Hindu Center to be consecrated in central Florida next fall

22 January, 2013

Anoopam Mission Shree Swaminarayan Spiritual and Cultural Center in Lakeland, Florida reportedly will be officially consecrated next fall. Few thousand devotees, coming from India, United Kingdom, Australia besides various states of the US, are expected to participate in the three-day consecration ceremony in November-December next of this Hindu center in Central Florida, which will be presided over by Anoopam Mission chief Guruvarya Param Pujya Sahebji Jashbhai Patel.

Meanwhile, Hindu leader Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, applauded efforts of project leaders and area community to realize this Hindu Center.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this new Center would focus in this direction.

Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

Besides worship, spiritual activities and religious rituals; this 5-acre center reportedly also plans to have cultural activities and classes in customs/ culture, Gujarati language, Hinduism, etc. It reportedly plans to have a marble shrine, add five domes to the roof and expects to attract devotees from as far away as Jacksonville and Miami. Center project leaders include Sandeep Bosmia and Nilesh "Nick" Patel.

Anoopam Mission (AM), whose tagline is "A Swaminarayan Socio-spiritual & charitable organization", established through the vision of Brahmaswarup Param Pujya Yogiji Maharaj (1892-1971) born in Gujarat (India), “undertakes its spiritual philosophy through a fusion of 'bhakti yoga' (the yoga of devotion) and 'karma yoga' (the yoga of action).” Headquartered in Mogri (District Anand, Gujarat), AM, besides India-UK-USA, has centers in 22 other countries.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.