HARI TIMES SITA-RAMA * RADHE-SHYAM Volume: 09 No. 05 OCT-DEC 2009

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1 HARI TIMES SITA-RAMA * RADHE-SHYAM Volume: 09 No. 05 OCT-DEC 2009 HARI wishes you a very Happy Diwali & Prosperous New Year! Diwali & Annakut Celebration at HARI on Saturday, October 17, :45pm Diwali Puja and Annakut Darshan Address by Mr. Janak Amin, Chairman, HARI Board of Trustees Treasurer s Report by Mr. Virendra Trivedi Annual Report by Mr. Pallav Bhonde, President, HARI Executive Committee HARI Scholarship Award Distribution Trust Fund Announcements by Dr. Ray Kathiresan General Body Meeting and 2010 Elections Address by President-Elect Aarti and Dinner sponsored by HARI Devotees and Local Area Restaurants Please join the team of HARI Volunteers for Diwali Annakut preparation. Please bring your Annakut items to HARI before Noon on Saturday, October 17. No onion or garlic in prasad items. Please visit our website at to view Annakut item list.

2 HARI Times OCT - DEC 2009 HARI Income-Disbursement Report (Unaudited) for Jan-Aug 2009 We are proud to announce that the HARI membership total has once again surpassed of five hundred marks in year 2009 with total of 503 paid members. Page 2

3 HARI Times OCT - DEC HARI Programs Date Event Time Sponsor Wednesday, October 7 Saturday, October 31 Karava Chauth 6:30pm N/A Tulsi-Vivah 11AM-Noon Puja *** Open *** Community Events: 30 th Annual Diwali Celebration by Gujarati Samaj of Central PA, Saturday, October 24, Please visit for further details. Annual Dinner and Entertainment Evening by AIACPA, Sunday, December 6, Please visit for further details. EKADASHI, PURNIMA, AMAWASYA October Saturday Purnima 14 Wednesday Krishna Ekadashi 17 Saturday Amawasya 29 Thursday Shukla Ekadashi November Monday Purnima 12 Thursday Krishna Ekadashi 16 Monday Amawasya 28 Saturday Shukla Ekadashi December Tuesday Purnima 12 Saturday Krishna Ekadashi 16 Wednesday Amawasya 28 Monday Shukla Ekadashi 31 Thurs Purnima Our Sincere Appreciations We would like to acknowledge the following devotees for their recent donations: Donation Recognition (Received from July 16, 2009 to September 13, 2009) Name of the Donor Donation Amount Donation Type Yash & Rita Amin $402 Donation Yash & Rita Amin $501 Construction Expansion Donation Ramesh & Jyotsna Antani $101 Construction Expansion Donation Satya & Manisha Arya $500 Donation Ashutosh & Usha Bhargave $500 Donation Vinod & Anjana V Kanabar $500 Donation Satish & Rajul Mehta $150 Donation Samir & Bina Parikh $200 HARI Trust Fund Yogesh & Renuka Parikh $1,001 Construction Expansion Donation Girish & Surbhi Patel $500 Construction Expansion Donation Jayanti & Jyoti Patel $101 Donation Navanit & Kailash Zaver $1,001 Construction Expansion Donation Andrew & Payal Loser $202 Donation Kaushik & Asmita Patel $1,001 Construction Expansion Donation Krishna & Parul Subramanian $1,500 HARI Trust Fund Hersh & Andrea Shukla $151 HARI Trust Fund Ritu Gehlawat $700 Donation Jayantilal & Gitaben Modi $500 HARI Trust Fund Ronak Patel $501 Construction Expansion Donation Macro Advisors, Inc. $501 Construction Expansion Donation HARI Navaratri Garaba Group $3,001 Construction Expansion Donation Arti Patel $101 Donation Page 3

