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ChetanaT H E B H A RAT I YA T EM P LE Q UA RT ERLY

SPRING 2015

THe Indian Diaspora in Michigan:

Identity Crisis?

Adult Seniors (co-chairs)Tilak Sharma [email protected] Shah [email protected]

BalbhartiRachna Kumar [email protected]

CulturalShaila Vijay [email protected]

EducationRajeev Grover [email protected]

Gift Gallery (co-chairs)Swaran Batra [email protected] Kummarasetti [email protected]

GurukulRajkumar Ramamurthy [email protected]

Information SystemsRengesh Krishna [email protected]

Kitchen & Prasad (co-chairs)Prasanna Deshmukh [email protected] Desai [email protected]

LibraryBhuvana Umamaheswaran [email protected]

MaintenanceDinesh Billore [email protected]

MembershipTom Patel [email protected]

OutreachAnjali Vale [email protected]

Priestly Services SchedulingTapati ParvataneniNidhi Khattree [email protected]

PublicationsDeepak Parekh [email protected]

Religious (co-chairs)Mini Garg [email protected] Vardarajan [email protected]

SEVA (co-chairs)Rajeev Bhargava [email protected] Rengesh [email protected]

Publicity (co-chairs)Neelam Kanodia [email protected] Paranjpe [email protected]

Because of space constraints, phone numbers are not included here. Complete contact information for all temple leaders is available at bharatiya-temple.org, or you may call the temple office at 248-879-2552 or by email at [email protected].

Gurukul: 248-879-1921Priest scheduling: 248-878-7072

Chairman | Inder Jit [email protected]

Vice Chairman | Venkata [email protected]

Secretary | Krishnan [email protected]

Ex-Officio | Ram [email protected]

Arun [email protected]

Sandhya [email protected]

Mahendra [email protected]

Swati [email protected]

Tom [email protected]

Surekha [email protected]

Bela [email protected]

Archana [email protected]

Srini [email protected]

S. [email protected]

Ms Sunita [email protected]

President | Mahaveer Khetawatmkhetawat @gmail.com

President-Elect | Arun [email protected]

Secretary | Ravi [email protected]

Treasurer | Raj [email protected]

Joint Treasurer | Suman [email protected]

Joint Secretary | Koteshwarlu [email protected]

Cmte Coordinator | Freddy [email protected]

Ex-Officio | Jagdish [email protected]

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

WORKING COMMITTEES

6850 N. ADAMS ROAD, TROY, MI 48098 • 248-879-2552 • Fax 248-879-2094

ChetanaT H E B H A RAT I YA T EM P LE Q UA RT ERLY

CHETANA IS A PUBLICATION OF THE BHARATIYA TEMPLE OF METROPOLITAN DETROITEditor: Deepak Parekh

Chetana Committee: Jaishree Sharma, Suba Ramesh, Shubha Kolachalam, Neha Rishi, Ashit ShahCover illustration by Seema Garg • Design by Krishnan Anantharaman • Printed by Flash Printing, Royal Oak, Mich.

Please send your comments about this issue to the editor at [email protected]. Selected letters will be published in the next issue of Chetana.

© Copyright 2015 The Bharatiya Temple of Metropolitan Detroit. All Rights Reserved.

3 Chairman’s appeal | Inder Jit Saini

3 President’s message | Mahaveer Khetawat

5 Editor’s note | Deepak Parekh

6 Must Be Water of India! | Balkrishna Padalkar

YOUTH PROFILES:

13 Duality Delight | Ambika Raina

14 Civil Servant With a Twist | Varsha Koduvayur

15 Arctic Adaptation | Vijay Patil

ADULT PROFILE:

17 A Life of Service, Here and There | Profile of Sumathi Mukkamala

18 Subhashitam | Amit Kinitkar, artwork by Aruna Kalahal and Ashit Shah

22 The Pole Vaulter | Deepak Parekh

24 Dear Gov. Jindal | Abhi Parekh

26 Poetry Cove | Artwork by Aruna Kalahal

29 Brother in Arms | Parag Billore

30 My religion. My country. My identity | Suba Ramesh and Balkrishna Padalkar

34 #bharatiyatemple | Shubha Kolachalam and Bhairavi Parekh

13

34

A-1 Diamonds . . . . . . . . . . . . 16BNA Construction. . . . . . . . . 36 Bombay Wedding Events . . . . 35Creative Brick Paving. . . . . . . 23Deesha’s Medical Mktg . . . . . 31

Deeya’s Boutique . . . . . . . . . . 31Flood Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Law Offices of Sheeba Khan . . 7Jaya Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Kumar, Darsh of Rehmann. . . 16

Kumon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Saini, Dr. Inder Jit . . . . . . . . . 12Top of Troy Dental . . . . . . . . . 25Vedanta Inst. of Midwest . . . . 25Waterford Family Dental . . . . 10

I N D E X T O A D V E R T I S E R S

Our Bharatiya Temple is very unique in representing eastern, western, northern and southern India, and based on democratic principles. From being the first temple in Michigan in 1980, it is also now the largest with over 65,000 sq. ft of space and catering to religious, cultural, educational and social activities for more than 3000 families in this area. THe temple has a community center with a library, senior citizen center, meditation center and a gift gallery. Housing a beautiful Banquet hall at its heart as center for weddings and other functions, Bhartiya temple is “Best of Best Building” in Troy.

With 40 years and three generations of service, it is humming with activities like Indian language (Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi and Tamil) and other classes like Dharma, Yoga, Gita, Purna Vidya, Balvihar, Music and Dance as well as a Montessori school; serving 200 children every week. Students from local schools and colleges come to our temple for Hindu religion and culture. Discourses by religious Swamis and scholars enlighten congregations regularly.

Visited by 1500 devotees every week, there is now a need to find innovative ways to run it more efficiently and continue to thrive.

Temple seeks help of volunteers of all ages and all background (professional, managerial, educational and just hard working devotees) willing to devote 2-3 hours a week and help bring the operational cost under control.

I sincerely appeal and invite all regular guests and visitors to consider become voting members. Your help and involvement will be a great contribution to the preservation of Hindu religion and culture, our art, music, language and Hindu Heritage. THat will be our greatest gift for our children and a true legacy.

Dr Inder jit Saini, Chair of Board of Trustees

On behalf of the Executive and all the working committees of the Bharatiya Temple, it is my great privilege and honor to welcome you all in the year 2015. Years 2012 & 2013 have seen our Temple accomplish 2 major milestones of executing two historic events: Prana Pratishtha and Kumbhabhishekam, opened the doors of a new magnificent prayer hall with the energized Deities and installed 3 Shikhars on top of the new prayer hall, radiating spiritual energy & blessing the entire community.

In 2015, we are marching ahead with the twin objectives of improvement in the upkeep of Temple facilities, incorporating latest technology into Temple operations and serving the community at large in meeting their religious, cultural, social and philosophical needs. All the members of the Executive and the working committees are committed to serving Lord Laxmi Narayana not just inside the prayer hall but also the Lord seated in the hearts of the devotees.

Year 2015 will witness more number of major events to be notified by various communication channels. A greater participation is invited and requested from the devotees from all sections of the community.

