ELECTION 99
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

NY Ranganatha Temple Nears Completion

A P Kamath

The devotees of Sri Ranganatha would love to see their temple -- under construction for over a year in New York -- becoming the first Hindu temple to open in the new millennium. But will the community contribute $ 1 million so that the flooring, plumbing and concomitant accessories are in place is the question.

The tentative plan is to open the temple in June, but with a little bit of divine and human intervention, the temple could open in the first quarter of the year 2000.

The temple located in Pomona, New York, is a replica of Sri Ranganathaswamy temple of Srirangam. It invites devotees to become life members, benefactors or donors. Currently, there are over 250 life members, benefactors and donors.

Life membership costs, $ 1,116, benefactors pay $ 5,001, and donors, $ 10,001.

The temple is also seeking donations of stocks and bonds. Contact Pradeep Bhashyam (914 356-3491) for the temple's brokerage account information.

Sponsoring a sannidhi will also help the temple. The temple trustees say the devotees can put the chosen name, family name, the name of the parents or grandparents, or loved one, on the outside of the altar/shrine.

Devotees can sponsor the entire amount or have ten friends and relatives together sponsor the sanctum sanctorum. For information, contact Dr Rangarao Vunnam, (914) 634-0620.

The temple is also accepting loans at an interest specified by the devotees. For information, contact Sri Rangantha Seva Samithi at (914) 627-6716.

The main building, including the sannidhis, are complete. All the moola vigrahas (except Sri Venkateswara and Dwarapalakas) have arrived. Eleven stapathis from India are actively working on the gopurams of the temple. The work is being performed under the auspices of Geeth Exports of Madras.

The main Sri Ranganatha vimanam with Paravasudeva and Dasavatarams has been completed.

The project was started with the blessings of Srimad Azhagiya Singar Jeeyar Swamigal of Sri Ahobila Muth. M S Sivaprakasam Sthapathy, who had designed the Rajagopuram of the Srirangam temple, drew up this plan too. Sivaprakasam, one of the best-known temple sculptors in India, was entrusted with the work of sculpting a statue of a reclining Lord Ranganatha similar to the one in the Srirangam temple.

For more information, contact Sri Ranganatha Temple, PO Box 120, Pomona, NY 10970, (914) 627-6716.

Previous: Calcutta-Born Professor Trains Wheel Warriors

Tell us what you think of this report