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Volume 7, No. 2 Mandir Vani Summer 2003

Mandir Vani News Letter of

Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies 8375 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80128

Www.hindutempleofcolorado.org 303-948-9693 email: [email protected]

The mission of the Hindu temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies is to provide a forum for religious worship and celebrations, and for cultural, religious, and spiritual development activities based on Hindu / Vedic / Sanatan - Dharma traditions.

Editorial Board

K. C. Upadhyay (Priest) Madhur Mahajan (Editor) Mahesh Jha (President)

Table of Contents

Recent Celebrations Page 1 Temple Calendars Page 7-8

Autumn Festivals Page 2 Board Briefings Page 9

Nava Ratri Pooja Page 3 Role of Temple in Our Lives Page 10

Management Reports Page 4 Temple Activities Page 11

Celebration Flyers Page 5-6 Donation Appeal Page 12

Recent Celebrations Shri Ram Navami, Lord Ram’s Birthday, was celebrated at the temple on April 12 and 13. The Akhand Ramayan Paath (24 hour non-stop reading of Shri Ram Charit Manas by Tulsi Das) started at 10:30 AM on Saturday with a brief Pooja ceremony by Acharya Ji, culminating on Sunday followed by group chanting of Ram Bhajans and Ram Stuti. Many enthusiastic devotees participated in the event. The temple was packed to its capacity at the Darshan time. Our sincere thanks to Rajesh Agarwal who coordinated the Akhand Ramayan reading assignments, and to all the volunteers who

helped to clean and decorate the temple, prepare and distribute the prasad plates, and answer the phone calls. We also sincerely thank India's Restaurant, who has been donating the food for lunch for this occasion for several years. The Graduation Pooja, another annual event was held on Sunday, June 2. Over 30 graduates from kindergarten through post graduate programs attended the celebration coordinated by Saroj Chatterjee. After the Saraswati Pooja, graduates were individually recognized, awarded certificates, and blessed by Acharya Ji. The families of graduates brought flowers and Prasad and Durreja/Kashyap Family provided lunch.


Autumn Festivals Autumn is a season of celebrations for Hindus. These months are spread out with innumerable religious festivals and ceremonies. In our temple most of the major festivals are celebrated according to the Shastras (holy scriptures) with great spirit. Here are some of the highlights of the season. Vara Lakshmi Pooja: Married women observe fast on Friday prior to the full moon for the long life of the husband and happy and prosperous family. This Vrata implies the worship of Vara Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. The pooja was performed in the temple on August 8 at 7 PM. Poornima: This full moon day is very prominent as a number of festivals ensemble on this day. The Brahamins who have been initiated and wear the sacred thread ‘Yagnopveet’, were invited to renew their sacred thread. Acharya Ji performed the ceremony on August 12 at 9 AM.

Janmashtami: This is the eighth day after the full moon in Bhadrapad, celebrated as the birthday of Shri Krishna. This well-known Hindu festival will be celebrated in the temple on August 19, Tuesday starting at 6 PM. For more details, please see the Krishna Janmashtami flyer. Ganesha Chaturthi: This celebration has become a popular tradition in our temple. Dr. Prabhakar and Revathi Rao, well-known personalities in the temple organization, gather all the Kannada Koot families for this occasion. Once again, Lord Ganesha will be worshipped with great veneration and enthusiasm on August 31 (Sunday) starting at 10 AM.

Ganesh Utsav: There will be another grand celebration in honor of Lord Ganesh by Maharashtrian families and friends on September 6, (Saturday). Ganapati Pooja will start at 11 AM, followed by Prasad and cultural programs. If you would like to prepare some Prasad, or participate in cultural program, or help any way you can, please contact Madhur Mahajan (303-278-9860) or Arti Kale (303-940-2506). For information on both celebrations, please see the Ganesha Chaturthi Celebration flyer.

