Samarpanam March 15, 2013

Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC)

Samarpanam 2012 Annual Report • March 15, 2013 A humble offering...

Vidya mitram pravaseshu

Knowledge is a friend in distant lands

Bharya mitram gruheshu cha

Wife is a friend at home

Vyadhi tasyowshadham mitram

The right medicine is a friend to the sick

Dharmo mitram mrutasya cha |

Dharma (righteousness) is a friend even beyond the grave

--Subhashita

A Cancer Center as Unique as You.

No two patients are alike, but there’s only one Missouri Cancer Associates, the largest and most experienced oncology group in Central Missouri. With 274 years of combined physician experience, you can always expect to see your same oncologist in the hospital and the clinic. And “right up to the front door” access to our Cancer Center, is just another way that you’ll be treated personally with care and compassion by staff who are dedicated to the unique needs of each patient, family and support system.

Missouri Cancer Associates, your Comprehensive Cancer Center. www.MissouriCancer.com

on the campus of Boone Hospital Center 1705 East Broadway . Columbia

Samarpanam

1

Contents

Daily Prayer Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Message from the Board of Trustees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Map and Directions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 HTCC Benefactors - 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Report from the Executive Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 In Memoriam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 HTCC Seventh Anniversary Celebrations Organizing Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A Foreword to the Committee Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 HTCC Executive Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 HTCC Fiscal Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 HTCC Picture Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Cultural Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Facilities and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Devotional Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 External Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Financial Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Educational Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Safety and Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Operations and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Scheduling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Service Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Youth Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Shanthi Mandir Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 HTCC Directory 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Cultural Association of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Raagas of Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The Vedic Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 South Asia Student Association (SASA). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Current Programs at Shanthi Mandir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 HTCC Volunteers 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 HTCC Membership Form 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Shanthi Mandir Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC) Columbia, Missouri

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Business Advertisers A&Y Global Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 AC Cleaning and Lawn Service. . . . 13 Boehmer Chiropractic. . . . . . . . . . . 13 Boone County National Bank. . . . . . 7 Days Inn/Budget Host. . . . . . . . . . . 23 House of Brokers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Inside Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Kumon Center of Columbia . . . . . . 13 Landmark Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Little Gym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Missouri Cancer Associates . . . . . IFC Ramsey Shouman, DDS. . . . . . . . . . 14 Robinson Ries Orthodontics . . . . . 26 Seema Enterprises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Seema World Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Taj Emporium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 TigerSide Preschool. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Ultramart Arena/Speedy Mart. . . IBC Web Design Services. . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Messages from Families Graduations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Personal Messages . . . . . . . 8, 26, 42 Wedding Announcements. . . . . . . 23 IBC: Inside Back Cover IFC : Inside Front Cover

2

Samarpanam

Daily Prayer Page Morning Prayer This prayer is to be recited soon after waking up.

KARAAGRE VASATE LAKSHMI KARA MADHYE SARASWATI KARA MOOLE STHITA GAURI PRABAHATE KARA DARSHANAM On the tip of my fingers resides Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth. In the middle of my hands is Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge and learning. In the palm of my hands sits Mother Gauri, the Goddess of protection.

Visualizing in this manner, I take darshan of my hands every morning.

Meal Prayer This 24th verse from the 4th chapter of Bhagavad Gita is to be recited before every meal.

BRAHMAARPANAM BRAHMA HAVIR BRAHMAAGNAU BRAHMANAA HUTAM BRAHMAIVA TENA GANTAVYAM BRAHMA KARMA SAMAADHINAHA The act of offering is Brahman (The Supreme). The offering itself is Brahman. The offering is done by Brahman in the sacred fire which is Brahman. He alone attains Brahman who, in all actions, is fully absorbed in Brahman. (As we chant this prayer we are offering the different types of food to Brahman).

Gayatri Mantra The Gayatri Mantra can be recited any time, but is ideally suited for morning prayer-time.

OM BHUR BUVAHA SUVAHA THATH SAVITHUR VARENYAM BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYATH We contemplate the glory of Light illuminating the three worlds: gross, subtle and causal.

I am that vivifying power, love, radiant illumination and divine grace of universal intelligence.

We pray for the divine light to illumine our minds.

Asotoma Sadgamaya Prayer This Prayer is typically recited as a conclusion to a meditation/prayer session Asatoma Sadgamaya Thamaso Maa Jyothir Gamaya Mrithyor Maa Amrutham Gamaya Aum ShantHi ShantHi Shantihi Lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality.

May there be peace everywhere.

Night Prayer This prayer is to be recited at bedtime.

KARA CHARANA KRITHAM VAAK KAAYAJAM KARMAJAM VAA SRAVANA NAYANAJAM VAA MAANASAM VAA APARADHAM VIHITHAM AVIHITHAM VAA SARVAMETAT KSHAMASVA JAYA JAYA KARUNAABDHE SRI MAHA DEVA SHAMBHO Oh Lord, please forgive me for all the wrong actions that I have committed with my hands, feet, speech, body, ears, eyes and mind. Please pardon me for all the wrong actions that I have done knowingly or unknowingly. Victory to You, oh Lord of compassion and mercy.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

3

Message from the Board of Trustees Members

A

s we approach the seventh anniversary of the Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC), it is appropriate to recall the message of the Bhagavadgita. We have had the good fortune to recite and study it on numerous occasions, thanks to the weekly communion at the Shanthi Mandir.

This sloka (Chapter 4, sloka 20) gives us a road map on how to proceed with actions whose consequences are unknown despite our good intentions. “Do not be obsessed with the results of your deeds,” says the good book. “Do not yearn for

the fruits of your action. Be self-assured and detached. Focus on the task at hand without ego. Then things proceed as if you were not doing them.”

We pray for the wisdom imparted by the Bhagavadgita as we proceed into the future with a desire to remain strong and united, to expand opportunities to pray, learn and serve.

Samarpanam gives a summary of where we are at the present. With your support and active participation we are certain to forge ahead. We wish you a happy and peaceful 2013.

Map and Directions Directions: Take Exit 127 on Interstate I-70 Head north on Range Line St Right at first traffic light on Vandiver Dr Left on Parker St Right on Holly Ave Sign for Shanthi Mandir will be visible on the right after 5-6 homes

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Holalkere R. Chandrasekhar1 Meera Chandrasekhar Balakrishnan Elangovan Srinath Gopalakrishna Anantha Gopalaratnam Vellore S. Gopalaratnam Nila Gupta Arun Jain Leela Jashnani3 Kattesh Katti Inder Khurana Jasmit Khurana Kiratadas Kutikkad 3,4 Sunder Lal Nirja Loyalka Anil Malhotra Kusum Malhotra Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary3 Kunal Chaudhary Moonmoon Mitra Ranadhir Mitra2 Kannappan Palaniappan Harsha Patel Nitin Patel Ravi Puri Anuradha Rajagopalan V. Ramachandran Kannan Raghuraman3 Archana Ramaswamy Gagneesh Rawat Chandra Rawlani Ramesh Rawlani Toshi Sehgal Sanjiv Sethi Krishna Sharma Bharath Srinivasan Hema Srinivasan Ravi Thawani Dabir Viswanath 1. Trustee President 2. Trustee Vice-President 3. Elected Trustees 4. Trustee Secretary

4

Samarpanam

HTCC Benefactors - 2012 Donor Acknowledgement, January 1 - December 31, 2012 We gratefully acknowledge the following monetary donations made during 2012. If we have inadvertently made an error in not including your name, please let us know. We will correct the error at the earliest available opportunity.

$1-49 Viswanath, Dabir and Pramila Mohan, Saroj Ramesh, Krishna Patil, Gunvant Baliram Adusumilli, Narayana and Rajalakshmi Kumar, Adarsh and Sangeeta Mohan, Rajiv and Sunilima Sinha Mohan, Amitabh Pennathur, Shiva Kumar $50-99 Gopalakrishna, Srinath and Uma Puri, Ravi and Mona Chaudhary, Kunal and Ritcha Mehra Cutkosky, Dale and Hema Srinivasan Katoch, Bandhana $100-249 Kumar, Asha Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya

Balakrishnan, Elangovan and Abirami Basu, Asit and Sandra Kannan, Sankaranarayanan Manusmare, Purushottam and Usha Nair, Satish and Jyotsana Pandurangi, Sandhya Patel, Nitin and Harsha Sahota, Pradeep K and Shakku Sandhu, Kuljit Kumar, Senthil and Kalai Zambre, Ajit Prakash Raghuraman, Kannan and Anandhi Upendran Krishnan, Hari and Latha Dalal, Pranav Gupta, Ghanshyam and Manorma Shukla, Shivendra and Asha Malhotra, Anil and Kusum Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra Krishna, Gopal and Santosh Agashe, Pushpa Refound Psychiatry Services LLC

Subramanian, Krishna and Raji $250-499 Mantrala, Murali and Surya Thawani, Ravi and Meena Khurana, Inder and Jasmit Batchu, Sudhir and Priya $500-999 Mahal, Satnam and Jasvir Ratneshwar, Srinivasan and Subbalakshmi Aggarwal, Kul and Archana Rawat, Gagneesh and Aditi Sehgal, Santosh $1,000-2,499 Sethi, Yash and Anjana Loyalka, Sudharshan and Nirja Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha

Make Regular Donations to HTCC via Direct Bank Transfers

Please consider making regular monthly contributions of $101, $51 or $21, or any other amount of your choice, as several families currently do. Slowly but surely your contributions will provide HTCC with the funds necessary to make timely infrastructure improvements. Please contact the Capital Campaign Chair or the Treasurer to set up regular donations.

In-kind Donors, January 1 - December 31, 2012 HTCC is grateful for donation of a Tabla set by Dr. Nripen Chanda, the donation of 3 four-shelf open book-cases, a two-drawer metal filing cabinet and a vacuum cleaner by Prof. Dabir Viswanath and Mrs. Pramila Viswanath, and two 26� table top Phillips TVs by Dr. Ravi and Mrs. Mona Puri. We also thank the following families for in-kind donations to the silent auction organized during the 2012 Anniversary Banquet. The auction generated over $1600 to benefit HTCC.