May Lord Laxmi Narayana bless us all with the ability for selfless service, intense devotion, deep contemplation and supreme knowledge. With focus, exertion & efforts we can reach this goal, remembering the message from Swami Vivekananda “Arise, Awake and Stop Not till the goal is reached”

Mahaveer Khetawat President, Executive Committee 2015

Chairman’s Appeal

President’s Message

CHETANA • PAGE 4 • SPRING 2015

‘Y ou are more than what you have become” Mufasa reminds his son in the movie Lion King. THis line, one of my favorite, also happens to be my aide-memoire for life … more about that later.

You are more than what you have become” Mufasa reminds his son in the movie Lion King. THis line, one of my favorite, also happens to be my aide-memoire for life … more about that later.

THe 1st issue of Chetana in 2015 is devoted to the Indian diasporas, in particular to those of us in Michigan and USA. THe overseas Indian community, however, estimated at over 25 million, is spread across many regions in the world, on every continent. It constitutes a diverse, heterogeneous and eclectic global community representing different regions, languages, cultures, and faiths.

Indian immigration to United States, in particular, increased dramatically after the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. THe cover page encapsulates the diversity of their skills as well as the sweet fruits of their bitter struggles and hard labor. Indian-Americans have excelled in a broad spectrum of field … Astronaut? Check. Biologist? Check. CEO of major corporation? Check. Chef? Check. Movie Director? Check. Artist? Check. You get the drift!

THe 1st article in the issue, Water of India, chronicles the collective wealth of Indian Michiganders. Yes, wealth. Seriously. THe list is a testimony to the blood, sweat and sheer determination of scores of visionaries and scores more that supported their zeal. When we started to compile this list of entities created by Indian Michiganders, I thought it would fill couple pages. Seven pages later, I realized I had to cut back and limit the types of entities that we document. Apologies if some got left out.

THe article also profiles some unique Indian Michiganders, starting with three young adults. Our young, our next generation are trail blazing new careers and paths. Not to be outdone, younger Indian Michiganders came up with artistic ways to illustrate their bold new career choices. For the final profile, and to complete the treasure trove, we found a bit of a humanitarian, added a touch of Mother Teresa, mixed in a whole load of compassion and ended up with a modern-day angel.

What is next, you ask? I say, loosen your Telugu tie and Tamilian thundu, let your Gujarati Ghaghra-choli and Malyali mundu remain a little ruffled, slacken your Anarkali churidaar and for a minute, just a minute stop trying to overachieve.

And tip your Gandhi cap to yourself. And to other Indian Michiganders around you. Take stock of all that we have

accomplished and savor it. Hug your spouse, thank your children for all they do and have done. And allow yourself to believe that our next generation is destined to accomplish more than the first generation has.

To get a measure of what the next generation is up to, we invited a guest perspective from a young practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga who has championed the Take Back Yoga campaign. Followed by a unique perspective of a US Marine. Rounding up youth mind-set is a counterpoint, an open letter really, to comments by Governor of Louisiana.

For playfulness, your Chetana team created a poetry cove: a collection of lightweight poems. Also, Chetana will be published as an e-magazine at the Temple website with additional content unique to the on-line issue.

In the final articles, I invite you to ponder on the challenges and opportunities of the Indian Diaspora. Consider the plea of an aspiring politician who argues that political representation is the next frontier for Indian Americans. For more reasons than one.

A fascinating dialogue with young Indian Americans, who are now raising a family of their own, concludes this Spring issue. THeir perspective and experiences should give all Temples and religious, spiritual entities a pause: have we taught Hinduism the right way? Can and should more be done? Are we instilling pride in our next generation about their unique and rich heritage? Is it time to take a page out of Jewish community and consider launching a BirthRight India program, where young Indian Americans go on a trip to India and experience India? Is it time to consolidate the many, many cultural entities or at least have them share resources (a hall, administration etc.)? How do we teach ourselves to focus on sustaining the very many entities and institutions that we have created? Are we securing a composed and sensible identity for the next generation Indian Americans? Or, are we contributing to their identity crisis by disenfranchising them through narrowly defined religious practices and cultural & ethnic boundaries or, by not encouraging them to try the reins of Temples and other institutions?

Just as Mufasa tells his son, we Indian Americans must take our rightful place in the circle of this American Life. Equip our next generation with a proud legacy and a sound religious and spiritual foundation.

So my fellow Indian Americans, let us resume our journey with renewed vigor and … be more than what we have become.

Deepak Parekh, [email protected]

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E


As a little boy growing up in Mumbai, I was fascinated by a popular magic trick by a famous magician Jadugar K. Lal. He off course had all the typical magic tricks but 1 trick fascinated me the most. It was a jug of water that stayed on the stage, in a corner. THroughout the 2 hour act, Mr. K. Lal would go to the jug, in between his main acts, and empty the water from it. Each time he reached for the jug, it would be full. THe trick was called Water of India!

When Chetana team started compiling content for this article, none of us thought it would fill as many pages and take as long as it did: non-profit after non-profit, one institution upon another, dance and music classes covering all genres, all regions. I am just fascinated by the creative, enormous and collective will of Indian Michiganders … to have created so much Indian-ness, so many opportunities, so many avenues, so many ways to cherish the motherland. Chetana team did the best it could to list as many entities as we could that make life for Indian Michiganders (as well as for the Indians in India) just a little better, just a little richer, just a little more fulfilling. Yet I am aware that the purists out there will find institutions whose names got left out or find that information about a certain organization was inadequate. Feel free to blame the editor for those omissions but not before you tip your hat to … each one of you! Bravo!!

—Deepak Parekh

• PLACES OF WORSHIP

Ambal Temple26325 Halsted Road, Farmington Hills MI 48320Email: [email protected]

BAPS Sri Swaminarayan Mandir3175 S Canton Center Road, Canton MI 48188Phone: (734) 397-2233

Bharatiya Temple6850 Adams Road, Troy MI 48098Bharatiya Temple is an eminent institution among spiritual,

religious and cultural organizations in Michigan. It is a crown jewel among the achievements of Michigan Indians. THe Temple has been like a 2nd home to countless Michigan children of Indian

origin and scores of Indian-American families for over 30 years. And for all those years, it has managed to meet and exceed as well as balance the needs of a mix of ethnic Indians.

Guru Nanak Sikh Center of Lansing4701 Pleasant Grove, Lansing MI 48997Email: [email protected]

Faith Tamil Lutheran Church37635 Dequindre Road, Troy, MI 48083Email: [email protected]

Hare Krishna Temple – ISKCON383 Lenox Ave. Detroit 48215 MI Email: [email protected]

The Hindu Temple of Canton44955 Cherry Hills, Canton MI 48188Phone: 734.981.8730

Indo –American Cultural Center and Temple2002 Ramon Ave. Kalamazoo MI 49002Contact: [email protected]

International Assembly of God3949 Nine Mile Road , Warren MI 48091Contact: [email protected]

Jain Temple29278 W Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334Phone: 248.851.5246

Parashakti Temple551 W Kenneth, Pontiac MI 48340 Contact: [email protected]

Paschim Kashi Temple1147 South Elms Road, Flint MI 48532 Contact: [email protected]

Shri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes3325 Middle Belt Road, W Bloomfield Township, MI 48323Contact: [email protected]

Must Be Water of India!