Nava Ratri Pooja: Another grand celebration will be held in the temple in honor of Devi Durga. The Kalash Sthapan will be on September 27, at 7 PM and Chowkee on September 28 at 5 PM. Vijaya Dashami will be celebrated on October 5, Sunday at 6:30 PM. Vijaya Dashami emphasizes the victory of good over the evil. On this day Lord Ram killed the demon king Ravana. Ravana symbolizes our own ignorance, which causes manifold suffering and pain. Lord Rama kills Ravana and transcends wisdom and knowledge for the well-being of his devotees on earth. It is an exhilarating experience to see the different groups coming together and celebrating their favorite holidays in the temple. Each holiday brings us closer to our society, to our friends, to our families, and to ourselves. To sponsor an event or participate in the celebration, or help, please contact Acharya ji. For more information on the festivals celebrated at the temple, please see the Temple Calendars.


Nava Ratri Durga Pooja Navaratri is composed of two words Nava and Ratri. In Sanskrit, ’nava’ means nine and ‘ratri’ means night. The festival is also called Durga Pooja. Durga means which is very hard to know or approach. The devotees of Mother Durga worship her and observe fasting for nine days. This festival is celebrated twice a year, once in ‘Chaitra’ (March/April) and again in ‘Ashwin’ (September/October). Vedanta philosophy recognizes energy of ‘Brahman’ as the root of creation and sustenance which reasons to matter or life and mind also. This is the same energy, which is known in ‘Tantras’ as Shakti and has evolved over a period of time in many female forms, as described in many Puranas. Out of these forms, Durga is, perhaps, the most widely worshipped aspect of Shakti. An entire Purana, ‘Devi Bhagavatam’ has been devoted to Her. All the Trinity Gods have Shakti as their consort. Creator Brahma has Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning and Speech, Preserver Vishnu has Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity, and Annihilator Shiva has Kali, the Goddess of Strength and Destruction.

Devi Durga stands independent, and is worshipped in her own right. She is alone capable of bringing heavenly gods together to

enhance their potential to fight the demon within, which if unchecked, could rise to the level of demon like Mahishasura. She is the excellence in all human endeavors. She is the Shakti ‘Kundalini’ of Yogi Patanjali, which flows in 7 Chakras. She is the flow of river, breath of body, burning power of fire and sun. She is the personification of Maya ‘illusive power of mundane’, the mysterious power of Lord Vishnu. Unless she is pleased and voluntarily withdraws, the Lord in us will not awake and demolish the powers of evil, which are constantly trying to destroy us. Mother worship is not alien to the Vedic religion. In Rig Veda, Ratri Sukta emphasizes the origins and importance of Mother worship. She is metaphor of Knowledge also, which we need to deal with ills of this mundane world. During the Nava Ratri days, Hindus pray to Goddess Durga to endow them with this energy to maintain their physical and mental balance. Navaratri is observed for 9 days and nine nights. The nine days and nine nights are divided into three sets of three days and nights, and each set is devoted to worship these aspects of God’s supreme energy. The first set to Mother Kali, the second to Goddess Lakshmi and the third to Goddess Saraswati. The mode of celebrating may be different in various parts of India but the worship of Mother Goddess remains the sole reason. Nava Ratri festival recognizes the feminine aspect of divinity and thus restores the wholeness, completeness, and universality of Hindu religion.