4 HARI Times OCT- DEC 2009 A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMITTEE It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of the year. This year s committee brought a combination of experience and youth, vigilance and confidence, and most importantly, a sincere passion and dedication to serve which made 2009 a very fruitful year. We are delighted with some very successfully activities this year. We have completed many projects aimed at enhancing the facility for broader use. Among them were roofing work, repainting the upper hallway, power-washing the downstairs floor, installation of a canopy at the back entrance, and more. The temple grounds have been attractively maintained, assisted to a great extent with enthusiastic participation was being admirably helped by many volunteers and HARI school youth. This year, with two scholarly priests, the temple doors are now open more hours and HARI priest services were extended for your home seven days a week to fulfill all of your religious needs. We are also thrilled to announce that we have successfully concluded obtaining green cards for the priests and their families. In addition to our regularly celebrated functions, we introduced new events such as goddess Lakshmi puja and Shiva Abhishek during shravan month, Rakshabandhan and Yagnopavit ceremony. We also invited renowned scholars and artists from here and abroad for religious discourses and classical performances. We held an exciting and very entertaining social gathering, India Fair, celebrating the HARI Anniversary. The success of these was evident by the large attendance to these events. We continued to focus on the long-term sustenance and growth of the organization through the HARI Trust Fund efforts. HARI held its first Gala early this year attended by more than 250 patrons it was a great evening enjoyed by all. The event was held to raise funds for the Trust Fund with over $30,000 raised! With excellent services provided by priests as well as a growing group of new volunteers for the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustee positions, we are convinced that the HARI Temple will continue to remain a vibrant presence serving the cultural and religious needs of the Hindu community in this region. This year we will celebrate Diwali Annual Day on Saturday, October 17, This is an actual day of Diwali which makes it a very special day of celebration for HARI. Please plan to attend and enjoy the function and seek the blessings of Lord Rama for Good Health, Peace, and Prosperity. Mr. Janak Amin Chairman, HARI Board of Trustees Yours in service, Mr. Pallav Bhonde President, HARI Executive Committee HARI Times is a bi-monthly publication of Hindu American Religious Institute (HARI), located at 301 Steigerwalt Hollow Road, New Cumberland, PA You may send your comments, suggestions, and important announcements to HARI Times Editors using the address provided on the HARI website Page 4

5 HARI Times OCT- DEC 2009 HARI Trust Fund Providing Growth, Financial Safety and Stability Hindu American Religious Institute HARI has been blessed with a congregation that has supported it unstintingly since the inception in That support has led to one of the most prominent Hindu landmarks in the capital of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We thank the founders and senior members of HARI congregation for their vision and commitment. This legacy must now be nurtured and preserved for future generations. In 2004, the Board of trustees had initiated a HARI Long Term Self Sufficiency initiative. In 2005, HARI Trust Fund (HTF) Steering Committee was formed, which developed a strategy and an action plan. In 2006, an agreement was signed with The Foundation for Enhancing Communities to manage the funds for HARI. HTF, being an Endowment fund, the principal is preserved. Only the earnings is used based on the need of the Temple and the Board of Trustees approval. Under Donor advised funds, Donors, have a choice of naming the donation and say in as to how and where the funds can be used. Why does HARI need an Endowment (HARI Trust Fund HTF )? Operating expenses go up each year as costs of our utilities, insurance, staff compensations, facility maintenance, and supplies rise. Operating income needs to be supplemented for maintain facility and expanding services. To provide long term self sufficiency and growth for HARI Temple. What is the Goal of HTF? To have a minimum of One Million Dollar $1,000,000 in the HTF. What are the Benefits to HARI? HARI gets a steady income stream from the earnings* of the HTF. Needed capital expenditures can be planned and completed to ensure that the temple is well maintained on an Annual basis. HARI can continue to preserve Hindu religious and cultural heritage through expanded services and programs. Who is managing HTF at HARI? HARI Trust Fund Steering Committee, reporting to the HARI Board of Trustees. At present, the Committee consists of all past Chairman s, President s and Volunteers. HTF Coordinator, an appointee of the HTF Steering Committee provides the operational support for the HTF and is the facilitator among the Donors, HTF Steering Committee, HARI Board of Trustees and, the Investment Manager. Who is managing the funds for HARI? The Foundation for Enhancing Communities TFEC Harrisburg (formerly known as Harrisburg Foundation), under the direction of the HTF Coordinator, and Steering Committee.. What is Sri Hanuman Tree? It is a donor recognition sculpture designed by the famous artist Sanford Werfel, located on the ground floor, just below the deity of Lord Rama. Based on the amount of donation, name (Children, Parents, Business or Yours) will be inscribed on the leaves of the tree. Page 5

