This week's email

Announcements: 

1.  A limited number of Clay Ganeshas are still available to be picked up this week ($51 each). They have been minimally painted and ready for pooja. You can take them home or designate yours for pooja at the Temple. They will be reserved in your name.
2.  Volunteers are needed on Sept 9 (Thursday) at 5:30 PM to prepare the Temple grounds for Ganesha festival. Please come and participate.
3.   “Temple Hill Road” Bhoomi Pooja will be conducted in the north east corner of the Temple on the road site with Sahasra Modaka Homa and Poornahuti 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Sunday, September 12. 
4.  “Maha Laddu” Auction during Rathotsava at 1:00 PM
5.  Chinmaya Mission Balavihar informational meeting for parents and children on Saturday, September 11 at 6:30 PM to be followed by a special dinner adopted by Marathi Mandal; Menu: Alu Baingan (eggplant and potato curry), Black eyed Peas and green beans usal, Pachadi (salad), Boondi raita, Chapati (roti ), Mango Pulp.  ($7 for adults and $3 for children)_______________________________________________________________

Forthcoming September Events at the Temple:

Ganesha Chathurthi Day                     Sat Sept 11 (see below)

Ganesha Festival                                Fri – Sun Sept 10-12 (see below)

Jain Pratikramana                               Sat Sept 11 (see below)

Satyanarayana Pooja                           Wed   Sept 22

Sankatahara Chaturthi                         Mon Sept 27

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This email consists of the following:

1.  This week/end at the Temple 

2.  Weekly Financial Information

3. Subtle Changes to Annadhata Program for Sustainability: The next ten dates available;   October 2 (Saturday), October 9 (Saturday), October 10 (Sunday), October 16 (Saturday), October 17 (Sunday), October 24 (Sunday), October 30 (Saturday), October 31 (Sunday), November 7 (Sunday) and November 13 (Saturday)      

4. Chinmaya Mission Balavihar comes to our Temple

5. Launching “Temple Hill Road” project this Ganesha Chathurthi day

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1.     This week/end at the Temple 

Mondays: Rudrabhisheka at 7 PM

Tuesdays: Swaminarayan Pooja 6 PM to 7 PM

                        Durga Pooja at 7 PM

Wednesdays: Sahasranama for Krishna at 7 PM

Thursdays: Ramparivar Pooja at 7 PM & Vishnusahasranama chanting

Fridays: Lalithasahasranama chanting at 7 PM

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Three Day Ganesha Festival Sept 10, 11 & 12

Sponsors can register or request a clay Ganesha online: http://www.hinduheritage.org/Default.aspx?pageId=44002

The three day program can be sponsored for $101 or Saturday or Sunday program can be sponsored for $51. Devotees can also sponsor 5 lb. clay Ganesha for $51. You may take clay Ganesha home, decorate and pray to before you bring them to the Temple on Sunday for the final pooja, Rathotsava and visarjan. You can also opt to have the clay Ganeshas decorated by volunteers and have it be part of the poojas conducted at the Temple. Only Temple sourced clay Ganeshas are accepted for Temple poojas, Rathotsava and visarjan.

Five foot high (sitting) Ganesha made of plaster will come out of hibernation and take center stage during the festival.

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Friday, September 10, 2010

10 AM: Ganesha Moola Vigraha Abhisheka, Vinayaka Stapana

6 PM to 9:00 PM: Swasti Vachana, Sankalpa Punyaha,  Shodashopachara pooja, Gana Homa and Aarati, Prasadam

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Saturday, September 11, 2010

10 AM: Ganesha Abhishekam (Moola Vigraha), Balaji Abhisheka (Utsava Vigraha), Samoohika Vinayaka Vratam, Aarati

12:30 PM: to 4 PM: Temple sponsored lunch

"Samuhik Savantsari Pratikram" will be performed at the Temple on September 11, 2010 at 4 PM

4 PM to 5:30 PM: Shodashopachara Pooja, Gana Homam and Navagraha Homam

6:30 PM: Annual Informational Meeting includes Chinmaya Mission Balavihar and Temple’s Vision 2020 with Temple Hill Road Project details