--Acharya K. C. Upadhyay

Volume 7, No. 3 Mandir Vani Autumn, 2003

The management reports… Temple Improvement Project As mentioned in the last issue of Mandir Vani, we have embarked on a Temple Improvement Project to accomplish several goals. First, the building and facilities had to meet the safety and code requirements of Jefferson County for a public place. Second, we wanted to expand the hall seating area to accommodate more people, because a new and larger facility still seems far in our future due to lack of funds. Third, we wanted to make the visit to the temple, a pleasant experience and not a hassle. The project is being implemented in four phases: 1. Inside Remodeling 2. Parking Lot, Sidewalk and Patio 3. Landscaping 4. Outside Remodeling The progress made to date and the plans for future are briefly discussed below. Your comments are most welcome both on what has been done and what we plan to do. Inside Remodeling The inside remodeling work has been completed at an approximate cost of $30,000. It included moving the kitchen to the basement and removing the old bathroom. This has resulted in a more open and larger hall with seating capacity for 175 people, an attractive reception foyer, and a double-door wheelchair accessible entrance. The three rooms on the south side of the building have been remodeled into a shoe room with shoe racks, two bathrooms (one wheelchair accessible), an office and the corner deity room with library. A new side door entrance to the shoe room and a new staircase from there to the basement have increased both safety and convenience. The new kitchen in the basement is large and open with a service counter that has improved the preparation and distribution of lunch plates on Sundays. The kitchen includes new oven, range and dishwasher as well as a double stainless steel sink. Ample counter and shelf space has been provided in the kitchen and Prasad room. Parking Lot, Sidewalk and Patio We have obtained permits from Colorado Department of Transportation for access and sidewalk construction. The

Grading and Construction Permits from Jefferson County to build the new parking lot and patio are expected by August 15, 2003. La Farge has been selected as contractor and it is hoped that the work will be completed by September 15, 2003. The new parking lot will be on the south side of the building and extend to the end of the second lot. The third lot will be left undeveloped for the time being and can be used for overflow parking. The new parking lot (40 stalls), to be paved with recycled asphalt pavement, will be connected to the old parking lot (10 stalls) by a driveway behind the building and will also have a direct access to the Service Road. The sidewalk in front of the building will be extended to the end of the parking lot. A concrete patio will be built along the south wall of the building and connected to the hall through the two existing doors. The patio will provide a safe and clean place for stepping out and possibly for performing Havans during the summer months. Future Plans It is planned to complete the landscaping work between the sidewalk and parking lot this fall. This was a requirement placed by the county. Outside remodeling work has been postponed till next year. The plan being discussed includes replacement of the present wooden ramp and porch with a straight concrete ramp with steel railing, a concrete porch covered with red slate tiles, flower planters, landscaping in the front, and possibly construction of a new façade over the porch to give the temple a more traditional look. Financial Report The income for the first half of 2003 was $72,924 including the funds raised by Anup Jalota concert. The expenses were $69,972 including the expenses for the concert and the inside remodeling work. The temple currently has about $88,000 in bank, out of which $20,000 is earmarked for the new temple. The budget, for the parking lot, sidewalk and patio construction as well as landscaping work to be done this year, is estimated at $35,000.


|| Vasudev Sutam Devam, Kans Charuna Mardanam Devaki Parmanandam, Krishnam Vande Jagad Gurum ||

Shri Krishna Janmashtami Celebration

Hindu Temple and Cultural Center 8375 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80128, (303) 948-9693

Tuesday August 19, 2003

Program Time

Geeta Paath

Cultural Program*

Stotra Chanting

Keertana / Bhajana*

Shri Krishhna Janma / Pooja

Ashtottarashatanam Archana

Shri Krishhna Arati

Regular Arati / Prarthana

Prasaad

6:00 -- 8:30 pm

8:30 – 10:00 pm

10:00 – 11:00 pm

11:00 – 11:58 pm

11:58 – midnight

12:00 – 12:10 am

12:10 – 12:15 am

12:15 – 12:30 am

12:30 am

• If interested in performing and/or singing bhajana and keertana , please call Saroj Chatterjee at 303-470-

2801.


|| OM Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah||

||Shuklaambaradharam Devam Shashi Varnam Chaturbhujam

Prasanna Vadanam Dhayet Sarva Vighnopa Shantaye||

GANESHA CHATURTHI CELEBRATION

Hindu Temple and Cultural Center

8375 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80128, 303-948-9693

Sunday, August 31, 2003 Saturday, September 6, 2003 10:00 AM –2:00 PM 11:00 AM –4:00 PM PROGRAM PROGRAM Ganesha Puja Ganesha Puja Ashtottara Namavali Ashtottara Namavali Ganesha Stuti Ganesha Stuti* Ganesha Bhajans* Arati Arati Mantra Pushpanjali Prasadam** Prasadam** Cultural Program* Sponsored by Kannada Koota of Colorado

Sponsored by Maratha Mandal of Colorado.

