Publications

Hindu Patients

This handbook, the Health Care Providers’ Handbook on Hindu Patients, was originally created by Queensland Health (Government of Australia) and covers a range of topics and aims to inform health care providers about the religious beliefs and practices of Hindu patients that can affect health care. It also contains information regarding dietary practices of Jain patients. It has been adapted for use in the State of Maryland, United States of America, by the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships, Asian Pacific American Advisory Group.

prayers

Prayers

Prayers book published by the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) features Hindu shlokas (sacred invocations), prarthnas (prayers), aartis and bhajans (devotional songs).  The book contains sanskrit text, english transliteration, and translation

Visiting a Hindu temple

Be they luxurious palaces, rustic warehouses, simple halls or granite sanctuaries, Hindu temples are springing up all over the world, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Yet outside of India and a few places like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bali, what happens inside these temples remains a mystery—to young generations of Hindus as well as to curious newcomers. It’s all a bit intimidating at first. This Insight is designed to answer the common questions that arise: Why are temples important? What are the customs and protocols, the dos and don’ts? What attitudes should one hold inside? Do all those rituals have a meaning? What is the priest chanting? All these musings and more are addressed here to help newcomers— both Hindus and non-Hindus—enjoy and benefit from their temple visits.

This special Educational Insight was inspired by and produced expressly for the Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference

Hindu Antyeshti Samskar

Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC), an initiative of VHPA has published this unique book which fills a much desired need of the community.

The book is written especially for the Hindu community in USA and Canada, where the circumstances, prevailing laws and available facilities for performing last rites are decidedly different than back home. This book has been endorsed by several leading Mandirs. Swami Dayananda Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam has written the Forward of the book in which he states, since the rites cannot be performed within the compounds of a temple, the cremation ceremonies are, more often than not, always compromised. HMEC is bringing out a book on this important Antyeshti for the benefits of the Hindus living in USA…

Vivaha Samskara

Hindu Mandir Excecutives’ Conference (HMEC) Presents A New Book On
Vivāha Saṃskāra
The Hindu Wedding Ceremony
Everything you wanted to know…..but…..didn’t know whom to ask!
This Book provides:
  • Complete Vedic Hindu Brahma Vivaha in Sanskrit with English translation
  • Two modifications for contemporary relevance: Mutual Consent and Joint Saptapadi
  • Symbolism of Hindu rituals
  • Discussion of Hindu / non-Hindu Interfaith Marriage Issues
  • Complete Hindu ceremony for a non-Hindu to accept Hindu Dharma

Prayer book for Caregivers and Chaplains

This booklet is developed under the auspices of the Hindu Mandir (Temple) Executives’ Conference (HMEC), in cooperation with Hindu Temples of North America, with the objective of providing some comfort and spiritual guidance at a time when you or your loved one is ill or recovering from an illness or condition.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ World Hindu Council of America (January 1, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 56 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0979350158
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0979350153

Mandir Security Guidelines

Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) is a Vishwa Hindu Parishad America (World Hindu Council) initiative. Over the years, HMEC has provided useful services to the Hindu Temples in North America region by organizing Executive conferences, providing benchmarking / networking/camaraderie opportunities, and by publishing useful information.

Recent vandalism at the Louisville, Kentucky BAPS temple, built on previous history of such activities in other parts of the United States heightened our concerns about security needs of our devotees and temples. We commissioned a team of experts to develop temple security guidelines. We are proud to present the work of this team, based on exhaustive research of work done by the Homeland Security, leading Hindu temples and other religious organizations, We encourage individual temple leaders to take a look at their individual surroundings and resolve to develop plans appropriate for their local situations.

Hinduism and America – How Hindu Dharma is Transforming the West

Prof. Subhash Kak: “A beautifully produced book that presents the many aspects of the Indian American experience in America and contributions of Indians to American Life”

Prof. Ved Nanda: “The authors vividly capture the 250-year long progression of Hindu thought in America, all unplanned and un-orchestrated. They admirably perform this Herculean task and accomplish their goal of introducing to the reader the tenets of Hindu tradition and the main actors and salient events that have left such an indelible imprint and lasting impact on America. The story they tell is intriguing, enchanting, and indeed profound, and the tapestry they weave is rich in its splendor. This book should adorn every Hindu American’s coffee table”

Hindu Temples in North America

Hindu Temples in North America, A Celebration of Life (Also includes Buddhist, Jain and Sikh temples) By Mahalingum Kolapen Photography by Sanjay Kolapen Published by Hindu University of America, Council of Hindu Temples of North America, Titan Graphics and Publications.

The book is a treat for any student on Hinduism. It describes the rich heritage behind Hindu festivals in commanding language with the help of scholarly Swamijis, explains the significance of deities and rituals, and superbly illustrates the splendor of the architectural and sculptural details of Hindu temples with breath taking precision.

Hindu Chaplains

Book on Chaplaincy published by VHP UK is an excellent guide for Hindu chaplins.

 

Understanding Hinduism

What does being a Hindu mean? What do Hindus believe in? Are Hindus “polytheists” who believe in “idols”? This concise book by Dr. D.C. Rao distills years of study and teaching in the Chinmaya Mission, and accurately presents Hinduism to all those who might be interested in learning about it. I commend this effort and invoke the grace and blessings of the great lineage of our Gurus for this noble work.