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==H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati==
==H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati==
H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati established Barsana Dham as a physical replica as well as devotional representation of Braj, India (Kurien, 2007), <ref>Kurien, P.A. 2007. ''A Place at the Multicultural Table: The Development of an American Hinduism''. NJ: [[Rutgers University Press]].</ref> so that devotees in the west may experience the same ambiance and Divine-love vibrations as if in Braj in India (Coward et. al, 2000). <ref>Coward, H., Hinnells, J.R. & Williams, R.B. 2000. ''The South Asian Religious Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States''. NY: [[State University of New York Press|SUNY Press]].</ref>
H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati established Barsana Dham as a devotional representation of Braj, India (Kurien, 2007), <ref>Kurien, P.A. 2007. ''A Place at the Multicultural Table: The Development of an American Hinduism''. NJ: [[Rutgers University Press]].</ref> so that devotees in the west may experience the same Divine-love vibrations as if in Braj in India (Coward et. al, 2000). <ref>Coward, H., Hinnells, J.R. & Williams, R.B. 2000. ''The South Asian Religious Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States''. NY: [[State University of New York Press|SUNY Press]].</ref>

⚫
In 1972, on the instructions of his Spiritual Master, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, he began his mission of teaching the path of ''raganuga bhakti'' (Ludwig, 2002). <ref>Ludwig, M. (March 9, 2002). ''Houses of worship''. Austin American-Statesman.</ref>
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati was born in a respectable ''brahmin'' family in 1929 in Ayodhya, India (Lindell, 1992). <ref>Lindell, C. (Sept. 27, 1992). ''Swami's planned Hindu temple is center of speculation.'' Austin American-Statesman.</ref> He completed his studies and at age of 21, renounced the world and took the order of ''sanyas'' (Palaniswami, 1995). <ref>Palaniswami, P. (Sept. 3, 1995). ''a Dham Blooms in Texas''. Hinduism Today.</ref> In 1952, he was offered to become the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagadguru#Adi_Sankaracharya Jagadguru Shankaracharya] of Jyotirmath but he declined (Srinivasan, 2000), because his heart "was drawn towards the love of Radha Krishn" (Saraswati, 2007). <ref>Saraswati, S.P. 2007. ''The True History and The Religion of India.'' New Delhi: [Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan].</ref>

⚫
In 1972, on the instructions of his Spiritual Master, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, he began his mission of teaching the path of ''raganuga bhakti'' (Ludwig, 2002). <ref>Ludwig, M. (March 9, 2002). ''Houses of worship''. Austin American-Statesman.</ref>

On April 24, 2008, at approximately 3 p.m., the U.S. Marshal’s Service, working in cooperation with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Prakashanand Saraswati, known to his followers as "Shree Swamiji", at Dulles Airport in Washington D.C.

He was arrested on indictments alleging twenty counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact. The indictments stem from an investigation that began in August 2007 by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Hays County District Attorney’s Office. The indictments were issued in April 2008.<ref>http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2008/04/25/barsana_dham_founder_arrested.html</ref>

Barsana Dham released a statement on April 26th, denying the charges and saying:

"We are grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support that we have received during the past 24 hours. Not only members of Barsana Dham but our neighbors and members of the national Hindu community have contacted us to express their solidarity with Shree Swamiji."

"This support is a great comfort at a time when we remain deeply saddened by the accusations against Swamiji. Barsana Dham reiterates in the strongest terms possible that the allegations are false. People from around the world who know Swamiji have contacted us to express their dismay that anyone would seek to injure a man of such extraordinary decency and the enormous contribution he has made to humanity and to the understanding of our faith."

"We are absolutely unshaken in our belief that he will be vindicated and his message of devotion to God will be undiminished."


