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HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY
of Lehigh Valley
4200 Airport Road, Allentown, PA 18109 Ph: (610) 264-2810
NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2014

Volume 27 Issue 12
Om asato maa sadgamaya, tamaso maa jyotirgamaya, mrtyormaa amrtam gamaya.....Om Saantih,Saantih,Saantih*
TEMPLE PROGRAMS
ALMANAC (Panchang)
Every Tuesday
11:00 AM
Jain Samuhik Samayik
Every Tuesday
7:15 PM
Hanuman Chalisa &
Sri Ram Amritvani Recitation
Every Thursday
7:30 PM
Gita Study Group. See page 3 for
details.
Every Friday
7:00 PM
Vishnu Sahasranamam chanting
Every Saturday
9:30 AM
Gita Study Group. See page 3 for
details.
Every first Saturday 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Senior Citizens Meeting
Every Sunday
8:45 AM-10:00 AM
Yoga Class
(See page 3 for details)
Dec 7, Sunday
Dec 21, Sunday
10:00 AM—1:00 PM
Balvihar
Dec 3, Wednesday
7:00 PM
Pradosha Puja
Dec 5, Friday
6:30 PM
Pournima Satyanarayan Puja
Dec 6, Saturday
11:00 AM—1:00 PM
Kirtan Langar (see page 10)
Dec 13, Saturday
5:30 PM
Temple Anniversary Celebration
(Snow date Dec. 20th)
Dec 14, Sunday
10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Jain Snatra Puja followed by lunch
Dec 19, Friday
7:00 PM
Pradosha Puja
Dec 28, Sunday
3:00 PM
Sunder Kanda Path recitation
Dec 2: Geeta Jayanti
Dec 2: Ekadasi
Dec 3: Pradosham
Dec 5: Pournima
Dec 9: Sankatahara Chaturthi
Dec 17: Ekadasi
Dec 19: Pradosham
Dec 21: Amavasya
Dec 31: Vaikuntha Ekadasi
FORTHCOMING PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS
January 10th Tiruppavai recital
(Snow date Jan. 11th)
January 31st Saraswathi Puja
February 7 - Sankranti Celebration
THANK YOU
The Executive Committee of the HTS appreciates community participation
in the Temple programs and thanks to all the families who sponsored Diwali Puja and Mata Ki Chowki
A big thank you to HYA kids Riya Ashar, Radhika Singh, Paarth Desai,
Shyam Mehta, Devender Dayal, Arnav Gupta, Neil Surya
for their help during Diwali Puja
TEMPLE TIMINGS
Priests: Sri. Shyam Prasad Kannadaguli-Cell: (610) 709 7787 and Dilip Bhatt.
Monday - Friday :
10:00 AM - 12:05 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Daily Aarti Timings: 10.00 AM & 7:30 PM
6:00 PM
-
9:00 PM
Please contact the editor at 610. 868.3771 or send e-mail to [email protected] by the 10th of each month to publish in the following
newsletter. Any emails received after the 10h cannot be published in the following month For further details, please see next page.
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TEMPLE ADMINISTRATION
Executive Council
An Important Announcement
We would like to welcome a new addition to our
temple, Priest Dilip Bhatt. He joined HTS on November 1st, 2014 as a part time priest. We would like for
you to extend a warm welcome to Dilipbhai.
!!NO PARKING ON THE CURB!!
Note the yellow “no parking” lines next to the
curbside of the temple. Violations will be strictly
enforced by the local police.
**No Eating in the Temple Sanctorum**
Only small quantity of dry Prasad is allowed in the
temple sanctorum. No plates and cutlery
allowed. Please exit out of the temple sanctorum
into the main lobby area to eat more Prasad.
Please refrain from bringing unused items from
your home and leaving it at the temple in boxes
Advertisement in the News Letter
Full Page(7.5” x 10”) $ 150
Half Page (7.5” x 5”) $ 100
Quarter Page (3.5” x 5”) $ 50
Temple Tax ID
#23-2064729
Please e-mail your ad (in WORD / PUBLISHER ONLY) AS PER
THE ABOVE GUIDELINES to the editor [email protected],
and send the check payment (made out to Hindu Temple
Society) directly to the temple address. Please enter the
purpose of the check in the memo field.
RENTAL AND OTHER CHARGES FOR THE TEMPLE
(EFFECTIVE FROM AUGUST 2014)
MEMBERS
NON-MEMBERS
Main Level, Lower Level & Kitchen (6 hrs.):
$500
$600
Main Temple Hall (up to 4 hrs.)
