Barsana Dham

Barsana Dham, the headquarters of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) in the Western world, is a large temple and ashram complex outside of Austin, Texas. (Jain, 2003). [Jain, N. (Feb. 11, 2003). "Temples welcome those of all faiths, not just Hindus." The America's Intelligence Wire.] According to an article in the 'International Journal of Humanities and Peace', Barsana Dham is one of the largest Hindu Temple complexes in North America (Srinivasan, 2000). [Srinivasan, T.M. 2000. "The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism. (A Review)." International Journal of Humanities and Peace, 16(1): 105. [http://find.galegroup.com.dml.regis.edu/itx/infomark.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&docType=IAC&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A73580084&userGroupName=regis&version=1.0&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&source=gale (Full Text)] ]

Barsana Dham is a nonprofit, religious, educational, and charitable organization (Wu, 2007) [Wu, E. (March 8, 2007). "Walk is part of mission to aid needy in India". The Dallas Morning News. [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/ewu/stories/DN-wu_08met.ART0.North.Edition1.44edff8.html] ] that follows the path of "raganuga bhakti". Founded by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati in 1990 (Kurien, 2007), Barsana Dham was designed to be a place of pilgrimage reminiscent of similar locales in India (Ludwig, 2002). Ludwig, M. March 9, 2002. Houses of worship. Austin American-Statesman (TX)

A Representation of the Holy Land of Braj

Barsana Dham is a representation of the holy land of Braj in India where Shree Radha Rani and Shree Krishn are believed to have appeared, around 5,000 years ago. 'Barsana Dham' is named after Radha's home town of Barsana (Rinehart, 2006). [Rinehart, R. 2006. "Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, Culture, and Practice". ABC-CLIO.

Areas of Barsana Dham have been developed to be the places for meditation. Places of Braj like Govardhan, Radha Kund, Prem Sarovar, Shyam Kuti, etc. are represented in Barsana Dham where a natural stream named Kalindi represents the Yamuna river of Vrindaban (Ciment, 2001). [Ciment, J. 2001. "Encyclopedia of American Immigration." Michigan: M.E. Sharpe.]

According to Rinehart, Barsana Dham was one of a number of Hindu Temples in the US that were designed to replicate the sacred Geography of India, providing a familiar space and experience for Hindus from India, and foster an identification with their adopted homeland (2006).

hree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple

The Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple is the first Hindu temple built in Austin, Texas, and one of the largest Hindu temples in the USA (Srinivasan, 2000).

Shree Radha Rani has many names (Sharma & Paliwal, 2005). [Sharma, M. & Paliwal, B.B. 2005. Message of the Upanishads. Diamond Pocket Books Ltd. Raseshwari is one of Her names and comes from the Upanishads (Sharma & Paliwal, 2005).

The main prayer hall of the Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple is decorated with the pictorial representations of teachings from ancient Hindu scriptures, which are captioned in both Sanskrit and English (Jain, 2003). [Jain, N. (Feb. 2, 2003). "An Austin Haven". The Daily Texan.] The philosophy of the Hindu scriptures are described in a continuous panel on the sides of the hall. A realistic depiction of the sky is portrayed on the ceiling (Ciment, 2001).

The temple architecture is a blend of north and south Indian, and modern styles of architecture. The 90 foot high temple dome is made of white and blue granite and gold. The artwork of the temple's shrine was hand-crafted by 15 artisans from South India. The artisans carved the pillars and ceilings with images of peacocks and floral patterns (Jain, 2003). There are 84 columns and five levels in the building with covered area of 35,000 sq. feet.

Festivals and celebrations at the temple are attended by thousands of people. The temple and ashram complex is a center for traditional Indian cultural activities, weddings and thread ceremonies.Fact|date=June 2008

H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati established Barsana Dham as a devotional representation of Braj, India (Kurien, 2007), [Kurien, P.A. 2007. "A Place at the Multicultural Table: The Development of an American Hinduism". NJ: Rutgers University Press.] with the intention that devotees in the west may experience a similar atmosphere as if in Braj in India (Coward et. al, 2000). [Coward, H., Hinnells, J.R. & Williams, R.B. 2000. "The South Asian Religious Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States". NY: SUNY Press.]

