Prayer room can hold only 20 people, and yet some 300 undergraduates Hindu, dozens of graduate students and Buddhists in Duke University students - not to forget the many teachers - opening is something of a milestone. Hindu students - at least 25 of them are active in the Hindu students - Association hopes the prestigious University of Durham in North Carolina appoints at least a Hindu full-time part-time chaplain.If six universities including Columbia, Princeton and American University United States Hindu chaplain, progress in appointing them is slow, especially when one remembers that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was a Hindu chaplain, a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission, in the 1950s.
Late last year, the University of Colorado at Boulder announced that it would facilitate the construction of a Hall of prayer and meditation. It also said that it would provide yoga mats and carpets of prayer for students. The University, known for its Buddhist studies also offers a course on Hinduism.
The increasing number of students born in America of Indian origin lead the process of religious activities in universities and schools to appoint at least a part-time chaplain.
Duke - prayer room shared by Buddhists and Hindus — should inspire other universities to offer facilities similar to students who are not Christian or Jewish, said many students from Duke. Most students who began the process are second generation said engineering Kishor Trivedi, Counsellor of the Faculty of the students and Hudson of electrical and computer engineering professor Hindu Association. He started the association, who led the prayer room project with the help of her daughters and other Hindu students at Duke a decade ago. Students would meet in the lounge or in a vacant space in the basement discuss the Gita and say a prayer between classes.
Members of the Association of Hindu students at Duke also teach English Bhutanese refugees and inform their immigration rights.
Inaugural event January 22nd prayer room has attracted more than 60 people. Anju Bhargava, founder, Hindu American Seva Charities, gave the keynote speech. Students said that they are inspired by its efforts to obtain temples and ashrams involved in service to the community. Bhargava is a member of the White House Office of religious and neighborhood partnerships.
Bhargava, urged the students to take more projects seva (charity), said: ' the prayer room is a place to be in good society, a place for construction of nature, a place to strengthen the oneself? to serve the community. You need a space for worship first to gather as a community and serve others. »
She added: "today we are witnessing a public recognition not only the growth of religious diversity on American campuses, but also permanent its presence on campus." Oriental traditions are here to stay. »
Several students were interviewed by newspapers Duke chronic and region. Some of them sad that they used to perform a puja in their rooms cramped dorm and invite friends to join them.
"We all grew steadily going temple", declared Hindu Yamini Mishra, a first cycle of the economy and President of the Association of students and wishes to continue these traditions in college so. Although there are temples in the area, they are inaccessible without a car. We try to make temple travel as often as possible, subject to budget and other resource constraints. The main religions on campus have their own places of worship and we thought it was important for us to have a space sacred on campus where we too can practice our faith regularly.
Hindus and Buddhists have two rooms in the basement of a building campus - one should be used as an office space and other as a space of prayer, with Hindu deities on a wall and Buddhist deities on the other hand.
"It's exciting to see these groups representing two different traditions world working together to maximize the benefits of this space," said Christy Lohr Sapp, Associate Dean, religious life, Duke. "Duke Hindu and Buddhist groups provide an excellent model of mutual support.
"We expect to expand by finding more ways for our community to engage in spiritually Hinduism," Mishra said, "thanks to weekly Prayer events and excursions to temple and intellectually, through guest speakers, workshops and, hopefully, a spiritual leader in the future that ideally helps us connect with our faith on a deeper level." We also awarded grant Kenan-Biddle our service project - Duke-UNC Bhutanese Empowerment Project - through which we hope to connect with the largest Hindu off-campus. Finally, we hope even educate Hinduism on campus.
The enthusiasm of the students said Trivedi, "especially the second generation is admirable." It has also launched the idea of holding a service Hindu Bachelor for Hindu students during the weekend of the entry into force.
"I'd noticed how Student Christian and Jews have their own services," he said. "" "" "These services, there is a religious component but graduates also get to hear about keeping the faith in the larger community."
Hindu serving Bhagvad Gita passages are read.
It has a local newspaper, the need for a Hindu chaplain. "If manage us," he said, "we are in front of the crowd".""
Image: Professor Kishor Trivedi
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