7:30 PM to 9 PM: Special Dinner adopted by Marathi Mandal

Alu Baingan (eggplant and potato curry), Black eyed Peas and green beans usal, Pachadi (salad),

Boondi raita, Chapati (roti ), Mango Pulp  ($7 for adults and $3 for children)

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Sunday, September 12, 2010

9 AM: Shodashopachara Pooja

10: 30 AM: “Bhoomi Pooja” For Temple Hill Road project with Sahasra Modaka Homa and Poornahuti

12: 30 PM: Ratha Yatra

1 to 4 PM: Special Lunch & Visarjan

Adopted by: Sridhar voore, Prakash Aravapalli, Vijaya kumar Aravapalli, Gopal Aravapalli, Kalpakum Kothamasu and Kishore Aravapalli

Chinmaya Mission Balavihar Open house subsequent to Ganesha Visarjan

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2. Weekly Financial Information

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3.  Subtle Changes to Annadhata Program for Sustainability

Saturday/Sunday Annadhata program also referred to as “Adopt A Day at the Temple” emphasizes the need to do Seva and presents a platform to do Seva. However, the program needs a few subtle changes to ensure sustainability well into the future.

The Temple will continue to procure and provide ingredients for standard menu days such as Dosa day. The families that want to adopt the program as “sponsors” can reimburse the Temple $160 to offset the costs; this is, however, not mandatory. The volunteers still get donation credit for monies raised minus the costs.

Those Saturdays and Sundays that are not adopted by volunteering families, the Temple sponsors the program with a coordinator that puts together a volunteer team. Mallika Dhapodkar has been functioning as a coordinator; we appreciate participating volunteers supporting her stewardship and keeping this program alive. You do not have to be a chef to volunteer. Mallika Dhapodkar will help you with the process and ensure that Temple’s proven recipes and procedures are followed to ensure safety and quality.

Mallika Dhapodkar can be reached at: 635-9199 or 683-0853 or send an email to:  gamashnis@yahoo.com

It is our custom and privilege to feed Temple visitors who at times come a distance and are hungry. Ours is not a restaurant; therefore, what we provide can be limited but should be excellent and consistent. We have recently introduced several Temple food offerings that include tamarind rice, curd rice, laddu, shrikant and lassi. This can be eat in or take out. We would eventually expand the availability of these items during all hours when the Temple is open. No one should go hungry while visiting the Temple. These items are being perfected for quality and quantity. We are continuing to improve the quality and consistency of dosa offering. The dosa batter gets produced to a perfected recipe today and is available to purchase when you are at the Temple.

Together, let us evolve this key program to ensure its sustainability and meet the Temple’s vision and mission for years to come.

On line sign up: http://www.hinduheritage.org/Default.aspx?pageId=44247

The next ten dates available are: October 2 (Saturday), October 9 (Saturday), October 10 (Sunday), October 16 (Saturday), October 17 (Sunday), October 24 (Sunday), October 30 (Saturday), October 31 (Sunday), November 7 (Sunday) and November 13 (Saturday)      

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4. Chinmaya Mission Balavihar comes to our Temple

As announced previously (please see below), much preparatory effort is underway to welcome and launch Chinmaya Mission Balavihar at our Temple this September. An open house and open enrollment is planned during Sept 10-12 Ganesha festival, ________________________________________________________

We have had Balavihar at our Temple for a number of years. This is a key and critical mission of the Temple. To ensure sustainability well into the future, we are calling on a world class institution to stage a comprehensive Balavihar program that brings the very best Vedanta/Purana/Gita teaching to children of all ages. Concurrent to children sessions, the program calls for parents’ study groups. Venkatesh Anandasayanam, a Temple’s Board member and Yoga and Meditation instructor will function as the coordinator and work with other instructors to bring Chinmaya Mission program to our Temple.

Much detail will follow. We are seeking additional instructors that are committed and enthused; we welcome response to this email.

