Community Well-Wishes 2013

Message from Devotee Dhiru Desai

I would like to begin by expressing my very sincere gratitude to our Dharam Guru – Pundit Ram Harsh Tripathi Ji, for his foresight and selfless dedication towards taking the vow of the building “Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir in North Maclean”. I urge everyone to please join hands and help in whichever way you can to make this dream of a religious institution come true. It will be an asset for all Hindus.

Some may say “why another temple”? I say there should be temples in every corner of Brisbane so that all our Hindu brothers and sisters are within a short distance to a temple. This will enable us all to pay a visit to the temple every now and then if not every day. Further, we can at least make an effort to encourage our children to attend the temples and retain our very rich culture and the way of life.

It looks like, if we do not act now, our children may lose their cultural and linguistic identity by the greater influence of our Australian friends. It may be different for different people depending on your approach to the process and keeping the important values in mind along the journey.

The temples are meant to serve as the nerve-centers of religious organizations which spread the all-time valid principles of righteous conduct and discipline (Dharma). One main reason for the increase of hooliganism and violence in the present world is that we have neglected the spiritual aspect of life and are spending the major part of our time in acquiring material belongings. Indian culture certainly allows as much prosperity as is necessary to fulfil all one’s needs so as to obtain material happiness but not so much as it becomes an obstacle in attaining eternal happiness and satisfaction

Temples form an essential part in the development of our moral thoughts which are undoubtedly responsible for making people straightforward, open-minded, liberal and compa­ssionate. Thoughts of temples and God discipline us and make us realize the significance of the values of life. It is ignorance to ignore the importance of temples in our social and spiritual life.

People may ask, “But if God is everywhere, if every living being is a manifestation of Brahma, why do we need to go to the temple?” There are many reasons. The most important reason is that a temple is not only the home of God, but is a concentration of divine energy.  

During the installation of the deities (Prana Pratishtha ceremony), the Murtis become powerful manifestations of God. The priests chant special Vedic mantras and perform special sacred rituals which endow these deities with divine attributes and powers. Therefore, praying before a deity in a temple may give us a greater sense of being in the presence of God.

Ancient rishis and saints could realize God through their meditations. They lived high in the Himalayas or in secluded forests. There were few distractions, and their lives were focused on one thing: attaining the divine vision. They, therefore, did not need temples. Their world was their temple. However, today, our lives are flooded with material desires, with mundane tasks, with logistic concerns. We must get up each day and go to earn a living to feed our families. We must live in a world that indoctrinates us to crave only sensual pleasures and material wealth. It is very difficult for this world to seem like a temple. Therefore, we must have a place which is sacred, a place which is holy, a place in which our sole purpose is becoming one with God, a place in which we hang up our daily concerns and troubles like coats at the door. We must have a place which focuses our mind on the true meaning in life.

The temple serves this purpose!

A university student may claim he does not need to go to the library to do his homework – his dorm room is a fine place to study. Theoretically, that is true. The books are the same; the material to be learned is the same. However, we know that in a dorm room he will be constantly tempted by ringing phones, by knocks at the door, by loud music, by the desire to gossip with his friends in the hallway. However, the library is silent. It is a place devoted to academic studies. There, he will not be distracted. In the library, everywhere he looks he will see other students deep in their work. This environment will provide him not only with quiet in which to study, but also with inspiration from others who are there for the same purpose.

Similarly we go to a temple for the sacred environment, for the holy energy in the building itself, for the divine presence of the deities, as well as for the inspiration of others who are focused on God.

However, a temple should not only be a place in which we worship. It should become the focal point of our lives. In the West, many of us have left our extended families back in India, Fiji etc. Most of us do not have the luxury of living in a tightly-knit Indian community. Therefore, the temple should become that extended family; it should be our tightly knit community. Our temple should be the place where children come to learn about their heritage as well as to play with their Indian peers. Our temple should be our place of celebration during times of joy, as well as our place of comfort and solace during times of grief. Our temple should feed every aspect of our being: our hearts, our minds, our stomachs and our souls. Then, it will truly be a “Mandir” and not only a building.   

I wish a great success to Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir. May God Bless Everyone

Message from Umesh Chandra (JP Qual)

The establishment of Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir is yet another achievement for the Queensland Indian Community. The exemplary vision of Pundit Ram Harsh Tripathi Ji is turning this project into a reality. Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir will serve the “Religious and Cultural” needs of the broader Indian community.

