NEW HAMPSHIRE: Prestigious Ivy League Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, ranked among the world’s greatest academic institutions, has a “Hindu Temple” which holds daily and weekly Friday pujas (prayers).
This Temple carries a statue of Saraswati; Hindu goddess of knowledge/learning, music, art, language/speech, and poetry. According to the Dartmouth Hindu students’ organization called Shanti, it is for those “interested in practicing, learning about, and representing the Hindu faith” and to “cater to the religious needs of the growing Hindu community at the college”. Besides pujas, it also organizes special events.
Dartmouth College in Hanover, founded in 1769 by a Congregational minister, has about 6,300 students. Philip J. Hanlon is the President.
Applauding Dartmouth for provision of “Hindu Temple”, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada described it as a step in the positive direction. He commended Dartmouth for recognizing the intersection of spirituality and education, which was important in Hinduism.
Rajan Zed suggested that these Hindu prayer rooms should have an altar containing murtis (statues) of popular Hindu deities like Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Durga, Venkateshwara, Ganesha, Murugan, Saraswati, Hanuman, Lakshmi, Kali, etc.; besides being equipped with ghanta (big metallic bell hanging from the ceiling), dholak (two-headed hand-drum), Shiva-linga, etc. He or other Hindu scholars would be glad to help, if asked, regarding the structure of “Hindu Prayer Room”, Zed indicated.
Neela Pandya