* Devotees who wish to participate or help in devotional and cultural program, please contact Arti Kale @ 303-940-2506 ** Devotees wishing to help to bring Prasadam, please call Madhur Mahajan @ 303-278-9860 Directions to the temple: From C-470, take Wadsworth Blvd exit, go north. Turn left on West Chatfield Avenue (first light), going west one block. Turn left on S. Wadsworth Ct., going south half block. First driveway on the left is to the temple parking lot.


Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies 8375 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80218

(303) 948-9693

Temple Functions Calendar August – October 2003

Day Date Time Function Sponsor

AUGUST

Sunday 3 11 am Satya Narayan Katha Dinesh and Asha Punjabi

Friday 8 7 pm Vara Lakshmi Pooja Temple

Sunday 10 11 am Satya Narayan Katha Kiran and Anjali Kadam

Tuesday 12 6:45 pm Satya Narayan Katha Gita and Swaminathan

Sunday 17 6:45 pm Satya Narayan Katha Pramod and Kim Goel

Tuesday 19 6 pm Janmashtami Pawan Bhat

Sunday 24 11 am Satya Narayan Katha Dr. Shalini and Manoj Agrawal

Sunday 31 11 am Ganesh Chaturthi Revathi and Prabhakar Rao

SEPTEMBER

Saturday 6 11 am Ganesh Utsav Madhur Mahajan and Arti Kale

Sunday 7 11 am Satya Naraya Katha Gurpreet and Sahifa

Wednesday 10 6:45 pm Satya Narayan Katha Chapala and Rajesh Agrawal

Sunday 14 11 am Saraswati Pooja Mr. Ganesh and Shashikala

Sunday 21 11 am Sponsor Pooja Kamal and Anju Shah

Saturday 27 7 pm Navratri Kalash Sthapan Temple

Sunday 28 11 am Sponsor Pooja Sandeep Lohia

Sunday 28 5 pm Chowki Reva Nayar and Pooja Bhat

OCTOBER

Friday 3 6 pm Durga Ashtami Temple

Sunday 5 11 am Open

Available

Sunday 5 6:30 pm Vijaya Dashami Temple

Friday 10 6:45 Satya Narayana Katha Available

Sunday 12 11 am Open Available

Sunday 19 11 am Shiv Pooja (Lungar) Nand and Anju Hingorani

Sunday 26 11 am Open Available

We sincerely thank all the above named sponsors. May God bless all of them and their families. We urgently request your sponsorship for Sunday Pooja and Satya Naraayan Pooja on Poornima days. If you are interested and need more information, please call Acharya Ji at: 303-948-9693 (temple) or 720-344-1448 (home).


� HINDU TEMPLE AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE ROCKIES 8375 S. WADSWORTH BLVD. LITTLETON, CO 80128, TELE (303) 948 - 9693

Hindu Festivals Calendar (August – December, 2003) Actual Festival Day (7:00

PM) Celebrated at Temple

August

Naaga Panchamii 02 (Saturday) Vara Lakshamii 08 (Friday) 08 (Friday) 7:00 PM Poornima/ Rakshaabandhana 12 (Tuesday) 12 (Tuesday) (Satyanarayana Katha) 12 (Tuesday) 12 (Tuesday) 6:45 PM Upaa-karma 12 (Tuesday) 12 (Tuesday) 9:00 AM Shrii KrishhNa JanmaashhTamii 19 (Tuesday) 19 (Tuesday) 6:00 PM Vinaayaka Chaturthii 31 (Sunday) 31 (Sunday) 11:00 AM

