AJ News

Joan Mead-Matsui Abington Journal Correspondent

SCRANTON - When you enter the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, or in the English language what is known as a place of worship for followers of Hinduism, you visit a world that caters to the spiritual, cultural, social, physical, emotional and educational needs of the region’s Indian or Hindu community. Located at 301 West Oak Street in Scranton, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is managed by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a worldwide civic and religious organization “dedicated to the spirituality of the individual.” It is a non-profit charitable organization that serves as a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social council of the United Nations, ECOSOC.

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Dipti S. Pancholy, M.D., of Clarks Summit is a member of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir located at 301-311 West Oak Street in Scranton. Dr. Pancholy is seated in front of the altar at the temple.

Photo by Joan Mead-Matsui

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Nimesh Patel, Network Coordinator at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu Temple in Scranton, invites the public to upcoming events and celebrations on March 27. Members of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir will celebrate the Swaminarayan Jayanti / Ram Navmi Indian festival and the organization’s first annual public health fair to be held Saturday, April 17. For more information, call 961.1006.

Photo by Joan Mead-Matsui

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Upcoming Indian Holidays

March 27 – Swaminarayan Jayanti/Ran Navmi

June 12 – Yogi Jayanti

July 24 – Guru Purnima

September 4 – Janmastami

September 14 – Jal Jhilani

October 23 – Sharad Punam

November 6 – Diwali Annakut

December 11 – Pramukh Swami Janma Jayanti

On March 27, members of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir will celebrate the Swaminarayan Jayanti / Ram Navmi upcoming Indian festival. The organization’s first annual public health fair will also be held Saturday, April 17. According to Nimesh Patel, the Network Coordinator for the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, many local doctors will offer their services, including Dr. Dipti S. Pancholy of Clarks Summit. The event will include cholesterol and blood pressure screenings, as well as talks on the benefits of a healthy diet. Following services and events, food is typically provided.

Located in a former church on West Oak Street, locally, the Mandir consists of a large open multipurpose room used for worship and other services and events, as well as rooms used for spiritual assemblies, and music, art, language cooking classes. The temple opened in 2007 to serve the needs of the local Hindu population and the congregation ranges in size from 250 people at services, to groups of 400 to 500 worshippers at a major festival or mass.

Established in 1970 under the leadership of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the organization behind the local Mandir serves North America in the areas of children and youth development, promoting family unity, cultural heritage, humanitarian services, as well as the spiritual needs of its congregations. Currently, the BAPS has more than 500 temples worldwide that play the role of “regional centers for humanitarian activities in the form of anti-addiction, anti-dowry, family bonding, and literacy campaigns.”

Patel said, “When there were floods in India and during Hurricane Katrina, they (BAPS) had mobilized their volunteers to help as well as with funding. When they had the tsunami in 2004, they set up 26 relief camps and helped 51 villages. During the world trade center attack, they had their volunteers help in the relief efforts.”

As noted on the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha web site, “Mandir is a Sanskrit word for where the mind becomes still and the soul floats freely to seek the source of life, peace, joy and comfort.” For centuries, the Mandir has remained “a center of life as a common community place where people forget their differences and voluntarily unite to serve society.”

For more information regarding services and events at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, call 570.961.1006 or visit the temple’s web site at www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/america/scranton.htm.