Temple breaking ground in Chatham Illinois April 21
Chatham, 9 April; Preparations are reportedly on for Bhoomi Puja (ground breaking) for the new about 8,500 square-feet Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield (HTGS) in the village of Chatham (Illinois).
Bhoomi Puja is performed to attract the positive energies and to appease the natural elements of the new site while seeking the blessings of Vastu Purush and mother Earth to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved in the endeavor, an HTGS announcement says. New temple showcasing the traditional Hindu architecture and including a raja-gopuram, is expected to be complete in two years, reports suggest.
The interim Hindu Temple in Chatham, a former Baptist Church, which opens daily, reportedly conducts worship services everyday with customary rituals, celebrates Hindu festivals, organizes cultural events, runs language and religious education classes, holds study circles and discourses, undertakes religious activities and community service projects, etc.
Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of temple leaders and area community towards realizing this Hindu 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. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.
Mission of HTGS, a non-profit organization established 2007, includes “to preserve and promote the Hindu Religion, culture and philosophy”. Gopal Reddy and Kamal Chopra are Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of the Governing Board of Trustees; while Raghu Raghuraman and Suchitra Puthanpurayil are President and Secretary respectively of the Executive Committee.
Puja (worship) services at the temple for 60th/80th birthday costs $251, child-naming ceremony costs $51, mundan (tonsure) ceremony costs $31 and for vehicle it costs $25.