September

Poornima/(Satyanarayana Katha) 10 (Wednesday) 10 (Wednesday) Shraaddha Begins 11(Thursday) Shraaddha ends 26 (Friday) Sharada Navaraatri Begins 27 (Saturday) Chowki 28 (Sunday) 28 (Sunday) 5:00 PM

October

Durgaa AshTamii 03 (Friday) 03 (Friday) Dashaharaa/Vijaya dashamii 05 (Sunday) 05 (Sunday) 11:00 AM Sharada Poornima (Satyanarayana Katha) 09 (Thursday) 09 (Thursday) Karavaa Chauth 13 (Monday) 13 (Monday) 4:00 PM Ahoi AshhTamii 18 (Saturday) Diipaawalii/Lakshamii Puujaa 24 (Friday) 24 (Friday) 6:00 PM Govardhana Puujaa 25 (Saturday) Bhaiyaa Duuja 26 (Sunday)

November

Tulasii Vivaaha 04 (Tuesday) Poornima (Satyanarayana Katha) / Guru Nanaka Jayantii

08 (Saturday)

08 (Saturday) 6:45 PM

December

Giitaa Jayantii/Mokshada Ekadashi 03 (Wednesday) 03(Wednesday) 6:00 PM Poornima /Satyanarayana Katha 08 (Monday) 08 (Monday) 6:45 PM

Activities in Bold Face are planned to be celebrated at the temple. Dates are subject to change, please call Acharya Ji for confirmation and further details.

Direction: From C-470, Exit Wadsworth Blvd. north, left on Chatfield Ave. (First Light), left on Wadsworth Court (first street), first driveway on the left is to the temple parking lot.


Board Briefings… Anup Jalota Concert - a great success! The Board of Trustees of Hindu Temple and Cultural Center thanks Narender Kumar for his initiative and leadership in organizing the Anup Jalota concert to raise funds for the new temple. The concert was held at the Ascot Events Center, in Littleton, Colorado on Sunday, March 30, 2003. Mrs. Asha Mishra and Mira Tiwari had done a tremendous job of decorating the stage. Maaruti and Masalaa restaurants served delicious snacks, before the concert and during intermission. Ms. Artamis Khadiwala and Mrs. Kathy Nanda hosted a silent auction, during the intermission, for many items donated by the community. Jalota Ji sang many Bhajans, movie songs and Gazals which was immensely enjoyed by over 400 people in the audience. Besides being a memorable evening of cultural program, the event also provided a great opportunity for socializing. This first fundraiser event of its kind was considered a great success as we collected about $30,000 in gross receipts. The expenses were about $15,000. Thus there was a net gain of about $15,000, which has been deposited in the New Temple Fund. Many thanks to the recent major donors! The Board of Trustees gratefully acknowledges following major donations made to the temple recently. May God bless them and their families. 1. The beautiful slate tiles you see in the temple were imported from India and donated to the temple by Stone City of Aurora. The owners of the store, Sridhar Baboo, Srinivas and Vince not only helped with the delivery of the tiles but also provided guidance in installation. We hope that they will donate similar beautiful red tiles for the porch when outside remodeling is done. 2. The board was pleasantly surprised by a check of $3,000 sent by Dr. A. Kumar and Roberta Bhasin Foundation. Both Kumar and Roberta have taken early retirement and perform community service as volunteers at several local organizations. 3. A devotee of the temple who regularly visits the temple, made a donation of $3,000 during Ram Navami

celebration in memory of her late husband and father-in-law, whom we cannot name because of her request for anonymity.

Contact a Board Member if you have a comment or suggestion.

The Board meets on third Sunday of every month to discuss management matters including policies and guidelines. A Handbook of Policies and Procedures is currently under preparation. If you have any comments or suggestions about these matters, please write it down with your name and phone number, and place it in the Suggestion Box located in the foyer area of the temple. You can also call any Board Member to discuss it.

