Update - Temples renovated in Guntur; Pada Yatras in Bangalore, Tamil Nadu - Need sponsorship

Post Date: 16-JAN-2011
Posted from: Hyderabad, INDIA

Summary:
1. Temples renovated in Guntur
2. Pada Yatras in Bangalore and Tamil Nadu
3. Looking for sponsorship for Tadepalligudem Temple.  Interesting story behind this temple.
4. Looking for sponsorship to conduct activities at these temples.

Update:

1. Two of our team members returned to Germany and Italy. They will join us at the end of the year for Navaratri.
2. After a very successful and fruitful trip to Andhra Pradesh, we spent 10 days in our Bangalore VVMVP Center listening to live Bhagavad Gita discourses by Pragyanand Maharaj ji from Rishikesh. We focussed on daily sadhana, Gita classes, some of us learnt more chanting and shlokas, others took Sanskrit classes, several hours of seva each day and the day ends with a satsang and wisdom.
3. Some of the foreign team members did Pada Yatras in slum area in Bangalore for about 4 days.
4. 13-JAN-2011: Sudhakar went to Hyderabad for Sankranti. The international team members plus other local team members left for Tamil Nadu and have started Pada Yatras there.
5. We got sponsorship from family members to renovate a 100 plus year old Ramalayam in a moderately poor area in Guntur. This work has been completed in time before Sankranti.
6. There is a request from another nearby temple and the work will begin in a week. We are also helping the temple to form a committee. This is also sponsored. We will share the details and pictures soon.

Looking for sponsorship:

1. There is a family in Tadepalligudem who moved to another faith 2 generations back. Their forefathers had built a temple but when they moved to another faith, the temple was closed. This current generation returned to their original faith and want to rebuild the temple. They are looking for help and were able to raise Rs.40,000 locally. Sudhakar has met this person in Tanuku and Visakhapatnam recently. A gentleman from CA has already promised to help with this project.

2. Our plan for these 3 temples: On a case by case basis we want to:
- pay the priest a little more money, may be Rs.500 to Rs.1000 per month and ask him to take a more active role to preserve and promote our cultural values and not just stick to doing archanas and pujas. We have a training program for this.
- Promote satsangs at the temple (with interesting bhajans, not the boring ones) and involving women and youth.
- Turn the temple into a place of receiving knowledge in addition to doing pujas and homas. We have a series of mini topics that the priest/youth/elders can deliver to the devotees.
- Promote Yoga and Meditation
- Additional money for proper Prasadam (weekly and on special occasions).  Whether we like it or not, this draws more people to the temple.  This is VERY important.  Why should we do this?  It is a bigger topic to discuss on the Blog.  If you need more clarity, please can call us or write to us.
- We do various programs to strengthen the cultural heritage and instill a sense of social responsibility into the citizens.

We are sure, you have more questions. If you are interested, please write to "backtotherootsproject @ gmail dot com" for additional information.