BHOOMI PUJA YAGNA

On October 25, 2014, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) hosted a Maha Yajna to mark the beginning of the Om Hindu Community Center (OMHCC).

The event was held on-site in North Billerica, MA and drew over a hundred and fifty supporters. Sunny skies and cool fall temperatures provided the perfect backdrop for this auspicious event.

The day’s festivities took place under the canopy of trees, on a beautiful fall day. The perfect weather added to the joyousness of the day. The program began with a Ganesh Prarthana (Prayer), Shanti Path and blessing by Pandit Bhairav Sundaram ji, who had come specially to bless the site. Abhishek of Lord Shiva started off the ceremony. This was followed by a Yagna (Offering to Agni Dev), which was ably conducted by Pandit Anand Shukla. All the 150 or so people who had come to the Yagna participated in offering of Aahuti to Agni Dev. The puja ended with Aarti and Prasad, which was enjoyed by all present. Sanjay Kaul briefed everyone present about the purpose of the community center, the construction plan and appealed to everyone for their support and contribution to the noble cause.

Keeping our Hindu culture and heritage alive in America can be difficult. While we have temples for religious devotion and our homes for family life, we have no common facility that can serve our community-wide needs – from large celebrations to small meetings, child care to elderly care, spiritual fulfillment to academic development. The Om Hindu Community Center provides a solution to this problem.

The OMHCC will serve as a social, educational, and cultural epicenter for the entire community. Planned support services include a children’s spiritual school, elderly services, and a free medical clinic. The center will also be available for community activities including pujas, weddings, satsangs, yoga, festival celebrations, parties, conferences, conventions, and retreats. The building will cover 24,000 sq. ft. There will also be a roof deck for open air celebrations and havans.

The center has been a longtime vision of Shri Tej and Smt. Prem Tanden who have generously donated the land and seed financing. Construction is planned in four phases, with the first phase set to start in Fall 2015. The ground floor is planned to be available for use by the fall of Spring 2016.