Wounds Heal at Hindu Temple in Maple Grove

[Guest guest]

"Grief over senseless vandalism fades as Minnesota's Hindu community

joyously prepares to dedicate its ornate new temple."

 

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. [uSA] (June 26, 2006): It was a touching,

unexpected gesture.

 

After hearing that vandals had desecrated precious religious icons

at Maple Grove's new Hindu temple, a roofer, who'd simply come to

fix storm damage at Umesh Singh's nearby home, pressed a $100

personal check into his hand. Please, he said, put this toward

temple repairs.

 

"I was so overwhelmed by his generosity," said Singh, a temple board

member. "He didn't have to do that."

 

As the Hindu community prepares for this week's inaugural

celebrations at Hindu Mandir of Minnesota, its ornate $9 million

temple, an outpouring of support from the non-Hindu community

continues to surprise the congregation.

 

The celebration, originally scheduled for early June, was delayed

after vandals took baseball bats to nine of the temple's religious

icons in April.

 

As many as 2,000 Hindus are expected to participate in this week's

celebration at the 42,000-square-foot temple, one of the largest in

the United States. But many non-Hindus are expected to celebrate,

too.

 

They are happy to show support for their new neighbors after a crime

that shocked and saddened many of the temple's neighbors in this

northwestern suburb.

 

"Certainly I'll be there," said Karen Jaeger, deputy mayor of Maple

Grove. "They're part of our community. I was there for their other

openings, and I was there after the vandals were there. That was

appalling."

 

Before the vandalism, Jaeger, like many other Maple Grove residents,

knew little about the Hindu religion. A community forum after the

crime drew about 600 people, including representatives from other

faiths.

 

"It brought the community together, for sure," said Jaeger. "It's a

very nice religion. They're all so nice and forgiving. I don't know

if I could be that generous."

 

The massive temple, which has been under construction since 2003, is

still far from complete. Eight artisans from India, in Minnesota on

special two-year work visas, already have spent seven months working

on the intricate carvings and concrete work that decorate the

building's 19 "mini-temples." Five of the 19 will be inaugurated at

this weekend's festivities, with the others being celebrated as they

are finished over the next 18 months.

 

Bernie Bielke, a tattooed, Harley-driving bricklayer from Cottage

Grove, is among many contractors who have worked on the project

since it began.

 

"I've worked on a lot of buildings, but this is unique," said

Bielke. "There are a lot of expensive things in here. It's really

nice."

 

ELEMENTS OF JUSTICE

 

The suspected vandals, two 19-year old men, have a pretrial court

date set for July 10 to face felony charges. Officials estimate they

did as much as $200,000 damage to the walls, windows and statues in

the temple.

 

Initial fears were that the acts were a hate crime, but

investigators don't believe that was the case. The men told friends

they had used baseball bats to break into the building and to damage

some "weird" statues.

 

"We felt a collective sigh of relief when we knew who did it and why

they did it," said Singh. "That definitely helped people accept what

happened. It's very emotional for Hindus to see that kind of

destruction to deities you were hoping to pray to."

 

Gestures of support have streamed in from all over the country, from

Hawaii to New York, said V.V. Chari, a temple trustee. As an

economics professor at the University of Minnesota, Chari was

particularly touched by the contributions of a student group from

St. Louis' Washington University.

 

A PUBLIC CELEBRATION TOO

 

Most of the inaugural celebrations, which begin Thursday evening and

run through Sunday afternoon, have religious significance. But many

festivities are designed to educate by showcasing Hindu traditions

and culture. Free vegetarian Indian food will be served for

breakfast, lunch, teatime and dinner Friday through Sunday, and the

public is invited.

 

There was never any question about closing the event, Chari said.

 

"That thought did not even occur to us," he said. "That would be

very contrary to our ways. The temple is open to all comers. We want

to encourage anyone who wants to learn about Hinduism."

 

Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, whose office is prosecuting

the crime, will be among those attending. She has recommended that

the vandals not only do jail time and pay restitution, but come to

face the Hindus to hear how deeply their actions affected the

congregation.

 

Upsetting as the vandalism was, Singh feels it had some unforeseen

benefits.

 

"It improved our community interaction," he said. "We understand

each other better as human beings."

 

SOURCE: ©2006 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. "Wounds Heal at

Hindu Temple in Maple Grove" by Darlene Prois, Star Tribune

URL: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/517319.html