yatra 18: Guru Purnima, Satyanarayan Puja19-20: Akhand Ramayan Paath27: Anand Bazaar

August1-2: Bal Bharati Youth Camp

16: Raksha Bandhan/Yajurveda Upakarma/Satyanarayana Pooja17: Navagraha havan23-24: Sri Krishna Janmashtami

September3: Ganesh Chaturthi7: Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations11: Vishnu Sahranama Parayana15: Satyanarayana Pooja16: Pitru Paksha Starts 20: Fund-Raising Banquet21: Mrutyunjaya Havan

30: Devinavaratra Starts

October5: Chandi Havan 7: Durgashtami9: Dussehra/Vijaya Dashami 11: Mata ka Jagaran14: Satyanarayana Pooja, Raas Garba17: Karva Chauth24: Bal Bharati “Garbhangra”25: Diwali Dinner


HEALTH FAIR, 9/14

ON THE FACE OF IT, the article in the Summer/Fall 2007 issue of Chetana, looks glib and rational, giving the im-pression that some of us might really

be stuck in the past ! To add drama, there is even a clarion call “Will our constitution adapt to change, or hold us back?”

The fact is, an enduring, well-thought-out consti-tution provides a philosophical bedrock of principles for the stability and future progress of the organiza-tion. It does not “adapt” to the changes that the orga-nization faces, while moving forward into the future, but provides a guiding light for managing the change within the core values enunciated in the Constitu-tion.

I believe that the current Constitution has served the Bharatiya Temple community exceptionally well for over 30 years, in comparison with what is going on elsewhere at Hindu religious organizations across North America. Quite a few of these are entangled in the courts of law. The fact that we have had rela-tively smooth sailing here has to do, in part, with the principles laid down in the Constitution.

There is not a single instance where the current Constitution has caused any impediments in the day-to-day operations or the long-term aspirations, like the current expan-sion, the establishment of Gurkul Montessori Academy for the kids or incurring legitimate corporate indebtedness. Looking back at the last 30 years, there is not a single instance, in my knowledge, of a consti-tutional imbroglio or a deadlock.

More importantly,

look at the growth and the continued transformation the Temple has accomplished over this time period! It is no wonder that other religious entities have on occasion requested copies of our document so they can use it as a template for their organization.

So why are we bent upon tampering with the ar-ticles of the Constitution that have served us so well? Why diminish the role and oversight of the general membership and vest even more powers in the hands of a few Board members?

IN THE MID-’90S, when I was entrusted with the task of looking into the Bharatiya Temple’s Constitution, as the chair of the Constitution and

By-laws Committee, I went in with the zeal of a reformist, looking for every which way we can turn the document upside down and rectify its imagined shortcomings. But the more we read the document, discussed and debated it in the Board and the Gen-eral Body, for almost over a span of three years, the more it became apparent that this was a reasonably

well-thought-out document. We also learned that the sway of the general membership on the Constitution was carefully bal-anced with the wide-ranging powers vested in the Board of Trustees through the By-laws. The Board is completely empowered in efficient opera-tion of the organization. Any nuances that the Board wants to incorporate, appoint any committees etc., can be done through the By-laws.

We began to have an ap-preciation that the founding members had really taken up the task seriously and had hired the services of experienced people in formulating the document. Given this, our committee affirmed the principle that a change would be recommended if, and only if,

READER FORUM

Let Constitution StandAN ALTERNATIVE VIEW ON AMENDING OUR FOUNDING DOCUMENT

By Bhushan Bhatt


T he Bharatiya temple is undergoing a dramatic physical and organizational change this year. The membership has been involved in these changes and is overwhelmingly supportive of our new direction. Because of these significant developments, we need to adapt our current governing and administrative processes by amending our Temple’s Constitution and Bylaws. The idea of the Bharatiya Temple was originally proposed back in March 1975. Democratic principles of governance were adopted to enable the Board of Trustees to carry out the will of the Temple’s members. The Board of Trustees was given the power to create policies while the Executive Committee was charged with performing the operational responsibilities. The Constitution was formally adopted at a general membership meeting one year later. Robert’s Rules of Order were the guiding framework for constructing the Constitution and Bylaws. Subsequent amendments were approved through the original amendment process prescribed in the Constitution: Passage of amendments required

affirmative votes from at least two-thirds of the members returning mail ballots or from two-thirds of the majority present at the general membership meeting.But in 1997, the amendment procedures themselves were updated to require affirmative votes from at least a two-thirds majority, with participation by at least one half of the total membership (quorum requirement). Since then, passing amendments to the Constitution has been incredibly difficult because of this stipulation.