The Hindu Temple Board of Trustees

Officers

President

Mahesh Jha (303-526-0260)

Vice President C. P. Mishra (303-973-7765) Secretary Kathy Nanda (303-377-6438) Treasurer Satish Kumar (303-973-4635)

Members

Rajesh Agarwal 303-271-0509 Manohar Arora 303-568-0746 Pawan Bhat 303-972-3845 Arun Budhiraja 303-755-4805 Saroj Chatterjee 303-470-2801 Narender Kumar 303-797-8029 Ved Nanda 303-377-6438 Reva Nayar 303-690-4347 Girish Patel 303-978-9791 Prabhakara Rao 303-979-4193 Raja Upadhyay 303-526-4297 Retirement and Election of Trustees Several trustees would be retiring at the end of Year 2003. If you are interested in volunteering your skills and services and would like to serve as a Trustee, please contact Reva Nayar, C. P. Mishra or Mahesh Jha at phone numbers given above.


Role of Temple in Our Lives

From prehistoric times, religion or faith has been an important part of all human societies. The various religions of the world involve different religious practices, which further differ based on geographic locations, and have changed with time. Yet, the use of a common and specific place to perform the worship and other religious activities, is a common element in all religions. Thus, Christians have churches, Jews have synagogues, Muslims have mosques and Hindus, Buddhists and Jains have temples. While all religions preach that God is omnipresent, each community considers it is a special place of worship, an abode for its God. The architecture of these places of worship probably varies as much as the religious practices. The thought that abode for God should be more permanent and better than the dwellings for men, is probably the main reason why so many grand temples, churches and mosques have been built in all parts of the world in all time periods. In practical terms, the abode for God is really used by the community members and the facilities are therefore designed to meet the needs and wants of the community. Just like the "quality" of a community can be gauged by looking at its schools, hospitals, parks, stadiums etc, it can be and often is also determined by looking at its places of worship. Thus, community pride is another driving force for the "bigger and better" churches and temples. The community facilities, like schools and hospitals, are used by specific groups (students, patients) for a limited period of time. The places of worship, on the other hand, are meant for the people of all ages throughout their life time. In India as well as in USA, while the other community facilities are built and maintained by financial support from the government, the places of worship are totally supported by the community. Thus they are indeed places "of the people, by the people, for the people". The above discussion applies to people of all faiths, everywhere. Focusing now on the Hindus in India, temple is a necessary part of the life, be it in the village or cities. From birth to marriage to death, each Sanskaar (rite), even if not performed directly in the temple, requires a visit to the temple. While most families have statues or pictures of their favorite Gods in their homes to worship in their own way, the temple is still

considered the "right" place to worship the God in "right" way, with or without the help of the priest there. Finally, let us get close to home and think about the role of our Hindu Temple in our lives. It is not critical to our life, and many of us have lived here for a long time without a temple. But as we grew older, our children became of marriage age, our parents started visiting us, illness and death started affecting us, we felt the need of a temple more intensely. This is why the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies was started in 1996. The community has used it and continues to do so in increasing numbers for all kinds of religious activities. We installed all major deities (Ganesh, Shiv-Parvati, Venkateshwar, Sita-Ram, Radha-Krishna, Durga and Hanuman) and have large framed pictures of other deities like Saraswati and Satya Narayan that are used for specific Poojas. We try to celebrate all major religious functions, national and regional, connected to the various Gods and Goddesses. The temple also provides priest and facilities for conduct of personal Pooja and Sanskaars (like naming the child, first food, marriage etc.). The priest also conducts such Pooja and ceremonies (including start of new business or home) off site. Sunday Poojas are regularly attended by 100 to 150 people. Following aarti, lunch is served. This also serves a social need of the community – a meeting place for friends and families. A still larger crowd of 200 to 500 people show up for special celebrations like Ganesh Chaturthi, Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Shiv Ratri and Diwali. The temple also provides a forum for cultural and educational activities for both children and adults. These activities will increase once we build a larger temple and cultural center. When requested, temple representatives participate in multi-religion forums and give lectures on Hindu religion to educate the community as part of community outreach activities. In summary, our temple plays a very important role in our lives. It is hoped that this brief article will encourage more community members to take a more active role in the building, maintaining, managing, serving, and using a bigger and better temple for all of us. -- Mahesh Jha