Sikh Gurudwara Rochester Hills271 W Auburn Rd, Rochester Hills MI 48307Contact: [email protected]

Sikh Society of Michigan33340 Dequinder Road, Sterling Height MI 48310Contact: webmaster@michigangurudwar

Sri Shirdi Sai Samsthan28875 W Seven Mile Road, Livonia MI 48152Phone: 866.222.2789

Sri Venkateshwara Temple and Cultural Center26233 Taft Road. Novi MI 48374Contact: [email protected]

West Michigan Hindu Temple4870, Whiteneyville Ave. SE, Ada MI 49301 Contact: [email protected]

Zainabia Center of Michigan2230 Crumb Road, Commerce Charter Twp MI 48390Contact: [email protected]

• SPIRITUAL CENTERS OF HINDUISM

Arya Samaj of Suburban DetroitArya Samaj means the Society of the good and the noble. Arya

Samaj is not a sect or religion. It represents the purest form (Vedic Dharma) of Hindu religion. Arya Samaj was founded by Maharshi Swami Dayananda Sarasati on 10th April, 1875 A.D. THe group conducts Vedic Havan Satsang and Vedic Youth Sangthan (VYS) Havan on a regular basis.

Contact: www.AryaSamajDetroit.org

Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University32969 Hamilton Ct. Suite G-12, Farmington Hills, MI 48334We study spiritual knowledge that nurtures respect for all faith

traditions, coherently explains the nature of soul, God, time, and karma, and delineates an enlightened lifestyle. We practice and teach a form of meditation that relaxes the mind and nurtures a healthy balance between our inner and outer worlds. THrough numerous social service activities and partnerships, we promote spiritual understanding, leadership with integrity and elevated actions towards a better world.

Contact: [email protected] on the next page

Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Detroit Metro33360 13 Mile Rd. Farmington Hills MI, 48334SSSIMCS was established in January 2009 to ship donated

medications to the hospital in Puttaparthi and Whitefield in India. Heart valves and stents for cardiac surgeries are sent to India. Detroit region 4 is a exporting hub to ship the medication to India.

Contact: [email protected]

Vedanta Institute of MidwestTHe ancient philosophy of Vedanta contains the eternal

principles of life and living. It consists of universal truths governing peace, productivity and ultimately, Self-realization. Inspired by the teachings of Swami A Parthasarthy, Vedanta Institute is dedicated to teaching these principles.

THe institute is currently offering five weekly lectures on Vedanta-including two lectures on Bhagavad Gita- in Detroit Metropolitan Area, which are open to the general public and are conducted by Amitji, a senior disciple of Swami Parthasarthy, who has dedicated his life to the full time study, research and propagation of Vedanta.

Website: www.vedantamidwest.orgContact: Amit Kanikar 248-469-7693

Chinmaya MissionTHe Chinmaya Mission Ann Arbor led by Acharya Sharada

Kumar focuses on imparting spiritual and religious aspects of

Hinduism in the greater Metropolitan Detroit area to children and adults. THis is done through Balavihars (conducted in five locations), annual youth camps, Yuva Kendra groups, classes on various texts like Ramayana, Bhagavatam, Vivekachoodamani, Vedanta study groups, Devi groups, Senior citizen groups, celebration of Hindu festivals and teaching Vedic chanting, shlokas and bhajans. In addition, seva projects supporting projects in India and local groups (food and clothes drives, disaster relief funds, walk-a-thons etc.) are also undertaken on a regular basis.

Contact: [email protected]

Swadhyaya PariwarRev. Pandurang Shastri Athwale started this missionary work

based upon Vaidya Scriptures of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta , vedas and Upanishads, for which he was honored with Templeton and Magsaysay awards. Swadhyay Pariwar of Detroit has more than 1000 followers. Apart from the Vedic lectures on video every Sunday, Swadhyay Pariwar runs BalSanskar Kendra, which is engaged in the teaching of the great Hindu Epics and Hindu culture, competition in Geeta reading is held among youngsters and similar program are conducted for the elders. THe forum is open to all.

Contact: Ajay Parikh 586.675.3309

Shri Balaji Vedic CenterWeekly classes on Essence of Upanishad to grasp the

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fundamentals of Upanishad and related scriptures are focused by a combination of lectures, interactive group discussion and multimedia presentation, with practical application. Followed by special classes on shlokas recitation and devotional music on every Friday at 7 pm. Eligibility is open mind and interest. Admission free to youth and seniors.

Contact: [email protected]: 586.826.8711

Purna VidyaSwami Dayananda Saraswati, an exponent on Vedanta &

Sankskrit, designed a 12 year curriculum for school going children of Indian origin in the western society. Classes start with basic Panchatantra, for example, and build it with Puranic Tales, Ramayana, Mahabharat, Values, etc all the way to Introduction to Bhagavad Gita for high school students. Another unique feature of Purna Vidya Class is an opportunity to travel to Indian villages to do “seva” to the under privileged. THis program is called Global Youth Leadership Program of AIM for Seva and helps one become a contributor to the society rather than a mere consumer!

Website: sites.google.com/site/purnavidyaschoolofmichigan Contact: [email protected]

Vivekananda Monastery Ganges6723 122nd Avenue, Fennville MI 49408Established in 1971, this Monastery is a place of spiritual seekers

to engage themselves in prayer, meditation and study, away from daily life

Phone: 269.543.4545

• THE ARTS: MUSIC AND DANCE

Nadanta30544 Turtle Creek Court, Farmington Hills, MI 48331Contact: Chaula THaker (248) 661-3580Indian Classical and Folk Dance

Nrityollasa Center For Performing Arts3625 Sleepy Fox Dr. Rochester Hills, MI 48309 Contact: Roopa Shyamasundara 248.475.4906 e-mail: [email protected] Indian classical

Nupur Academy of DanceContact: Radhika Acharya 248.528.44124021 Bristol Drive, Troy, MI 48085 Indian Classical

Sangeetayan Institute4616 Oakridge Dr MI 48640Contact: Manansi Mishri (248) 539-3370Odissi

Srishti Dances of IndiaAnn Arbor, MIContact: Shreyasi Dey 734-223-5615 ([email protected])Odissi

Natya Dharmi Foundation for Performing Arts1048 THames, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 Sandhya Sree Atmakuri ([email protected])Kuchipudi

Smt. Devika Raghavan1525 Oakcrest, Troy MIContact: [email protected]

Hindu Temple Rhythms24611 Seneca Street, Oak Park MI 48237Contact: Smt. Sudha Chandrasekhar 248.399.0259Website: htrdance.com

Bharatnatyam Dance & Vocal Music Academy45519 Mountview Drive Canton MI 48188Contact: Dr. Venkatlakshmi 734 981 4977

Kalakshetra The temple of Art30687 Grand River Avenue, Farmington Hills MI 48334 Contact: Shobana 248 438 [email protected]

Abhinay School of DanceSterling Height MI 48314Contact: Mrs. Dhanya K. Rao 586 726 6945

Alapadma Dance & Yoga49453 Central Park Shelby Township MI 48317Contact: Archana Desai 586.822.1235 [email protected]

Thirak Kathak Dance8242 Holy Drive, Canton MIContact: Reshma Buch 734 414 7483 [email protected]

Rhythm Kuchipudi Dance Academy3644 Elucid Dr. Troy MI 48083Contact: Smt. Niveditha Priyadarshini 248.761.3901

Taal Academy Troy MIContact: Manisha Dongre 248.740.5915 ([email protected])