For example, this year, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee proposed changes in the qualification for various membership categories, a modified election process for the Board of Trustees, changes in the governing structure, and changes in the responsibilities and accountability of various functional units. After the Board of Trustees’ approval, ballot proposals were mailed to the entire membership in August 2007. The ballots were mailed to 1,758 individuals. A total of 591 ballots were returned. The amendments were favored by 472 members and opposed by 106, with six abstaining and seven invalid responses. This response translates into a 34% return of ballots by voting members with 80% approving of the amendments. However, because of the quorum requirement, we were unable to add these amendments to the Constitution to reflect the wishes of our membership.

I t is unclear why the strict quorum requirement for amendments was first established in 1997. It appears that the current criteria are so difficult that it may be impossible to make any more changes to the Constitution. Moreover, when

Stuck in the Past?will Our cOnstitutiOn aDaPt tO chanGe, Or HOlD us BacK?By Swarn Rajpal

SUMMER/FALL 2007 • chetana • PAGE 4

there was a rationale for the change, without altering the principles embodied in the document.

Then, and even now, whenever something goes wrong in the daily workings of the organization, however trivial in nature, the immediate focus has been on “What does the Constitution say?”! So, there has been a constant clamor that whatever ails the organization must be rectified by “updating” the Constitution.

Sensing this continual clamor for “updating” the constitution, the Boards and the General Body, during the 1994-97, after substantial deliberations, decided to put in the quorum requirement that man-dates participation by at least half of the membership for the consideration of amendments to the Constitu-tion. This was specifically done such that the vested interests, taking advantage of the general apathy of the membership toward exercising their vote, may not initiate amendments to the detriment of the or-ganization. On every substantive change, whether amending a constitution or approval of changes with far reaching consequences, there are always quorum requirements for the simple reason that there needs to be a wider participation of the voters.

The arguments put forth in the article in support

of last year’s amendments are mostly an afterthought. For example, if you take a moment to see the Sum-mary sheet that came with the last year’s ballot, the only argument for moving the control of the Article 2 finances, to the Board was listed as “.. to keep up with the inflation.”! The concern about mixing dona-tions with the annual dues can be rectified forthwith, by a simple directive of the Board to the Temple administration to keep these separate and do exactly as prescribed in the Constitution. The concerns about high postal-mail costs and staff time can be mitigated only if the integrity of the Constitution is respected, and amending it is a rare happening as against making it a regular activity by removing quo-rum requirements.

With all humility, as I said above, the Constitution has served and will continue to serve us well if we leave it alone. The Board is empowered to manage the operations and strategies of the Temple and the membership. We should not diminish the role and oversight of the general membership and vest even more powers in the hands of a few Board members. We have checks and balances in our Constitution to support a good balance of power across the organi-zation. Instead of spending our time and energy on Constitutional changes, we should all—the Board, the membership and the broader community focus our attention and time on marshaling our resources and working together to successfully complete the expansion project. \


Fund-Raising: We Can All Help

IT WAS A GREAT ExPERIENCE for us to attend a fund-raising meeting on May 14, for the Temple expansion project.

We discussed the current projects underway for raising funds. Since it was the first time we had attended a meeting of this type, we did not feel bad about asking “stupid questions.”

We asked the committee if they had considered several different ways of raising funds. To our surprise, we were able to add a couple of new ideas—like looking into charity credit cards, 50/50 raffles at all events and asking all major businesses that many of us do business with to contribute. For example, when you are getting some work done around the house (painting, new windows etc.) by

a contractor, ask if his company would contribute to the Temple. It could be in the form of money or a brick in the name of the company. Our son used this idea successfully when he worked with a charity while running his first marathon. He asked his dentist and also his car dealer if they would contribute to his charity. Needless to say both were happy to lend a hand and find new customers!