6 You are welcome to donate any amount to HARI for any initiatives. Any donation above $2,500 over five years towards HTF or Projects or General Donations or other Gift Instruments will be recognized in the tree. How do I participate in HTF? Contact any current Board of Trustees or Executive Committee members. Complete HTF Pledge form and mail it to HARI at 301, Steigerwalt Hollow Road, New Cumberland, PA To join the committee and volunteer, please contact HTF Coordinator, Dr. Ray Kathiresan at (717) or raykathiresan@yahoo.com. What are the other ways I could invest in the Mission of HARI? At present, with the assistance of TFEC, we are in a position to accept various Gift Instruments like: Life Insurance Policy, Publicly traded Securities, Closely held Stock, Real Estate, Tangible Personal property, Retirement Plan, Planned Gift (revocable, irrevocable), and Donor Specified Named funds. Please, contact the HTF Coordinator for more details. What is the current status of the HARI funds? Fund Summary: For year end 2008 the overall Trust Fund experienced a decline in market value of 27%. For 2009 the Trust Fund began with a market value of $236,179. During the year additional contributions of $40,000, with unrealized gains of $38,624, investment income of $4,135 and a realized loss of $24, resulting in a 8/31/09 market value of $318,914. The return during 2009 YTD is 16%. Fund balances as of 8/31/09 were as follows. We have the following HARI Funds at TFEC: HARI Trust Fund: $177,024 Educational Fund: $ 47,286 Rainy Day Operational Fund: $94,604 The securities listed are invested in various mutual funds. For further details, please contact HTF Coordinator, Dr. Ray Kathiresan or Chairman, Mr. Janak Amin. Page 6

7 HARI Trust Fund Providing Opportunities to Invest in HARI s Mission Sri Hanuman Tree Donor Recognition since Inception LastName FirstName Gift Purpose Pledged Amount Total Paid Agarwal Chandresh & Suman HARI Trust Fund $1,001 $1,001 Agarwal Manish & Neena HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $1,000 Amin Hiten & Minoo HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $1,503 Amin Janak M & Alka J HARI Trust Fund $22,000 $17,000 Bajaj Rajesh & Monica HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $4,000 Barad Hina A & Arun N HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Bathini Ramesh & Madhavi HARI Trust Fund $7,500 $7,500 Bathini Ramesh & Madhavi Ornaments $17,500 $17,500 Brahmbhatt Mahendra & Jaya (Late) Educational Fund $5,000 $2,000 Brahmbhatt Parul Educational Fund $5,000 $2,000 Bhatia Ramesh C Bhatia Capital Projects $10,000 $7,500 Dandora Aruna & Nathu Ram HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Desai Bhaskar & Praveena HARI Trust Fund $11,000 Awaiting Desai Sunil M & Anita S HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $1,000 Gami Kapil B & Dipti K HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $1,750 Gupta Deep & Rani HARI Trust Fund $1,000 Awaiting Kalakuntla Srinivas HARI Trust Fund $500 $500 Kanabar Chandrakant G & Shalini HARI Trust Fund $1,051 $1,051 Kanabar Vinod G & Anjana V HARI Trust Fund $15,500 $15,500 Kathiresan Muthiah (Ray) & Meenakshi HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Kendre Dnyanoba & Aruna HARI Trust Fund $4,000 $4,000 Kendre Dnyanoba & Aruna Insurance $21,000 Awaiting Kothari Milind & Smeeta HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Krishnamurthy Parul & Krishna Subramanian HARI Trust Fund $15,000 $6,000 Kulkarni Mukund S & Prabha M HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $500 Kumar Narendra D & Geeta D HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $200 Kumar-Dhar Padmani & Natasha HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,300 Lad Rajnikant & Pravina HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $5,000 Long Jeffery & Mahua Bhattacharya HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $250 Mehta Arunkumar & Dharmista HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Mehrotra Gopi N & Renu HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $400 Mishra Gautam & Mridula HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $500 Modi Jayantilal & Geeta HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $500 Nadar Venkatesh & Suganthi HARI Trust Fund $7,500 $2,500 Naidu Sanjiv & Rachna Capital Projects $10,000 $10,000 Narasimhan Saiganesh & Padmini Saiganesh HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $1,000 Pangarkar Rajeev & Manjiri HARI Trust Fund $7,049 $7,049 Parekh Jitu & Vasanti HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $1,000 Parekh Rajubhai & Lina HARI Trust Fund $5,000 Awaiting Parikh Anil R & Nayana A HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,000 Parikh Mohit & Madhu HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Parikh Mukul & Neelima HARI Trust Fund $6,000 $2,000 Page 7