Continued on the next page


Laasya School of Indian Dance 3765, Everett Drive Rochester Hills MI 48307Contact: Vidya Krishnamurty 248.853.2185 [email protected]

Alankar School of Dance1041 River Mist Dr. Rochester MI 48307Contact: Parul Taylor 248.703.4096 [email protected]: Vocal and Instruments

Detroit Institute of Indian Music6166 Wellesley, W. Bloomfield MI 48322Contact: Dr. Rajan Sachdeva 248.538.7358 [email protected]

Koojun Music Academy 36699 Heatherton, Farmington MI 48335Contact: Rujuta Joshi [email protected]: www.koojunmusic.com

Mrinalini Arkatkar248-740-1223Center for North Indian Classical Music of TroyField: Hindustani vocal and music

Sweta MalviyaEmail: [email protected]: Hindustani-VocalTelephone: 248.522.2926

Kasturi PaigudeEmail: [email protected]: kasturipaigude.comField: Hindustani-Vocal music

Navjot SandhuEmail: [email protected] Calvin Ct., Sterling Heights, MI 48310Field: TablaWebsite: www.navjotmusic.com

Jayshankar Balan6857 Maple Creek, West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322Contact: (248) 932-5828 [email protected]

Jay AntaniContact: [email protected]

Madurai R Sundar141 Crestfield Avenue, Troy MI 48085Contact: 248-619-7323 ([email protected])Carnatic music

Sam JeyasinghamContact: Sam 586-531-5584 ([email protected]) Mridangam

• NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Mai Family ServicesMai Family Services, a volunteer-run organization, is a

resource for intervention and prevention services for South Asian Community of Michigan. Service is free of cost. Two types of services are offered:

Intervention: Toll free and confidential helpline and support in multiple Indian languages and culturally appropriate counseling for Abuse, Marriage difficulties, Mental Health issues, substance abuse, grief & bereavement support etc.

Preventive: Awareness training workshops members for effective communication, free legal aid clinics etc.

Website: www.maifs.org

Arise Free India (AFI)Arise Free India is giving voice to countless Indians who

sacrificed their lives and livelihood to help India become a free nation. AFI is compiling an oral history archive of conversations with freedom fighters and intends to make a series of documentary films for a contemporary examination of events and individuals who liberated India. Deepak Parekh and Swati Paranjpe are among the original members of AFI

Website: www.arisefreeindia.org Contact: Kaustubh Deshmukh 317.285.9750

Hindu American Foundation (HAF)A non-partisan organization, the Hindu American Foundation

is not affiliated with any religious or political organizations or entities. THrough its advocacy efforts, the Foundation seeks to cultivate leaders and empower future generations of Hindu Americans. In 2003, former Michigander Dr. Mihir Meghani founded this non-profit organization along with three others, Aseem and Suhag Shukla, and Nikhil Joshi. Mihir is well-known to the Bharatiya temple community: his parents Abul and Jyoti Meghani were active volunteers at the Temple, Mihir graduated from Lahser High School, was a leader of the Hindu Student Council at the University of Michigan. Voicing our political concerns, Meghani says “… is recognition that we’ve come of age in the United States.”

Website: www.hafsite.org Contact: Padma Kuppa ([email protected])

Foundation of Michigan Association of Physicians from India (FOMAPI)

MAPI promotes the interest of its physician members and the patients they serve through collaboration, education, advocacy, practice and research. MAPI also promotes and represents the interests of its member physicians at county, state and federal levels.

FOMAPI is the arm of MAPI overseeing the foundation activites of MAPI including free clinic activities in Southfield.

Website: www.mapiusa.org

Detroit IndiansDetroit Indians team are bunch of friends who got together to

enrich the communities that surround us. Detroit Indians is a non-profit organization that is focused on serving the local community. It has the ‘Giving Back’ mind-set, and has single focus, namely to offer educational opportunities to school students who live in financial distress cities in Metro-Detroit area.

Website: www.detroit-indians.com Contact: [email protected]

American Society of Engineers from IndiaContact: Ravi Raut - 313 421 1630

Council of American Indian Association 38219, Ford Road. MI 48185 Contact: Bhagwan Dashair – 734 722 1894

Indian American Cultural Association Contact: Harbindar Singh – 586 295 0131 [email protected]

Indian Cultural Society Contact: Anil Sakhuja – 734 953 9526 [email protected]

Indian League of America 33228 West 12 mile, Farmington Hills, MI 48334Contact: Iqbal Singh – 313 235 [email protected]

Maharashtra Mandal of Detroit Contact: Satish Dongre - 248 716 1199 [email protected]

Detroit Malayalee Association Contact: Mathews Chermnil - 248 879 9384 926, Baldwin Dr. Troy MI 48098

Tamil Sangam Contact: Vinoth Purushottaman - 248 888 1263 [email protected]

Continued on the next page


ASHA for Education Contact: Deepak Kadaba - 248 354 3363 www.asha.net

Islamic Center of America15571 Joy Rd. Detroit MI 48228 Contact: Ron Amin - 313 593 0000

Charotar Patidar Club 43133 Ryan Rd. Sterling Hts. MI 48314Contact: Arti Patel - 586 254 1574 [email protected]

South Asian American Voice for Impact 43316, Stonongton Ct. Canton MI 48188 Contact: 248 722 0020

Uttar Pradesh Association of DetroitContact: Ajay Jain [email protected]

BichitraContact: Animesh [email protected]

Detroit Telugu Association41326 Scarborough Ln Novi, MI 48375Contact: Jogeswara Rao Peddiboyina – 248 946 1520

Gujarati Samaj of Detroitwww.gsod.org Contact: Darshan Parikh [email protected]

Jain Samajwww.jain-temple.orgContact: Anand Bora – 248 851 5246

Kerala Clubkeralaclub.orgContact: Baiju Panicker – 248 935 8200

Orissa Society of AmericaContact: Rina [email protected]

Pampa Kannada Kootawww.pampakannadakoota.org Contact: Nagaraj Tavarekere – 734 981 4850

Rajasthan AssociationContact: Girish Arora – 248 449 2550

—Compiled by Balkrishna Padalkar, Bhairavi Parekh

PEDIATRICCAREn All kinds of physicals

n All immunizations

n Acute and chronic care

n Limited adult care

n Now accepting patients, with no waiting

Inder Jit Saini, M.D.

STERLING PEDIATRIC CENTER PC3850 Metropolitan ParkwaySterling Heights, MI 48310

586-939-2229

TRAVEL &IMMIGRATIONSHOTSWe provide these servicesfor travelers:

n Immunization for Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Polio, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Meningitis and others

n Malaria prevention and diarrhea prevention

n Travel safety tips for children

Inder Jit Saini, M.D.3850 Metropolitan ParkwaySterling Heights, MI 48310

586-939-2229

I grew up in Troy, Michigan and am now pursuing a Dance BFA at the University of Michigan. In addition to dancing around the living room, I grew up learning Bharatnatyam from Mrs. Parul Taylor. In high school, I progressively got interested in contemporary dance and decided to audition for the University

of Michigan Department of Dance modern dance program as a senior in high school, but was not accepted. Upon graduation from high

school, I joined the University of Michigan anyway, as an undecided freshman, unsure of what I wanted to pursue, open to all the opportunities the University offered.