Volume 7, No. 2 Mandir Vani Page 10 Summer 2003

Temple Activities Regular Schedule The temple is open 10 am to 1 pm daily (except Wednesdays and Saturdays). On Sundays, Venkatesh Suprabhatam and Vishnu Sahashra

Naam Stotra paath is held from 10 to 11 am. This is followed by sponsored pooja and/or pravachan, bhajans and keertans. The arati starts at 12:30 pm followed by prasad (lunch). The temple is open every evening from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Different pooja/paath are scheduled on different days beginning at 7 pm. Regular arti and prarthana are performed between 7:30 and 8 pm. Satya Narayan Pooja / Katha is held every Poornima (full moon) night. Personal Poojas and Ceremonies During the first half of 2003, following personal poojas and ceremonies were performed at the temple: Namkaran Two Annaprashan Two Mundan Six Aksharabhyas One Navagraha Pooja One Satya Narayan Katha Eleven Shraddh two This included Namkaran of five members of a family that opted to convert to Hinduism and visits the temple regularly. Acharya Ji is also available to conduct such poojas

and ceremonies away from the temple. During the first half of 2003, he conducted following poojas and ceremonies for the community members: Griha Pravesh ten Namkaran Six Satya Narayan Katha Fifteen Ganesh Pooja Three Wedding Two Chandi Path Two Punyah Vachan One If you are interested in performing similar poojas or ceremonies, please contact Acharya Ji at the temple or by phone @temple: 303-948-9693 or @home: 720-344-1448.

Cultural and Educational Activities As part of its mission, the temple also provides a forum and facilities for cultural and educational activities. Some recent activities are briefly described below. Regional Cultural/Religious Celebrations During the last six months following regional cultural/religious celebrations were held at the temple. 1. The Kannada Koot celebrated Ugaadi (new year

of solar calendar). 2. The Tamil group held a Thyagraj musical

program. 3. The Maratha Mandal held a program that

included a discourse on Shivaji by a famous speaker from India.

The temple encourages performance of such regional cultural/religious celebrations, so long as they do not interfere with the regular and prescheduled activities. If you are interested in organizing such a program at the temple, please contact Acharya Ji or a Trustee. Spreading the word about Hinduism As part of its community outreach program, the temple continues to host group of students from local schools and colleges as well as sends speakers on request. The goal is to educate the public to promote mutual respect and tolerance among people of different religions. During the first half of this year, ten groups (of up to 26 people) visited the temple. These included students from CU, DU and Regis Universities as well as Grayland Country Day School, and Burlington and D. C. Oak High Schools. In spite of his busy schedule, Acharya Ji finds time to welcome such visitors to the temple and talk to them about Hindu Religion. On June 26, 2003, Mahesh Jha delivered a lecture at Regis University. On July 12, 2003, he represented Hindu Religion on a multi-religion panel, organized by East Indian Heritage Camp for the families who have adopted orphan children from India and wanted to learn about Indian cultures and religions.


Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies 8375 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Littleton, CO 80128 303-948-9693 We hope that you have visited the temple recently and been pleased with the inside remodeling work, which cost about $30,000. This was made possible partly by the donations made by you in the Arti Thali and Donation Box at the temple.

We are now in the process of building a large parking lot, sidewalk and patio. The budget is estimated at $35,000 including landscaping. Please continue to show your support by making generous donations at the temple or by mail (cut and enclose the coupon printed below). The contributions are tax deductible. The Tax ID number for Hindu Temple and Cultural Center is 84-1301209 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Enclosed is a check for $_________, my/our contribution for the Temple Improvement Project. Name___________________________ Spouse Name ___________________ Address_________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________ Phone______________________ e-mail:_________________

Non Profit Organization US Postage Paid Permit No 237 Littleton, CO

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