$200
$300
Lower Level & Kitchen (6 hrs.):
$350
$450
Lower Level without kitchen (6 hrs.): (Fri,Sat,Sun) $250
$350
Lower Level without kitchen (6 hrs..): (Mon-Thu)
(Except Holidays)
$150
$250
Kitchen only ( 6hrs):
$150
$250
Upper Level, Krishna Room (2 hrs or less)
$15
$25
Upper Level, Yamuna Room (2 hrs or less)
$15
$25
Upper Level, Ganga Room (2hrs or less)
$25
$35
Lower Level, Stage Only (2 hrs or less)
$25
$35
A refundable deposit of $100 is required. Each additional hour is $50/hour.
Use of the audio system in the temple:
$50
$75
*** Audio system must be operated by a qualified person only. ***
Chair - Each
Table - Each
$0.50
$5
$0.60
$6
President: Subash Asnani 610-530-0389
Vice-President: Atul Dalal 610-395-3375
Secretary: Pratix Parikh 610-360-3217
Treasurer: Narayanan Soundrarajan 484-619-9984
Program Director: Shaila Shah 610-706-3233
Editor: Srini Ranganna 610-868-3771
Balvihar Director: Ashok Khandelwal 610-351-0071
Balvihar Asst. Dir.: Jitesh Rohatgi 610-758-8391
Community Relations Director: Surender Dayal 610706-4584
Webmaster: Anand Chavan 610-762-0041
Members-at-large
Hammi Kapoor 610-504-1774
Joita Bhattachrya 732-247-0441
Raj Kuppuswamy 610-481-8919
Rajul Shah 610-868-0586
Sougata Roy 610-866-2151
Susheer Gandotra 570-620-6219
Program Committee
Jyoti Asnani 610-530-0389
Rasna Patel 732-648-4918
Rimmi Dawar 610-261-2050
Sukanti Sahoo 570-668-0811
Vandana Negandhi 610-530-7918
Editorial Committee
Amita Pallod 610-336-0633
Nivedita Kannadaguli 610-709-7787
Umadevi Ranganna 610-868-3771
Treasurer Committee
Kamacharulu V Ramoju 678-779-1606
Board of Trustees
Chairman:
Raman Malhotra 610-433-8221
Vice Chairman:
Neela Bera 610-861-0560
Secretary:
Rajesh Jain: 610-398-1095
Finance Committee & Projects & Planning Committee:
Vikas Joshi 610-398-8840
Chandra Swaminathan 610-481-9528
Audit Committee:
Parveen Gupta 610-366-1618
Education Committee:
Kamlesh Ashar 610-366-7257
Membership and Community Relations:
Irawathy Chalikonda 610-867-8236
Members:
Kris Kapoor 610-868-9305
Manoj Mittal 610-762-6360
Ex-Officio Member:
Subash Asnani 610-530-0389
Publication Identification
Title: HTS News Letter
Issue Date: Monthly / December 2014
Issue No: Volume:27 ; Issue # 12
Published by: Hindu Temple Society,
4200 Airport Road, Allentown, PA 18109
Visit “www.hindutempleallentown.org”
for CURRENT newsletter, donation and other information
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TEMPLE BULLETIN BOARD
BHAGAVAD GITATEMPLE
VICHAR GROUP
BULLETIN
BOARD
GITA
HOME STUDY CLASSES
Classes on Gita and Vedanta are held every
Saturday, 9:30am to 11:00 in Krishna Room.
(Chapter-2)
Text: BHAGAVAD GITA
Home Study Program
Organized by Prakash Kutagolla
every Thursday from
Designed by Swami Dayanandji of Arsha
Vidya Gurukulum
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
Everybody is welcome
to join any time.
For more info please contact:
More info please contact:
Prakash Kutagolla at
[email protected] or
Phone: 610-691-5759
Purshottam Ghai
at [email protected] or
Phone: 610-398-1510
YOGA CLASSES
Yoga, Pranayama, Chakra balancing and Meditation Class
Yoga class is held every Sunday from
8:45am to 10:00am in the Ganga Room
The class focuses on simple postures, pranayama, chakra balancing and meditation.
Every one is welcome to join.
There is a small charge for the class payable to the Hindu Temple.
For more information contact either
Hammi Kapoor at [email protected]
Phone:610-504-1774 or
Atul Thakur at [email protected]
Phone: 610-360-2024
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MATA KI CHOWKI - 2014
PENN STATE STUDENTS VISTING HINDU TEMPLE
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Beginning of Hindu Temple Society
PRAYER
We adore the all mighty Lord, who is superior to and is beyond all causes and effects, whose
Maya (illusive power) holds sway over the entire universe including Gods, Devatas, and Brahma (the creator) downwards and demons, whose presence lends positive reality to the world
of appearances and whose lotus feet are the only refuge for those who are eager to cross the
ocean of mundane existence. With this humble prayer, a summary about the background history of the formation of Hindu Temple Society (HTS) is being presented. We must never lose
sight of the fact that our Temple, as we see it (along with other different names and forms) is
nothing but the manifestation of the all mighty Lord, one without second.
