Hindu temple opens in Ohio with elaborate rituals

Sri Venkateswara Temple of Central Ohio has been formally launched in Powell with four-day long ancient rituals and celebrations.

Grand Opening, Utsava Murthy Prana Prathishthapanam and Sri Venkateswara Kalyanotsavam celebrations included various poojas, homams, viniyogams, agnipratishtha, kumbha-abhishekam, etc.

Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of Temple leaders and area community for realizing this Hindu temple.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this new Temple would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

This in Powell is the temporary location of the Temple, which opens daily. Management is in the process of acquiring land in nearby Galena, which will be its permanent location, reports suggest.

Ravishankar Kuruganti, Shiva Pattisapu, Nat Rammohan and Anantha Padmanabhan are the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary respectively of the Temple Executive Committee; while Ramakrishna Garu is the Priest.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.

Powell, an affluent city first settled around 1801, was listed in the “100 Best Places to Live in the United States”. Jim Hrivnak is the Mayor.