8 Parikh Samir & Bina HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $1,900 Parikh Yogesh B & Renuka Y HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $501 Parmar Rasik & Pragna HARI Trust Fund $5,001 $1,000 Patel Atul R & Smita HARI Trust Fund $10,000 $2,500 Patel Devang & Alpa HARI Trust Fund $750 $150 Patel Devesh HARI Trust Fund $501 Awaiting Patel Dilip & Kunjani HARI Trust Fund $501 $501 Patel Girish & Mina HARI Trust Fund $1,001 $1,001 Patel Jayanti & Jyoti HARI Trust Fund $3,001 $3,001 Patel KD & Rekha HARI Trust Fund $11,000 $9,000 Patel Kiran & Anandi Insurance (Life) $100,000 Awaiting Patel Kiran & Anandi Capital Projects $31,000 $20,000 Patel Shailesh&Krutika HARI Trust Fund $7,500 Awaiting Patel Umesh & Priti HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Pathak Divyang HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Patil Subodh & Deepa HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $500 Saha Arup K & Haldipur Namrata V HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $1,751 Sahi Bhupinder & Prit HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $500 Sapra Aman HARI Trust Fund $1,000 Awaiting Sarma Srinivasan V & Vimala C Ornaments/Idols $9,470 $9,470 Sarma Srinivasan V & Vimala C Capital Projects $4,000 $4,000 Sekhar Sundhar & Liane HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Shah Hasu & Hersha HARI Trust Fund $25,000 $5,001 Shah Hasu & Hersha Project(Katha) $5,001 $5,001 Shah Jagdish R. HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $5,000 Shah Satish A & Rupal S HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Sharma Gyanendra K & Saroj HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Sharma Anupama& Mani R HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Shenai Dr. Pundalik & Sheila HARI Trust Fund $1,001 $1,001 Sheth Ketan R & Kalpana K HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $5,000 Shukla Ashok & Maya HARI Trust Fund $7,500 $7,500 Singal Mohan & Sudesh HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Singal Rajesh & Brenda B HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $2,500 Smith Ajit & Manisha HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $1,000 Smith Rahul HARI Trust Fund $505 Awaiting Srinivasan Durai & Latha Durai HARI Trust Fund $2,500 $1,925 Subramanian Srinivasan & Meena HARI Trust Fund $7,500 $6,250 Sunny Krupa Inc Travel Inn HARI Trust Fund $1,000 $1,000 Tanna Nitin & Daksha HARI Trust Fund $10,000 $2,500 Upadhyay Satish & Taru General Fund $2,500 $2,500 Venkatasubramanian Ravi & Meena Ravi HARI Trust Fund $5,000 $2,500 Wale Rajkumar & Swati HARI Trust Fund $1,000 Awaiting Yedatore Jagannath & Saraswathi HARI Trust Fund $3,500 $1, HARI Gala HARI Trust Fund $30,000 $30,000 HARI Navaratri Garaba Group A group of HARI Devotees whom organize HARI Navaratri Program. Capitol Project (Vestibule Addition) $3,001 $3,001 TOTAL $564,834 $288,158 Page 8

