ATLANTA: One of the highlights associated with dedication of the majestic new BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn, Georgia on August 24-26 was a contribution of $1 million made by three banks which operate in Georgia and Florida.

The contribution was announced by Mukesh "Mike" Patel, who serves as chairman of the three banks - Haven Trust Bank and High Trust Bank in Georgia, plus Haven Trust Bank - Florida - and was made in the presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. "To leave a legacy is one of the keys to human fulfillment - it satisfies the spiritual need within each of us to give meaning and purposes to our lives, especially when we can make a donation which will help develop the character and qualities of future generations," said Patel.

"We're proud to have this special place of worship in Atlanta, so it's a pleasure and honor to make this contribution which will support the mandir's important work in preserving our heritage, nurturing our youth, and enriching our culture," he said. R.C. Patel, vice chairman of High Trust Bank in Georgia observed that "as BAPS celebrates its 100th anniversary, it's appropriate for us to salute the tremendous strides this organization has made - especially within the past 10 years - in building temples throughout the United States, in bringing the Asian American community together, and in gaining visibility and respect for Hinduism among the mainstream population."

Located on a 30-acre site, the seven-story mandir is the largest BAPS temple in the United States.The three banks - which pride themselves on being founded by small business owners, for small business owners - are among the most active lenders of government-insured small business administration loans.