We would like to encourage everyone to come up with their ideas and share them with the committee. You can e-mail them to Mrs. Nutan Oak, at [email protected]

Put your imagination to work and help our community in fulfilling our dream of a newly expanded Temple for us and our children. \

A LITTLE CREATIVE THINKING GOES A LONG WAYBy Raja and Rupa Gokhale

The Constitution will continue to serve us well if we leave it alone

MOST OF US ARE TURNED OFF by the very mention of the word “death,” because it sounds so final, macabre and ghoulish. But I tend to think of death as

a gift from God that gives meaning to life.Death is not the end of a book, but only an end

of a chapter of a book. The end of the book is when we have achieved the ultimate goal of life—moksha, or liberation—when our karmas have run their course and we have realized our true being to be the eternal, immortal soul rather than identifying with our body and mind.

What we call death is only the death of the physical body. The subtle body—consisting of mind, intellect, ego and mind-stuff containing all of our impressions and tendencies—accompanies the soul after the death of a person whose Karmas have not yet run their course and who has not achieved moksha.

I derive a lot of inspiration from my “deathbed philosophy.” It’s a very simple, and yet, very useful philosophy. Whenever I have to confront with life’s problems or make crucial decisions, the two questions I ask myself are: “How important is this problem going to be at my deathbed?” and “Will I be haunted by regrets, fears, guilts or sadness at my deathbed by the course of action I take now?”

The Bhagavad Gita says that whatever mode of thought we have at the time of death is precisely the mode of thought we will carry with us after death. Therefore, it’s imperative that we live our lives in such a way that at the time of death, we have no regrets, fears, guilt or sadness. And since nobody knows when death will occur, we need to be constantly on guard!

Saint Kabir had it best when he stated:

Jab tum aaya jagat mein,Log hanse tu royeAise karni na kari,Pache hanse sab koye

When you were born in this worldEveryone laughed while you criedConduct not yourself in a manner suchThat they laugh when you are goneToo often, we remain in the worldly mode

throughout our lives without ever giving thought to the “inconvenient truth” that someday we will die. We keep accumulating wealth, keep building mansions, keep acquiring power and keep competing with others even if we hurt other people in the process.

Does it all make any sense when we know that we cannot carry with us at the time of death any of the wealth or property, or the power and glory that goes with it?

There is an old proverb: “When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box.”

Saint Kabir has also said something similar: Kabira garv na keejiyeKaal gahe kar kesNa jaane kit mare haiKya des kya pardesh

Don’t be so proud and vainThe clutches of Time are darkWho knows where shall it killWhether at home or abroad? If we keep in mind the inevitability of death, we

can become humble, compassionate and true to ourselves.

Actually, the deathbed philosophy is no different from common sense. If we want to design a product, we have to have a vision of what our finished product must look like in the end. In the same way, if we want to design our lives, we have to have a vision of how we want to feel at the end of our lives.

Our scriptures shed plenty of light over what should be the finished product and how to design that finished product. Our ultimate finished product is moksha and we need to design our lives that we pass the tests of ethics, morality and spirituality as dictated by our scriptures. \

‘Deathbed Philosophy’DYING IS NOT A CURSE. IT GIVES LIFE MEANING.

by Pradeep Srivastava


If we want to design our lives, we have to have a vision of how we want to feel at the end of our lives

TEMPLE PHOTO FILE

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Visitors’ LogCOLLEGE STUDENTS REFLECT ON THEIR VISIT TO THE TEMPLE


What impression does our temple make on visitors who are nonmembers, or non-Hindus?

From time to time, students from a Macomb Community College comparative-religion class visit a typical Sunday service at The Bharatiya Temple, to enhance their understanding of our faith. But these visits are also a chance for us in the temple community to learn about ourselves—in particular, how our philosophy, our religious customs and our behavior are perceived by outsiders.

For example, in their written reports on the experience, a few students who sat through the Sunday morning discourse guessed that the “real” religious service on Sunday began at noon, because that’s when most people were arriving!

Here are excerpts from some of the students’ reports, which were shared with us by their instructor:

I FOUND THAT MY OVERALL ExPERIENCE at the Bharatiya Hindu temple was very enlightening and interesting. Upon entering the temple, I looked around and saw a simple space

filled with pictures of various Hindu deities and a large statue that was dressed in orange robes. There were some pictures and small statues for sale behind a counter as well. Unfortunately, there was no one available to buy these items from, because I would have liked to purchase a picture. When I entered the main temple, there was a priest on the floor in the middle of a stage area who was chanting what sounded like a mantra to me. It smelled like there was incense burning in the temple and it looked like the priest was throwing flower petals in the air around his head as he chanted, although I couldn’t quite see what it was he was throwing.