9 Dear Parents and HARI members: HARI SCHOOL We are happy to welcome you all back to HARI School! The HARI School has started off to yet another great year! We have added interesting and fun classes to our program this year. Some of the classes we have added are Hindustani (bhajans); Carnatic vocal music; Violin; Mridangam; Kuchipudi; Kathak- classic and modern dance; etc. Every year we plan to improve and make HARI's school more interesting and fruitful. We welcome your feed back and suggestions. We convey our thanks for your continued support. Please visit HARI website ( for additional information regarding the HARI School or feel free to contact any of our school directors. HARI School Directors Symbolism in Hinduism by Mrs. Lakshmi Shrikantia Hinduism is often labeled as a religion of thousand gods. This misunderstanding arises when we fail to grasp the symbolism of the religion. Supreme Reality (Bramhan) as we all know is formless and these different aspects of one reality are symbolized by the many gods and goddesses. For example, Brahma is that reality in its role as creator of the universe; in Vishnu it is seen as the preserver and the upholder of the universe; and in Shiva that same reality is viewed as the principle of transcendence-destroyer of evil. These are the Trimurti, the ' three forms,' and they are not so much different gods as different ways of looking at the same God. Each emphasizes a particular aspect or function of the one reality. "Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti" or "Truth is One, the wise call it by many names." The forms are many, the reality is one; the principle is very deeply rooted in Hindu thought, and was stated at the very outset in the Rg Veda: The Supreme Being has no form at all and yet is inherent in all forms. Idol worship is a tool for harnessing the eye and mind on God. The Vishnu Samhita (ch 29, v 55-7) an ancient ritual text explains idol worship as: "Without a form how can God be mediated upon? If He is without any form, where will the mind fix itself? When there is nothing for the mind to attach to, it will slip away from meditation or will glide into a state of slumber. Therefore the wise will meditate on some form, remembering, however, that the form is a superimposition and not a reality." Images of God are not necessarily idols. We do not actually worship the statues, icons, or symbols themselves, but rather use the images as a point of focus for devotion. "Aham Brahm asmi (I am Bramh/the spirit or essence of everything)," "Tat twam asi (Thou art that/bramh alone exists and is the essence of everything), "Aham sa (I am He (Bramh)/an individual is a soul wrapped up in a physical body),"? Since the unenlightened mind hasn't the capacity to perceive these statements as proceeding from the ultimate refinement of consciousness. The teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads had to be clothed in symbolism, and presented in allegories. According to the Bhagavad Gita, even those who worship other gods (anya-devatah), ancestral deities, elemental powers, if they do so with faith, then their faith is justified, for the Divine accepts every form conceived by the worshipper. Page 9