Anandhi Upendran and K. Raghuraman Chandra and Ramesh Rawlani Dabir and Pramila Viswanath Kusum Chandrapal Meena and Ravi Thawani Meera and H.R. Chandrasekhar Namita and Sashi Satpathy

Patricia Coles Pennan Chinnaswamy Punam and Sanjeev Sethi Priya and Sudhir Batchu Rajalakshmi and N. Rao Adusumilli Raji Subramanian Ritcha Mehra and Kunal Chaudhary Sandhya and Krishna Sharma

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Sandra and Asit Basu Shakku and Pradeep Sahota Shamita and Madhukar Misra Sonali Kumar and Shiva Pennathur Sunilima Sinha and Rajiv Mohan Surya Mantrala Toshi Sehgal Vasanthi Bhaskaran

Samarpanam

5

Report from the Executive Board

O

ur devotional, educational, service, outreach and youth programs continue to serve Mid-Missouri’s Hindu community and Columbia residents well.

We are able to do this by operating on a 100% volunteer basis. We salute our many volunteers and thank them for their devotion, commitment and hard work.

Devotional event celebrations have become a tradition at the Shanthi Mandir.

We are impressed by our community’s participation and engagement at these events - New Year Gayatri Mantra Recitation, Maha Shivaratri, Shri Ram Navami/ Akhand Ramayan, Samuhika Satyanarayan Puja, Janmashtami/Sri Krishna Jayanthi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navaratri Puja, Karva Chauth, Skanda Sashti, Deepavali/ Lakshmi Puja, Guru Nanak Jayanthi and Gita Recitation. We held fewer talks this year than earlier years; however, we are receiving more calls to either host talks on religion for smaller groups at the Mandir or elsewhere. For example, we hosted about 30 participants from the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Junior Leadership Columbia program and invited a Church group to attend Bal Puja proceedings.

Tamil language classes are very well-received, and we are looking for volunteers to restart Hindi language classes. We also held cultural programs at the Mandir.

Our summer workshop series covering the recitation of Vedic chants, cooking, quilt-making and mysteries of the universe were well received. Our service programs are also continuing to serve Columbia. Our youth assist in several service programs such as The Food Bank, Narayan Seva, Anna Daan, Adopt-a-Spot, Clean-up Columbia, CROP Hunger Walk and Sharing the Warmth. Several volunteers also provide soup and sandwiches every 4th Monday to the Interfaith Day Center, a program that provides day-time

shelter and services to Columbia’s homeless population. HTCC also fulfilled its 2012 pledge of $1,000 to support the Columbia Interfaith Resource Center (CIRC), an organization that operates two ongoing programs: The Interfaith Day Center and The Room at the Inn Shelter. We also contributed $1,000 to the Ahvad Memorial fund. In July 2012, a new website (http://columbiafavs.com/) dedicated to faith and values was launched. The Columbia FAVS site provides a discussion platform and an online forum for nonsectarian coverage of faith and values news from Columbia. H.R. Chandrasekhar serves as the HTCC representative on the ColumbiaFAVS web site. On a related note, we actively participated in the interfaith Thanksgiving event in 2012 as we have in years past. HTCC also sponsors a table at the Columbia Values Diversity Breakfast to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These activities have helped us in building active ties with the interfaith initiatives in Columbia. We thank you for your contributions in representing HTCC at community-wide events.

Members Inder Khurana1 Ravi Thawani2 Meera Chandrasekhar3 Abirami Elangovan4 1. President 2. Vice President 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer

In January 2013, we lost Robert F. Bussabarger, an honorary member of HTCC and a dear friend of the Indian community in Columbia. We pray for him and remember his generosity, compassion and love.

This year also marked the launching of an updated Shanthi Mandir website. Our thanks go to Indu Chandrasekhar for her creativity, Geetha Kutikkad for her diligence as the site’s Webmaster and Meera Chandrasekhar for coordinating the transition. The website is more user friendly and it has received very positive feedback.

We have achieved approximately 60% of our Capital Campaign target of $150,000 and continue to make steady

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Temple A. What is the name of the temple with this structure and where is it?

Temples of India Quiz: Watch for images throughout Samarpanam.

Yes, the answers are in this issue too - don’t peek! ...continued on page 6

6

Samarpanam

In Memoriam Robert Bussabarger, 1922-2013 Dr. Robert F. Bussabarger, emeritus professor of Art at the University of Missouri and a dear friend of the Indian community in Columbia passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. He was 90 years old. He was inducted as an Honorary Member of HTCC in 2009 in recognition of his numerous contributions to various art forms of India and his valuable donation of books to the HTCC library.

In 1961, Dr. Bussabarger was awarded a Fulbright research grant to study terracotta sculpture and temples in India. He lived in Calcutta in the state of Bengal, collaborated with two local artists and produced his own ceramic sculptures and pottery. Over the next few years, he returned to India and continued to produce ceramics, which were exhibited in galleries in Mumbai and Calcutta. His work was received enthusiastically throughout India. In 1968 he co-authored with Betty D. Robins an illustrated book, “The Everyday Arts of India.” In later years, he continued to sculpt, publish and paint. With his wife Mary Louise, he made several trips to India to establish many lasting friendships. Our deep heart-felt condolences go to his lovely wife and family.

Executive Board Report ...continued from page 5

but slow progress, partly because of the downturn in the economy.

As we wait on building a comfortable cushion for our future plans, the HTCC Board of Trustees (BOT) considered strategies for the future including the option to buy property.

The time demands on some of our volunteers stress the need for a plan to employ a manager and a priest, at least on a part-time basis. We now have two families who contribute monthly to partly fund the cost of our operations. We hope that more individuals/families would join them in assuring adequate sustained funding to meet our operating costs. We thank members who have renewed their 2013 memberships and encourage others to renew as well because these dues help us maintain our operations.

Several repairs and maintenance tasks were completed during the past year to provide a safe and secure facility. We installed one hand-

rail on the right wall as one leaves the prayer hall to get to the entrance hallway. We also hired contractors to install gutters and downspouts on the main building of the Mandir.

Due to the torrid summer heat, the flower beds in the lawn needed more care than usual in the form of weeding and watering on a regular basis.

The Election Committee (consisting of Srinath Gopalakrishna, Gagneesh Rawat and Krishna Sharma) has been appointed to hold upcoming elections as per our Constitution and bylaws for the various open offices (Treasurer and Vice President of the Executive Board and an Elected Trustee position). Please participate in the elections by nominating individuals and by voting electronically.

As a part of our 7th anniversary celebrations, HTCC’s Devotional Program was held on Saturday, February 23, 2013. The program included a havan

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

officiated by Sri Sateesh Bhagwat of Chicago, followed by a scholarly talk on the significance of a yagna by Annayya R. Aroor, an HTCC member.

If you recall, Columbia was hit with a snowstorm that left 10 inches of snow on the ground two days before the devotional program. We thank the stalwart devotees who braved the sometimes-snowy streets to come to the Mandir. We are looking forward to the 7th Anniversary banquet to be held on March 15, 2013, which is being organized under the leadership of Shiva Kumar Pennathur. Judging by the commitment of our members at the devotional program, we are confident that the annual banquet will reflect an even higher level of enthusiasm.

The Mandir needs your continued support as we are poised to grow to serve our community even better.

May the spirit of caring, giving, positive thinking and sharing strengthen in all of us!

Samarpanam

7

THANK YOU Again for making us one of the Best Banks in America For the fourth year in a row, our Holding Company, Central Bancompany, was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of America’s Best Banks.

573-874-8100 • boonebank.com • facebook.com/boonebank

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

MEMBER FDIC

8

Samarpanam

You have made us all proud, with your sincere determination and serious efforts.

Best wishes from the Satpathys

Temple B. What is the name of this temple and where is it?

Temple C. What is the name of this temple and where is it?

HTCC Seventh Anniversary Celebrations Organizing Committee Shiva Pennathur Ravi Thawani Alagu Arunachalam Meera Chandrasekhar Vellore S. Gopalaratnam Kavita Katti Sumidha Katti

Nitin Patel Inder Khurana Latha Krishnan Lalit Kumar Leela Jashnani Kusum Malhotra Ritcha Mehra-Chaudhary http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Amy Messner Sonali Pennathur Chandra Rawlani Punam Sethi Sandhya Sharma Uma Srinath Anandhi Upendran

Samarpanam

9

A Foreword to the Committee Reports

A

s we celebrate the successful growth of the past seven years and look forward to the future of HTCC with excitement, we must acknowledge the meticulous planning and hard work provided by the members of the sixteen committees that goes to make HTCC and Shanthi Mandir the spirit of our community!

This organizational structure promotes our devotional, educational, cultural, service, outreach and youth programs, and helps us achieve the mission of HTCC. The six core committees are Cultural Programs, Devotional Programs, Educational Programs, Service Programs, Publications and Youth Activities Committees. The other ten committees help support the key functions of the six core committees. All committee members are volunteers, have a genuine desire to serve and a vested interest in the success and well-being of our Mandir and the community.

As you browse through this issue of Samarpanam, we encourage you

to read about the activities of each committee and notice how “service” fits into their programs.

Cultural Programs Committee proactively schedules programs by local and professional artistes that represent all parts of India. This helps members connect with their rich cultural heritage.

Devotional Programs Committee helps organize and celebrate all the major festivals of India. It even keeps our Mandir open regularly for open prayers on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and during Ganesh Chathurthi and Navrathri celebrations.

Educational Programs Committee fosters educational programs. It is responsible for presenting and maintaining language classes, seminars, retreats and wellness programs for HTCC members. The ongoing activities are Language Classes and Bhagavad Gita Study Circle.

Service Programs Committee, besides executing regular service

programs, introduces special projects each year that may become part of the Mandir’s regular programs. A recently introduced program is the once a month Soup and Sandwich service.

Publications Committee produces the quarterly newsletter Shanthi Sandesh, available on the Mandir Website and shared with members and friends of the Mandir via mail.

Youth Activities Committee serves to encourage, challenge and engage the young members of HTCC to participate in youth-centric activities like Summer Workshops, Anniversary Contest and Youth Day/Picnic. The objective is to involve, mentor and reward youth.

We are looking for new volunteers to be a part of these committees so that new ideas are incorporated in their operations. We hope you will join one or more committees and contribute to a community with a focus and purpose! Together we can!

Yes we sure can...