There were more statues on the stage or altar area of gods with animal heads and human-like bodies. The whole scene was quite beautiful and fascinating to look at. After the chanting was over, the Macomb students were asked to go downstairs to another part of the temple to have the priest speak with us. The priest seemed very friendly and he spoke of many things that we have learned in class about the Hindu religion. He spoke about how Hindus believe in only one God even though that God is represented in many different forms. He also talked about the Vedas

and yoga. He taught us a breathing exercise, which I thought was very informative. After he finished speaking we were asked to go back upstairs to the main temple. There we listened to a speaker, who I believe was a physician. He spoke more about the fundamentals of Hinduism. I found that the people were very friendly and accepting to the students.

—Joseph Cantanzaro

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WE ARRIVED at the Hindu Temple in Troy. We immediately removed our shoes to go into the service. [In the front of] the large room was a beautiful

altar with statues [decorated with flowers. An open floor was there to sit on, while chairs were available for people unable to sit the entire service. I found it very interesting that there was no schedule. People could come and go as they pleased; this is very different from the church I attend. I found myself listening very intently, even though the majority of the service was in Sanskrit.

During the service, people who came in gave gifts of flowers and food. After, the priest took us down stairs to explain the service. He explained that they do believe in a Supreme Being, but that God is everywhere and in everyone. We are all divine creatures therefore we should not hate what he has created.

The speaker at the end of the service spoke of some of the principle of Hinduism. One thing that stood out in my mind was when he spoke of behavior modification. We all change our behavior to suit whoever is leading us, an employer, a parent, a police officer, a teacher, etc. But most forget that God is everywhere—and there is no behavior modification. Only in the presence of the physical, do we take into consideration our actions. This to me was a very humbling moment. It makes you more conscious of the actions you take in everyday life.

—Tiffany Trombley

GOING TO THE HINDU TEMPLE was a great experience. I learned, heard and saw a lot of things that are very different from other churches that I’ve

been to. Everything was very interesting, like when the priest told us a little bit more about the history of Hinduism. It made me understand a little more


about their religion. For so long, I always wondered what and why they have those signs on the forehead, now I finally found out that is because it gives you peace of mind and it brings holiness everyday.

I also like what he said about happiness, that having everything that you think makes you happy now would never be enough, and that the only way to achieve permanent happiness is through spirituality and religion.

One thing I noticed in the temple is the people being friendly. And I can tell that they are really devoted to their religion and it’s very good that they get to teach and show their young children at an early age how to be devoted and religious. Showing respect to their temple, beliefs and religion is a big factor; it can be showed by different ways, like by taking off their shoes, singing, praising, and offering fruits and rice.

Going to the Hindu Temple made me realize that knowing and learning more than one religion is a good thing. It makes you become more open-minded about different and new stuff. I enjoyed the time I spent in the temple.

—Lytanya Cason

WHEN I FIRST WALKED into the temple, I was in awe. There were beautiful flowers everywhere and painted flowers on the cement

outside. There were trees and other beautiful plants growing outside. When I walked in, there was a model of the temple [expansion] as well as a place to buy yoga mats, and a [statue] dressed up behind glass. It was all very beautiful.

I was ushered into the temple and sat down, then realized that my shoes were still on! After I took care of that, hoping I did not offend, anyone the service started. The room was filled with the smell of incense. On the stage there were many replicas of God and the chief priest was chanting and changing the flowers on the replicas. As this was occurring, people were coming in to the temple. They brought fruit or flowers up to the stage, gave them to the priest and then sat down.

During the service, the people in the crowd were singing with the priest and when it came time to stand up they all stood up and circled three times. We learned later that this meant they were warding off evil. They also covered their eyes, and then uncovered them numerous times. We learned this was done to give them knowledge.

After the service we were led downstairs to get an explanation of what had occurred. This is where Hinduism was explained to us in depth. It is a way

of life and not so much a religion. It is a way to make a person a better human being and lead them to eventually be with God. There is only one Hindu God but it takes many forms, depending on its purpose.

