Carolina temple will pursue foundation event despite 2015 gun blasts at sign

Sri Mata Hindu Temple of Winston-Salem (Winston Salem Hindu Temple) is holding a grand foundation ceremony from October seven to ten on its 7.5 acres plot in Clemmons (North Carolina), first Hindu temple of Forsyth County.

Hindu community seems to be enthusiastic and moving forward with Temple plans despite the sign of planned Temple in Clemmons was hit with over 60 shotgun blasts in July 2015.

Ceremony includes Sanku Staapana, which will be held on October 10 evening during the auspicious time designated between 05:21 pm to 06:46 pm. This Temple, to be built in a traditional way, “would promote community welfare and the welfare of the world”, according to the announcement, which also adds that they “received City/County’s permit to build our temple in August 2016”. Ground Breaking Ceremony (Bhoomi Puja) of the Temple was held on June 11, 2015; and Kumbhabishekam is planned during May next.

Sri Lalithaambika will be the presiding deity with shrine at the center, while four intercardinal (ordinal) directions will have the shrines for Sri Ganapathy, Sri Aditya, Sri Maha Vishnu (Balaji) and Sri Shiva (shivalingam). Shrines for Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Shirdi Sai Baba are also planned in the phase one; which includes 3,600-square-foot sanctum. Estimated cost of all eight shrines will be $335,000, including $75,000 for Sri Lalithaambika Shrine alone.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended the spirit of the area Hindu community for keeping their focus on worship and advancing forward with temple plans.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted that temple sign shooting incident was shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful US Hindu community numbering about three million; who had made lot of contributions to the nation and society; to receive such signals of hatred and anger.

Rajan Zed urged North Carolina Governor Patrick L. McCrory, Forsyth County Board of Commissioners Chairman David R. Plyler and Clemmons Mayor Nickolas Nelson to participate in the foundation ceremony to reassure area Hindus. Zed urged fellow Hindus to educate other Americans about Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents; and try to remove misconceptions, if any, about it.

Temple, a collaboration of Om Hindu Organization of North Carolina and Sri Mata Shaktipeetham, is offering opportunity to become a Founder Trustee at minimum contribution of $10,000. According to Temple website, “A Hindu Temple stands for Tranquility, Education, Meditation, Purification, Love and Engagement.”

The construction will be undertaken in three phases, with total cost amounting to about one million USD. When completed, besides sanctuary, it will have a cultural hall for community activities, a dining hall, rooms for educational-cultural-religious classes, etc., Swami Rajendran, Vice Chairman, indicates.

Area Hindus are thankful to the other local communities and faith groups who had offered help. Even the Church across the street lets the temple devotees use its parking, Rajendran adds.

This Temple, when built, will reportedly serve about 500 families who had been travelling to Charlotte (about 75 miles), Cary (about 107 miles) and Morrisville (about 103 miles) for services; besides worshipping in home shrines. Krishna Surabhi is the Secretary.