At U of M, I took modern dance classes with Pro-fessor Bill DeYoung, and fell in love with the smart, experimental, creative dance that was happening at the university level. Professor DeYoung encouraged me to audition for the program again. I did, and was accepted into the program. Over the last four years, I have fallen more and more in love with the art of

performance and more sure that this is my career path. After being admitted in the program, I immedi-

ately knew that studying the science of the mind would

be the perfect complement to studying the art of the body, and have

been pursuing neuroscience studies as well. I am drawn to modern dance for the way it can

use fantasy to comment on reality. I hope to move to New York City later this year to pursue a career in dance performance and choreography. Drawing on experiences in Bharatnatyam, ballet, and mod-

ern, I want to create a dance form that gives voice to the intersection of Indian and Western culture. Dance performance and choreography is a raw form of human expression that allows

me to think critically about culture and society, explore identity, and connect with peo-ple around the globe.

Ms. Ambika Raina, [email protected]

Duality Delight

Y O U T H P R O F I L E


Please visit Temple website for Chetana e-magazine Water of India article to see Ambika’s modern dance performancebharatiya-temple.org

ILLU

STRA

TION

: AN

KITA

ACH

ARYA

I was born in Bengaluru (India), raised in Auburn Hills and graduated from Avondale Senior High School. I studied Bharatanatyam from Guru Shrimathi Devika Raghavan for 4 years. I have always been an independent and sensitive thinker.

THroughout my school years, I have been fascinated by languages. I can read, write and speak in Tamil and French.

I have interned for 2 progressive institutions. THe Pra-jnya trust, based in Chennai, India is a non-profit centre for research, public education and networking working on issues related to peace, justice and security. THe Center for Gender in Global Context, an interdisciplinary center in International Studies and Programs is focused on gender, feminist, and women’s studies. Its affiliated faculty and students study how women and men from diverse racial, ethnic, national, and sexual backgrounds live in and engage with the world and how processes of global change affect gender relations locally, nationally, and internationally.

I have completed a BS in International Relations and Comparative Cultures and Politics from the Honors Col-

lege of James Madison College and Arabic from the Col-lege of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University.

After watching the terrorist attack on Mumbai unfold in 2008, Varsha Koduvayur knew what she wanted to do as a career. “In the future, I hope to enter government service, and the depth of knowledge and policy analysis skills that internships would equip me with will be invaluable,” Ko-duvayur said. When the opportunity presented itself, I ap-plied and was selected in MSU’s Arabic Flagship Program, which includes studying in Morocco during the current academic year through a US State Department grant.

My hobbies include reading, watching movies and mak-ing tea. I am a big fan of actor Rajnikanth and I am excited when Rajni movies are aired on Zee TV in Morocco with Arabic sub-titles.

Varsha [email protected]

Civil Servant With a Twist

Y O U T H P R O F I L E


ILLUSTRATION: THEJOMAYI AKKOOR

Arctic Adaptation

I was born in Detroit, but spent most of my childhood in the suburbs of Southfield. I was enthusiastic about the outdoors and natural history from early childhood, and my family supported this interest through frequent camping trips around

Michigan and the Great Lakes, and a series of memorable summer road trips spent touring the western states and their national parks. As a student at Groves High School in Birmingham, I was also influenced by a teacher named Mr. Webber, who taught an elective Astronomy and Geology course, and who was uniquely gifted at getting his students to ask their own questions about the world around them and to find their own answers. After 12 more years of college and post-graduate education, those classes still stand out as the best introduction to the scientific method that I’ve ever received. Finally, my parents were instrumental in developing my interest in science, and in helping me to see research and teaching as legitimate career goals.

Current career pathI am trained as an ecologist, spe-

cializing in Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine research. THat means that I study how plants and animals that live in cold environments interact with each other and how they re-spond to environmental change, both natural and human-caused. My career path began with a degree in natural resource management from Cornell University, which led to a se-ries of short-term research assistant positions in places like Antarctica, Greenland, and islands off the coast of Alaska. THese jobs exposed me to the research process and to the unique challenges of remote field work, and most were focused on the conservation and protection of wildlife, which shaped my personal interest in applied ecology. In 2010, I earned a Master’s degree from the University of Alberta studying the effects of winter weather on alpine mammals, and I am currently writing up my PhD dissertation on the biodiversity of Alaskan wet-lands at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

THe initial motivation for my career choice was a desire to get paid for my hobbies (hiking, camping, and climbing). I was drawn to science in particular because it offered op-portunities to help conserve places that I enjoy, while also appealing to the side of me that wants to take things apart to see how they work (which can probably be blamed on my engineer father). My research interests were further shaped by my undergraduate advisor, who offered me a summer internship at his wildlife research station on the Hudson Bay coast in northern Canada. I discovered that I had an affinity for northern landscapes, their remoteness, and their mind-boggling seasonal changes in light, temperature, and weather. THis sense of personal connection helped me talk my way into subsequent arctic job opportunities, including my graduate projects, and it has also been essential in main-taining my enthusiasm for research, which is a slow and

often tedious process. Living in central Alaska has its share of downsides, including -40 degree winter temperatures and the distance between me and my family in both the US and India, but I feel very fortunate to have a career that allows me to make a difference in the place that I call home.

Vijay [email protected]


Y O U T H P R O F I L E S

ILLUSTRATION: KUNAL GARG

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Gentle, humble, loving, dedicated -in fact, it’s virtually impossible to fathom the powerhouse of energy behind her petite exterior, and equally difficult to understand the extent of her commitment to others by

merely speaking with her. A role model and an inspiration-indeed, we are talking about an Indian Michigander, Dr. Sumathi Mukkamala who has dedicated the past few years of her life to give a home and so much more to orphan girls in rural Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. Mukkamala came to the United States in 1970. She realized her American dream and built a successful pediatric practice, loving her job with a passion. But she carried within her a deep yearning to do more to help others beyond her everyday practice. After the Tsunami of 2004, the plight of children particularly orphaned girls became her calling. Most of these girls were simply abandoned and left to suffer on streets or in shacks. Dr. Mukkamala with her pediatrician’s background clearly understood that negative influences such as homelessness, illiteracy and social injustices would imprison these girls in permanent cycles of poverty, abuse and deprivation.

In 2007 with the support of her husband and under the auspices of Chinmaya Or-ganization for Rural Development, Dr Mukkamala opened an orphanage for girls called “Chinmaya Vijaya” - to adopt and give over a 100 orphaned girls a new life with love, nurturing, education and healthcare – a right that these girls would otherwise have been denied of.

Dr. Mukkamala continues to work relentlessly towards its sustenance and im-provement, raising funds from the US and India and giving her personal efforts into the day-to-day operations. She has accomplished something that did not come without its share of obstacles- financial, bureaucratic and social, just to name a few. She loves these girls as her own and takes immense pride in their growth and personal de-velopment. Giving up a life that most retirees dream of, she

has revisited the land of her birth to give these girls a dream of their own and hope in their hearts. She lives Pujya Gu-rudev’s teachings each day of her life.