After an explanation of their books and rituals were performed, we were escorted back upstairs for a lecture from a guest speaker. The speaker seemed to have written his lecture specifically for us. He first started off with how God is everywhere and in everything. He expounded on that to explain Hinduism in whole and made it as simple as possible for us to comprehend.

I thoroughly enjoyed the service and I think that Hinduism is a very interesting way of life. I learned a lot from this field trip and I hope that I can go back one day.

—Rachel Morrow

AFTER SOME MINOR CONFUSION with the directions I made my way to the Bharatiya Temple in Troy. After signing in at the lobby, I removed my shoes and placed

them in a cubbyhole to the right of the bathrooms. Inside the temple itself was a carpeted red and blue floor to sit on and a stage to carry out the service on. The lead priest was barefoot and wore a white robe with yellow trim.

The ceremony consisted of him chanting while using props such as a vase, bowl and bell. During the chanting, Hindus brought offerings to the stage for their God. Bananas, apples, and flowers were set on the stage and then taken by the priest to be presented to the statues. After about 45 minutes of this service, the priest took the group downstairs to another temple area and explained to us in English what the ceremony was all about. He explained there is one God in many forms and used the analogy of a nut in a shell to explain that our spirit or “atman” is the nut and the shell is religion. He also talked about the forms of their gods and the Vedas or books that lay out the foundation of their religion.

After this lesson, we went back upstairs to the first temple area and listened to another Hindu speaker. This man was a doctor and he elaborated

‘Going to the Hindu temple made me realize that knowing and

learning more than one religion is a good thing’

continued on the next page


on Hinduism. He spoke of inner peace and the way to find happiness thought moderation and patience. He said there is no hell and no devil, that the devil is inside of us and because we have free will, the choices that we make will affect our state of being.

I thought this was a very interesting event. Getting another point of view will help me understand all kinds of people. I’m just glad at my church we don’t have to sit on the floor because that becomes uncomfortable!

—Todd Schultz

UPON ENTERING THE TEMPLE, I first noticed an elaborate stage with murtis for puja. The high priest chanted while offering up gifts of flowers and food the

deities. While chanting, the priest used water and incense to worship the deities. After the offerings were done the high priest explained his actions. I found that very interesting. While offering flowers at the feet of the murtis, the priest washed the murtis’ hands, feet and face. This water was then left for the devotees to come and put a dot of water on there forehead or some devotees and the high priest drank some of the water. This was a way of the deities’ grace and power to enter the devotees.

Also, a light was used as another offering to the gods and also to the devotees. The devotees would cup there hands as to capture some of the light then press there hands to there face, this is another way to receive power, protective grace and enlightenment. Once this ritual was done, the food was offered to the devotees and the water used for bathing the murtis was also offered to the devotees. Eating of the food and drinking or sprinkling of the water was done because they believe that one should share all that one has and all of these things have been in contact with the deities and now are a part of them.

The speaker was very informative. [He said:] There is one God, found in many forms. Follow the path of truth, devotion and nonviolence. Life is a gift and remember each and every day where this gift came from. Live a modest life. Don’t ask for more then you need. Don’t want what others have or you may not see what you have. Be humble and remember that actions speak louder than words. A positive life will show you the way to enlightenment. Through karma and yoga, one will learn control over one’s body and ultimately achieve enlightenment. Be conscious of your own life and how you live it.

What a great concept. Sounds to me that Hinduism is a way of life that everyone should follow, no matter what God or how many gods you follow.

—Norma Johnson

UPON ENTERING THE HINDU TEMPLE, I saw a large room with an empty floor for sitting, and the main focus of this room was the stage. Upon the stage

were statues of the various forms of the one God, Brahman. The guru or spiritual teacher on the stage was christening the statues with offerings. He was chanting in the Sanskrit language and ringing a bell.

After he had finished, he marked his forehead with the ashes as a symbol of his worship. Everyone on the floor was barefoot and sitting in an Indian style with legs folded. Various scriptures from the Gita were on planks [on the wall], written in the sacred languages and then translated in English below. People entering the room were stopping at the entrance to make offerings of money, fruit and

other items to the gods and then bowing, closing their eyes and putting their hands in praying motion.

We gathered downstairs, where the guru explained to us the meaning of the Hindu religion. They do not force their religion on anyone, but they do encourage people to adapt their practices to become an overall good human being.

