Hindu Society of North Carolina

Author(s): Hindu Society of North Carolina
Publisher: Hindu Society of North Carolina

Page 14

12 Page
New Temple at Morrisville - December 20th 1986.
On Saturday December 20, 1986, a dream becomes reality. Twenty years back Hindu Bhavan at Morrisville was inaugurated on this day.
Hindu Bhavan is a dream that took root more than thirty years back, when a group of Indians in the Research Triangle area seeking to strengthen their ties to one another, to their religion, and to their cultural heritage, formed the Hindu Society of North Carolina. In the early years the members of the Society met in the basements of private houses, or in rented halls, for religious festivals or group prayers (satsanga, kirtan, katha-vachan, etc.) Their number was under one hundred and the prayer sessions never attracted more than a few dozen people at one time (197680). Although these temporary quarters served their purpose well, the lack of a permanent and more spacious home (Bhavan soon became a serious impediment to the growth of the Society. In fact, the number of members declined gradually from 99 in 1977 to 85 in 1980.
With prayerful determination, the search for a "home" was begun and finally led to an old building on 214 Ashe Avenue in Raleigh. Although in a rather dilapidated condition, the price tag of $40,000 was high for the meager resources of the Society. However, there was no turning back; with generous donations from the members and personal guarantees by some members of the Board of Directors, the building was purchased in December 1980, opening its doors to the community in January 1981. Thus the first Hindu Bhavan in Research Triangle was born - the cherished dream became a reality.
That historic event proved a turning point in the history of the Society. Thereafter the membership rose dramatically from 101 in 1981 to above 400 in 1985 and currently standing at more than thousand. The Ashe Avenue Bhavan, bought with so much enthusiasm and faith, had room only for about 200 people and could not accommodate ensuing unprecedented growth in membership. But dreams begot dreams: a new aspiration was born - for a bigger and better facility.
The next stip was to undertake a drive to raise funds for a new building. In addition to making personal monetary donations, members now contributed time and talents by arranging fundraising events such as dances, concerts, bazaars and festivals. In September 1984 the perseverance and foresight of the working body of the Society and its members resulted in the ultimate purchase of a six-acre plot in Morrisville, at the cost of $70,000. The dream was now in the hands of the dreamers; they were ready to shape its reality.
The Bhavan's transfer from Ashe Avenue to Morrisville was not an easy one. Design of the building was not just a matter of space accommodation. The blueprint of the building would have to be flexible enough to satisfy every shade of opinion among the members, who sought to bring the rich diversity of its Indian heritage to the new home. Arriving at consensus on almost every issue, from the specific floor plans to selection of the murties (idols) of chosen gods and their sizes, to the choice of building materials, took the form of endless debate. However, the final decisions were always reached in a spirit of harmony.
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HINDU SOCIETY OF NORTH CAROLINA CELEBERATION AND APPRICATION (1976-2006)