HTCC Executive Committee Comprises Executive Board (elected) and Standing Committee Chairs (appointed) Educational Programs – Open HTCC Executive Board President – Inder Khurana Vice President – Ravi Thawani Secretary – Meera Chandrasekhar Treasurer – Abirami Elangovan

HTCC Committee Chairs Assistant Treasurer – Kusum Malhotra Capital Campaign – H. R. Chandrasekhar Communications – Gagneesh Rawat Cultural Programs – Hema Srinivasan Devotional Programs – Punam Sethi & Hema Srinivasan

External Relations – Leela Jashnani Facilities and Maintenance – Kiratadas Kutikkad Financial Policy – Krishna Sharma Library – H. R. Chandrasekhar Membership – Inder Khurana Operations and Maintenance – Kala Kumar Publications – Tarang Parashar Safety and Security – Kiratadas Kutikkad Scheduling – Anantha Gopalaratnam Service Programs – Anantha Gopalaratnam Youth Activities – Anandhi Upendran

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

10

Samarpanam

Communications

T

he Communication Committee plays a focal role and assists all other HTCC committees by providing timely communication and publicizing various HTCC events to the “Membership” and “Friends of the Mandir” lists. The Committee has kept the membership informed in a timely manner with regular email updates on upcoming events and reached out to “Friends of the Mandir” via quarterly emails at the time of newsletter publication.

The Committee continued with several initiatives started in the previous years while bringing in some new ones.

1. The Mandir now has a new feature-rich website that allows dynamic content posting and has a very professional and fresh look. The revamp of the Mandir website had been a project that the committee had in mind for quite some time and it finally became a reality due to diligent and sustained efforts from several volunteers. Many thanks to Indu Chandrasekhar for her creativity, Geetha Kutikkad for her diligence as the site’s Webmaster and Meera Chandrasekhar for coordinating this effort.

Further details about the Mandir website are described elsewhere in this issue of Samarpanam.

2. PayPal functionality on the website has been improved since its implementation a year ago. Many more members used PayPal to make online donations and to renew their membership this past year. Please consider using PayPal functionality for renewals, new memberships or for a monthly

donation (one-time or a recurring) for the Mandir.

3. The Yahoo address book and contact list reorganization has been ongoing and has allowed us to send out emails to specific members and friends list such as annual membership reminders. Some of the major categories for grouping email lists are Annual Members, Sustaining Members, Late/NonRenewals, Trustees, Interfaith Representatives and Friends of the Mandir. It has also helped provide accurate and up-to-date information to the HTCC Election Committee regarding members eligible for HTCC Elections and for reconciling memberships with QuickBooks data.

4. Membership renewal emails and reminders were sent out to Annual members and Friends of the Mandir. This has helped with timely annual membership renewals and some new memberships.

5. Substantial progress was made with efforts to obtain a second email address on file for all HTCC Family members. Now there are only a few HTCC family members with one email address on file.

events.

2. Email address change: please remember to send us a quick email with your new email address and we will update our records.

3. Moving away or opting-out: should you no longer wish to receive Mandir emails then please send us an email with subject “Remove” and we will take your email address off our mailing list.

4. Two email addresses for family members: family members need to provide us two separate email addresses for election-related communication. Yes, we can limit non-election communication to a single email address if desired.

Please feel free to get in touch with us and/or provide us feedback at our email-id. Also remember to check our website on a regular basis for the most up to-date information on Mandir events.

We feel blessed as we celebrate our seventh anniversary milestone. Our journey this far would not have been possible without your support, donations, volunteer help and feedback.

See you at the Mandir!

Temple Email:

Housekeeping Reminders

shanthimandir@yahoo.com

The Committee reminds all members to review the essential housekeeping tasks listed below that will help us all.

Temple Website:

1. Add our email address shanthimandir@yahoo.com to your address book/contacts list.

This will ensure that all Mandir emails get delivered to your Inbox and you don’t miss out on any

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Members Gagneesh Rawat1 Meera Chandrasekhar2 Geetha Kutikkad3 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison 3. Webmaster

Samarpanam

11

HTCC Fiscal Summary

The charts above show the revenue streams and expense categories over the last 7 years.

The revenue streams (left) shows an average revenue of $67,760/year. The annual expenditures (right) during the same period average $22,491/year. Note that the special events category appears in both the revenue and expense charts. This category is associated primarily with the annual anniversary banquet (revenues ~$12,000, expenses ~$9000). Hence the average annual operating expense of HTCC (Shanthi Mandir) is ~$13,500 ($22,500-$9000), or an average monthly expenditure of $1,125.

Our 100% volunteer-run operation that has been in place for seven years has allowed us to keep our operating costs to a minumum. A big THANK YOU to our many dedicated volunteers who generously share their time and talent to provide the community with diverse programs and support our numerous service projects.

Contribute Generously to our Capital Campaign!

HTCC Revenue, Expenditure and Capital Growth Chart, 2005-2013

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

As you contemplate making donations to our Capital Campaign, please consider the following facts: • The Shanthi Mandir property is wholly owned

by HTCC, a non-profit corporation.

• Donations to HTCC are tax deductible.

• HTCC is exempt from Boone County property tax.

• Purchases for HTCC are exempt from Missouri sales tax.

• Each year since inception we have logged in excess of 15,000 volunteer hours annually, which keeps our operational costs to a minimum. This is equivalent to 7.5 full-time employees.

• HTCC serves over 150 Mid-Missouri Hindu families and also the larger Columbia community.

• HTCC has approximately 100 member families/ individuals, including 70 sustaining members.

• 100% of donations made to the Capital Campaign will be available exclusively for capital expenditures.

12

Samarpanam

HTCC Picture Gallery

Sixth Anniversary Banquet Samuhika Satyanarayana Puja

Ganesh Puja

Vedic Society on a spiritual visit Youth Day Picnic

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

13

Bev Curtis & Assoc. | Linda Robb

(573)864-5054

(573)268-3008

LOOKING FOR A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME?

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

14

Samarpanam

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

15

LANDMARK MOMENTS ARE SIMPLE MOMENTS

At Landmark Bank, we know that time is precious, so we want you to relish life’s landmark moments, whether big or small. For every landmark and in between, we’re here for you.

Stop by and see us!

Ten convenient locations Columbia, MO (573) 499-7333 LandmarkBank.com

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

MEMBER FDIC

16

Samarpanam

th

15 N. 4 St. 573-875-8724 Wide Variety of Indian Groceries Open 7 Days a Week 10am – 9pm Sunday 11am – 7pm

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

17

Cultural Programs

C

ultural Programs Committee seeks to bring cultural events that are of interest to the members of HTCC. The Mandir hosts ongoing tabla and music classes at the temple, as well as cultural programs to accompany, augment and enhance the devotional part of various festivals such as Krishna Jayanthi, Ramanavami, Dussehra and New Year. We also work with other related groups interested in a similar culture, such as Cultural Association of India, Raagas of Columbia, and Vedic Society.

The Committee showcased local talent during Bhakti Geetam on May 12, 2012. We heard the melodious music of Sreemati Lakshmi Kannan and Sreemati Shuba Ratneshwar, skillfully accompanied by our own Tabla player Sri. Nandhu Radhakrishnan. Both Lakshmi and

Nandhu have now moved away from Columbia. We wish them continued success in all fronts, and welcome them back when they can to come and perform in our Mandir.

Goddess Andal or Godha as she is affectionately called exemplifies spirituality, music, culture, as well as determination.

We celebrated her birthday, ThiruAdipooram, on June 21 at our Mandir with recitation and musical rendering of Thiruppavai, Nacciyar Thirumozi.

Members Hema Srinivasan1 Abirami Elangovan2 Anand Chandrasekhar Anandhi Upendran Bimal Ray Rajagopalan Thiruvengadathan Ranadhir Mitra Shuba Ratneshwar Shubhra Gangopadhyay 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

We also had short cultural programs to accompany Janmashtami and Durga Puja, Navarathri Celebrations, as we do every year.

We would very much like to hear your ideas or suggestions for programs.

Please do volunteer to be on the committee.

Facilities and Maintenance

T

he Facilities and Maintenance SubCommittee is responsible for the general maintenance and making the necessary repairs to the Shanthi Mandir building.

The following items were completed in 2012 for the maintenance and upkeep of the Mandir: • Repaired the roof of the storage shed.

The old plywood was replaced with with new plywood, and new underlayment and architectural asphalt shingles were installed.

• Repaired and/or replaced the damaged gutters and downspouts around the main building of the Mandir.

Temple D. What is the name of this temple and where is it?

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

18

Samarpanam

Members Hema Srinivasan1 Punam Sethi1 Inder Khurana3 Anandhi Upendran Chandra Rawlani Hema Srikanta Kusum Malhotra2 Meena Thawani Nirja Loyalka Srinath Gopalakrishna Sushma Malik Vinita Khanna 1. Co-Chairs 2. Secretary 3. Executive Board Liaison

Devotional Programs

D

evotional Programs are naturally the main events in the Mandir. We conduct regular weekly programs, regular annual programs and special programs.

Saturday, 9 – 10 am: Suprabhatam

Guru Nanak Jayanthi – celebrated with Gyani Malkit Singhji of St.Louis ( December 2)

Saturday, 6:30 – 8 pm: Open prayers and Hanuman Chalisa

Gita Paath – our way of celebrating Gita Jayanthi (December 8)

Tuesday, 6:30 – 8 pm: Open prayers, Gita Paath and discussions

Dhanur Masa Puja – to celebrate the holy month from Dec 15 - Jan 14

Thursday, 7 – 8 pm: Sai Bhajans

All these events were organized with significant help from volunteers in the community.

Sunday afternoons: 4th Sunday Bal Sabha, a cultural and educational program

Annual Regular Programs:

New Year: Meditation, Chanting, meeting and welcoming new and old friends Maha Shivarathri – Puja, chants and music (February 18) Annual devotional program, Sita Rama Kalyanam (described in detail later in this article, February 25)

New Year Jan 1 Maha Shivarathri Feb 18 Annual devotional program

Feb 25 Sri Rama Navami & Akhand Ramayan April 14-15 Janmashtami Aug 11 Ganesh Chaturthi Sep 22 Navarathri, Durga Puja and Dussehra Oct 16-23 Karva Chauth Nov 2 Diwali Nov 17 Gurunanak Jayanthi Dec 2 Gita Paath Dec 8 Dhanur Masa Dec 15-Jan 14

Diwali and Lakshmi Puja – puja, sparklers, aarti (November 17)

Weekly Regular programs:

Sunday mornings: 1st Sunday Kirtans, 2nd Sunday Bal Puja

Events - 2012

women (November 2)

Sri Rama Navami and Akhand Ramayan Paath – overnight reading of the entire Tulsi Ramayan, followed by music and arati (April 14 and 15) Krishna Jayanthi or Janmashtami – children’s program, puja and aarti (August 11) Ganesh Chaturthi – children make idols of Ganesh out of clay the previous week.

