I always have believed in God but also believed that God is everywhere so why do we need to visit temple? Not sure what changed my mind but since last 4 years, I have been visiting a Hindu Temple (ISSO) in Lowell, MA most Saturdays.
This is where I found a group of very dedicated 'servents' who serve the temple needs without any expectations from anyone. This post is dedicated to this group of people who serve this temple.
This group arranges almost everything at the temple. If I name a few, I'll be doing injustice to others - so I'd call them ISSO Committee.Some of them are in their 80s - and some of them are just in highschool! All their services to the temple is complimentory.
The weekly SABHA (a religious meeting)consists of a PRAVACHAN, Aarti (Prayer) and Prasad (complimentary dinner). The food is prepared in huge kitchen of the temple by some of them, some of them serve the food and some of them wash the utensils by hand. (There is no dishwasher for these big pots and pans!)
Most Saturdays, there are about 400-500 devotees visit the temple and on religious functions, this number is almost doubled.
Apart from these weekly activities, they also arrange few annual functions on very large scale. Patotsav is usually celebrated in the month of August. With few thousand guests at this function, everything is very well organized and smooth - from Puja to Aarti to Mahaprasad (Prayers to Offerings from God).
And not to mention about the Annual Summer Camp organized by this group.
I salute their unselfish commitment and dedication. They are carrying on the religious belief and culture to the next generation, believing that that generation will do the same.
Photo Courtsey: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluralismproject/3786802055/lightbox/
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