செய்தி: அமெரிக்கா இல்லினாய் குவாட் சிட்டியில் இந்துகோவில் திறப்புவிழா

குவாட் சிட்டியில் இந்து கோவில் திறப்புவிழா
அனைவரும் வருக
இறையருள் பெறுக

மேற்கு இல்லினாய், கிழக்கு அயோவா மாநிலங்களில் வசிக்கும் இந்துக்களுக்கு இறையருளாக குவாட் சிட்டியில் கோவில் உருவாகியிருக்கிறது.

அதன் திறப்புவிழா வரும் மங்களகரமான வெள்ளிகிழமையில் நடக்க உள்ளது.

அனைவரும் வருக.



Hindu community to celebrate opening of temple
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By Jonathan Turner, staff writer

The main entrance to the new QC Hindu Temple in Rock Island, seen here on Tuesday afternoon, is decorated to give the building's exterior a colorful, inviting look. The temple, at 9801 14th St. Rock Island, will open this weekend with two and a half days of activities and ceremonies.

(The Quad City Hindu Temple open house will be 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There will be ceremonies to consecrate the deities, and free Indian food.)

ROCK ISLAND -- Hindus throughout western Illinois and eastern Iowa will celebrate the grand opening of the $1 million Quad City Hindu Temple this weekend.

The one-story, 7,294-square-foot building off 14th Street West, near the Milan Beltway and U.S. 67, has been in the works almost six years. It will serve 450 Hindus in the region, including Clinton, Dubuque, Galesburg and Macomb, said board member Arun Pillutla.

'We want as many people as possible to use the space, in line with the mission of the temple,' he said of the community room, which can seat up to 70 people, and will be available for private receptions or other events.

Construction of the temple was funded entirely by private donations, including many from non-Hindu families and from Hindus all over the world, according to the web site.

'I am personally very glad to say that we had people of all faiths who contributed,' said Mr. Pillutla, an India native who moved to the Quad-Cities in 1999 to join the business faculty at St. Ambrose University.

He said the local Hindu population has grown in the past decade. 'The Quad-Cities has been a very open community. It's offered a job and other opportunities for people from all over the world, certainly in the areas of engineering and medicine.'

There are at least eight other Hindu temples in Illinois, including several in the Chicago area, and Peoria and Urbana. Until now, area Hindus have gathered at private homes, high schools, libraries and community centers to worship. Hindu weddings of local residents have been held in the Chicago area or India, Mr. Pillutla said.

The QC Hindu Temple began as an idea in the home of a local physician, where several Hindu community leaders met in December 2001, according to the Web site. They bought the Rock Island land in 2002 and broke ground in October 2003.

Hindus worship many deities, and the main temple -- which is carpeted and requires visitors to remove shoes before entering -- will house shrines to nine of those.

For this weekend's grand opening activities, there will be special metal sculptures at the shrines, but within six months there will be granite, marble, and other stone statues from India put in their place, Mr. Pillutla said.

Hinduism differs from Christianity and other Western religions in that it 'does not have a single founder, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or a central religious organization,' according to ReligiousTolerance.org.

It consists of 'thousands of different religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 BC.'

Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam, with more than 830 million adherents, including 1.1 million in the United States.

The Quad-Cities has had a Friends of India organization for more than 20 years, but no strictly Hindu group before the temple plans, Mr. Pillutla said.

'Friends of India is a separate organization, although many people belong to both,' he said. 'India is a multi-religious country. Friends of India attracts members that are not necessarily Hindu.'

Of India's population of 1.1 billion, 83 percent are Hindu, while about 13 percent are Muslim, Mr. Pillutla said.

The Q-C temple completes the first phase of the project, with landscaping to be done by this summer, he said. An intricate, majestic exterior -- with towers and columns -- is planned for the long term, at a cost of about $1 million more, Mr. Pillutla said.

The temple typically will be open 6-8 p.m. weeknights, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends, Mr. Pillutla said.

'We are praying for blessings from God, for the temple to be here for a long time, for temple to be beneficial to all, and offering that people have peace and prosperity.'

About Hinduism

-- More than 830 million Hindus worldwide, including 30 million outside India

-- Many believe Brahman is ultimate God, with many gods and goddesses representing various aspects of the supreme God.

-- Fundamental beliefs include:

Authority of the Vedas, the oldest Indian sacred texts, and Brahmans or priests

Existence of an enduring soul that migrates from one body to another at death

Law of karma, to determine one's destiny in this life and the next

-- The purposes of life are: Dharma -- fulfill moral, social and religious duties Artha -- attain financial and worldly success Kama -- satisfy desires and drives in moderation Moksha -- attain freedom from reincarnation

Source: ReligionFacts.com