==Festivals==
==Festivals==

Revision as of 20:34, 21 May 2008

Barsana Dham, the headquarters of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) in the Western world, is a large temple and ashram complex outside of Austin, Texas. (Jain, 2003).[1] It is one of the largest Hindu Temple complexes in North America (Srinivasan, 2000). [2]

Barsana Dham is a nonprofit, religious, educational, and charitable organization (Wu, 2007) [3] that follows the path of raganuga bhakti. Founded by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati in 1990 (Kurien, 2007), Barsana Dham has become a place of pilgrimage for millions of Hindus living in North America (Palaniswami, 1995). [4]

A Representation of the Holy Land of Braj

Barsana Dham is a representation of the holy land of Braj in India where Shree Radha Rani and Shree Krishn are believed to have appeared, around 5,000 years ago. Areas of Barsana Dham have been developed to be the places for devotional inspiration and meditation. The important places of Braj like Govardhan, Radha Kund, Prem Sarovar, Shyam Kuti, etc. are represented in Barsana Dham where a natural stream named Kalindi represents the Yamuna river of Vrindaban (Ciment, 2001).[5]

Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple

The Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple is the first Hindu temple built in Austin, Texas, and one of the largest Hindu temples in the USA.

Shree Radha Rani has many names. Raseshwari is one of Her most important names. It comes from Radhikopnishad and refers to the oneness of Radha Krishn as Radha (Saraswati, 1995). [6]

The main prayer hall of the Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple is decorated with the pictorial representations of teachings from ancient Hindu scriptures, which are captioned in both Sanskrit and English (Jain, 2003). [7] The most important themes of the essential scriptures are described in a continuous panel on the sides of the hall. To enhance the devotional atmosphere, a realistic depiction of the sky is portrayed on the ceiling (Ciment, 2001).

The temple architecture is a blend of north and south Indian, and modern styles of architecture. The 90 foot high temple dome is made of white and blue granite and gold. The artwork adorning the temple's shrine was hand-crafted by 15 artisans from South India, brought in especially for the project. The artisans carved the pillars and ceilings with images of peacocks and floral patterns (Jain, 2003). There are 84 columns and five levels in the building with covered area of 35,000 sq. feet.

Large festivals and celebrations at the temple are attended by thousands of people. The temple and ashram complex provides a place of worship and center for traditional Indian cultural activities, weddings and thread ceremonies.

H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati established Barsana Dham as a devotional representation of Braj, India (Kurien, 2007), [8] so that devotees in the west may experience the same Divine-love vibrations as if in Braj in India (Coward et. al, 2000). [9]

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati was born in a respectable brahmin family in 1929 in Ayodhya, India (Lindell, 1992). [10] He completed his studies and at age of 21, renounced the world and took the order of sanyas (Palaniswami, 1995). [11] In 1952, he was offered to become the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath but he declined (Srinivasan, 2000), because his heart "was drawn towards the love of Radha Krishn" (Saraswati, 2007). [12]

He went to Braj, India and spent almost 20 years in isolation. In 1972, on the instructions of his Spiritual Master, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, he began his mission of teaching the path of raganuga bhakti (Ludwig, 2002). [13]

On April 24, 2008, at approximately 3 p.m., the U.S. Marshal’s Service, working in cooperation with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Prakashanand Saraswati, known to his followers as "Shree Swamiji", at Dulles Airport in Washington D.C.

He was arrested on indictments alleging twenty counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact. The indictments stem from an investigation that began in August 2007 by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Hays County District Attorney’s Office. The indictments were issued in April 2008.[14]

Barsana Dham released a statement on April 26th, denying the charges and saying:

"We are grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support that we have received during the past 24 hours. Not only members of Barsana Dham but our neighbors and members of the national Hindu community have contacted us to express their solidarity with Shree Swamiji."

"This support is a great comfort at a time when we remain deeply saddened by the accusations against Swamiji. Barsana Dham reiterates in the strongest terms possible that the allegations are false. People from around the world who know Swamiji have contacted us to express their dismay that anyone would seek to injure a man of such extraordinary decency and the enormous contribution he has made to humanity and to the understanding of our faith."