I feel particularly happy that the initial permits and approval have been obtained, the credit of which goes to the dedicated and suitably qualified volunteers. If the progress at Shree Laxmi Narayan temple under the leadership and guidance of Punditji is something to go by, we can be rest assured that this project will be built to a very high standard.

I together with my wife Usha Chandra wish the project all the success, already the support and enthusiasm within the community for this project is tremendous.

 I am happy to hear that Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir will cater for the needs of young and old alike, and that it will be an all-encompassing Centre representing all Regions of India.

I have been told that the Centre will promote the Hindu way of life to the wider community, in today’s multicultural society, it has become very important that this kind of information be shared with the wider community, I would also encourage interfaith dialogue and forums.

As a people of Australia Ambassador, I hope Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir will play an important role in fostering the Australian policy and take part in events like “Harmony Day” celebration in a proactive manner.

In conclusion I sincerely wish the project the success that it deserves and am confident that under the able guidance of Pundit Ji and by the divine grace of God the project will flourish.

• People of Australia Ambassador
• President Queensland Multicultural Council
• GOPIO International Coordinator Oceania Region
• Hindu Chaplain, University of Queensland

Message from Surendra Prasad OAM C.Dec

It is my  pleasure to be associated with  Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir which  will be built  at Mclean, Queensland. I whole heartedly thank Pt. Tripathi ji for his initiatives and vision to undertake such a mammoth task and  recognizing the important role it will play in providing a place of worship and  promoting  our culture and tradition.

Pt Tripathi Ji is well respected by the Hindu communities in Brisbane and also he has provided many years of service to the devotees at Laxmi Narayan Temple.  It is his strong wish to continue to serve the community to the best of his ability.

Temples play a very significant role in our lives, sustain the higher values of culture, inspire a higher way of life, teach us to respect one another, is a centre for realizing God and is a place of paramount peace.

I humbly request all the members and devotees to generously support this very important project for the benefit of our community and for our future generation.

• Patron – Federation of Indian Communities of Qld Inc
• Patron/President – Fiji Senior Citizens Assn of Qld Inc
• Board Member -Ethnic Community Council of QLD     
• Australia Day Award – Seniors of the Year 2012

Dated: 5th November, 2012

Message from Mr Jitendra Deo J.P. (Qual)

For many people temples have become an important meeting place and for the community to congregate on different occasions and revitalize their spiritual energies.  Although it is not mandatory for a Hindu to visit a temple regularly, they play a vital role in Hindu society and culture.

With gratification and admiration I commend Pt Tripathi Ji for taking a courageous step in constructing a temple for Hindu community in Brisbane. Pandit Ji’s initiatives is been supported by Brisbane Indian community at large, and I am convinced that this project will be achieved with immense integrity.

Hindu’s believe in a Supreme Being and adherence to certain concepts such as Truth, Dharma, Karma and Moksha. And belief in the authority of the Vedas serves, to a large extent, as the very definition of a Hindu. The key beliefs shared among Hindus, is that Truth is eternal. Truth is one and it can be expressed in many ways. Dharma can be described as right conduct, righteousness, moral law, and duty. Anyone who makes Dharma central to one’s life strives to do the right thing, according to one’s duty and abilities, at all times. Our believe is that the individual soul (atma) is neither created nor destroyed. Actions of the soul while residing in a body require that it reap the consequences of those actions in the next life, the same soul in a different body. The kind of body the soul inhabits next is determined by Karma. Moksha is liberation and the soul’s release from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir will provide accomplishment of the above. The Yoga centre will be attached to the complex, giving the individuals an opportunity into achieving the path of Moksha, our ultimate goal in life. It will be a place to gather for devotees and Hindu’s from Brisbane into observing and celebrating the festivals in the Hindu Calendar. The “Bhartiya Sanskriti and Bhasha”  (Hindu Culture and Language) which is paramount in present society will be upheld. It has become extremely important for us leaders of various Hindu organizations’ to keep our younger generations involved into our Culture, as these are very people who will become leaders tomorrow.

I wish the Vishnu Maya Mandir all the best for its Temple project. May GOD bless us all.

• President of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Queensland

Message from Deepak Kumar

Ram Ram to all and wishing you all a very happy and prosperous New Year and let the good Lord give us all peace and happiness for 2013 after a tough 2012.