THis Michigan Indian truly embodies the oft quoted:

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

—Khalil Gibran

Compiled by Dr. Jaishree [email protected]

A D U LT P R O F I L E

A Life of Service ...… Here and There

ILLUSTRATION: UNKNOWN


rajas and tamas. They are referred to as sattvik people. The predominance of rajas over the other two creates a rajasik person. And the predominance of tamas, a tamasik person. Sattva is the highest quality. It reflects pu-rity and serenity, poise and maturity. Rajas is of the middle order. It manifests as passion packed with action and agitation. Tamas, the lowest, is the quality of inertia and lethargy, heedlessness and indifference.

People round the globe are unaware that every human being is governed by his own distinct singular nature. Hence they do not know how to relate to others and suffer endless trial and tribulation. Spouses bicker with each other, parents have constant confrontation with their children. Colleagues in office clash with each other. Communities are torn apart. The cause for this sad state of affairs is the lack of individual assessment of humans. People do not study and determine the nature of persons individually and expect one to behave different from one’s basic nature. You want the world to fit into your mental pattern. That is just not pos-sible. You cannot expect people to behave according to your mental pattern. There is a saying: All grumbling is tantamount to, ‘Oh! Why is the lily not an oak?’ To avoid such consequences and to live in peace and harmony humans must carefully examine the world around them. Individually as-sess the persons you contact. Find out each one’s inherent nature and behavioral pattern. Start with those closest to you. Like your spouse, children, colleagues in the office. Those whom you contact daily. Those stay-ing away from their motherland must understand that their children are going to absorb different values of living which could be different than the value system in which they were brought up.

Likewise one must evaluate, assess everything around. The weather, the environment, culture of a society one is living in, the government etc. Winter will be cold, summer will be hot. If you are living in a big city, there will be traffic. If something is wrong and can be corrected you may do so. If however it is not possible to correct it you must learn to live with it. You then cannot expect things different from what they actually are. If you do, you will feel disappointed and stressed.

But to develop a feeling of oneness with all, you will have to shift your focus from BMI to the enlivening factor Atman Divinity in each person. As far as BMI is concerned every person is different. This brings about the heterogeneity of human beings. But Atman is same in one and all. It is the homogeneous principle in the heterogeneity. Same Atman is functioning in all human beings, in fact all beings. When you understand this you will develop a feeling of oneness towards one and all. And where there is feeling of oneness there is harmony. Then it does not matter with whom you are interacting or where you are living. Cultural, national, religious and all man made boundaries dissolve and you become the citizen of the world and work for the lokasangraha welfare of the world.

Bhagavad Gita enunciates the eternal principles of life and living sanatana dharma. Its philosophy can be translated into practical living in one’s social, official and domestic lives. Study and reflection of Gita helps one to strengthen the intellect budhi. And strong intellect is the key to achieve peace and success in life. Traditionally, the knowledge of Gita was taught to the youth in a gurukul ,which equipped them to face the challenges of later life and come out victorious.

The eighteen chapters of Gita flow into one another presenting a beautiful sequence of thought and provide a panoramic view of life and its underlying Reality. The third chapter, entitled Karma Yoga, the Path of Action, gives the blueprint of an ideal action. And verse number twenty eight of the chapter gives the technique of relating to the world and finding harmony in diversity.

Every human being is a combination of Atman God principle and body, mind and intellect (BMI). Atman enlivens the body, mind and intellect to function. But your vasanas (inherent tendencies) de-termine the qualities (gunas) of activities. If vasanas are sattvika (pure) in nature, thoughts, desires and actions will also be sattivika. If vasanas are rajasika (active) or tamasika (inactive) their manifestation will be of the same type. If vasanas are of unselfish nature, thoughts, feelings and actions will also be unselfish. If vasanas are selfish, so will be their manifestation. As the vasanas, so the thoughts, desires and actions. A human being is composed of all three gunas. But the proportion varies from person to person. That accounts for the heterogeneity of human beings. Some have sattva predominating over Amit Kinikar

Vedanta [email protected]

But he, O Mahabaho, with true insight into the distinctions of gunas ( qualities) and actions, knowing that gunas ( as senses ) abide in gunas ( as objects ), is not attached.

Bhagavad Gita , Karma Yoga, Verse 28

CHETANA • PAGE 18 • SPRING 2015 CHETANA • PAGE 19 • SPRING 2015

GRAPHICS: ASHIT SHAH AND ARUNA KALAHAL

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‘Hinduism carries too much baggage.” THat is what Yoga Journal told us

at the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) when we asked why they rarely, if ever, used the term “Hindu” in their

magazine. Compelled to speak out, HAF launched its Take Back Yoga campaign to highlight the Hindu roots of yoga. Seven years later, the campaign has spurred countless newspaper articles, segments on NPR and CNN, and even a documentary on Al-Jazeera. And through it all, we’ve aimed to show that the universal pluralistic philosophy behind yoga is the same underlying principle within Hinduism.

Beyond the dialog it generated, Take Back Yoga had personal impact. I began practicing yoga eight years ago and spent the first few floundering about trying out different “yogas.” But no method engaged me the way I believed a yoga practice should. Why did I leave these yoga classes feeling the same as when I walked in when everyone else talked about feeling rejuvenated? Here I was spearheading a campaign about the greatness of yoga, but I couldn’t capture that experience myself. Perhaps there was something “wrong” with me, I thought. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up on yoga.

In 2011, I was invited to speak on a panel at Princeton about Take Back Yoga, and it was there that I met the individual who would become my yoga teacher. At that time, I didn’t know anything about him or the Ashtanga Yoga that he teaches. Had I known the six-mornings-a-week commitment Ashtanga recommends, I likely would not have agreed to that first practice. Ignorance was a bliss this time, and I attended my first Ashtanga practice.

THere was nothing particularly special about the class, except that the space it was taught in doubled as a traditional Ganesh temple. Still, I agreed to come back. No “yoga” had made an impression on me thus far, so I saw no harm in continuing with Ashtanga. I returned a few times a week throughout the summer, but wasn’t prepared to do more. Perhaps my teacher sensed that -- in those initial months, he never asked me to attend practice more frequently as I’d seen him do with some others. Or maybe he knew that the the practice itself would eventually turn me into the six-morning-a-week practitioner I now am.

Over the course of the past four years, Ashtanga has

demonstrated that it’s a combination of both - the method and the teacher - that elevates the practice from a purely physical exercise to yoga. Ashtanga emphasizes not only the physical posture (asana) itself, but also the associated gaze (drishti) and breathe. THe three combined aid in the practice of concentration. My teacher also incorporates an optional weekly study session of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which is a wonderful reminder of the overarching yogic framework and the larger goal of our daily practice.

HAF’s updated Take Back Yoga stance, in particular, highlights the importance of either a guru or a knowledgeable and experienced teacher who comes from lineage (parampara). For many years, my teacher studied under Pattabhi Jois (known in the Ashtanga world as Guruji), who studied under the formidable Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (who also taught the world renowned BKS Iyengar). All the major yoga texts make reference to the need for a guru, without whom no true spiritual progress can be made.

And last but not least, the final pieces lay within the practitioner herself: the intention behind and commitment to her practice. With a pure intention and a strong commitment to practice, all will come.

Sheetal [email protected]

Sheetal Shah is a Senior Director of HAF based in New York City. She focuses on developing HAF’s public policy strategy. She was instrumental in formulating the Foundation’s Take Back Yoga campaign and manages the Hindu American Congressional Internship.