Puja, aarti and visarjan (Sept 20-24, 2012) Navarathri, Durga Puja and Dussehra – group recitation of Lalitha Sahasranamam, the thousand names of Goddess Parvathi at select evenings at the Mandir.

Puja, aarti and visarjan (Oct 16-23) Karva Chauth – Thali Puja by married

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Special Programs:

In addition to the regular programs, we also celebrate other events that are specially organized.

As part of the Annual Devotional Program, Sita Rama Kalyanam was performed on February 25th, Saturday at 10:30 am. This is the first time such a function was done in Columbia and especially by HTCC. This was part of our annual program to mark the 6th anniversary of HTCC. People perform Sita Rama Kalyanam for many reasons beside celebrating the cosmic union of Sita and Rama and seeking the blessing of Divya Dampathis – divine couple. Sita Rama Kalyanam is conducted in the community to bestow long productive lives, remove all negative forces and to promote universal prosperity.

Sri Ramavataram (Incarnation of Vishnu as Sri Rama) was to establish Satyam / Truth and Dharmam / good conduct.

Sri Vishnu took the form of a man and completely hid his “parathvam” and lived amongst us as an example of how to conduct oneself in various situations while upholding truth and Dharma. Sita makes it possible for him to accomplish

Samarpanam it. In Sita Rama Kalayanam, the wedding of Sita and Rama, Sita’s father, the great sagely king Janaka, says that Sita will help accomplish all that Rama wants to do. The entire story of Ramayana that follows after Balakandam illustrates this.

Members participated in Sita Rama Kalayanam by bringing offerings for Prasad and Puja. We also had music and ended the program with a havan.

Samuhika Sathyanarayana Puja was held on August 23, 2012. The community came together to perform the traditional

19 Sathyanarayana Puja. Several families conducted the puja, while several others attended.

Holi Celebrations were held on March 11. Holi was celebrated with colors and games.

Devi Puja, a special puja for Goddess Lakshmi was performed by women.

These religious events by no means exhaust all the special days of religious significance to the members in our community. We invite suggestions from all the members for activities at the Mandir.

Top left: Samuhika Satyanarayana Puja Top right and bottom: Children make clay idols for Ganesh Chaturthi

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

20

Samarpanam

Members Leela Jashnani1 Meera Chandrasekhar2 Gagneesh Rawat H.R.Chandrasekhar Vellore S. Gopalaratnam 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

External Relations

W

e began the year with preparations for the Annual Anniversary Celebration for the Hindu Temple. The planning committee worked hard putting together the annual report Samarpanam, the banquet dinner, silent auction and entertainment. As always it was an enjoyable evening with a purpose.

Once again, we participated in the Diversity Breakfast celebrations in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and HTCC was a sponsor at the festivities.

In April the Faith in Education group held an annual conference on the subject of “How faith affects your life and beliefs.”

Representatives from various faith communities gave their perspectives, participated in table discussions and shared thoughts within the group. H.R. Chandrasekhar represented our community and shared some beautiful thoughts.

Also in April, HTCC participated in Columbia’s Earth Day celebration. A tent was set up, and volunteers manned the both that included artifacts from India. A large number of people stopped by at the booth.

In July 2012, a new website was launched in Columbia, dedicated to faith and values (http://columbiafavs.com/). This website receives publicity from several local venues, including KBIA. The site provides a discussion platform and an online forum for non-sectarian coverage of faith and values news from Columbia. H.R. Chandrasekhar serves as the HTCC representative. Several members have written articles that are published on the site.

Just prior to the Thanksgiving weekend the Interfaith Community hosted the Ecumenical Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration. There were several participants from various faith communities. It was a very auspicious and thought provoking occasion. After sharing religious and individual thoughts about the significance of Thanksgiving from the different communities everyone was treated to a feast of International foods brought by various individuals and groups to be shared by all the attendees.

The Hindu Temple also hosted a group of Junior Leadership students from Columbia Public Schools to participate in a workshop on diversity as part of their curriculum.

Finally as the year began so did it conclude with initiating plans for the anniversary celebrations for the Hindu Temple.

We encourage members to join us and participate in these fun and educational processes hosted and attended by the members of our committee.

The HTCC Earth Day booth

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

21

Financial Policy

T

Members Krishna Sharma1 Kannan Raghuraman Surya Mantrala Abirami Elangovan2

he Financial Policy Committee (FPC) oversaw the HTCC record keeping 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison and HTCC cash assets for 2012, interacting with the Executive Board officers 2012 Financial Report (President Inder Khurana and Treasurer Period: January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 Abirami Elangovan). The FPC has conPrepared by Abirami Elangovan, Treasurer, HTCC, dated Feb 19, 2013 ducted the year-end internal audit of the Balance Forward (From December 31, 2011) $304,528.03 attached balance sheet of HTCC and veriInterest Income $1,005.12 fied various expenses and entries.

We report the following:

• Proper books of account as required

by HTCC board and law have been kept by the Treasurer so far as appears from our examination of the books.

• The balance sheet and revenue and expenses account dealt with by this report are in agreement with the books of account.

• The expenditures were justified and recorded. The major expenses were utilities, upgrades and repairs.

• Member donation is the major source of revenue. The donors are acknowledged as per mandated by HTCC practices.

• Among the HTCC activities the annual banquet was the single event that generated the highest surplus.

• Excluding the Anniversary celebration expenses the average monthly expense was around $1300.

• Charitable donations, hundi collections, membership dues, cook book sales and residual from the annual function have added about $12,593 to HTCC net balance in 2012.

• Approximately 75% of HTCC cash assets were in a money market account and the rest as a CD and operating checking accounts at two other local banks.

Interest from CDs, Money Market account

$1,005.12

Membership Dues

$3,111.00

Annual Family Member (AFM)

$900.00

Annual Individual Members (AIM)

$210.00

Upgrades to Sustaining membership (AFM to LFM)

$2,001.00

Donations

Check Donations

Prayer Services/Hundi

Facilities Use

$15,445.01 $13,478.01 $1,351.00 $616.00

Other Revenues

Mandir Cook Books

Miscellaneous

Sixth Anniversary Celebrations

Summer Workshops

$17,896.60 $4,753.20 $138.40 $12,865.00 $140.00

TOTAL REVENUES

$37,457.73

Expenses

Administrative Costs and Insurance

Lawn/Garden

Maintenance and Supplies

Printing and Mailing

Special Events

$1,176.41 $1,022.83 $226.46 $1,372.90

Sixth Anniversary Celebrations

$8,516.58

Sponsorship - Aditi Avhad Mem. Fund

$1,000.00

Sponsorship - Interfaith Res. Center

$1,000.00

Other

Start Up

Upgrades and Repairs

Utilities TOTAL EXPENSES ENDING BALANCE (December 31, 2012)

$3,871.23 $205.92 $1,971.38 $4,500.56 $24,864.27 $317,121.49**

* Includes $1,631.36 in uncleared checks and $601.00 in pending deposits.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

22

Samarpanam

Members Krishna Sharma1 Kannan Raghuraman Surya Mantrala Abirami Elangovan2 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

Educational Programs

T

he HTCC Educational Committee fosters the development of educational programs for adults and children.

It is responsible for presenting language classes, seminars and wellness programs for HTCC members.

Tamil Class is a regular program that meets twice a month on the first and third Sundays from 3:00-4:30 PM. Classes are taught by volunteers and are free to members of HTCC.

Summer Sessions: Beginning Quilt-Making: A three-session, quilt making class was conducted by Meera Chandrasekhar and was attended by five people. The participants leaned the fundamentals of quilt making and by the end of workshop they quilted a top for a cushion cover or bag. Presentations used in the class are available on the Mandir website.

Veda Chanting: Coordinated by Tarang Parashar, with assistance from Vellore Gopalaratnam, six to ten participants attended four sessions. They learnt to chant several shlokas from the Vedas with emphasis on devotion, correct pronunciation and proper diction. They worked on Ganapathi Prarthana Mantra Pushpam Purusha Suktam Kshama Prarthana All participants were provided the text and audio files necessary for self-study and practice on their own as well. Texts included the original Devanagri version along with English transliteration and translations so that learning was well rounded.

Two other educational classes, Adventures in Astronomy and Beyond Pasta are described in the Youth Activities section.

Safety and Security

T

he Safety and Security Committee is responsible for ensuring that the Shanthi Mandir building is safe for the use by the community and it complies with the applicable City of Columbia codes and regulations.

The following items were completed with regard to safety of the Mandir during the last year:

Temple E. What is the name of this temple and where is it?

• Completed annual safety inspection of the Mandir and the educational center.

• Kept the fire extinguishers recharged and recertified as per the code.

• Helped with parking at the Mandir during several events that were well

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

attended by the community.

• Coordinated the safety of the members and children during the annual Diwali celebrations involving firecrackers.

• Coordinated snow removal for the safety of the members during inclement weather.

Members Das Kutikkad1 Ravi Thawani2 V.S. Gopalratnam Lalit Kumar 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

Samarpanam

23

With best wishes from the Katwa family Laxman, Geeta, Pranita, Shaum and Prashant

Congratulations, Reena and Kevin on your wedding

November 10, 2012 Best Wishes Jashnani Family http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

24

Samarpanam

Congratulations Vidya! We are proud of you and love you always!

Amma, Nanna and Ashwini

Congratulations, graduates!

Blessings for your future endeavors!

With best wishes, The Bal Sabha Group

Congratulations and Best Wishes!

2012 and 2013 Graduates

Love, Mom and Dad

Nikhilesh Sharma (Rock Bridge High School, 2012) Sangita Sharma (BS Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech., 2013)

Congratulations, Nahush and Sumidha, on your graduation.

Good luck as you begin your higher education!

Congratulations to all graduating students of 2013

from the Ramachandrans

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

25

Congratulations and Best Wishes!

From Mom and Dad

Neeta Thawani, Missouri Academy, High School Diploma and AS degree, 2013 Neil Thawani, BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri, 2013 Congratulations to Maya Cutkosky, Hickman High School Class of 2012. Maya is now at the University of Minnesota and intends to major in Chemistry.

Congratulations to Ashok Cutkosky, Harvard University Class of 2013, BA honors in Mathematics.

Ashok will be going to graduate school for a PhD in Computer Science.

Congratulations Vikram! Our best wishes and support will always be with you in your journeys.