Karma is a huge concept of the Hindu religion. Good Karma results in walking towards enlightenment and good results, bad Karma results in walking towards evil, the ways of the earthly word and bad results. After his lecture, we reassembled back upstairs for the remainder of the ceremony.

In this ceremony, we heard another lecture about what Hinduism is all about and the practices they follow. More people started to show up and they just sat wherever. They were very accepting of everyone, unlike some churches I’ve seen who seclude themselves from those they do not know. They did more chanting and lighting of candles as a symbol of worship. They worshiped in song towards the end of the ceremony. They sang a universal song, which all the Hindus knew and sang along with them.

I walked away with a very positive attitude of

‘Sounds to me that Hinduism is a way of life that everyone should

follow, no matter what God or how many gods you follow’

Studentscontinued from the previous page


the Hindu religion and would encourage everyone to experience a service in the Hindu temple. I understand the meaning of their practices and plan to adapt a few of them to my life, such as the yoga practices and the Karma practices of treating people with respect and becoming an overall good person. Even though I am a Christian, I felt accepted and believe their concepts are those which should be taught universally in all religions and cultures.

—Ashley Gresham

I ATTENDED THE FIELD TRIP to the Hindu service on Sept. 23 in Troy. Right as we walked into the [temple], I could hear chanting and smell all the different kinds of incense. As we sat

on the floor, I began to feel more and more relaxed by just listening to the chanting. Once we were taken aside for our own talk, I started to really enjoy the service. I thought that it was very nice that they took us aside to help explain their religion to us. ... Although some of the things I did not agree with, I respected all of the things that the man had to say. It was a new way to view things.

After we went back upstairs, I really enjoyed the speaker who spoke to us. He was very easy to understand and explained things in great detail so that the students attending would be able to follow along. After attending the service, I am looking forward to attending more services in this class. I think that after going to this temple, I learned even more about their religion and the different way that people think about things.

—Alysse Campbell

OUR CLASS TRIP to the Hindu temple was an enlightening and enriching experience. Without the class field trip, our lesson on Hinduism would not have

been complete, for it allowed us to see first-hand the open-mindedness, the spirituality and the religious practice that these people enjoy.

Even though it was covered in our lecture that Hinduism was very accepting of other religions,

it still managed to amaze me how respectful the service was of other religious beliefs. It’s interesting to note how other religions such as Christianity strive to convert all other nonmembers to their faith; such is not the case with Hinduism. Hinduism instead pushes more for the individual person to have a strong sense of self in whatever beliefs they choose to worship. Our speaker’s lecture applied to all religions equally, not just Hinduism.

Being able to witness firsthand the rituals and practices of a Hindu service was of great educational [benefit], for it allowed me to recognize the large amounts of tradition that come with this religion.

—Cody Tippie

WHEN I WALKED INTO THE MAIN Puja Hall, my first thought was how beautiful it all was. The orange and yellow colors encircling the

deities brought focus to them. On the right side of the stage, there was a statue of Ganesh. To the left there was a statue of Hanuman. Both were decorated in beautiful flowers and laurels. Located in the center of the stage were two large statues of Lakshmi Narayana. I noticed right away that both the male and female aspects were there. They were both covered in flowers and were shining. Located at their feet was a large golden platter where the head priest was placing grapes, bananas and other offerings. Watching the priest and his parishioners was very interesting. When Janaki Rama Sastry took us into the second hall to talk to us, I couldn’t help but notice how calming he was to listen to. He was very nice and inviting. I really enjoyed his demonstration of the breathing exercise. I felt very comfortable during the prayer and the lecture from the doctor. There was a feeling of welcome from every person I spoke with. ... I really enjoyed my visit.

—Kristin Kirchhoff

My experience at the Hindu Temple was one that I am not likely to forget any time soon; it seemed to me to be a very informal service. I am not

a religious person at all, and sitting on the floor Indian style with no shoes on was quite out of this world. I especially enjoyed when the high priest was explaining the service to us. Being that I have no religion myself, I can honestly say that I understand the Hindu people more than any other religion. They seem to be a simple people and I like that.

—Candace Vinette

‘Other religions such as Christianity strive to convert

nonmembers to their faith; such is not the case with Hinduism. Our

speaker’s lecture applied to all religions equally.’