Temple Board of Volunteers

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 5. Launching “Temple Hill Road” project this Ganesha Chathurthi day

We have had the history of launching new initiatives during Ganesha festival starting with the Temple’s groundbreaking in 1998. We opened the facility during 1999 festival. We initiated a three year program to become debt free in 2006 and we did become debt free early 2009. The launch of Temple’s vision 2020 at 2009 Ganesha festival, as our next key initiative, was no exception.   

Temple’s vision 2020 calls for raising $2.2 Million over an eleven year period that began in 2009 at an average rate of $200K per year. This is an achievable goal as we have proven over the last ten years. We have to maintain the same momentum we have had well into the current decade to make Temple’s Vision 2020 a reality.    

As a first step toward Temple’s vision 2020, this Ganesha festival, we are breaking ground with “Bhoomi Pooja” to launch a two year “Temple Hill Road” project. The event is as iconic as the 1998 groundbreaking for the Temple. The presentation “Temple Hill Road: A Path to Vision 2020” in the link details the project plans.  

Temple Hill Road - Path to Vision 2020.pptx

The $1.4 million “Temple Hill Road” project is highly leveraged with $450K as Temple’s contribution. Temple currently has $210K in reserves; we have to raise an additional $240K during the coming year. The completion of this project provides a modern infrastructure that includes robust sewer and fire protection and creates two lakes initially and prepares the grounds for Yagashala and a park. The donors that contribute during 2009-2011 to raise $450K cumulatively will be recognized with a special plaque to be unveiled in early 2012. Let us do our share for Temple’s vision 2020 by pledging our contributions this Ganesha festival.

Now the debt is paid off, does the Temple need funds and if so how much is a question that needs discussion. Paying off the $500K debt has reduced our operating expense by 30%; a very significant accomplishment. Based on a recent analysis of 12 month income and expense (shown below), our annual expenses are $165K, down $50K (what we paid to service $500K debt). What is impressive is that we can generate nearly $200K cash flow after meeting expenses; this we can allocate to materialize Temple’s Vision 2020. This assumes of course that we maintain the momentum we have had in the recent times.  

This time of the year, we make a pitch for yearend donations; this time for you to sponsor Temple’s vision 2020 with tax deductible giving. Please donate generously (make checks payable to HTCI and mail to PO Box 3601 Peoria IL 61612-3601 or drop it off at the Temple). Any amount will be welcome; let us do our share. We can break ground late next year to begin the ten year journey to create a more robust infrastructure (larger parking lot, Temple’s own road off Creek Road, better fire protection and sewer) and to construct Pushakarinis,  a large Yagashala, a Mahadwara, a recreational park and a Yoga/meditation community hall. Together, we will have created a very special Temple campus that we, our children and their children can be proud of. Together, we can build a momentum for Temple’s Vision 2020 just as we did to create a debt free Temple.

Sincerely,

Prakash Babu

Temple Board of Volunteers

Analysis period: September 2008 through August 2009

 Dear Devotees,

“Adopt a Day at the Temple” with volunteers signing up to serve Saturday or Sunday lunch has been a hallmark program for several years. We have streamlined Saturday Dosa lunch with ingredients prepared to make it easy for volunteers to adopt. We hope that we can do the same someday for those adopting Sunday lunches. We introduced stainless steel plates to make serving elegant and eliminate much of the trash (saves money in paper goods and trash disposition). We are thankful to all adopting volunteers for managing the washing of stainless steel plates. The Temple and the world we live in is a better place.   

With the prices of food ingredients escalating, the enthusiasm of Annadhata volunteers has not waned in cooking and serving and raising money for the Temple. We are very fortunate. However, at $5 per plate, our math shows that these volunteers are raising less money than they were since they are absorbing the higher cost of ingredients.  To be fair, we have no choice but to raise the price of our weekend lunch from $5 to $6 effective August 16. We have been told that $6 per meal is reasonable compared to what lunches are costing elsewhere.  We hope you concur and continue to support a hallmark program that brings us together.

Sincerely,

Prakash Babu

Temple Board of Volunteers