Love,

Dad, Mom, Aiyya, Appatha, Visu Aiyya, Aaya, and of course Vishnu! http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

26

Samarpanam

Values to live by...

Satya Truth Dharma Right Conduct Shanthi Peace Prema Love Ahimsa Nonviolence

Is your website old, slow or out of date?

Need an update, or a new website?

Indu Chandrasekhar Web Design Specialist

For samples, visit induchandrasekhar.com

Temple F. What is the name of this temple and where is it? http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

27

Membership

W

e have over 160 members on our roster. The schedule of membership fees is as follows: Sustaining Membership: • Individual (SIM Dues, $600) • Family (SFM Dues, $1,000) Annual Membership: • Individual (AIM Dues, $30) • Family (AFM Dues, $50) The Committee requests that • Annual members become sustaining members • Annual members renew their 2013 memberships • All members to update their email addresses if there are any changes • Existing members approach non-members to become members by highlighting the devotional, service and cultural programs and youth activities undertaken under the umbrella of HTCC.

perations and Maintenance Committee coordinates the upkeep of the Mandir, indoors and outdoors.

We sincerely thank our volunteer families who continue to clean the Mandir every week by vacuuming the premises, wiping down the surfaces and scrubbing the kitchen and bathrooms. We have often been asked which cleaning service we use! The Mandir cleaning schedule continues to be posted online, and email updates are sent monthly.

Since the 2006 construction of the garden on the berm and near the mailbox in front of the Mandir, volunteers plant flowers every year. The perennials and annuals are watered and weeded

Inder Khurana1 Gagneesh Rawat Abirami Elangovan2

It is important that you keep us informed 1. Interim Chair of any changes in your email or mail2. Executive Board Liaison ing addresses. Emails are sent to “TCC members 1 to 2 weeks prior to upcoming celebrations/festivals. We also publish Shanthi Sandesh, a quarterly newsletter in February, May, August and November.

Printed copies of Shanthi Sandesh are also mailed at that time. You can submit a write-up for the newsletter by sending us an email at our Yahoo address. In January of each year, members collect HTCC’s Calendar for the New Year.

Membership dues are crucial for maintaining our operations. Therefore, growth and retention of members are keys to our success. Please visit the temple website to learn more, at http://shanthimandir.missouri.org. We welcome you to attend HTCC organized events and to be a part of our committees so that we can serve our community better.

Operations and Maintenance

O

Members

during the summer – and this was a hard job during the dry summer of 2012.

Nevertheless, the flowers survived. We continue to hold an annual Seva Day each summer when we plant flowers. Young and old turn up that day, lending a festive atmosphere to seva. A contractor mows the yard during the summer and clears the snow during the winter.

Please do volunteer to clean the Mandir.

We currently have 21 volunteer families.

Increasing the number to 26 families will allow us to call on each of you only twice each year.

Thank you to the volunteer families that keep Shanthi Mandir so clean, neat and tidy! We appreciate your service.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Temple G. What is the name of this temple and where is it? Hintthis image is an etching from the late 1800s.

Members Kala Kumar1 Meera Chandrasekhar2 Anantha Gopalaratnam Shuba Ratneshwar 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

28

Samarpanam

Members Tarang Parashar1 Meera Chandrasekhar2 Bandhana Katoch H. R. Chandrasekhar Vellore Gopalaratnam 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

Publications

I

n 2012, the Publications Committee coordinated publication of Shanthi Sandesh, Samarparnam, HTCC’s annual report and a cookbook, Masala Magic.

Shanthi Sandesh is an information-packed colorful quarterly newsletter. The newsletter includes information on the temple celebrations, special events, upcoming events schedule, a lead article in every issue and articles on Bhagwadgita, Yoga, Health and other topics. The youth continue to express their thoughts in the Bal Sandesh section of the newsletter. These are contained in the center 2-4 pages of the newsletter and include poems, articles, book reviews and kudos information.

Shanthi Sandesh is featured online at http://shanthimandir.missouri.org. A hard copy of the newsletter is also sent

by USPS to the membership. If you wish to receive a hard copy of the newsletter, please provide us your mailing address.

Printed newsletter copies are also available at the temple. Remember to pick

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

one up on your next visit!

The Publications Committee welcomes feature articles from our readership for inclusion in future editions of Shanthi Sandesh. Submission guidelines for articles are available on the temple website at http://bit.ly.sandeshsubmit. Please send your ideas and suggestions/feedback to the Publications Committee at tarangparashar@gmail.com or shanthimandir@yahoo.com.

Samarpanam is HTCC’s annual report (this publication), which summarizes the Mandir’s activities on an annual basis.

Masala Magic, a community cookbook was published in 2012. It features over 80 vegetarian recipes written by 30+ HTCC members, including appetizers, salads, chutneys, breads, rice, vegetable entrées and desserts. The cookbook also contains an extensive glossary and index.

Over 350 copies have been sold thus far.

The cookbook is available online through the Mandir website, and at the Mandir.

Samarpanam

29

Scheduling

Members Anantha Gopalaratnam1 Inder Khurana2

T

he scheduling committee is happy to report a new feature incorporated in 2012 that facilitates reservations for use of the Mandir. The changes to the Shanthi Mandir website now provide a link for Mandir reservations. Once the request is approved, the Mandir calendar on the website is updated. This calendar is available for public view on the Mandir website. Reservations can be made at http://bit.ly.reservetemple.

Besides these, the Mandir has also been 1. Chair used for private family pujas, birthday 2. Executive Board Liaison parties and farewell get-togethers and for practices for Pongal. Visits were also scheduled for Hickman High School’s World Religions Class to get a better understanding of worship in a Hindu temple. A similar visit was arranged for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Junior Leadership Program to give the youth a glimpse of Hinduism.

The operations of this committee over the past year have been smooth. Besides the annual pujas, festivals and programs already in the Devotional Calendar, there were a few requests for use of the Mandir for regular and one-time programs.

Timely communication with the President and Treasurer of the Executive Board has allowed us to track facilitiesuse donations. Constant reprogramming of the thermostat to facilitate all regular and special programs has allowed us to keep the Mandir at comfortable temperatures while at the same time conserving energy and leaving as small a carbon footprint as possible.

The regular program for which the Mandir has been used is Bal Sabha through which the Mandir received facilities-use donations. In addition there were educational programs in the summer such as a youth workshop on astronomy and a Veda-chanting workshop.

Temple H. What is the name of this temple and where is it?

Hickman High School World Religions class visits Shanthi Mandir. Photo by Kellie Kotraba, Columbia FAVS

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

30

Samarpanam

Members Anantha Gopalaratnam1 Ravi Thawani2 Bandhana Katoch Chandra Rawlani Kala Kumar Pranavi Tella Rajini Tolani Shuba Ratneshwar Sushama Nagarkar Tarang Parashar Vellore Gopalaratnam 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

Service Programs

H

indu Temple Helping Hands, our community service group stays actively involved with several regular and other occasional projects. Some service projects that predate HTCC have also benefitted from the participation of HTCC members during the last seven years, including service projects coordinated by Bal Sabha and the Sai Bhajan group. One new monthly service project and two other recent projects involving our youth are highlighted below. Other ongoing service projects are described briefly. Members interested in participating in any of these projects are encouraged to contact the Chair of the Service Programs Committee listed in the inset.

Highlighted Projects

Temple I. What is the name of the temple with this structure and where is it?

Interfaith Day Center Soup and Sandwich Service (SSS) Project: The Sai Bhajan group with assistance from other HTCC members meets at the Shanthi Mandir on the fourth Sunday of every month at 5:30 pm, to prepare 30-40 vegetable sandwiches and approximately 8 quarts of fresh minestrone soup for the Interfaith Day Center (IDC). Participant volunteers take turns each month to host the SSS project by buying the ingredients required for the project. Prasad is shared by the volunteers after the meal is first offered to the Lord with the recitation of Brahmaarpanam. The sandwiches and soup are delivered to the IDC on the next morning.

CROP Hunger Walk/Run: Hindu Temple Helping Hands raised $625 for the CROP Hunger Walk/Run 2012. We had 6 runners in the 5K run and 16 walkers at the event, making it one of the largest groups at this year’s CROP Walk/Run. We are proud of our youngsters Akhilan, Vishnu, Ashwath, Kavin, Nila, Suryanshi and Aarti who spared their Saturday afternoon and braved the nippy weather to partici-

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

pate in the walk/run. This is the fifth year that we have participated in the CROP Hunger Walk. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised by CROP Hunger Walk/Run are designated for these local agencies: Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, Russell Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Food Pantry, Latter House Kingdom Ministries Food Pantry and Fifth Street Christian Community Meal. Seventy-five percent of the funds are designated for worldwide ministries of the Church World Service, including the ministries in the U.S. such as Joplin, MO. and areas affected by the recent hurricane, Isaac.

Sharing the Warmth: This annual service project, initiated and coordinated by HTCC Youth with help from a few adult mentors, has now become a regular project during Thanksgiving time. The 2012 project was coordinated by Nidhi Khurana with assistance from several youth members of HTCC. The group included: Vikram Arun, Nahush Katti, Sumidha Katti, Urmila Kutikkad, Ashwini Mantrala, Nila Palaniappan, Maya Ramachandran, Suryanshi Rawat and Anmol Sethi. These volunteers made phone calls to HTCC member families and arranged for collection/drop-offs of lightly used winter jackets, scarves and winter boots. A small group of volunteers met on Saturday, November 24, inspected and neatly folded the donated items and sorted them into cardboard boxes based on men/ women and youth/adult sizes. The 2012 Sharing the Warmth drive resulted in the collection of approximately 40 coats, 6 scarves and several winter boots. The items collected in the drive were donated to the Refugee Services of Columbia, MO, which assists with refugees as well as non-refugee immigrants from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America, regardless of their origin or creed.

Samarpanam

31 Left: Volunteers prepare sandwiches for the Interfaith Day Center on the fourth Sunday of each month.

Below: CROP Walkers

Regular Monthly and Ongoing Projects Most of our other service programs are organized on a monthly basis while a few are carried out only at specific times during the year, such as Clean-up Columbia and Adopt-ASpot.

Adopt-A-Spot: Bal Sabha youth have participated in the Adopt-a-Spot program for several years now.

Twice a year, the youth and parent mentors meet at Ridgeway Elementary School and pick up trash in the playground and in the streets surrounding the school.

Anna Daan: This is our ongoing program of collection of non-perishable food items for the Food Bank.

