Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s 7th Hindu Mandir Priests’ Conference
(Left) Some of the volunteers preparing for the conference.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America organized its Dharma Sansad, 7th Hindu Mandir Priests Conference, a part of Hindu Mandir Executive Conference, at the Global Mall, Norcross, Georgia on July 20-21, 2018. Participation from priests, temple management, and temple youth groups has been increasing. Represented at the conference were 23 temples and religious institutions across the USA, with 18 priests as well as others from temple management, scholars from the USA and India, and about 15 youth group members.
The theme of the well-attended and inspiring conference was “Dharmo rakshati rakshitah” (Dharma protects those who uphold or protect dharma). The learned priests and scholars shared many insights and enlightening nuggets of wisdom on Hindu religion, with the common thread in the discourses and talks being the need to lead an upright and religious life.
Discussions were held on “The Role of the Priests and Acharyas in Spiritual and Cultural Well-being of Communities.” Hindu temples and institutions are facing challenges around the globe as social changes are affecting traditional beliefs and practices related to Sanatana Dharma. Priests discussed how these trends are affecting practicing Sanatana Dharma, what are the challenges faced by next generation of Hindus, and how to make rituals more relevant to devotees in general.
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The Conference was hosted by Pundit Gyan Prakash Upadhyay of Siddhi Vinayak Mandir in Global Mall, and cohosted by Ambaji USA Shri Shakti Mandir, Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir, Sri Hanuman Mandir of Alpharetta, Gokuldham, Sanatan Mandir, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, and the Hindu Temple and the Cultural Center of South Carolina.
Team members included Smt Kusum Khurana, Smt Veena Katdare, Sri Madhav Katdare, Sri Sudharsan Khurana, Sri Shyam Tiwari, Smt Manju Tiwari, Sri Vasav Mehta, Smt Sneha Mehta, Smt Manjula Reddy, Sri Raghu Veeraraghavan, Smt Sabitha Venugopal, Sri Jayant Daftardar, Sri Chandra Reddy Gavva, Smt Tejal Shah, Pt Sriman Gyan Prakash Upadhyay, Sri Sanjay Mehta and Sri Laxmi Bhamidipati. Also Dr. Sujatha Reddy, Shiv Aggarwal, Swadesh Katoch, Vikas Arora, Amit Khurana, Tarun Sirohi, Ashwini Jindal, Sunit Deshwal, Vijay Patel, Seema Garg, Manoj Bhatia, Sridhatr, VHP officials, and volunteers.
VHPA is inspired by the lofty ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, i.e. the entire creation is one family.
14th Annual Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference in USA – Sustaining Temples and Institutions
The 14th annual Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) is being led by the VHPA NJ chapter and it will be held from September 20 to 22, 2019 in East Hanover, New Jersey, USA. This year’s theme, “Sustaining Temples and Institutions: Building Security and Strength through Processes, Outreach and Seva,” will delve into the challenges facing Hindu temples and institutions as technology and social changes affect traditional beliefs and practices.
Around the globe we are seeing an increase in the number of disruptive and ignorant acts targeting religious institutions that threaten our safety within our places of worship. To protect ourselves and our Dharma, we must educate ourselves and the community while building awareness by connecting Hindus and non-Hindus alike through outreach and seva.
The 14th annual HMEC conference will give Hindu leaders the opportunity to understand how current events impact the safety of temples and institutions, and develop ways to strengthen temple management, religious programs, youth engagement, serving seniors and society.
HMEC was conceptualized by VHPA as a platform for Hindu temples and organizations to network, with the joint mission of strengthening and sustaining temples and building effective leadership, and facilitate new generation of Hindu leadership in North America.
To learn more about HMEC and to register for HMEC 2019, please visit http://www.hmec.info/
Bhagvad Gita Scholarship for Middle and High School Students
Coalition of Hindu Youth (CHY) / Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) announces ‘The Bhagvad Gita Sanatan Dharma Scholarship’ which aims to promote independent research, focusing on the rational foundation and the teachings of the Bhagvad Gita.
The Bhagvad Gita is a well-known Hindu spiritual text that is universally accepted not just for its sanctity, but also as a guide for day-to-day life i.e. “a handbook of life.” Messages from Bhagvad Gita such as: “Inaction in action and action in inaction,” are within the reach of common seeker of all ages.
Eligibility for the scholarship is extended to any student who is currently enrolled in the United States education system at the middle school and high school levels.