About

Our story began, about ten years ago, when a group of families in Gainesville decided to establish a temple. There are many models of temple formation and we decided that the main deity will be Mother Devi. TriDevi is a concept in Hinduism that represents the three goddesses of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. These three goddesses represent power, wealth, and knowledge. There is a yearning among all people of Indian origin to have a temple for several reasons. From the olden days, the temple serves as a central part of one's life and all sacred rites of passage such as birth, childhood, coming of age, marriage, and all other activities happen in temple halls blessed by sacred rites in the presence of God and priests of the temple. These rites usually include a Puja and a Homam, or fire ceremony. The priest sets an auspicious time and instructs one as to what to bring, what to do, and prepares a ceremony. A temple or Mandir is not only a place for worship or prayer but also a place where the mind becomes still to seek the source of life, peace, joy, and comfort. Our Gainesville temple will serve many other purposes. It will be an institution for Darshan and a place for spiritual learning and practicing a Hindu way of life. Children will learn in the Bala Vidya Mandir an essential part of all Hindu temples. The temple offers refreshing tranquility and a place to meditate.

One feature of our Hindu temple will be a meditation hall and we are seeking a sponsor to fulfill this mission. The term Meditation refers to a broad variety of practices designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy, and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity, and forgiveness.