Visitors to the Mandir are requested to donate food during attendance at various cultural and devotional programs. Two drums have been set up at the Mandir and visitors are requested to drop their donations into the drums. When these are full, the food is transported to the Food Bank warehouse.

Beat the Heat: Early in summer, HTCC Youth with help from adult

mentors collect monetary donations as well as fans to support the City of Columbia’s Voluntary Action Center (VAC). VAC arranges for fans to be delivered to the elderly and families with young children as a relief to beat the summer heat.

Clean-up Columbia: In April every year, the City of Columbia organizes this event in which residents of the city can, singly or in groups, undertake to pick up trash around the city. Bal Sabha has been volunteering since 2003 to clean up the area around Ridgeway Elementary School. Since the formation of the HTCC in 2006, this activity was expanded to two groups; the Bal Sabha youth and a few parents continue to clean up around Ridgeway each year and the second group of HTCC members cleans up around the Shanthi Mandir and along Holly Avenue.

Food Bank Volunteering: This activity has been in place since October 2006. Volunteers meet at the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri warehouse on Vandiver Drive on the first Tuesday of every month to assist in repackaging bulk food received at the Food Bank.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Narayan Seva: Since 2001, the Sai Bhajan group has been cooking a lunch and serving it at the St. Francis House, a shelter for homeless men, on the 2nd Sunday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For the last several years many members of HTCC also help out with this service project on an ongoing basis.

Shram Daan (Volunteer Labor): This is a project to carry out maintenance and improvements to the Shanthi Mandir property. In preparation for winter, the flower bushes were pruned and spring bulbs were also planted. The siding was primed and painted. This has given the Mandir a fresh look. As part of Shram Daan, a group of volunteers mowed the lawn during summer months, aside from the regular mowing service, to help keep the costs low.

Towels and Blankets Project: This has been started as an occasional ongoing program to collect donations of lightly used towels and blankets for donation to St. Francis House, a shelter for the homeless. Members are requested to bring their donations to the Mandir and these will be taken to St. Francis House .

32

Members Anandhi Upendran1 Ravi Thawani2 Gagneesh Rawat 1. Chair 2. Executive Board Liaison

Samarpanam

Youth Activities are an integral part of society Youth and they are the building blocks for

the progress of HTCC. Every year a blend of educational, fund raising and recreational events are hosted at HTCC and they are always appreciated and supported with enthusiastic participation.

This year the Youth Activities Committee organized summer workshops and several other events.

Summer Workshops “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future” -Franklin Roosevelt

Adventures in Astronomy: H. R. Chandrasekhar conducted a 90 minute session on the mysteries of the Universe. This workshop provided fascinating information on the evolution of the solar system, concepts of time and space, and the motion of stars and planets.

Beyond Pasta: The goal of this cooking class was to prepare teens to learn the rudiments of Indian cooking. The class focused on students who were getting ready to spread their wings and fly away to college. Five teens cooked a fancy dinner using HTCC’s 2012 Masala Magic cookbook. We hope to repeat this workshop for all those who are hungry to eat – and cook!

Other Events Fundraising, recreational and informative events were conducted during the year.

CROP WALK: Hindu Temple Helping Hands raised $625 for the CROP Hunger Walk/Run 2012. We had 6 runners in the 5K run and 16 walkers at the event, making it one of the largest groups at this year’s CROP Walk/Run. Suryanshi and Pal placed second in the 5K Run for the under-18 girls and 50+ men’s categories, respectively.

Temple J. What is the name of this temple We are also proud of our youngand where is it?

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

sters Akhilan, Vishnu, Ashwath, Kavin, Nila, Suryanshi and Aarti who spared their Saturday afternoon and braved the nippy weather to participate in the walk/ run. This is the fifth year we have participated in the CROP Hunger Walk.

Bike Ride: A bike ride on the Katy Trail from Columbia to Rocheport was organized as a recreational event on August 21st. This is a major event that attracts many youngsters and kids every year.

This year was no different. The pleasant weather and make-your-own-sandwich stall made the occasion entertaining.

Museum Visit: Another interesting event was the visit to the Museum of Art and Archeology at MU. The Museum held a special exhibit on artworks and sculptures portraying Hinduism. The exhibit clearly depicted the spread of culture across boundaries. Six adults and children visited the museum as a small group and others went on their own to view the display of some rare Indian artifacts.

We thank the coordinators of all events for their time, effort and zeal for organizing these activities. KUDOS to all kids and encouraging adults for their participation!

Ideas are created!! If you have an idea for a youth activity, please contact us so that we can explore it further. We hope to capture the same interest and involvement from the community in 2013.

Samarpanam

33

Shanthi Mandir Website

S

ame address, new website. In case you did not notice, Shanthi Mandir’s website got a makeover in 2012. Our old website served us excellently for many years, but with the advent of new technology, the update enhances our look and functionality. We have moved to a new web hosting service, which allows us to use the latest versions of software and keep our security up-to-date.

What’s on the site?

• A photo slider on the front page that updates as we post new events. Do send us your pictures of Mandir events for the website.

• A calendar with all Mandir events. Great for the viewer, but also one with a convenient back-end! We’ll let you in on the secret – it can be updated by more than one person through a shared Google calendar.

• Information about upcoming events at the Mandir.

• News about temple events, usually posted

within days of the event, with photographs. If you wish to write an article about an event, just let us know.

• Easy links to pay your membership, donate or buy a copy of Masala Magic, HTCC’s cookbook, through an easy PayPal interface.

• Resources – the constitution, for starts, and room for more in the future.

• An archive of Shanthi Sandesh and Samarpanam, set up so you read them in magazinelike format on your screen.

• Electronic forms that you can submit if you wish to volunteer or reserve the temple for an event.

• Directions, as always. It is easy to get to the Mandir!

What else would you like on the website? Let us know, and we’ll try to make it happen.

Be sure to visit us often! http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

34

Samarpanam

HTCC Directory 2013 Honorary Members Nagar, Murarilal

Norman G. Barrier, Ginny Morgan, Art Robins and Robert Bussabarger, our other Honorary Members, are deceased.

Sustaining Members Aggrawal, Kul and Archana Anand, Satish and Sushma Arunachalam, Vairam and Alagu Bal, Sharanjit and Ranjit Balakrishnan, Elangovan and Abirami Banerji, Shanka K Basu, Asit and Sandra Batchu, Sudhir and Priya Battula, Ravindra and Vijaya Kattumuri Bhaskaran, Rajagopalan and Vasanthi Chandrasekhar, Anand and Chiengkham Baccam Chandrasekhar, Holalkere and Meera Chaudhary, Kunal and Ritcha Mehra Chockalingam Anand and Smrita Dorairajan Cutkosky, Dale and Hema Srinivasan Dhand, Rajiv and Upinder Faizer, Rumi and Archana Ramaswamy Gangopadhyay, Keshab and Shubhra Gopalakrishna, Srinath and Uma Gopalaratnam, Vellore and Anantha Gowda, Bhaskar and Shoba Jain, Arun Jashnani, Ghansham and Leela Katti, Kattesh and Kavita

Khanna, Sanjeev and Vinita Khurana, Inder and Jasmit Krishna, Gopal and Santosh Krishnan, Hari and Latha Kulkarni, Rajesh and Indira Kumar, Arpita Kumar, Lalit Kumar, Senthil and Kalai Kutikkad, Kiratadas and Geetha Lal, Sunder and Nila Gupta Loyalka, Sudarshan and Nirja Mahal, Satnam and Jasvir Kaur Malhotra, Anil and Kusum Mantrala, Murali and Surya Manusmare, Purushottam and Usha Mitra, Ranadhir and Moonmoon Mohan, Rajiv and Sunilima Sinha Naik, Yogesh and Rashmi Nair, Satish and Jyotsna Palaniappan, Kannappan and Visala Panneerselvam, Ayyakannu and Gandhi Patel, Nitin and Harsha Pendurthi, Kavita Puri, Ravi and Mona Radhakrishnan, Nandhu and Selvi Raghuraman, Kannan and Anandhi Upendran

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Ramachandran, V. and Anuradha Rajagopalan Ramadoss, Umasankar and Sasi Rangnekar, Nitin and Kirthi Ratneshwar, Srinivasan and Shuba Rawat, Gagneesh and Aditi Rawlani, Ramesh and Chandra Sadhu, Vijay and Smita Sahota, Pradeep K and Shaku Satpathy, Sashi and Namita Seghal, Toshi Senthilkumar, Annamalai and Smruthi Sethi, Sanjiv and Punam Sethi, Yash and Anjna Sharma, Krishna and Sandhya Shukla, Shivendra and Asha Singh, Amolak and Kuljit Srinivasan, Bharath and Manjula Narasimhan Subramanian, Krishna and Raji Tejwani, Lokesh and Varsha Pherwani Thawani, Ravi and Meena Vasudevan, Ajit K & Deepa Ajit Viswanath, Dabir and Pramila

Samarpanam

35

HTCC Directory 2013 (continued, 2/4)

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

36

Samarpanam

HTCC Directory 2013 (continued, 3/4)

Annual Members Aroor, Annayya Rao and Sudha Banerjee-Budd, Roopa Edara, Praveen and Sowjanya Gupta, Ghanshyam and Manorma Jain, Nishant Katoch, Bandhana Khosla, Nidhi Kumar, Adarsh and Sangeeta Kumar, Gaurav and Pragatib Malik, Sushma Mittal, Mayank and Dhuper, Sonal Mookan, Muruganantham and Menaka

Nupur, Meena and Ravipudi, Shelly Nelson Pennathur, Shiva Kumar and Sonali Premnath, Venkatesan and Vasanthy Puri, Raman and Rachna Puri, Vivek Puttur, Santhoshkumar and Shuba Raghu, Deepak and Betsy Raghu, Krishnan and Aparna Raju , Murugesan and Sudha Murugesan Sengalvarayan, Arunkumar and

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Menaka Kuppan Srikanta, Nanjangud and Hemalatha Thakkar, Mahesh and Jollyin Thiruvengadathan, Rajagopalan and Rama Kannan Tolani, Bhisham and Rajini Venkatesan, Sriram and Udhaya Lakshminarayana Yerrapu, Suresh and Swarnalatha Seva

Samarpanam

37

HTCC Directory 2013 (continued, 4/4)

Counter clockwise from bottom left: Lunch during Samuhika Satyanarayana Puja Guru Nanak Jayanthi Paath Aarti during Deepavali Puja

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

38

Samarpanam

Cultural Association of India

C

ultural Association of India (CAI) is the first International Student Organization at the University of Missouri, Columbia (MU). It was formed on October 4, 1957, to let the students from India organize and pursue their cultural traditions; however as faculty and staff of Indian origin started to join MU, the organization began to include them, adding new programs and events as it grew.

