In the heart of the Bay Area, Fremont, the Fremont Hindu temple celebrated their 40th anniversary from Sep 6 – 10, 2023. The temple opened to the public in 1983 and from that time has become an integral part of the Fremont community. Forty years ago the Mandir (or temple) was founded for worshippers who had moved to the area from India and wanted to bring their culture with them.
Each day of the celebrations was packed with engaging programs for the community. Thousands of devotees visited the temple last weekend and sought divine blessings. “A place for the community to gather socially and culturally. To bring our traditions, honor all our festivals and just be together in these times.”, said Dr Romesh Japra, Chairman, FHT.
“I think we can all agree that it was an audacious leap of faith to start a campus 40 years ago, 8,000 miles away in a place where we didn’t have a deep history and where we essentially knew nobody,” said Dr Romesh Japra. “But I think the proof is in the pudding that this is a success. Here we are, and that is a cause for celebrations”. “This event was a great opportunity for all the Temple devotees to come together as a community and create further unity amongst the Hindu and wider communities”.
Rajesh Verma, President, FHT thanked all the devotees, trustees, priests and volunteers for their unwavering support and dedication. The event started with Janmasthami celebrations on Sep 6, which saw 2500 devotees standing patiently in long queues to take the darshan of Sri Krishna Bagwan. He added, “We were delighted to be joined by a diverse congregation on the day, these events are vital in providing a welcome space for all communities who are interested, or curious about the Hindu traditions and culture”.
Sai Baba Palki seva, Sahasra Valay Archana, Samoohik havan, Mata KI Jagran and Srinivas Kalyanam were the other celebrations planned for this anniversary event. Govind Pasumarthi, Religious Chair, FHT thanked all the priests and volunteers for their countless hours of hard work which extended for many months to make this event a grand success.
On Sunday Sep 10, Srinivas Kalyanam was celebrated with thousands of devotees. Many elected officials from City of Fremont and other Bay area cities graced the occasion and lauded the management for their dedication and continuous support to the community.
Beyond its anniversary celebrations, the FHT has been committed to giving back to the community. The organization has held yearly blood drives, food drives, and service projects to aid those in need. The members have dedicated their time and resources to serving and supporting others, embodying the principle, that small acts of kindness can have a profound impact.
India Post News Service