Punditji asked me to write a few words in this magazine with regards to my experience and how I became involved in the development of this divine temple and yoga centre.

About 12 months ago, I was kindly requested by Punditji to meet with him and his wife Ashaji at their home to discuss some items. I was not aware why Punditji was calling me, so I went to see if he needed any assistance, as I have always believed that one must help wherever and whenever one is needed, because not many people are lucky enough to be called when someone is in need of help.

When I arrived to see Punditji and Ashaji with my wife Lata, Punditji said that I was summoned by God to do a very noble and divine deed, after which he narrated to me that he had managed to acquire a piece of land in North MacLean and had a desire to build a temple and yoga centre there and that I was chosen to carry out the deed of planning and managing the development. Without thinking too hard, I instantly said ‘no problem’ and that my services will be a donation to the cause.

Then he told me what his plans were and what he wanted within the development. When I went away and thought about it, I realised there existed a few problems in that a large part of the site was flood affected, the proposal was inconsistent with the Logan Planning Scheme, the house on the adjoining  property was very close to the boundary, there was no town water nor sewerage reticulation amongst other things. The biggest problem was there was no budget or very little funds available to build such a comprehensive development within a very short time.

I thought, well the project has to be completed now that I have undertaken the task and making the commitment. Hence I thought let us tackle these problems one at a time but I told Punditji the funding problem will be his, however we will bring this project in within the smallest budget possible.

I set about planning the development and putting it on paper with the help of my assistant Ashwin and my son Himaansu. There were no contours available to us so we had to buy aerial contours from Council. Then we did the design of the temple and the car parks (as the temple size determines the number of car parks required), after ascertaining the area that was not affected by flood, as remember the access and car parks have to be above the flood line. Punditji had expressed his desires as to how he wanted the layout of the buildings and where the preferred car park location should be.

The layout looked good and with some changes by Punditji we managed to have a pre-lodgement meeting with Council, also convincing Council to accept a lesser number of car parks. We then lodged the application in accordance with the requirements of the Logan City Council. Supporting engineering reports, geotechnical reports, flood and hydraulic reports and studies were by external consultants, but as I had worked with these consultants before, I requested them to go easy on their fees. Mr Kris Nangia also assisted in the engineering concept component.

At the public notification, we had some objections, but we responded to Council in a positive manner and also supplied Council with further supporting material as requested.

Council approved the application in record time, which to my surprise was effortless and I believe that the approval took no more than four (4) months, which is unheard of these days for an inconsistent and impact assessable development proposal under the new planning laws.

I do believe that there was some superior being that was guiding me in this conquest, especially to achieve a very favourable approval with so many constraints pertaining to the property and obtaining the development approval in record time.

I thought I had done my bit, but then Punditji said now what about the next stage, to which I said we need more capable people that can handle the specialist parts of the project being architects and engineers, to which he asked who shall we get. The first name that came to my mind was Mr Hemant Naik and Mrs Kalpana Naik, who are both architects. Hemant then suggested the name of Mr Trevor Richters, engineer. The other important link to the equation was the structural engineer and building certifier to finalise the building component, the only name I could think of was that of another of my friends, Mr Suresh Chandra accompanied by his wife Mrs Jaswanti Chandra. All consultants accepted and donated their time towards the temple.

He had a meeting with Hemant, Suresh and Trevor at Punditji’s house with two (2) other engineers – Ramesh and Vikash who had also offered their services for the temple but we could not use them as we had sufficient experts to complete the project. We again had to summon Mr Kris Nangia to supervise the engineering section.

The design took shape at the hands of Hemant and Kalpana, Trevor completed the engineering design  plans which were checked by Kris and Suresh designed and checked the structural plans, organised the geotechnical  survey, I finalised the land survey and we lodged the application for Operational Works to Council.

We are presently finalising the Operation Works approval with Council so we can begin earthworks on the site. The architectural and structural pans are being checked for approval by Suresh and we have started getting in quotes for the various components for the works and building.

I feel blessed to be given to opportunity to be involved in this project and the satisfaction I got by being involved in this project has been immense and I request to all persons reading this message, that if you are called on any occasion to offer your services for a good deed, please do not think twice, as the pleasure you get from it is insurmountable.

My family and I, together with the management and staff of Santoshi Group of Companies, wish Punditji all the very best in his endeavours and also a very big appreciation for giving the people of Brisbane another venue where they can offer their prayers to the almighty in peace and harmony.