10 ANNOUNCEMENTS Monthly Havan: Devotees are invited to attend the Havan with their friends and family members. Devotees who wish to sponsor the monthly Havan and/or Dinner/Prasad are requested to contact any of the HARI executive committee members. Sunday, October 04 6pm to 7pm Sunday, November 01 6pm to 7pm Sponsored by Drs. Ramesh & Prabha Jindal Sunday, December 06 6pm to 7pm Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Vipin & Suman Goel Monthly Satyanarayan Katha: Satyanarayan Puja is performed on a full moon (Purnima) day to seek Lord's blessings for good health, peace, and wealth. If Grahan (eclipse) falls on the day then puja will be held day after. The puja is performed with total devotion, offering fruits, flower, ghee, milk, yogurt, butter, wheat flour, sugar, and honey to Lord Satyanarayan. After the puja, the story of Lord Satyanarayan is read and the Prasad is distributed to all attendees. The puja thus performed brings in fulfillment of one's wishes and prosperity. Saturday, October 03 7:15pm Monday, November 02 7:15pm Tuesday, December 01 7:15pm Thursday, December 31 7:15pm Monthly Jain Swadhayay / Puja: Devotees are invited to attend the Santra Puja with their family or friends. The Santra Puja is held first Sunday of every month at 2pm. Hanuman Chalisa Recital: Every Saturday between 7:15pm and 8:15pm by our priests. Please join along with your family and friends for Satsang and Hanuman Chalisa Recital. Weekly Bhajans & Bhagawad Gita Study: Each Friday from 6:30pm to 9:00pm, followed by prasad. Institute of Higher Understanding (IoHU) conducts the Bhajans & Bhagawad Gita study in collaboration with HARI. Contact or HbgVedic@yahoo.com for more information. HARI School Lunch: Devotees are encouraged to sponsor lunch during HARI School. Suggested donation for one lunch Sponsorship is $300. Please contact HARI School lunch coordinator, Mrs. Sandhaya Parikh at or via at parikhss@verizon.net to sponsor the lunch. Closing/Cancellation Alerts on TV: HARI Temple has signed up with Local TV Stations to include HARI School Closings/Program Cancellations due to severe weather conditions. Members are advised to look for HARI Temple or Hindu American Religious Institute under York County Closings. The TV Channels that we have signed up with: ABC27 CBS21 FOX43 WGAL8 CONGRATULATIONS... to Hersh & Andrea Shukla, proud parents of a baby girl, NYAH, born on Sunday, September 20, Proud grandparents Ashok & Maya Shukla, Camp Hill, PA. Page 10

11 2009 DIWALI CELEBRATION Saturday, October 17, 2009 Diwali Dinner Sponsors Name of Sponsors Aangan Restaurant, Harrisburg, PA ~ Masala Bistro Restaurant, Camp Hill, PA ~ Passage to India Restaurant, Harrisburg, PA ~ Taj Mahal Restaurant, Lancaster, PA ~ Taj Palace Restaurant, Harrisburg, PA ~ Tulsi Restaurant, Lancaster, PA ~ HARI Devotees Item Description Subji Vegetable Korma Yellow Dal Tadka Dessert and Subji Subji Palak Panir Dessert and Dal Dessert Annakut Prasad Items, Naan, Choole, & Rice Pay your HARI Membership check for Year 2010 on Diwali Day Any HARI membership check paid after September 15, 2009 is considered as a payment for the year 2010 membership. Please pay your 2010 HARI membership check with a memo detail as 2010 membership payment on the auspicious day of Diwali. HARI MEMBERSHIP AND DONATION FORM Name: Last Name First Name MI Spouse s Name: First Name MI Maiden Name (optional) Address: Tel. No: ( ) - Regular Membership: Annual: $51 Lifetime: $600 Senior Citizens Membership: Annual: $25 Lifetime: $300 Donations (General/Trust Fund): $. Total Enclosed: $ Yes, please add or correct the above entry in the HARI Communication List No, please remove the above entry from the HARI Communication List Page 11

12 THIS ISSUE OF HARI TIMES IS SPONSORED BY * - * - * - * BUDGET PRINTING CENTER * - * - * - * 4620 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA Ph: (717) /Fax: (717) One stop for all your printing needs! One color to four color processing. Custom Made Indian Wedding Invitations. THIS ISSUE OF HARI TIMES IS SPONSORED BY * - * - * - * Satya, Manisha, Vishrut and Vishal Arya * - * - * - * May the divine light of DIWALI spread into your life Peace, Prosperity, Happiness and Good Health! * - * - * - * * - * - * - * Hindu American Religious Institute Non-profit Org. 301 Steigerwalt Hollow Road US Postage Paid New Cumberland PA Harrisburg, PA (717) Permit No 304 Page 12