G U E S T P E R S P E C T I V E

Take Back Yoga


In subsequent issues of Chetana, a Hindu Health section will be introduced. For the Spring 2015 issue, please visit Temple website Chetana e-magazine Hindu Health article for two Yoga asanas that you can watch and do at home.www.bharatiya-temple.org

I can’t be blamed for wondering how a young Indian boy learns pole vaulting, let alone become a pole vaulting champion, in 1970s India. “I learned pole vaulting by watching documentary films about it in school” Dr. Kumar offered nonchalantly when he saw

the puzzled look on my face. Dr. Kumar, a Urologist, made an unsuccessful attempt at

a US Congressional office in 2014 summer. I was curious about his motivation behind the campaign and his experi-ence through it. It was a frigid day in February when we met at his house in Bloomfield Hills for about an hour to converse about his perspectives. THe interview started with a hot cup of masala tea that Dr. Kumar made himself.

His path to present day is not atypical of other Indians who immigrate to America: MBBS certificate from TN medical college in Mumbai, residency in India with high hopes and tall ambitions to improve the young democracy and conclud-ing, in the end, that India was unable to provide the work and family environment he craved. He left India to try his luck: first in England and then in the USA. He came to Michigan, became a research associate at Wayne State University, met and married his wife Margery there and decided to settle down in Oakland County.

Why US, why not settle down in En-gland? I ask. “THe brand of freedom that the United States offers appealed to me the most” Dr. Kumar explains. Besides, Anil felt that the democracy in England was not adequately democratic, not for outsiders anyway. It also did not feel

right to contribute to a country, a society that had ruled India for all those years.

Anil’s first foray into politics can be traced back to his in-volvement with organized medicine. “It was during this time that I learned about hospital administration, functioning of insurance and insurance companies”. A local hospital in Pon-tiac was going under and so he, along with 42 other Physician colleagues, orchestrated a buyout to both better themselves as well as continue serving the community.

“I have been harboring entering politics for the last 8 to 10 years” Dr. Kumar explained. THe idea of freedom has always resonated through Anil’s family. His parents were free think-ers – his father supported India’s independence movement, even though the Government put food on families’ table.

Elaborating, he says: “I treasure these uniquely American freedoms of speech and to pursue one’s dreams. THese ide-als of liberty draw me to America. I am equally proud, however, of my own her-itage and culture.”

Anil’s motivation and guiding princi-ple to pursue politics is to defend these freedoms and insure Indian-American representation in the government. Dr. Kumar says: ”THe Indian community

The Pole VaulterDR. ANIL KUMAR,

AN INDIAN MICHIGANDER,

ARGUES THAT POLITICS

IS THE NEXT FRONTIER

FOR THE INDIAN DIASPORA

• Dr. Kumar’s definition of politics: science and art of maneuvering your environment to individual and col-lective gain

• Favorite personalities: Chanakya, Sardar Patel, Presidents Clinton, Reagan, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln


ILLUSTRATION: SEEMA GARG

should be the role models in this country: we are intellectu-als, high achievers, family-oriented, we educate our children, we have low crime rate, highest per capita income, we are philanthropists. My message to America: emulate us and the country will be better”. Anil believes this is a good trade: our community has absorbed so much from America about sys-tems, processes, fair play … this is a good exchange between America and the Indian Diaspora. Yet, even though we out-pace other minority communities in numbers and finances, income, Anil argues, we do not have political representation. We are now begging for political favors even while sitting on a political gold mine.

“THere is an apathy towards politics among Indian Amer-icans. As a candidate, I am struggling with that lack of sup-port.” Dr. Kumar laments. Perhaps, we are still preoccupied with personal improvements or perhaps we feel estranged, outsiders. “I would like to change that … for America to rec-ognize that we are not outsiders” Dr. Kumar offers, “We are part of the American fabric. We should not be bystanders but main actors”.

While remaining relevant in mainstream America is Anil’s persuasion on one hand, on the other, he feels that an import-ant lesson from history should not be forgotten: that of Jews in 1930s Europe. Like Indians in America now, they were also

hard working and successful yet poorly represented politically … and paid a heavy price. “We also need to learn from African Americans,” Dr. Kumar argues. Democratic Party establish-ment have taken African-American voting bloc for granted. “Even though I have chosen the Democratic Party to pursue my political aspirations, I want Indian-Americans to pursue politics with either party. THe idea is to get involved in local, city, state level politics.”

“THe consultants told me to change my name to a Christian one for electability” Dr. Kumar quips. “Familiarity needs to be built from ground up. Intent should be to desensitize the American society from any resemblance of foreignness in In-dian-Americans. I urge our community: win or lose is part of the journey, part of the process. THis is us passing the baton to our next generation. Our next generation is our golden gener-ation … our children could be the President of United States. My purpose is to facilitate that vision.” Dr. Kumar added: “Politics is the next frontier –the Indian Diaspora is reaching saturation in other fields, to go further, political strength is required. As individuals, we have gone far and wide but as a community, we can go further.”

Compiled by Deepak [email protected]

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Dear Governor Piyush ‘Bobby’ Jindal,

An element of my identity contains a punctuation mark. I’m Abhi Parekh, 19 years old, Hindu, female, Indian-American . . . there it is: a hyphen.

Mr. Governor, you say that you are tired of being a “hyphenated-American.” You wrote an article on it for Politico, in which you suggest, “[h]ere’s an idea: why not just Americans?” At surface value perhaps there’s some merit to this idea--we ought to acknowledge that there is a larger community that we’re all a part of as citizens of the US. THe problem with this is that being part of one community shouldn’t exclude you from another. Communities and identities coexist, like locations on a map, sometimes adjacent to each other, sometimes within each other.

Later in your piece, you write “Put simply, I just do not care about the color of anyone’s skin – or eyes or hair either, for that matter.” THat’s a tough sell for me. Actually, not only that, but it’s pretty insulting. Each of these things is a part of who I am and it seems disobliging to deem it noble to dismiss them while choosing other parts of me to elevate on a pedestal: my accentless English? my birthplace? my legal citizenship status? . . . what exactly is it that defines me as American anyway?

In your naked ambition to appeal to your constituency, you are telling so-called “hyphenated Americans” to go back to their motherland if they want to be Indian or Italian or Irish. I challenge the notion that finding appeal in diversity makes you un-American. You seem to be overlooking the fact that America is indubitably stronger today because of

the history and investments of its disparate parts. You seem to be forgetting that America has always been a aggregate of its parts, since its very conception.

Consider President Reagan’s view in his farewell address to the nation: “‘I’ve spoken of the Shining City all my political life. In my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. THat’s how I saw it, and see it still.”

I define myself as American; I have for my whole life. In kindergarten I learned Pledge of Allegiance. I committed it to memory easily and recited it proudly each morning at 9:05am. A blue tack on the map. At home I learned shloks. Red pushpin. On Saturdays I learned adavus in Bharatanatyam class. A white star sticker.

As I’ve travelled across my own map, pinpointing communities that I want to join and traversing back through those where pushpins were placed for me. THe elegance of this idea is that they all coexist. One attribute or community does not--and cannot--monopolize my identity. In the end maybe I’m just an endless string of hyphenated nouns and adjectives.

And I’m proud of that.