Double IdentityHOW YOUNG PEOPLE NAVIGATE BETWEEN PARENTS AND SOCIETY

By Swati Bajpayee, Manish Kenkre and Rohit Maramraju

LEAVING ONE’S NATIVE LAND to go to a for-eign country in hopes of a better life is hard. However, people go through the difficulty for a reason: They hope that by moving to a for-

eign place, they will help provide a better environ-ment for their children to grow up.

Often, parents question their decisions when their children reach adolescence, partially because the rift in the relationships between the parents and the children becomes so great that it becomes difficult for both the parents and the children to understand each other’s point of view. Parents tend to feel that children do this because they have a strong dislike geared towards them.

However, this is not what the teenage children feel. It is not that they don’t want to get along with their parents. Rather, they have difficulty trying to blend what they want with the outside world’s ex-pectations, and their need to satisfy both.

Living up to expectations can be difficult. This is exactly what second-generation Indians have to go through. Parents, having grown up in India, feel that their children should receive the same treatment as they did. First-gen-eration Indian parents expect their children to get very high grades and come out at the top of their class, so that they can get into good colleges. This puts a lot of pressure on the kids. The truth is, even if the kids receive a B grade in a class or two in high school, they would still be accept-ed in a good college in America.

Another example of living up to expec-tations is how some Indian parents will force their kids to study during week-ends and vacation

breaks and try to make them understand that doing this work now will benefit them in the future. During those breaks their children could be enjoying play-ing with their friends, playing sports or watching a movie.

INDIAN PARENTS ALSO ExPECT their kids to take the toughest classes offered at their school, espe-cially Advanced Placement classes. Parents be-

lieve that by taking these classes, their children will have an edge on their competition. Indian parents also expect their kids to do chores around the house without pay. Many other families give their children an allowance for the work they do around the house.

The teenage years of a person’s life are the most delicate and crucial to one’s development. Often, Indian adolescents growing up in America, espe-cially those in less diverse communi-ties, tend


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to grow up with dual personalities. They act as ex-pected by their parents at home, and when they go out, they put on a different mask while amongst their peers.

DIFFERENCES ARE NOTICEABLE in every aspect of these teenagers’ lives, from their manner of speaking to their taste in clothes.

Many second-generation Indians tend to speak in an awkward, mixed-up language at home with their parents by combining English with their native-tongue. They are also inclined to shop less, listen to Indian music, and watch Indian movies while among their families.

When these teens go to hang out with their friends, it’s a completely different story. They’ll go shopping at the typical, overpriced teen stores like Abercrombie & Fitch or Lacoste, and they’ll buy what their parents might consider a bit risqué. These teens also listen to loud rap music and other genres that their parents would most likely find annoying and impossible to understand.

The greatest dividing factor comes up over the

issue of school. Parents expect their kids to receive high grades and study in their free time, whereas teens, pressured by their friends, want to enjoy their time by watching movies or going to the mall. This behavior leads to second-generation Indians becom-ing confused about how to live their lives.

One of the main differences between our parents and our generation is the distinction between the information and experiences that we are exposed to as opposed to those our parents are exposed to.

One example of the difference of information comes from the different tests that we take as high schoolers, namely the SAT and the ACT, while our parents took the engineering and medical entrance tests. Another difference is between our parents’ knowledge of high school. Again, most of our par-ents don’t know that students usually start playing sports when they are young; our classmates start

playing soccer, basketball and other sports when they are in middle school, if not younger. As a result, we are then forced to choose a sport at a late stage. Colleges look for sports on college applications that students have played throughout high school. We have to choose a sport without having a chance to explore all the options that are available to us.

Another difference comes up on the topic of experiences; most of our parents were born and bred in India. Thus, they do not know of the diffi-cult and tricky situations that their children some-times face living in America. Whether it’s eco-nomic issues or personal issues, our parents are sometimes at a loss on how advise us. Granted, they have faced some similar issues in their past, but their situations simply cannot relate to ours, as we have grown up in a completely new and differ-ent country and environment.

Unlike our parents, most of us have a wide variety of friends, friends who range in diversity from ethnic backgrounds to religious backgrounds. Therein lies another dilemma. Our parents grew up around Indians, went to school with Indians, and married other Indians. We, as second generation Indians, have to live with double identities, one situ-ated in the world of education and the other in the world of culture. Growing up, we sometimes have to “act” American, and then switch back to “acting” Indian.