Thus for the past five decades, the CAI has been involved in organizing and participating in dozens of events on MU campus, in the public schools and in Columbia and neighboring towns all throughout the year.

Annual Activities of CAI: • Commemoration of Republic Day and Independence Day of India • Celebration of Holi, Baisakhi and Diwali • Promotion of local talents in performing arts by staging India Nite – a cultural extravaganza featuring songs, dances, and skits in the

fall; and Sargam, a classical music and dance event in the winter.

• Presentation of India’s history, religions, culture and display of art and craft at MU campus, public schools and city events.

• Participation in Diabetes Walk and other fund-raising events.

• Promotion of diversity on campus through International Night, International Welcome Party, and more.

Special Events: • Bringing in famous artists of India for performances on campus (past performers include Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Nikhil Banerjee, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivakumar Sharma, Shahid Parviz, Ronu Mazumdar, Barun Pal, Mohan Singh, Lalitha Krishnan, Vinayak Torvi, Padmini, Indrani Rahman, Amita Dutt, and Raja and Radha Reddy troupe).

• Hosting diplomats and dignitaries, including three ambassadors and

four consuls of India; renowned authors Drs. Subhas Kak, Robert Kanigal and several MU dignitaries, among others.

• Shram daan and fundraising for victims of natural disasters (e.g., Rocheport-Missouri flood, Latur and Gujarat earthquakes, India/ Indonesian Tsunami).

Thanks to the enthusiastic and ever expanding Indian Diaspora in Columbia-Jefferson City area, CAI, from the first seed planted way back in 1957, has consistently flourished and branched out like a Banyan tree, providing multiple platforms to organize and further the diverse cultural heritage of India – promoting cross-cultural understanding in the community in more ways than one.

Irrespective of religious faith and nationality, the membership of CAI is open to anyone interested in India or her diverse culture.

Web: www.missouri.edu/mayur/ Email: mayur@missouri.edu

Raagas of Columbia

R

aagas of Columbia promotes classical music, dance and other cultural and educational heritage of India. Hema Srinivasan, Shuba Ratneshwar, Anand Chandrasekhar Manjula Narasimhan, Rajagopalan Thiruvengadathan, Dabir Viswanath and Anandhi Upendran founded this group in 2009.

The inaugural program of Raagas of Columbia was the saxophone concert of Dr. Kadri Gopalnath, accompanied by the renowned violinist Kanyakumari and accomplished Mridhangist B. Harikumar. Videos

and audio recordings of that program are available for a nominal charge at the Mandir. The proceeds from the videos benefit Shanthi Mandir. A short synopsis of this concert appears in the Feb 2010 issue of Shanthi Sandesh.

2011, Raagas hosted an afternoon of Indian classical music featuring Chris Stevens on sitar accompanied by Raj Satpathy on tabla and Shivaprakash Shivasankalp on violin accompanied

by Shiva Narasimhamurthy on mridhangam.

During 2011, Raagas organized two major events. On May 18, 2011, Raagas hosted one of the giants among the new generation of Carnatic musicians, Vidwan T.M. Krishna (vocal) accompanied by Vid. Shriramkumar on violin and Vid. Arunprakash on mridhangam. On November 19,

During 2012, Raagas collaborated with HTCC Cultural Programs to showcase local artists Nandhu Radhakrishnan, Lakshmi Kannan and Shuba Ranteshwar. Raagas continues to be interested in bringing quality and special cultural programs to Columbia.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

39

The Vedic Society

T

he Vedic Society, a student organization of University of Missouri, is dedicated to promoting spiritual awareness and harmony, by emphasizing the need to recognize the spiritual basis and relating it to life for the upliftment of personal and social well-being.

The word Veda, to which the organization owes its name, is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Vid’, which means to know and thus literally translates in English as knowledge.

The Vedas essentially refer to a body of knowledge, consisting of eternal universal self-evident truths that were directly experienced by seers called ‘Rishis’ and compiled in written form much later. They are the fountainhead of Indian culture, the basis of all philosophy and religious traditions that go by the name Hindu and the source of the spirit of universal acceptance that marks Hinduism. The philosophical part of the Vedas, called the Upanishads or

Vedanta, contains the essence of all religions and thus, without denying any religion, serves as a great means of harmony, especially necessary in modern time.

Weekly Meeting: Study and discussion of different spiritual topics, understanding their connection with the problems of life and well-being; Meditation; Prayer.

Vedic Society Prayer

Spiritual Talks and Workshops: Occasional talks, Meditation and Yoga workshops by invited guests.

May He, who is Father in heaven of the Christians, Holy One of the Jews, Allah of the Muslims, Buddha of the Buddhists, Tao of the Chinese faith, Great Spirit of the native Americans, Ahura Mazda of the Zoroastrians and Brahman of the Hindus, lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. May the all-living being manifest Himself unto us and grant us abiding understanding and all-consuming divine love.

Peace, peace, peace be unto all.

The activities of the Vedic Society are primarily directed towards encouraging students and others to manifest spirituality in their personal life, to find spiritual solutions to the problems of life and help others do the same, in the spirit of harmony.

Trips: Occasional trips to spiritual places and talks.

MU Events: Participation in various on-campus events throughout the year.

Membership of the Vedic Society is open to any person or family, student or non-student, from any country, caste or religion. Donations are sincerely appreciated.

Website: http://vedicsociety.students.missouri.edu/ Email: vedicsociety.mu@gmail.com or call 573-529 4054 to join or know more details.

South Asia Student Association (SASA)

S

ASA was established in 2004 as SANGAM, which aimed to promote South Asian culture for the students of the University of Missouri, Stephens College and Columbia College. Our organization has evolved since its establishment. The overall purpose of SASA is to organize students of the South Asian race through tradition and heritage. We have five integrated goals: • To establish a social network for students for the exploration of shared cultural experiences.

• To provide a support network for

South Asians at MU. • To program events reflecting and revealing the rich traditions of South Asian culture, history and philosophies giving mainstream society a more complete picture of the world outside their dominant culture.

• To educate people and create awareness that discrimination transcends the polarization of black/white issues and to work for accurate inclusions of South Asian culture, history and issues into society’s cultural awareness.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

• To bridge schisms found among the various cultures we represent in order to work more effectively towards establishing a true community, as well as lending more strength to our collective voice to address issues that affect us as a whole.

SASA welcomes all students interested in learning about South Asian culture and issues to become members and participate in our events.

We hope to build stronger ties with the University of Missouri and the greater Columbia community.

40

Samarpanam

Current Programs at Shanthi Mandir

T

hese regular programs held at Shanthi Mandir are open to all who are interested. While all events listed below are compatible and support HTCC goals and objectives, events not organized by HTCC are appropriately listed, along with contact information for each activity. Please visit our website for information about special festival celebrations, pujas, and other educational programs, such as short courses and workshops. We strive to keep our web site up-to-date on an ongoing basis.

Other Events Organized by HTCC Open Prayer Time (Tuesdays and Saturdays from 6 pm-8 pm, Aarti at 7:45 pm) Shanthi Mandir is open for devotees to meditate, offer their prayers and participate in the Aarti. We will have CDs of Bhajans and other devotional songs handy that can be played during prayer times. Please help us in volunteering to keep the Mandir open at these times.

If there is interest in this type of open prayer time, and we receive adequate

volunteer support to keep the Mandir open, we will consider longer and more frequent access to the Mandir. For more information, contact Chandra Rawlani at 446-5960.

Shram Daan (Some Fridays from 6-8 pm and Saturdays from 10 am-12 pm at the Mandir as needed) Service projects at the Mandir and other locations run throughout the year. For more information, contact Vellore or

Anantha Gopalaratnam at 446-0663.

Suprabhatam and Sahasranaamam Prayers (Every Saturday from 9-10 am) The Saturday morning prayers are dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, another form of Lord Vishnu. He is also known affectionately as Balaji or Srinivasa. These recitations are in Sanskrit, the language used for most Hindu scriptures. For more information, contact Vellore S. Gopalaratnam at 446-0663.

Events Organized by Other Groups Bal Puja* (2nd Sunday from 10 am-1 pm at the Mandir) Bal Puja meetings are intended to create an awareness of Hinduism among community youth, with a focus on Hindu Gods and Goddesses, mythology, tales, beliefs, rituals and practices. Bal Puja offers an opportunity to explore the core essence of Hindu faith and philosophy and to explain how mythology and varied practices emanate from the core essence.

For more information, contact Inder Khurana at 874-9647.

Bal Sabha* (4th Sunday from 3-5 pm at the Mandir) The objectives of the Bal Sabha of MidMissouri are to create among youngsters an awareness of India’s history and culture; to provide youngsters an avenue to research topics related to India and present it to Bal Sabha membership; to provide youngsters a means of acquiring knowledge about India from their peers; and to provide youngsters with a means of being involved and to serve

the Columbia community. Bal Sandesh is published along with the HTCC quarterly Shanthi Sandesh.

For more information, contact Anand Chockalingam at 256-2572.

Carnatic vocal music classes* (Typically on Sundays from 1-3pm) For more information, contact Shuba Ratneshwar at: 875-5228.

Kirtan* (1st Sunday from 10 am-1:30 pm) The Kirtan program brings together local Sikhs and other followers of Guru Nanak Dev. Hymns and prayers are recited. A sacred pot-luck lunch called Langhar concludes this program. Members read Sukhmani Sahib, the set of hymns divided into 24 sections which appear in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scripture. The word Sukhmani literally means peaceful mind. This set of hymns or Bani is very popular and is frequently recited in Gurdwaras and at home.

For more information, contact Kuljit Sandhu at 442-4471 or Chandra Rawlani at 446-5960.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Sai Bhajans* (Bhajans Thursday from 7-8 pm; Narayan Seva 2nd Sunday from 11:30 am-12:30 pm at St. Francis Home on Rangeline) Sai Bhajan Group meets for a sing-along devotional program every week and on pre-announced special festivals. It is a non-denominational group. All interested persons are welcome to attend. Followers of Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Baba strive to live the five important human values. These include: Truth (Sathya), Righteousness (Dharma), Peace (Shanthi), Love (Prema) and Non-violence (Ahimsa). The group also cooks a complete vegetarian lunch every 2nd Sunday and serves it at the St. Francis Home, a local shelter for the homeless.

