India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A virtual spiritual conqueror of America coming from India hundred years ago, Swami Vivekananda, was homeless when he arrived in Chicago and had to pass his first night at the railway station. Three months after that there was probably not a single home in Chicagoland who would not lay a welcome mat for Swamiji.Ten years ago a stature of Swami Vivekananda had arrived in Chicago to be installed at Grand Park but the City Hall wriggled out of its commitment for one or the other reason. The statue lay "homeless" at Vivekananda Vedanta society in Hyde Park for a while. A word about "homeless Statue of Swami" got spread and there was a great group of Indian Americans who wanted to get it properly installed at an appropriate place.

It was an initiative from a community activist Amrish Mahajan and backed by others at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago that Swamiji statue found a "home" in Lemont.Not that only a home was there now for the statue but all were eager to see that there is a canopy or a Mandapam so that Swamiji and visitors coming to have his Darshan do not need to get baked in sun.

"A beautiful (in words of Dr Vemury Subrahmanyam HTGC President- Sunder) Mandapam five years later was the outcome. Many still felt that this was not enough; a meditation hall that would offer a facility for spiritual solace should be considered an order of the day.

Funds were raised but were falling short.A shot in arm was provided when another community activist known more as Bhishma Pitamah of the Indian community, Dr Virendra Bisla, came forward and announced a hefty donation of $250,000 in memory of his daughter - Ritu -who was slain three years ago. "It was my wife's strong desire that we should do something memorializing her and what could be better then help set up a Meditation Hall near Swamiji's statue," he told India Post.

The dream of the Meditation Hall Committee (MHC) and HTGC Board finally came true when a formal launch for the Hall was done last week in presence of HTGC members and prominent community leaders at the Hindu Temple in Lemont. Dr Krishna Reddy, chairman of the MHC, in his welcoming address briefed the audience about the salient features of the Hall. He said that the planned project is a 3300 sq ft facility located south of the Swami Ji's Mandapam will have a main hall with an area of 1400 sq feet exclusive dedicated for meditation purposes.

The facility will also include a buffer room, office/reception area as well as space for storing publications and other items. A 4'x3" metallic OM sigh on the north wall of the Hall will provide a focal point for mediators.In a talk to India Post, he pointed out that the American constructing of the Hall will commence shortly and would get finished by the end of the current year. The "ornamentalization or Indianizatiion" of the Hall will take sometime, The Hall committee has sought the help of six Shilpis from India and they are expected next year.

"By the end of 2009, the Hall would be fully complete," he said. The mediators or visitors could nonetheless use the facility starting next year as the Hall would be functional by the time, he added.The construction cost would be close to $600,000. The Indianization of the facility with Indians Shilpis would requite an additional $150,000. Besides, the Committee will require funds for incidental and maintenance expenses.

The HTGC management as well as the Meditation Hall committee are determined to raise enough funds so that they have not to take recourse to any loan and create debt, Dr. Reddy said.Dr. Vemury Subrahmanyam was eloquent when he pointed out that the Meditation Hall would be not only beautiful "Sunder" but it sill be "Ati sunder" and that it will be a "Western Kanyakumari" in its stature and look. It is for the first time that a facility like this would be set up in North America, he observed.

He detailed the HTGC role in the progress of the temple over the years as well as installation of the Stature, construction of the Mandapam and now the establishment of the meditation hall. As put by Dr Bhishma Agnihotri, a former Indian Ambassador at large to the USA and the chief guest for the launch event, the HTGC management is a role model for other similar temple across the USA and " I pay my respect to the committee members, BoT and others" for keeping the temple running so well.

Dr Bhishma in his speech also mentioned that India without its rich spiritual heritage is nothing - it will be body without soul -and that it was Swami Vivekananda who first brought Indians out of their slumber while awakening Americans at the same time about huge spiritual treasure that Hinduism possess. "India is languishing now and its spiritually is under attack all around with pseudo secularists playing second fiddle to the attackers," he said. Urging the youth to "Arise and awake" and help mother India who is being systematically stripped of her spirituality by unwholesome attack from interested quarters, he mentioned that NRIs need to play a big role here.

He pitched even for staging "Dharana" before the India Parliament till the MPs commit to purge the body politic of corruption and hypocrisy. He was loudly cheered and HTGC President Dr Vemury Subrahmanyam honored him with a Plaque. Dr Bisla had earlier introduced him to the audience. Yet another impressive speaker and the guest of honor was Swami Vardananda of Vivekananda Vedanta Society Chicago.

He talked about Bhakti Yoga and Gyan Yoga, and pointed out that both the Paths led to self-realization, the ultimate goal of life. He profusely thanked HTGC for coming to the rescue of the Swami statue, and observed that establishment of a Meditation Hall would be a great culmination of the ten years old effort. Swami Verdanand was also honored with a recognition Plaque by Dr Vemury.

Amrish Mahajan introduced him to the audience.Swami Vardananda distributed certificates to the middle school, high school and college students who were placed first and second in essay competition on the subjection of Role of Meditation in Hindu Religion. Ashwin Rai and Neel Saunshi were Middle school winners while Naga Dharmayaran and Charitra Kishore were declared High School toppers. The two college students - Sandhya Vadrevu and Rashi Thapaliya- were first and second placed winners.

Dr Sudha Rao, one of the judged of the Essay competition, then offered her observation of the subject.This was followed with a cultural program - Pushpanjali from students of Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy for Blind, Beethoven's Water & Tune from students of Hema Raj Gopalan, Tarang and Shakti from students of Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy, Tandav Nritya from Joshua College and Folk dances from Ramana Maharishi Academy.

Earlier there was a slide presentation with voice activation of the speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda at the 1893 World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago. Jaydev Mettupalli coordinated this program. HTGC recognized Bala Bisla and Dr, Bisla's contribution offering them a recognition Plaque at the hands of Dr Agnihotri. Hemlata Balkane, HTGC secretary proposed a vote of thanks at the end