"We are absolutely unshaken in our belief that he will be vindicated and his message of devotion to God will be undiminished."

Festivals

Barsana Dham celebrates all the major Hindu festivals (Hylton & Rossie) [15] which attract thousands (Ludwig, 2002).

  • Maha Shivratri
  • Holi
  • Ram Navmi
  • Mela Fair April 26th 2008
  • Jhulan Leela
  • Krishn Janmashtmi
  • Radha Ashtmi
  • Radha Rani Rath Yatra
  • Sharat Poornima
  • Divali
  • Govardhan Puja

Retreats and Family Camps

At various times throughout the year Barsana Dham, spread over 200 acres of land, offers special weekend family retreats, mini-intensives, and weekend seva retreats . These retreats and programs have included Hindi and yoga classes, and summer dance classes (Ricci, 2003). [16] Barsana Dham also conducts conducts tours for educational institutions and community groups (Ludwig, 2002).

Bookstore

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, Barsana Dham has published a wide selection of writings, and video and audio recordings of the philosophical and practical teachings and devotional chantings of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj in Hindi and the elucidations of those teachings by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati in both English and Hindi.

Trivia

  • Barsana Dham has been named as one of the "best places to relax, reflect, and renew" (Ricci, 2003).
  • Barsana Dham's vice president, Prabhakari Devi was invited to deliver the first ever Hindu prayer in the Texas Senate. [17]
  • Barsana Dham was one of the centers to open its doors to Hurricane Katrina evacuees, and executed a fundraising drive in its wake (Joshi, 2005). [18]

References

  1. ^ Jain, N. (Feb. 11, 2003). Temples welcome those of all faiths, not just Hindus. The America's Intelligence Wire.
  2. ^ Srinivasan, T.M. 2000. The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism. (A Review). International Journal of Humanities and Peace, 16(1): 105.
  3. ^ Wu, E. (March 8, 2007). Walk is part of mission to aid needy in India. The Dallas Morning News.
  4. ^ Palaniswami, P. (Dec., 1995). Worship Commences at the First Radha Rani Temple Outside India. Hinduism Today.
  5. ^ Ciment, J. 2001. Encyclopedia of American Immigration. Michigan: M.E. Sharpe.
  6. ^ Saraswati, S.P. (1995). The Divine Vision of Radha Krishn. Austin: International Society of Divine Love.
  7. ^ Jain, N. (Feb. 2, 2003). An Austin Haven. The Daily Texan.
  8. ^ Kurien, P.A. 2007. A Place at the Multicultural Table: The Development of an American Hinduism. NJ: Rutgers University Press.
  9. ^ Coward, H., Hinnells, J.R. & Williams, R.B. 2000. The South Asian Religious Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States. NY: SUNY Press.
  10. ^ Lindell, C. (Sept. 27, 1992). Swami's planned Hindu temple is center of speculation. Austin American-Statesman.
  11. ^ Palaniswami, P. (Sept. 3, 1995). a Dham Blooms in Texas. Hinduism Today.
  12. ^ Saraswati, S.P. 2007. The True History and The Religion of India. New Delhi: [Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan].
  13. ^ Ludwig, M. (March 9, 2002). Houses of worship. Austin American-Statesman.
  14. ^ http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2008/04/25/barsana_dham_founder_arrested.html
  15. ^ Hylton, H. & Rosie, C. 2006. Insiders' Guide to Austin. The Globe Pequot Press Inc.
  16. ^ Ricci, J. Yoga Escapes: A Yoga Journal Guide to the Best Places to Relax, Reflect, and Renew. Celestial Arts.
  17. ^ Texas Legislature. (2005). Proceedings of 79th Legislature - Regular Session. Lieutenant Governor of Texas: Austin. [1]
  18. ^ Joshi, M. (Oct. 7, 2005). Community rallies to help Rita victims. India Abroad.
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