This group also coordinates the preparation of soup and sandwiches for 30+ people at the Interfaith Day Center on the fourth Sunday of each month.

For more information, contact Anantha Gopalaratnam at 446-0663.

Samarpanam

41

HTCC Volunteers 2012 Aarti Nagarkar Abirami Elangovan Aditi Rawat Ajit Vasudevan Akhilan Elangovan Alagu Arunachalam Anandhi Upendran Anantha Gopalaratnam Anmol Sethi Anoma Senaviratne Anuradha Rajagopalan Aroor Annayya Rao Aroor Sudha Arun Prabhu Ashwath Elangovan Ashwini Mantrala Bandhana Katoch Chandra Rawlani Chavinda Senaviratne Dabir Viswanath Dale Cutkosky

Deepa Viswanathan Gagneesh Rawat Geetha Kutikkad Harsha Patel Hema Srinivasan H.R. Chandrasekhar Inder Khurana Indu Chandrasekhar Ipsa Chaudhary Jasmit Khurana K. Palaniappan Kala Kumar Kattesh Katti Kavin Chockalingam Kavita Katti Kiratadas Kutikkad Krishna Sharma Maya Cutkosky Maya Ramachandran Meena Thawani Meera Chandrasekhar

Methma Udawatta Mihiri Udawatta Nahush Katti Neeta Thawani Neil Kotandeniya Nidhi Khurana Nila Palaniappan Nitin Patel Pranavi Tella Puspha Agashe Rajini Tolani Rajiv Mohan Ranadhir Mitra Ravi Thawani Saathvik Raghuraman Sandhya Sharma Savitri Kotandeniya Senthil Kumar Shalini Arun Shiva Pennathur Shuba Ratneshwar

Siddharth Kutikkad Sonali Kumar Srinath Gopalakrishna Sumidha Katti Sunilima Sinha Surya Mantrala Suryanshi Rawat Sushama Nagarkar Sushma Malik Tarang Parashar Trisha Chaudhary Uma Srinath Urmila Kutikkad V. Ramachandran Vedavalli Srinivasagopalan Vellore Gopalaratnam Vikram Arun Visala Palaniappan Vishnu Arunachalam

Tabla Class* (Typically 2nd and 4th Sundays; schedule and locations change as convenient). For more information, contact Pradeep Sahota at 874-0443.

Tamil Language Class* (1st and 3rd Sunday from 3-5 pm at the Mandir)

Temple A. Northern Gate at Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh Temple B. Laxminarayan Temple (Birla Mandir), Delhi Temple C. Sri Swaminarayan Sampraday Temple, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Temple D. Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu, Karnataka Temple E. Trimurthi at Elephanta Island, Maharashtra Temple F. Kedarnath Temple, Kedarnath, Uttarakhand Temple G. Kalighat Kali Temple, Kolkata, W. Bengal. This sketch dates to 1887.

Temple H. Kanchi Kamakshi Temple, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu Temple I. Chariot Wheel at Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Orissa Temple J. Tirumala Temple, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh Give yourself 3 points for each correct answer (1 point each for the name of temple/structure, the place where it is located and the state.)

Temples of India Quiz: Answers

* Facilities use and infrastructural support are provided by HTCC but not organized

by HTCC

If you got...

30 points: genius! 20-29: excellent! 10-19: good!

Below 10: better luck next time!

All images were obtained from Wikipedia

Tamil Classes have been held in Columbia since 1996, hosted at participating families’ homes predating Shanthi Mandir. The hosting of these classes in Shanthi Mandir since October 2005 has allowed a better learning experience, given the state-ofthe-art audio-visual infrastructure at the Mandir. Children learn conversational Tamil so that they are comfortable talking to relatives back in India, learn rudimentary written Tamil, learn the culture through language and songs, develop a strong peer support structure, and generally have fun during the social time following each class.

Classes are taught by volunteers. For more information, contact Alagu Arunachalam at 872-4518.

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

42

Samarpanam

HTCC Membership Form 2013 Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri 2006 Holly Ave, Columbia MO 65202-2043 (note: this form is also available online on the Mandir website)

Individual Membership Choose from the following options:

☐ Upgrade from existing Annual to Sustaining Individual Membership

by Dec 31, 2013 (SIM, Additional dues $570) ☐ New Sustaining Individual Membership (SIM, Dues $600

Family Membership Choose from the following options:

☐ Annual Individual Membership (2013 AIM Dues $30) ☐ Upgrade from existing Annual to Sustaining Family Membership by

Dec 31, 2013 (SFM, Additional Dues $950)

☐ New Sustaining Family Membership (SFM Dues $1,000) ☐ Annual Family Membership (2013 AFM Dues $50) Payment information: ☐ Check number: ___________ Make check payable to HTCC

Key: AIM - Annual Individual Membership AFM - Annual Family Membership

SIM - Sustaining Individual Membership SFM - Sustaining Family Membership Membership renewals are required by January 31 to be eligible to vote on HTCC ballots. However, we accept new members at any time of the year. Sustaining membership is perpetual and does not require renewal.

HTCC Membership Directory Listing info: Please complete the membership form below for important directory listing information (only if you are a new member or wish to change personal information from last year):

☐ No change from last year ☐ New information or changes: Name(s): _______________________________

Phone:________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________ E-Mail(s): __________________________________________________ Additional names for directory (children and other family members with age information is desirable to facilitate targeted notices): __________________________________________________ Designated voters (two voters for family and one for individual membership category):

Voter 1: ___________________________

Signature ______________________________

Voter 2: __________________________ Date _________________________

Please send the completed 2013 Membership Form along with your check to: Dr. Inder Khurana, 1200 Elsdon Dr., Columbia, MO 65203 or Drop it off in the Shanthi Mandir Hundi. Please include “Membership” in the memo line of the check. Thank you!

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Samarpanam

43

The one-stop shop for all your recipe needs!

Serving the community for over fifteen years!

Thank you for shopping at Taj Emporium!

Fresh vegetables delivered every Friday Best Frozen Food Variety of Snacks and Sweets Ready-to-eat food Basmati, Idli, Jasmine Rice and many more!

Wide variety of brand-name instant mix foods Dals, Flours, Oils, Seeds, Soups, Noodles, Nuts, Ghee, Ketchup, Sooji, Poha, Papads, Tea, Coffee, etc.

Hours Monday: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . closed Tuesday to Friday: . . . 4 pm – 8 pm Saturday: . . . . . . . . . .11 am – 7 pm Sunday: . . . . . . . . . .11 am – 5 pm

Taj Emporium 1400 Fellows Place Columbia, MO 65201 Phone/Fax (573) 442-5201

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

44

Samarpanam

http://shanthimandir.missouri.org

Serving the Columbia community with convenience store and gas station!

SPEEDY MART

1300 Fellows Place Columbia, MO 65201 Ph: 573-449-0777

ULTRAMART ARENA 3101 Providence Road Columbia, MO 65201 Ph: 573-443-3144

Best wishes and Congratulations to HTCC on their

Seventh Anniversary Celebrations

Patel family (Dirgesh, Shilpa, Harsh and Dhruv)

Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri (HTCC)

2006 Holly Avenue, Columbia, MO 65202-2043 z http://shanthimandir.missouri.org z (573) 814-1286

January S

M

T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

February W 2 9 16 23 30

T 3 10 17 24 31

F 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

F 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

T 5 12 19 26

F 6 13 20 27

S 7 14 21 28

M

T

September S 1 8 15 22 29

M 2 9 16 23 30

M

T

March W

T

F 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28

S 2 9 16 23

June

May S

S

T 3 10 17 24

W 4 11 18 25

S

M

April T

W

F 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29

S 2 9 16 23 30

T

October

November

T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29

W

T

F

W 2 9 16 23 30

T 3 10 17 24 31

F 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

M 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29

F 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

F 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29

S 2 9 16 23 30

S

M

S 7

M 1 8

T 2 9

W T F S 3 4 5 6 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

August

S

M

T

July

S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

S

M

S

T 2 9 16 23 30

T

W 3 10 17 24 31

W

T 4 11 18 25

S

M

T

W

T 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29

F 2 9 16 23 30

S 3 10 17 24 31

F 6 13 20 27

S 7 14 21 28

December T

S 1 8 15 22 29

M 2 9 16 23 30

T 3 10 17 24 31

W 4 11 18 25

T 5 12 19 26

HTCC Calendar of Events for 2013 January Tuesday 1 Sunday 6

New Year Puja Guru Gobind Jayanthi (5)

February

Saturday 23 HTCC 7th Anniversary (Devotional)

March

Saturday 9 Thursday 14 Friday 15 Sunday 30

April

May

September

November

July

October

December

August

Saturday 5 Saturday 12 Sunday 13 Tuesday 22

Saturday 25 Buddha Jayanthi Talk (25)

June

Youth Workshops* (Jun.—Aug.)

Thursday 25 Guru Purnima Special Bhajan (22) Maha Shivaratri Puja (10) Maha Shivaratri Special Bhajan (10)

HTCC 6th Anniversary (Banquet)

Holi (27)

Saturday 3 Samuhika Satyanarayana Puja Saturday 17 HTCC Youth Day and Bal Sabha/Bal Puja Picnic Saturday 24 Janmashtami/KrishnaJayanthi (28)

Sunday 1 Monday 9 Saturday 14 Thursday 19

Ganesh Idol Making Ganesh Sthapana Puja (9-18) Ganesh Chaturthi Puja (9-18) Special Bhajan & Visarjan Puja Navratri/Devi Jaagran (5-13) Durga Puja (5-13) Vijaya Dashami (14) Karva Chauth (22)

Saturday 2 Sunday 10 Sunday 17 Sunday 24 Saturday 7 Sunday 15

Deepavali Puja (3) Skanda Sashti (10) Guru Nanak Jayanthi (17) Interfaith Thanksgiving (28) Gita Paat Dhanurmaasa Puja

Saturday 20 Akhand Ramayan Paat (19) Sunday 21 Akhand Ramayan Paat (19)

The actual festival dates are noted in (brackets), when these do not coincide with the date of the Mandir celebration. Date for the HTCC Anniversary Banquet is tentative at the present time. * Look for details on the Youth Workshops and related youth activities on our web site by early May. The workshops are typically held during June-August.