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cmorel02
22 July 2012, 12:40 AM
Namaste!

In my lovely town of Spokane, Washington, there is absolutely no temple dedicated to the Sanatana Dharma! And the closest on is miles! Sooo, I had a super crazy idea. What if I was to create my own? I know it's rather out of the orthodox, but I don't follow those doctrines. I know in some places where there are no brahmins to preform pujas other people can do this in their place. Maybe I'm in the position to do this? The closest thing I have in mind I can do, I find a space somewhere, maybe at a enclosed space of land I can do the pujas. Keep the mutri with me, as leaving it in the open air, I would find a wee bit insulting...but, I'm not all that sure. So I would like to hear your opinions. What do you guys think I should do?

Dhanyavadah! :)(:

Equinox
22 July 2012, 02:21 AM
Vannakkam, :D

That sounds like an awesome idea! Yea you can start small, and over the years when there's more support, you can definitely upgrade it. I feel that no Hindu should live in a place with no temple.

Anyway, many Hindu temples start out with small dreams by people from all walks of life. Sometimes, the God or Goddess appear in their dreams, so they construct a temple for the deity. At other times, it is to show gratitude. Most large temples you see today started off with just small shrines, so don't worry about not having a building or a fixed structure yet.

It's quite a huge responsibility, so I'd suggest getting support from Hindus in other parts of Washington, if there's none in your town.

If I may ask, which God would you dedicate the temple to?


Aum Namah Shivaya

cmorel02
22 July 2012, 12:31 PM
I think I'll start with a shrine for now! (:

And it would be dedicated to Shiva at first. Then I might extend it to Ganesha and Uma later on after I get some more support. (:

ShriBala
22 July 2012, 06:01 PM
Namaskar!

Generally if there's no temple in the city/town, people start off with a shrine and over time may allot a separate room. Or, depending on the house, if they conduct bhajans, religious classes then it'd be the basement.

This is how the Shri Raja Rajeshvari temple at Rush, NY started out. Thought you might like to know this, since you've have Devi roopam as your avatar :)

Once the critical mass is reached, the god/goddess might make their plans known through a dream/vision etc.

Did you mean that you'd be taking the moorti back-and-forth between your residence and the place which you'd be looking out for?


Namaste!

In my lovely town of Spokane, Washington, there is absolutely no temple dedicated to the Sanatana Dharma! And the closest on is miles! Sooo, I had a super crazy idea. What if I was to create my own? I know it's rather out of the orthodox, but I don't follow those doctrines. I know in some places where there are no brahmins to preform pujas other people can do this in their place. Maybe I'm in the position to do this? The closest thing I have in mind I can do, I find a space somewhere, maybe at a enclosed space of land I can do the pujas. Keep the mutri with me, as leaving it in the open air, I would find a wee bit insulting...but, I'm not all that sure. So I would like to hear your opinions. What do you guys think I should do?

Dhanyavadah! :)(:

Eastern Mind
22 July 2012, 06:35 PM
Vannakkam cmorel: This is certainly how most temples start .. one person's energy, and will, then it builds. That's how the one here that I'm the most familiar with started. I have found that in the beginning, people just ant something .. some sense of a group. Have you been able to contact any others who might be interested, and is there any Indian community there at all? I just returned today from a meeting with the organisers of a new temple here. There will be lots of help and advise around the corner, ads well as obstacles. :) Best wishes with bringing something to fruition.

Aum Namasivaya

cmorel02
22 July 2012, 10:31 PM
Namaste

@ShriBala: When I find a decent place to hold my shrine and begin to offer pujas, I think it would ab a good idea to keep the mutri with me. As it could be poured upon, or stolen, or any other unfortunate event could take hold on it. But I'm not sure on that particularly.

But I see now that I have great potential. I can get in touch with the Pagan community of Spokane to try to get their support. As they might not be Hindu, they most certainly would be willing to worship the Deva. For now, I'm wondering what I should do with the mutri. Should I keep it with me until I can get a room/building.

Dhanyavadah. (:

ShriBala
23 July 2012, 02:54 AM
Namaskar cmorel02.

By shrine --when you start off, i'd meant an altar/ a room at your residence.

Later on if you decide to make a temple out of your wish and decide to do a formal sthapana (installation) and a prana-prathisthana, then you'd not be able to move the moortis around.

You might know this. There are 2 types of vigrahams - moolavar or main and the utsavar or the one who is used for festivals/utsavams.

The moolavar is fixed in His/Her place in the mandir.

The utsavar also stays alongwith the moolavar, but is decorated and carried around during the festivals.

Here, we are talking about formal worship with brahmins etc.

ShriBala
23 July 2012, 05:56 AM
Vandanam

My suggestion would be to set up a room/place at your home for the murti to stay there. Think of that as a temple, for starters. If you're able to find and band up with like-minded people, then by god's grace, the next step becomes clearer and obstacles vanish.

Not to nickpit, it is murti and not mutri.

Good luck!

Eastern Mind
23 July 2012, 07:31 AM
Vannakkam: Establishing a mandir is a long road. (I've been along that road.) Another idea is to establish a monthly satsang, which can rotate around from house to house. The most common deity to start with is Ganesha, and in particular, his role as remover of obstacles. A nice framed picture is okay to start with. Normally this is something everyone in a very diverse community can relate to. This weekend at the place I went to there were Hindus originally from Bengal, Punjab, Guyana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and more. And that was just within about 50 people.

I also think that if you're really serious, it might be advisable to do a little tour around to see some other temples, and hear how they were started.