This is a story about journey of immigrants of Indian origin. This journey started in midsixties, when Immigration Reform Act 0f 1965, signed by president Lyndon B. Johnson,
allowing large number of immigrants mainly professionals from Far East Asia to enter
USA with permanent resident visa. Vietnam war is still going on. Military draft is still enforced. Protest against war is going on in college campuses. Immigrants are also liable
to be drafted.
Thousands of young men and women professionals begin their journey into new frontier. Entering through different big cities, opportunity took these professional deeper inside the mainland to places like Lehigh Valley. As these newcomers started settling
down in their professional career, raising their families, they turned their attention to
create opportunities to pursue their religious and cultural heritage. Seventies and onward, temples, cultural associations started to show up at various cities and became
the gathering place for Indian community members.
Our story is one of such story in Lehigh Valley. Those of us who settled here from sixties and seventies are mostly retired senior citizens now. We felt this story is to be told
for historic perspective for whatever value it has. Fortunately we have among us who
were intimately involved in the whole process and are still active among us. Their story
as told by them during our Senior group meeting will be published in our News Letter to
share with the community members.
We also remember with gratitude many of those, no longer with us, who have
dedicated their time, energy and hard work to establish Hindu Temple Society.
They are Prof. Vimla Sinha,Vanu Sukla and Permatha N. Beri.
We also recognize the contribution of Harish Dhrud and Bhaskar Ghate now living in
California and Texas respectively.
Prof. R P Sinha and Prof. Vimla Sinha, Mr. P L Ghai, Indra Ghai and Gul Asnani were
very active in community affairs even before the HTS established. We will start with
their narrative from late sixties and early seventies.
… continued on the next page
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Narrative from P L Ghai , Indra Ghai and R.P.Sinha.
Summary of 1973- 77 Activities.
Our story begins with reminiscence by Prof Rohini Pati Sinha,P L Ghai, Indra Ghai, Gul Asnani, Ushakant
Gandhi, Devdas Negandhi, Rashmi Sheth who came to Lehigh Valley early seventies and played active role
at various phases of formation of Hindu Temple Society, acquiring land, construction of the first building and
stayed with the progress of the Temple as we see it today. Many more individuals contributed enormously
towards the success of the Temple and we will recognize their contribution as the story progress.
During nineteen sixties and seventies, there existed a non-profit organization, known as Bhartiya Cultural
Society (BCS) This organization was originally started by a few American people, with keen interest in
Bhartiya Caulture and a few members of Indian community residing in eastern part of Pennsylvania including but not limited to Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Berwick, Danville, Lewisburg, Poconos and the Lehigh Valley.
P.L.Ghai and Indra Ghai moved to the Lehigh Valley during 1972 and soon thereafter both became members of BCS. Rohini Sinha and Vimla Sinha were already living in Lehigh Valley. Rohini was the permanent
Board Member of BCS at that time. During those days, homas, prayers and pujas were held at different locations all over Eastern part of Pennsylvania for the members of BCS. BCS even had summer camps in the
Poconos for the children. About dozens of Indian Families at that time lived in Lehigh Valley.
The idea of formation of a separate entity for the majority residents of Lehigh valley originally started during
the discussions at the meetings of the Bhartiya Cultural Society. Later during 1976, two divisions of the BCS
were formed, namely BCS-North, covering Poconos and Northern areas and BCS- South, covering greater
Lehigh Valley and surrounding area. The initial seed money for the HTS was collected under the non-profit
status of the BCS. Initial seed money of $3000 came from BCS.The money was kept separately by BCSSouth. First check of $100 was received from Indra Ghai on May 9th, 1976. Purshottam Ghai was the BCS
President during 1976-78.
When adequate seed money was collected, Hindu Temple Society was formed during a meeting held during
September 1977 at the faculty house of Muhlenberg College. There were several people attending this
meeting including former members of BCS and other residents of the Lehigh valley interested in building a
place of worship here in the Lehigh Valley. Seed money collected by BCS-South was subsequently transferred into the bank account of HTS
The constitution of Hindu Temple was written borrowing idea from Bharatiya Cultural Society. The Temple
of Harmony, a place where religions from India subcontinent Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism will coexist, but not limited to religion only. This will be place to pursue Indian culture, heritage, language and other
interests of the community members. This was a noble concept in a time when some agitation was going in
India based on religious division.
