IN THE NEWS: 7 Dec 2007

Hindu temple offers sanctuary, peace.
Source: claremont-courier.com
Reporter: Tony Krickl
Photo: Gabriel Fenoy
Wednesday December 5, 2007.

From the pioneers at Pilgrim Place to the Imams at the Islamic Center of Claremont, the city has a rich history of religious diversity. And with the addition of a new Hindu temple on its borders, the variety of cultural and religious influences that make up the unique population of Claremont will continue to grow.

Just down the road in neighboring Montclair, the new religious community has taken root. A Vedic temple recently opened its doors along Central Avenue, and practitioners are welcoming the community with open arms.

The temple sits on a two-acre plot of land that previously hosted a Baptist church. The non-descript exterior could be mistaken for a bowling alley until one enters to see the unique interior and colorful decor.

Among its many features, the temple has a gift shop, a library, activity rooms and a large prayer room full of handcrafted deities shipped directly from India. There is also a kitchen where traditional vegetarian meals are cooked everyday and shared with visitors.

In just two weeks of operation, the temple already has gained a large following. Roughly 300 practitioners visit the center each day, said Sahajananda, the temple’s director. On the weekend, that number can jump up to 1000.

The Vedic tradition predates the rise of Hinduism and other religions of southern Asia. Today’s resurrection in the Vedic movement has been spurred on by the popularity of the temple’s spiritual leader and guide, a man whom disciples warmly refer to as Swamiji.

At just 29 years old, Swamiji exudes an energy and spirit that captures the attention of audiences. His skills as an orator have landed him speaking engagements at major firms such as Microsoft, Qualcomm and AT&T, and made him the second-highest watched guru on YouTube.com.

“I saw him speaking for the first time when he was invited to our company to talk about leadership,” said Sri Jyotir, an employee of Microsoft Corp. “He has a presence and spirit about him that just draws you in.”

The spiritual leader began his movement just 5 years ago and has quickly gained more than a million followers worldwide. He travels constantly; visiting pockets of disciples, or ashrams, but makes his permanent home in India.

After a 12-year journey throughout India on foot and years of meditation, his followers say he has reached nirvana, the highest level of consciousness. When his travels were completed, Swamiji decided it was time to share what he had learned with others.

The Montclair temple will be the first of its kind in California, with several more to follow across the country in the coming year. It has been designated as the following’s headquarters for the world outside of India.

Temple members plan to organize several events and activities to give back to the community and allow anyone interested to become involved. Free Yoga and meditation classes, health fairs and other activities will be open to the public. The temple also offers scholarships to young people to travel to India and study with spiritual leaders.

“We do a lot of social work in India because they need that,” Swamiji said with a smile. “And we do a lot of spiritual work in the West. India needs medication, and the West needs meditation, so we give them what they need.”