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati was born in a respectable "brahmin" family in 1929 in Ayodhya, India (Palaniswami, 1995). He completed his studies and at age of 21, renounced the world and took the order of "sanyas" (Palaniswami, 1995). [Palaniswami, P. (Sept. 3, 1995). "a Dham Blooms in Texas". Hinduism Today.] In 1952, he was offered to become the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath but he declined (Srinivasan, 2000), because according to Swami Prakshanand Saraswati, he "was drawn towards the love of Radha Krishn" (Saraswati, 2007). [Saraswati, S.P. 2007. "The True History and The Religion of India." New Delhi: Macmillan.]

He went to Braj, India and spent almost 20 years in isolation. In 1972, on the instructions of his Spiritual Master, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, he began his mission of teaching the path of "raganuga bhakti" (Ludwig, 2002). [Ludwig, M. (March 9, 2002). "Houses of worship". Austin American-Statesman.]

Festivals

Barsana Dham celebrates all the major Hindu festivals (Hylton & Rossie) [Hylton, H. & Rosie, C. 2006. "Insiders' Guide to Austin." The Globe Pequot Press Inc.] which attract thousands (Ludwig, 2002).

*"Maha Shivratri"
*"Holi"
*"Ram Navmi"
* [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x55d8s_indian-fair-at-kripaluji-maharaj-us_lifestyle "Mela" Fair] April 26th 2008
*"Jhulan Leela"
*"Krishn Janmashtmi"
*"Radha Ashtmi"
*"Radha Rani Rath Yatra"
*"Sharat Poornima"
*"Divali"
*"Govardhan Puja"

Retreats and Family Camps

At various times throughout the year Barsana Dham, spread over 200 acres of land, offers special weekend family retreats, mini-intensives, and weekend seva retreats . These retreats and programs include Hindi, yoga and Indian dance classes. Barsana Dham has been named one of the "best places to relax, reflect, and renew"(Ricci, 2003). [Ricci, J. "Yoga Escapes: A Yoga Journal Guide to the Best Places to Relax, Reflect, and Renew." Celestial Arts. Barsana Dham also conducts tours for schools, other educational institutions and community groups (Ludwig, 2002).

Educational and Charitable Activities

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, Barsana Dham has published a wide selection of writings, video and audio recordings of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati (Srinivasan, 2000).

Barsana Dham's vice president, [http://bebo.com/Prabhakari-Devi Prabhakari Devi] delivered the first ever Hindu prayer in the Texas Senate. [Texas Legislature. (2005). "Proceedings of 79th Legislature - Regular Session". Lieutenant Governor of Texas: Austin. [http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/hjrnl/79r/html/79rday37cfinal.htm] ] Barsana Dham opened its doors to Hurricane Katrina evacuees, and executed a fundraising drive in its wake [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-117233731.html] (Joshi, 2005). [Joshi, M. (Oct. 7, 2005). Community rallies to help Rita victims. India Abroad.]

In September 2008, Barsana Dham launched a fundraising drive for victims of the flooding in Bihar. The immediate goal of the drive is to raise $150,000 for relief efforts. ["2008, Bihar Relief Campaign". Retrieved Sept. 6th, 2008 from [http://www.barsanadham.org/2008-Bihar_Relief_Campaign.html] ]

In the same month, hundreds of evacuees of Hurricane Ike were given food and shelter at Barsana Dham (Powell, 2008). [Powell, B. (Sept. 15th, 2008). "Barsana Dham Center houses evacuees". News 8 Austin. [http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=219788] ] [http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/9/prweb1329894.htm Barsana Dham Temple Shelters Hurricane Ike Evacuees]

Barsana Dham is also active in a number of local and global charitable activities including housing rehabilitation work in Central Texas, flood relief efforts for India, and the ongoing support of hospital operations oversees. [http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/9/prweb1329894.htm Barsana Dham Temple Shelters Hurricane Ike Evacuees]

External links

* [http://www.barsanadham.org Barsana Dham]
* [http://shop.jkp.org/books.html Swami Prakashanand Saraswati's Books]
* [http://kripaluji-maharaj.com Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj]
* [http://www.pbs.org/thecongregation/churches/barsanadhamashram.html Swami Prakashanand Saraswati's devotees speak out]
* [http://www.thetruehistoryandthereligionofindia.org/th_links.htm Swami Prakashanand Saraswati Links]

References