Rohini Sinha was the first HTS President. Kris Kapoor was Vice President. The names of all the members of
the first Executive Council are displayed in the main hall of the Temple. HTS started to have monthly pujas
and prayers in a rented location graciously offered by then Unitarian Church then located at 701 Lachauweki Ave., Fountain Hill, PA. Late Shri Bhanu Shanker Shukla-ji volunteered as officiating priest without accepting any remuneration. Children were having Bal Vihar classes in the rooms of the faculty house of
Muhlenberg College. Indra Ghai was one of the first teachers of Bal Vihar. She started the classes with the
teaching of Hindi language, later other disciplines were added and taught by other teachers
HTS got the status of nonprofit organization in 1978 and subsequently BCS - South was dissolved, as the
membership of BCS- South had already merged with the larger membership of HTS. At that time, during
1978, Board Of Directors of HTS was formed. Mohan Jain was the first Chairman of the Board. The names
of the members of the first board are also displayed in the main hall of the Temple.
(This is the first part of the article, recorded and video taped. Pictures by Mridula Choudhuri)
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2014 DIWALI POOJA HIGHLIGHTS AT HTS
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KIRTAN-LANGER
Kirtan and Bhajans by Harpal Singhji in the Allentown Temple on
Saturday December 6th
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Followed by Langar
For information please call
Rimmi Dawar at: 610-554-5491
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10
Senior group arranged the viewing of live telecast of Indian Prime Minister Honorable Narendra Modij’s reception
event at Madison Square Garden on 28th September at HinduTemple. Seventy plus man and women of all ages were
present to watch the telecast and enjoyed Modiji’s deliberation. Tea and Somasa were plus, provided by HTS and
IAALV, our thanks to them.
Senior group regular group meeting was held on first Saturday, 4TH October. Hardev Malhotra Spoke about Raw
Vegen(vegtable ) Food.
Very interesting topics about healthy food habit. He also served some sample food. Anybody interested can contact
hardev([email protected]).
Senior meeting November 1st, was rescheduled to Nov.8 Saturday(10.30am-12noon), Prof Rohini Sinha, P.L.Ghai,
Indra Ghai spoke about “Beginning of Hindu Temple”. It was very interesting story and will be released to HTS
News Letter to share with the community. We will continue with recapturing the story during our coming meeting
on December 6, Saturday 10.30am-12noon. Everybody is invited join us Tea and Breakfast.
Senior group is interested to start a Bridge club for all age group at the temple. Those who are interested to play or
learn American Contract Bridge, please contact me ([email protected])
Dipak Choudhuri
Senior Group Coordinator
484 597 0981(cell)
Thank You
Sukhadia sponsored sweets for Diwali celebrations at Balvihar. The Balvihar team
would like to thank them for their generous donation.
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Community Information
Pandit Vimesh Thakur from Old
Bridge, New Jersey is able to get permission from the state of New Jersey &
park department to consign human ashes to the Hudson River, near the Statue
of Liberty. He performs simple pujas
which can be witnessed by relatives of
the deceased, after which the ashes are
immersed in the river. He has been doing so for many years, and recently
some people from the Lehigh Valley
have used his services.
HTS, under the leadership of Dr. Veena Sinha
is interested in starting a play group for babies
and toddlers to the age of 3 yrs old. The play
group may include:
- Story telling
- Music
- Dancing
- Crafts
- Field trips
- Simple play time
All children must be accompanied by a parent. If you are interested in participating,
please contact Dr. Veena Sinha at 617-3048110
To contact him, his address is 46 North
St., Old Bridge, NJ, 08857. Tel:(C) 732713-7400 & 732-251-686
HTS Community Corner
To get HTS announcements and updates visit:
 HTS APP



HTS website: www.hindutempleallentown.org
HTS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HTSLehigh
Radio announcements every Saturday 8.a.m to 10. a.m. on FM 91.7 FM
To contact HTS office bearers or for feedback use:
 [email protected]
 [email protected]
 [email protected]
 [email protected]
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The Hindu Temple Society
4200 Airport Road, Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 264-2810
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED......
2015
HTS Upcoming
Events
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Lehigh Valley, PA
Permit No.22
January 10 - Thiruppavai recital
January 31 - Saraswati Puja
February 7 - Sankranti Celebration
Mark your
calendar for these grand HTS events and look
out for further updates in the HTS email blasts
and the newsletter.
Temple: (610) 264-2810
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