But with Lord Ganesha's grace, it is entirely possible. Just not easy. :)

Aum Namasivaya

Viraja
24 July 2012, 11:45 AM
Hi,

This thread is reminding me of my own wish sometime back to have a temple constructed here in USA for goddess Vanadurga amidst dense forest :). Then I read a story of a saint (forgot the name) who mentally built a Shiva temple - complete with laying of foundation to installation of diety all accordance to rules, and to which lord Shiva decided to visit first for temples inauguration forgoing his other diety - a king's invitation to visit his temple in concrete!

So in all due awe, I constructed a small 'temple' out of model clay for Lord Subrahmanya for last year's navaratri. (dusshera) - hopefully this will give me the merit to actually build a temple in this birth (!) or next... :Cool:

<3Vinayaka<3
01 September 2012, 12:31 AM
Your plans of a Mandir/Kovil is in my prayers! I my self hope to connect to enough Hindus locally to create a local community and at last a local shrine. Sadly, most of the local Hindus are international students, who only live here for one or two years. I'm anyhow trying to organize a small festival during Ganesh Utsav this month. That will be fun!

-^- Åm -^-

Eastern Mind
01 September 2012, 07:55 PM
Vannakkam Vinayaka: Temples start from small shrines. Is there a meditation hall, or chapel at the university? Maybe you could approach the authorities and use it for some sort of group worship once a week, like Friday nights. I'm sure International Hindu students would really appreciate that, even if its just a few bhajans, and some small aarti to a picture. Then some connection, albeit small to the roots can remain.

Aum Namasivaya

Vitani
01 September 2012, 08:51 PM
Vannakkam Vinayaka: Temples start from small shrines. Is there a meditation hall, or chapel at the university? Maybe you could approach the authorities and use it for some sort of group worship once a week, like Friday nights. I'm sure International Hindu students would really appreciate that, even if its just a few bhajans, and some small aarti to a picture. Then some connection, albeit small to the roots can remain.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste,

I like this idea a lot! You've all inspired me to try and do something like this at my college :)

ShivaFan
03 September 2012, 06:57 PM
Namaste cmorel02

You show the spirit which I haven't seen in a long time. It is almost as if you are taking us all back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. God give you the power, the money, the heart, to try this. No matter what comes of it, you will be given a smile directly from Lord Shiva. I pray the Gandarvas and the Ganas do some work behind the scenes for you to help. May the Apsaras influence the minds and hearts of those who would turn a stone, just when you need it, to help it be so. This is exactly how things had, have and can come true. Because someone tried. You also show courage and Bhakti. I live far from you, but if I were a neighbor I would try to help with my hands. A temple builder is one who earns the title Best Among Friends and Community. The true cornerstone is you.

No matter what comes to pass, you will always remember your moment in time when you made an effort. Ganesha has His army, I pray He gives you many hands, many arms, many faces, many friends, many smiles, many coins, many umbrellas from the Spokane rain

Come and tell us two years time. No matter what, you will find others who can become true friends in the process, Goddess will give you many blessings. A temple builder. What a great thing that is to be.

Om Namah Sivaya

Viraja
16 September 2012, 04:23 PM
Here's the simple mandir I built out of clay for displaying Lord Murugan during Navaratri Kolu. Though small, it took about 10 hrs to make it and I made it with such love for Muruga.

(I really wish there are mandirs of varying kinds, Medha Dakshinamoorthy teaching his 4 pupils, Ramayana series and various scenes from puranas all available as doll format for navaratri kolu - it is not possible to make them all ;)).

McKitty
16 September 2012, 04:40 PM
Vanakkam,

This is very beautiful Aspirant !

I have a question tho, did you left the clay to dry in the air or did you bake it in the oven ?

I would like to do like this for Navratri but I am afraid it won't last the nights D:


Aum Namah Shivaya

Viraja
16 September 2012, 04:48 PM
McKitty,

I just let it air dry. Ofcourse, it broke sometime after Navaratri. What I had exactly done was to make this mandir and stick it to a thick cardboard board. Inspite of it, the mandir came off separately after sometime and then it broke.

But I really am not that concerned about it because it lasted for the navaratri (as I was not touching it) and it gave me immense spiritual satisfaction everytime I prayed before it - like visiting a mandir at home!

McKitty
16 September 2012, 05:04 PM
Vanakkam,


Oh, the problem for me is not that it break or not...I was wondering what you should do with the remain D:

Does they have to be treated like a Murti, and should not be disposed in trash or thrown away ?

I should try to put much water on the remains, maybe they will stick again to make something else, even with the paint...

I should try it ! Thank you very much for inspiring me to make a mandir ! I can't wait for october, I'll do maasa-Shivratri and Navratri, this will be a big big month :D

Aum Namah Shivaya

Viraja
16 September 2012, 05:10 PM
Vanakkam,


Oh, the problem for me is not that it break or not...I was wondering what you should do with the remain D:

Does they have to be treated like a Murti, and should not be disposed in trash or thrown away ?

Aum Namah Shivaya

No, no need to dispose it away. You can store the mandir with proper care and god willing, it won't break away :) and then you can reuse this homemade (self-made) treasure for subsequent navaratris or even for your shrine! Atleast that was what I hoped for - but without any processing like baking it or whatever, the mandir wouldn't stay! :( But it will be a great little project - I too did it 1hr each day for 10 days!

Good luck with your project!

Parvāna
20 May 2013, 07:23 PM
Namaste,

I'm curious as to things are progressing, cmorel02. I'm in the Spokane area as well, and recently I've been lamenting how far away the temples are from here. It's startling to see someone mention Spokane on here, especially relating to my current dilemma. I really shouldn't be so surprised at this point. :rolleyes: