Barsana Dham’s Festive Janmasthmi Celebrations

Indo -American News: September 04 2009 | Vol. 29, No. 36

Barsana Dham’s Festive Janmasthmi Celebrations

Barsana Dham Janmashtmi 2009

AUSTIN: Families from all over Texas celebrated Krishna Janmashtami at Barsana Dham on August 15. Over 2,000 people enjoyed the elaborate and devotional program. Swami Nikhilanand lead the satsang inside the packed Barsana Dham temple while outside a special youth satsang had over 500 kids and some parents gathered on the front lawn. The youth program included a puppet performance of Krishna’s appearance, stories from the Bhagwatam, quiz questions, visits from the leela performers, Brahma and young Krishn and Sushree Prabhakari Devi spoke and taught the children the “Govinda Gokul Ayo” kirtan. At 8:30pm the youth joined the program inside the temple for a beautiful Orissi dance performance of Krishna leelas. And the charming performances by the Barsana Dham theatre troupe enacting Baby Krishna’s appearance, Gracing Brahma, and teasing the Gopis.

Chanting continued until midnight arti while people swung baby Krishn in a flower covered jhula. During Radhashtmi, the appearance day of Radha Rani the Divine loving Graciousness of Shree Radha Rani poured on all who came to celebrate. Four buses from Texas and Florida brought hundreds more to join in. The program included lively kirtan, a beautiful jhanki of Shree Radha Rani’s appearance and a leela showing when Shree Krishn and Radha Rani first meet.

The JKP Barsana Dham Houston satsang group joined in the Houston Janmashtami at the George Brown Convention Center, August 29th. The upcoming programs at Barsana Dham are: Diwali, October 17; Govardhan Puja, October 18; Family Camp Thanksgiving Weekend and our Annual Winter Family Camp December 26-January 1.

For more information www.BarsanaDham.org and/or contact 512-288-7180 x323.

New website about Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati speaks on the path to God

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

There are over a billion Hindus in the world. Additionally there are millions of people in the United States and other countries who have benefited from Hindu practices of yoga and meditation. The knowledge contained in Hindu scriptures imparts reverence and respect for life. They explain the nature of the mind, the cosmic manifestation, the soul, and Divinity. Most importantly they teach practical guidelines for evolving our spiritual qualities and natural love for God.

One of the most appealing factors inherent within Hindu faith is tolerance and respect for other religions. When teachings in the name of religion become dogmatic and fanatical they distort the truth and become a path of destruction. In contrast when spirituality is lived – life becomes enriched. A person whose heart glows with Divine love, who has clarity of thought, whose mind is established in devotion, and whose aim of life therefore transcends personal ambitions is an asset to society. These are the very qualities that the teachings of true Hinduism imbibe.

As a teacher of Hindu philosophy I often encounter misunderstandings and misconceptions about this most ancient religion, for instance the notion that Hindus worship many Gods, when actually, Hinduism is a monotheistic faith and worship is of one supreme God Who has many forms and also has impersonal aspect. There are detailed descriptions in our scriptures of the various forms of God and Goddess that represent different Divine powers. Shiv, Durga, Ganesh, Mahavishnu, Mahalakchmi, Bhagwan Ram, Sitaji and Radha Krishn are some of the prime forms. A person has complete freedom to love and relate to any one of them, while respecting all because they are all forms of one single God.

Austin Indian Fair attracts 6,000

Barsana Dham’s Indian Fair attracts 6,000

Barsana Dham Austin Elephants

If you asked the hundreds of children eating snow cones, playing carnival games, getting balloons twisted and their faces painted, what they liked best about the Barsana Dham MELA, you’d get a consistent answer, “Riding the elephants!”

Faces glowed as kids and adults were tossed back and forth on the back of the elephants as they carried the passengers around the front lawn of the Barsana Dham Temple. The MELA was held Saturday, April 25th at Barsana Dham.

Plenty of attractions kept the 6,000 attendees entertained at the only ‘authentic Indian Fair’ in the area. There was something for everyone to enjoy at Barsana Dham such as Mehndi hand painting, Indian dance and music performances, an open-air bazaar selling a variety of Indian clothes and jewelry, crafts, games, a petting zoo, train and pony rides, Indian fortune telling, and numerous Indian food booths.

Along with enjoying the festive activities, the attendees also had the opportunity to learn about Hinduism from the teachers of Barsana Dham. “Hinduism, Myth or Fact” was presented as well as a speech on the Bhagwad Gita, a Hindu scripture that teaches how to live spiritually while involved in the duties of life.

Sunday Discourse & Youth Class

Shree Maharajji (left) & Shree Swamiji (right)

This Sunday, a sanyasi teacher at Barsana Dham, will deliver an interesting discourse on “Devotional Confidence”.  The speech will be held during satsang on Sunday May 3rd at 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to come to Barsana Dham and attend the satsang, lecture and Volunteer Recognition picnic.

From 11:00am-11:30 am the sanyasi teacher will teach the Barsana Dham Youth Class. We will be watching the next series of the Krishn videos and completing worksheets. After 11:30 am, the Barsana Dham youth class will prepare dessert that will be served at the Volunteer Recognition picnic.

Volunteer Recognition Day May 3rd, 2-4pm

You are warmly invited to the ashram founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, Barsana Dham on Sunday, May 3rd, 2-4pm, for a Volunteer Recognition event. It will be an occasion for gratitude for the opportunities to do service for Shree Maharajji and his mission, and a time to enjoy games and light refreshments with your devotee family. All volunteers, cultural program participants and leela participants please come!

Recent pictures from Barsana Dham -

Devotees playing holi at Barsana Dham

Joyous Shivratri Celebration at Barsana Dham

Interactive learning sessions at Austin Hindu Temple April 26th

Barsana Dham is offering a program aimed at educating both parents and youth in the fundamentals of Hindu philosophy. Swami Nikhilanand, a sanyasi student of H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, will present an interactive class for adults and children called “Forms of God in Hinduism”.

“Since the class, I feel like I have the understanding to talk to people who have questions about my religion. Before, although I felt the greatness of Hindu religion, I didn’t have the knowledge to explain it to anyone else,” says Rohit Sharma, 30, of Queens, NY wh attended a previous class. “After Swami Nikhilanand’s class, my children’s interest in Hinduism has peaked. They loved it. They had fun and they learned more about Hinduism than they ever knew before”, added Raj Jhaveri, father of two from Long Island, NY.

Swami Nikhilanand left behind his Western beliefs and chose to adopt Hinduism as a young man. He traveled to India and studied in the ashrams of Swami Prakashanand Saraswatij, learning Hindi, Sanskrit, and the essence of the prime Bhartiya scriptures (Upnishads, Darshan Shastras, Gita, Bhagwatam). When the time came, his Guruji gave him the order of sanyas. Since then, Swami Nikhilanand has lectured throughout the U.S., inspiring audiences with his clear and practical representation of our Hindu dharm. When he is not in India furthering his studies, he travels and lectures in the New York and Washington, D.C. areas.

Class: Forms of God in Hinduism.

Date: April 26th, 2009.

Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 noon.

Location: Austin Hindu Temple & Community Center, 9801 Decker Lake Rd., Austin, TX. 78724.

More Information: Uma Gupta (512) 507-3445.

Keep Austin Beautiful Community Service

One of the Sunday satsangees at Barsana Dham had been volunteering with Keep Austin Beautiful for many years, and this year a small group of devotees from Barsana Dham joined in.

It was a beautiful day and a group of 25 volunteers from Barsana Dham went to Williamson Creek Park on the Greenbelt to clean up trash on Saturday, April 4th from 9-11am. We all worked together on one stretch of the river and felt grateful to have this opportunity to give back to the community. The entire group consisted of 73 people, and all together 2,860 lbs of trash was collected.

Devotee Volunteers from Barsana Dham
After the clean-up, we went to Waterloo Park for a festival. We received T-shirts, lunch and there were exhibits and family activities to see and do.

Finding a Spiritual community in Austin

Finding a spiritual home is an important journey for anyone new to a city or culture. The Desi community in the United States is blessed with a multitude of options when it comes to selecting an appropriate place of worship and congregation, and Austin is no exception. With a thriving South Asian populace, and a progressive atmosphere that embraces the beauty and richness of Hindu spirituality, Austin is a great town for finding the religious group that supports and enriches your life. Newcomers or those seeking a fresh spiritual start can use this guide to learn about the best Austin Hindu temple for you.

View of Barsana Dham

Barsana Dham
The Barsana Dham, located on the aptly named Barsana Road, was founded in 1990, and opened in 1995 by His Divinity Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. The temple enjoys an ample construction with over 30,000 square feet surrounded by lush gardens, a holy pond, and an intricate tower marked with gleaming golden doors. The superb architecture is decorated with many fine stone carvings and evokes the traditional atmosphere of Hindu worship.

Devotional Meditation at Barsana Dham

Set in Austin’s “Hill Country,” the temple grounds are landscaped and adorned to resemble the holy land of Braj, in India; Govardhan Hill offers details such as beautiful flowers and foliage peppered with animal statuary to create a peaceful pastoral scene for reflection.