ALL IN ALL, although we differ from our par-ents quite a bit, despite the informational, experiential, and geographical rift, we turn

around to find ourselves taking on the same values they hold.

In conclusion, many problems face second gen-eration Indians. These problems usually arise from the miscommunication between parents and their children. Parents and their children fail to commu-nicate sufficiently on many accounts ranging from information, experiences, and expectations. Teenag-ers usually turn a deaf ear towards their parents and believe that everything that their parents say is false, and they do not trust their parents enough to listen to them.

This is until teenagers actually go through life and find out that what their parents had been badgering them about all along is true. It is true when someone says that people learn from their mistakes. Teenagers truly learn to listen to their parents as they realize that their parents only have their best interests at heart. \

Unlike our parents, most of us have a wide variety of friends,

with different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Our parents grew up

around Indians, went to school with Indians, and married other Indians.



Temple Leaders for 2008The Board of TrusteesCHAIRPERSONSwarn Rajpal

VICE CHAIRPERSONAshok Gupta

SECRETARYRajkumar Ramamurthy

TRUSTEESArun Agarwal, Avinash Desai, Balarama Murty, Lingareddy Devireddy, Madan Kaura, Minal Engineer, Narendra Sheth, Nutan Oak, Shama Kenkre, Shailesh Vora, Sudarshan Singal, Usha Raju

The Executive CommitteePRESIDENTRajinder Kapur

PRESIDENT-ELECTShyam Maheshwari

Ex-OFFICIOVijay Mohan Parvataneni

SECRETARYSuman Desai

JOINT SECRETARYKush Shah

TREASURERSatish Shah

JOINT TREASURERKeshavlal Rathi

COMMITTEE COORDINATORVeena Rao

Working Committee Chairs, StaffBAL BHARATI Prasanna Mohan

CULTURAL Narendra Sheth

CHETANA Krishnan M. Anantharaman

EDUCATION Rajkumar Ramamurthy

E-MAIL NEWSLETTER Mahendra Kenkre

PUBLICATIONS & FLYER Raman Patel

GURUKUL Seshu Yalamanchi

HEALTH FAIR Minal Engineer

INFORMATION SYSTEMS Chithra Chakrapani

KITCHEN AND PRASAD Vasanti Bhakta

LIBRARY Kiran Vangipuram

MAINTENANCE Dinesh Billore

MEMBERSHIP Nancy Bhatt

OUTREACH Kul Gauri

RELIGIOUS Nidhi Khattree

BHARATIYA SENIORS Amar Bhasin

SEVA/SOCIAL SERVICES Madan Kaura

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Shashi Rao

PRIESTS Janaki Ram Sastry Vithala, Ramachandra Bhat, Gopal Krishna Bhat

OFFICE MANAGER, WEB SITE Hema Kulkarni

OFFICE STAFF Shweta Kotnis, Sangeetha Varanasi

CUSTODIAN Jamie Perry

The Bharatiya Temple6850 N. Adams Road,6850 N. Adams Road,

Troy, MI 48098Troy, MI 48098(248) 879.2552(248) 879.2552

Bring your family and friends to spend a wonderful time with community at your temple

East of Adams and South of South Blvd**NEW ENTRANCE on South Blvd.**For more details visit temple website:

www.bharatiya-temple.org

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

P A I DTroy, MI

Permit No. 98

Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.

www.comerica.com

Comerica Bank. Dedicated to serving the banking needs of the South Asian community.

Business Banking Services:Competitive rates on business and SBA loans; cash management and foreignexchange; letters of credit and other international trade services; business checkingand savings accounts.

Personal Banking Services:Competitive rates on loans (including: auto loans, mortgages, Home Equity Flexline,®

lines of credit); checking and savings accounts; high yield money market accounts;financial planning; and investments and trust.

Comerica is proud to serve the banking needs of the South Asian community inSoutheast Michigan and from our network of over 360 banking centers nationwide. Wealso offer ATM, Visa® Debit Card and Web Banking services for added convenience.We have dedicated banking officers to serve the financial needs of the South Asiancommunity fluent in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Punjabi and Gujarati. You will enjoy ourfriendly and high quality service.

Preeti Sarnaik • [email protected] • 313-222-5185

inside: reader forum, summer calendar and more photos · swati bajpayee, manish kenkre and rohit...

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