Deepak Kumar

• Santoshi Development Consultants Pty Ltd
• BSurv (Otago), FAIM, MAICD, MPIA
• Consulting Surveyor

Message from Queensland Soni Samaj Inc 

It is with great pleasure that, on behalf of Queensland Soni Samaj, I write a brief note within this Souvenir Magazine for Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir, North McLean.

The Queensland Soni Samaj Inc. (QSSI) is a non-profit voluntary organisation representing and serving the Soni Community in Queensland, Australia. Our growing membership comprises people of the Soni community living in Queensland, who are direct descendents of a sub-caste of the Gujarati people from Western India. Our membership now consists of people from Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa, and India and increasingly those born in Australia. The QSSI aims to promote social welfare, religious and cultural advancements of its members and the greater community.

Under the spiritual inspiration of Dharm Guru Pandit Tripathiji, Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir’s Bhoomi Poojan ceremony late last year saw several Dharm-Premi’s of Brisbane come together and participate in the magnificent Hawan ceremonies. With the Mandir to officially open from 16th January and have it’s first feast (Bhandara) on 20th January, lots of Bhakts (devotees) will be able to benefit from the Bhajan-Kirtan and Katha-Varta by Panditji.

The QSSI is extremely proud to be an active community organisation promoting activities that foster a greater acceptance of cultural values through community participation, cultural & religious celebrations, and developing an inclusive, harmonious and cohesive community. Several of our members practice this ethos through participation in activities of other organisations around Brisbane. The QSSI feels privileged to have made a contribution to the activities of the Vishnu Maya Mandir through donation of large cooking pots & pans.

We congratulate the Dharm-Premis of Brisbane on the opening of a centre of religious and cultural enlightenment in the form of Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir.

Varad Raval

• President – Queensland Soni Samaj Inc.

Message from Vinay Ramagiri

Is it fair that Mother Seetha had to enter a fire to show her purity? Is it fair that Sri Rama killed the great warrior Vali? Is it fair that Arjun killed Karna while he wasn’t on his chariot? All of us have questions related to these incidents depicted in our puranas. Furthermore, we have numerous doubts on why we perform rituals, why we wear thilak and even why we should go to the temple. Questions like these are confusing children and are being passed on from one generation to another, mainly because many adults don’t make an effort to know the answers.

What is the importance of a temple? A temple is a place where all the devathas (gods and goddesses) are present in the form of a vigraha (statue). They are invited to take place inside the vigrahas by a process known as “Prathista”. This process consists of the chanting of Vedic mantras and homas (fire sacrifices). This brings us to the first difference between a home and a temple. Most Hindus have a prayer room, most likely comprised of pictures of devathas and maybe small vigrahas bought from the market. Very few people will have vigrahas that have been through the process of Prathista. This is one reason for praying in a temple. The vigrahas have been give life by the gods and goddesses themselves.

The presence of devathas’ already creates an enormous amount of energy at the temple. And every devotee that goes to the temple carries a small amount of energy with them. So, when the energy of the gods and goddesses is added to by the presence of many devotees, the total energy is huge. In addition, the chanting of Veda mantras, recitation of sthothras, singing of bhajans (songs), traditional performances (dance) etc. add even more energy to the temple. Also, the prasadam is cooked with devotion and only certain foods are used. Devotees receive theertham (sacred water) which is nothing but water from bathing the devathas. All of these activities contribute to making the temple a sacred environment; one completely different to that of a home.

At home we are more at liberty. In fact, a home is a place where many unspiritual activities take place. Rarely is there any scope of Veda mantras being chanted by Acharyas, nor the presence of many devotees, all congregating to worship. Many materialistic activities take place at home. The food is cooked without sanctity, sometimes even with meat. We watch television, listen to western music, talking loudly, use coarse language, walk around the house with our shoes on etc. All of these humanly activities are not helping to create a traditional and pious atmosphere that is present in a temple.

Our Sastras and Puranas have indicated many times that it is important and advantageous that we pray in a temple, than just at home. Many scholars have also written extensively on this subject, sharing the same view. The three examples given above are just a few reasons, explaining the importance of a temple. Generations to come should know why it is beneficial to go to a temple and also appreciate its spiritual atmosphere.

Source: SVMM Magazine Articles 2013