Picnicing at Barsana Dham

The congregational community at the Barsana Dham is small but very open to newcomers and curious visitors alike; services are available for everyone who believes in God. Children are welcome, though they must be accompanied by their guardians at all times; meat, pets, tobacco, and alcohol are not permitted on the temple property, nor is photography allowed inside the building. Schedule and contact information is available online. The joy and serenity of belonging to a spiritual community that fits your beliefs and enriches your way of life are qualities well worth waiting for; when your search is complete and you’ve found the Austin congregation right for you, your fulfillment will flourish.

Authentic Indian Mela at Barsana Dham, near Oak Hill

Authentic Indian Mela at Barsana Dham

Oak Hill Gazzette, April 22nd

Fun at the Barsana Dham Mela

Barsana Dham’s annual Indian Mela (Fair) is set for Saturday, April 25th, from 12 noon to 5:00 PM. This year’s event will feature Elephant rides, traditional food and snacks, shopping bazaar, live Indian dance and music performances.

Organizers say attendees will feel like they are in a real Indian fair in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Fair goers can have their hands decorated with elaborate mehndi patterns, purchase unique clothing, jewelry, artwork, and try their luck at the dunk tank. There will be favorite Indian delicacies like samosas, lassi, rasgula, bhel puri and more. Games prizes, inflatable rides, petting zoo, pony rides, trackless train, roving balloon artist Nate the Great and clown extraordinaire Bonzo Crunch will be there.

This year, the teachers of Barsana Dham will present interactive sessions: “Hinduism, Myth vs. Fact”, “Introduction to Chanting Meditation” and give a walking tour of Barsana Dham. Cultural music and dance will be performed on the outdoor stage ending with a Sarod and Tabla concert.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Mela at Barsana Dham, located at 400 Barsana Rd. on FM 1826 (Camp Ben McCullough Rd.). Admission is $5.00 per car. For more information, visit the Barsana Dham Web site at http://www.barsanadham.org or call (512) 288-7180.

Barsana Dham: A Taste of India in Austin

The Barsana Dham: A Taste of India in Austin
Author: Joe Cline

Barsana Dham - A taste of India

Most expect that to be able to see a true Hindu temple you would have to travel to . . . well . . . India, or at least a country in which Hinduism is a more dominant religion. But that’s not necessarily true. Throughout the years, as immigration has become more common, Hindu temples have been erected wherever believers have settled, including in America, including in Texas.

The Barsana Dham is located just south of Austin in the hill country. It was built in 1990 and today is the main U.S. center of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, a holy man in Hinduism born in 1922 in Mangarh village. It is said that all who saw his sweet smile and serene look loved Jagadguru Kripaul Parishat from the start. His virtues and intelligence were lauded from a young age, particularly when, at age 14, he traveled to Indore to study Sanskrit literature and mastered every topic he chose to tackle. At age 16, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat finished school and took up his Divine nature. He spent the rest of his life, which continues on today, teaching the people of India and all who would listen about his beliefs and ideals as a divine and devout Hindu man.

In 1990, Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat gave his blessing for the creation of Barsana Dham. It was designed on a 200-acre property to be a representation of the holy land of Braj, where Shree Radha Rani and Shree Krishn appeared more than 5,000 years ago. Those who visit it are meant to take from the Temple and its surroundings a sense of serenity and calm that often cannot be found in the outside world. It is also hoped that visitors will walk away having learned of the knowledge of the Vedas, the Gita and the Bhagwatam, as well as the process of divine love consciousness, the energy Hindus believe unites one man’s soul with the Supreme God.

Every year, all the major Hindu festivals are celebrated at Barsana Dham in the traditional style. For example, in September, Radha Ashtmi is celebrated. This is a day commemorating when Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani descended into Barsana. The celebration begins with chanting of the leelas and virtues of the goddess, followed by more chanting and praying and a prepared lunch. It is a day in which many in the United States come to celebrate, just as all of the other Hindu festivals are from Mela Fair to Maha Shivrati to Jhulan Leela.

Truly, Barsana Dham is not a place to be missed when you are in Austin, regardless of whether you are there for religious or simply tourist purposes. But do be aware that the visiting hours are compact; general visiting is only permitted between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., daily. At those times, all may visit the holy places, view the temple architecture and take in the beautiful culture living within the site. At other times of the day, holy services are taking place and it is requested that general visitors not roam the grounds.

About the Author:

About the Author:
Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas REALTOR. Other articles written by the author related to Austin REMAX Realtor Blog and Austin Real Estate Agent can be found on the net.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Barsana Dham: A Taste of India in Austin