Houston Vedic Center/Ashta Lakshmi Temple, Houston Vikasatarangini, JETUSA, Hous

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Jai Srimannarayana!!!

Srimathe Ramanujayanamah!!!

Asmad Guubhyonamaha!!!

Pujya Swamiji,

Pranaams from all Hoston devotees. On April 21 we had a wonderful

celebration of SriRaam Navami and Seetha Raama Kalyanam at our site. About

400 devotees participated in the divine function. Sriman Thatha Charya has

perfomed the ceremony with great enthsiasm and we felt Bhadrachalam has

transcended to Houston. We are very greatful to Sriman Thatha Charaya. The

decorations were beautiful and there was a lot effort by all volunteers.

Pavani, a local restaurant has donated the Prasadam for all devotees. The photos

will be posted on JET website. Ranga Kandalam must have described the details

yesterday. The link to the website is:.srbhavar..The

function pictures are also attached for your convenience.

The response was overwhelming and we have demonstrated to the Houston

community that Vikasa Tarangini is a viable organization and capable of

taking up Vedic School and Ashta Lakshmi Temple project. As expected the

temple is more appealing to the non-members but we are proceeding with both

temple and the vedic center. There is also an uneasy feeling among some that

we are trying to compete with the Meenakshi Temple. We have to communicate

our objectives very effectively. We are not in competetion with any

organisation, we are here to complement other spiritual organizations.

We had a meeting yesterday to come up with a startegy for execution. Three

alternates were considered.First beig to build the Vedic Center followed by

the temple, the second is to proceed with the temple and later develop Vedic

center and third startegy is to do both simultaneously. After some

discussion the first starategy to proceed with the Vedic center appers to be

the choice.

As we proceed with the project new members will be joining our group, there

is a possibility our primary goals can be misintepreted. I have writtern the

following document to specify our goals in writing. Swamiji, please make

corrections as required and then we will publish for the everybody's

guideline. This is a preliminary draft for you approval.

Vedic Center and Asta Lakshmi Temple

Vikasa Tarangini, a Houston chapter of JET USA Inc., is planning a Vedic

Learning Center and Ashta Lakshmi Temple in the Houston Area with the

blessings of His Holiness Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar

Swamiji. A land of Six (6) acres is acquired in the Southwest part of

Houston. The location is very convenient and accessible to majority of

Vikasa Tarangini members. The proposed project will be in two (2) phases.

The first phase will be consist of the development of Vedic Learning Center

and second phase will be the construction of Ashta Lakshmi Temple.

Vedic Learning Center:

The purpose of the Vedic Learning Center is to revitalize the Vedic culture,

teach the Vedas and Upanishads. Along with the text of the Vedas, the

practical aspects of Vedic tenets will be taught in the center. There are

many Vedic centers that are teaching the Vedas based on Adwaitha philosophy.

There are practically no Vedic centers teaching Visishtadwaitam. We strongly

believe that there is a need for a center teaching the Visishtadwaitam in

Sri Ramanuja Sampradaya specially in the USA. Our Vedic center in Houston

hopes to fulfill this need and carry out Visishtadwaita teaching and

research to bridge the gap between modern science and Vedic culture. We

believes that the philosophy of Visishtadwaita is very practical and

ideally suited to uplift the modern generations. Also proposed as a part of

the Vedic center are the yoga and meditation classes.

The proposed Vedic center will have class rooms, computer facilities, a

conference hall to accommodate about 300 to 400 people. The center will have

one Deity ( to be specified by Swamiji) for worship. The Vedic Center in

Houston will function in close association with the Vedic Schools in India

run by JET . Swamiji will appoint a Resident Acharya to be in charge of the

Vedic Center.

Ashta Lakshmi Temple:

Ashta Lakshmi temple is proposed at the Vedic center. There is a tremendous

amount of enthusiasm from Houston community for the temple. In Houston area

facilities such as Sri Meenakshi Temple are fulfilling the religious needs

of all sections of the community, Vikasa Tarangini will continue to support

the Meenakshi Temple and other temples in the area. Our Ashta Lakshmi Temple

is for the worship for our devotees. The temple will house only Ashta

Lakshmi and multiple deities are not proposed. The temple will be authentic

and will be managed by a qualified priest of Sri Vaishnava tradition as

approved by Swamiji. Swamiji will nominate trustees to manage and guide Vedic

School and the temple.

Facilities: Facilities will include parking area, garden, resident quarters

for the Acharya, Priest and the Administrator.

Preliminary cost estimates: Land and the Vedic center, 0.5 million Dollars.

The temple will be about a Million Dollars plus.

Jeevan Pulijal,

Jai Srimannarayana!