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Hindu community inaugurates temple

Published Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:06 AM

By Jim Tatum
Berkeley Independent

Indian Americans living in the Lowcountry now have a place to gather, worship, and pass on cultural heritage, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of people.

Some 325 people came together last week to celebrate two important events: the

Inauguration of the Hindu Temple of Charleston, and Deepavali, the Hindu Festival of Lights.

The temple, located on College Park Road in Ladson next to the Harvest Center Church, is the first Hindu Temple in the Lowcountry and one of five in the state. It will serve as a place of worship, education, and cultural promotion for some 400 families in this area, said executive committee member Peyush Dwivedi.

Worshippers of all ages and backgrounds gathered about 3:30 p.m. for the ceremonies, which included a cultural presentation done by some of the children, prayers, a celebratory dinner, and fireworks.

“This is a very important holiday for us,” Dwivedi said.

“We have finally secured a place where we can carry out our religious and cultural functions,” noted Dr. Shikhar Mehrotrah, a member of the executive committee. He also noted that the temple could only thrive if everyone becomes involved.

“This is your temple now,” Mehrotrah said. “To make it successful, we need you. Our mission is to promote our Hindu values and culture. The onus is now on the Hindu community to get things moving forward.”

A number of guests delivered welcoming remarks, including Goose Creek Mayor Michael Heitzler, Dr. David Cohen, Dean of the College of Charleston’s School of Languages, Culture, and World Affairs, and Father Rufus Small of Harvest Center Church.

Deepawali Pooja performed the Goddess of Wealth and all devotees participated in the prayer, which lasted two hours. Sikh prayer was also performed to bless the devotees.

The temple will serve a number of purposes and goals, with the first and foremost to pass on the 5,000 year old culture to the next generations, Dwivedi said.

The Hindu Temple or Mandir is a place of worship where God can be approached and divine knowledge be achieved, Dwivedi explained.

“All aspects of Temple are about enlightenment and liberation and is achieved by its basic principle of alignment, design, decorations and rituals performed,” he said. “As an example, the alignment of Temple is on east west direction conforming to recommendations in Vedas and Shastras (ancient Indian religious books).”

The temple also has a “wall of Gods and Saints which represent beliefs of all communities of India,” he added.

“This Temple brings Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists together to one place of worship, fulfilling our goal of uniting the community in Charleston,” he said. “This temple serves a large diverse section of the Indian community in greater Charleston speaking 13 different languages.”

To that end, the temple will offer a number of free educational opportunities -- such as regional language education and Yoga  -- for the children of its members, he said.

Those who attended were clearly very excited and gratified with the establishment of the temple.

"I am very happy that we could establish the first Indian temple here in the Lowcountry area,” noted Leena Karambelkar, who lives in Goose Creek. “Diversity is the soul of India. We have people who speak different languages, have different traditions and have different beliefs.

“The Charleston area has a very interesting blend of various communities. We all learn from each other. There are many people who are interested in knowing more about the Indian traditions and culture. This Temple will provide various opportunities to learn and get involved in the Indian community.”

Karambelkar’s daughter, Nerita, who emceed the children’s cultural presentation, also expressed her appreciation and excitement.

“"Kids can learn more about their heritage, traditions and cultural background here at the Temple,” Nerita said.  “I am really looking forward to attending all the events."

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