Abhi [email protected]

C O U N T E R P O I N T

Dear Gov. Jindal

I CHALLENGE THE NOTION THAT FINDING APPEAL IN DIVERSITY

MAKES YOU UN-AMERICAN. ... YOU SEEM TO BE FORGETTING THAT

AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN AGGREGATE OF ITS PARTS, SINCE ITS

VERY CONCEPTION.


SunandajiDaughter-disciple of Swami A Parthasarthy.Sunandaji has been studying and researching Vedanta, the ancient India philosophy, for over three decades. Her clear and powerful presentation of the Bhagavad Gita in contem-porary thought has been acclaimed in India and abroad. Sunandaji has also addressed prestigious corporate organiza-tions and universities worldwide on the practical application of Vedanta in daily life.

2, 3, 4 June 2015 - 7.00 to 8.15PMVenue

Birmingham Unitarian Church38651 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

No admission Fee. All are welcomePlease be seated 10 minutes early

RSVP: [email protected], Phone: 248-469-7693

Presented byVedanta Institute of Midwest

4180 Breckenridge DriveWest Bloomfield, MI 48322

501 (c ) ( 3 ) tax exemptwww.vedantamidwest.org

BHAJA GOVINDAMA three day lecture series on the essence of Bhagavad Gita

Bhaja Govindam is the composition of Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest apostles of Vedanta philosophy.Famous for its crisp and direct message, the text highlights the hollowness of two human motivations-acquisition and enjoyment-which humanity is consumed with, seeking happiness in the external world. Instead, it instructs

the seekers to discover the ultimate mission of human life, to find contentment and happiness within. It is called as Moha Mudgara delusion lifter because of its capacity to shake people out of their ignorance.

It also sets out practical instructions for day-to-day living, which are extremely useful to live a stress-free and productive life at home, work and in society.

पत -झड

मैं हु एक पतझडका पेड, दुनियामे नही �कसीसे मेरी तेढ !पतझडमे कभी न घबराना, सुख की कामना सदाही रखना

दुखमे �फर खामोश हो जाना, नही �कसीसे इ्षा�, न है �कसीसे तेढ !मैं हु एक पतझड का पेड !!

सदा रहता हु आशान्वित, खडा रहता हू मै शांत-िच�� धीरज रखता हू , हो जाता ह�रत, नही �कसीसे बैर, न िकसीसे तेढ !

मै हु एक पतझड का पेड !!

िखलते है �फर फुल-फल सुंदर, हसता है ��मर-��य कमल धीरज, मौन मे है बडा आ�मबल, नही अहंकार मनमे, न ही �कसीसेे तेढ !


�सखना है कुछ तो �सखो हमसे, �वच�लत न हो कभी पतझडसे आशावादी बनो, रखो फासला �नराशासे, व� बदल जायेगा, िनकालो मनकी तेढ !


बालक��ण पाडलकर

પરદેશી માણસ

એક પરદેશી માણસ શહેરની વચ્ચોવચ, ફૂટપાથ પર છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ અઢાર કલાક છાપા વેચે છે. એ માણસ જાણી-અજાણી ભાષાના છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ ટ્રૈનના અવાજને અવગણી ને છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ જતા આવતા ચહેરાઓને જોયા વિના છાપા વેચે છે. એ માણસ ડોલ્લર્સ ભેગા કરવા છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ દેશમાં છોડેલા સંતાનોને ભણાવવા છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ ‘અમેરીકાન ડ્રીમ’ સાકાર કરવા છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ બે-ચાર કલાક સુએ છે -

ન વેચાયેલા છાપાની પથારી પર ફૂટપાથ પર ......

પન્ના નાયક

આપણને જે ભાષામાં સપના આવે તે આપણી માતૃભાષા. મને ફિલાડેલ્ફિયામાં હજુય સપના ગુજરાતીમાં આવે છે.

પણ મારી આસપાસના કેટલાક ગુજરાતીઓ ઉમાશંકરની છબી જોઇને સતત પૂછ્યા કરે છે:

‘ આ કોની છબી છે?’ ‘ આ કોની છબી છે?’અને મારું સપનું નંદવાઈ જાય છે.

(સપનાના હૈયાને નન્દાવામાં વાર શી?)

- પન્ના નાયક

களம் �தி �

வித்தகன்

களம் �தி� கலங்கவில்ைல மனம்! காட்சி �தி� உதிரவில்ைல கண்ணீர்! உற� �தி� உறையவில்ைல உதிரம்!

இன்னல் �தி� இளகிடவில்ைல இதயம்!

யா�ம் அ�பவேம அஞ்�வான் ஏன்!

நாம்் பிறக்கையில் இவ்�லகேம

�திதல்லேவா?

Poetry CovePoems have a way to speak to us in ways that we often cannot describe. It melts our existence into a few words. Here is to hoping that the poems on these pages will inspire you to turn in your poems for next issues of Chetna … we know there is a poet in you!


GUJ

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मैं हु एक पतझडका पेड, दुनियामे नही �कसीसे मेरी तेढ !पतझडमे कभी न घबराना, सुख की कामना सदाही रखना

दुखमे �फर खामोश हो जाना, नही �कसीसे इ्षा�, न है �कसीसे तेढ !मैं हु एक पतझड का पेड !!

सदा रहता हु आशान्वित, खडा रहता हू मै शांत-िच�� धीरज रखता हू , हो जाता ह�रत, नही �कसीसे बैर, न िकसीसे तेढ !


िखलते है �फर फुल-फल सुंदर, हसता है ��मर-��य कमल धीरज, मौन मे है बडा आ�मबल, नही अहंकार मनमे, न ही �कसीसेे तेढ !


�सखना है कुछ तो �सखो हमसे, �वच�लत न हो कभी पतझडसे आशावादी बनो, रखो फासला �नराशासे, व� बदल जायेगा, िनकालो मनकी तेढ !


बालक��ण पाडलकर

પરદેશી માણસ

એક પરદેશી માણસ શહેરની વચ્ચોવચ, ફૂટપાથ પર છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ અઢાર કલાક છાપા વેચે છે. એ માણસ જાણી-અજાણી ભાષાના છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ ટ્રૈનના અવાજને અવગણી ને છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ જતા આવતા ચહેરાઓને જોયા વિના છાપા વેચે છે. એ માણસ ડોલ્લર્સ ભેગા કરવા છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ દેશમાં છોડેલા સંતાનોને ભણાવવા છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ ‘અમેરીકાન ડ્રીમ’ સાકાર કરવા છાપા વેચે છે.

એ માણસ બે-ચાર કલાક સુએ છે -

ન વેચાયેલા છાપાની પથારી પર ફૂટપાથ પર ......

પન્ના નાયક

આપણને જે ભાષામાં સપના આવે તે આપણી માતૃભાષા. મને ફિલાડેલ્ફિયામાં હજુય સપના ગુજરાતીમાં આવે છે.

પણ મારી આસપાસના કેટલાક ગુજરાતીઓ ઉમાશંકરની છબી જોઇને સતત પૂછ્યા કરે છે:

‘ આ કોની છબી છે?’ ‘ આ કોની છબી છે?’અને મારું સપનું નંદવાઈ જાય છે.

(સપનાના હૈયાને નન્દાવામાં વાર શી?)

- પન્ના નાયક

களம் �தி �

வித்தகன்

களம் �தி� கலங்கவில்ைல மனம்! காட்சி �தி� உதிரவில்ைல கண்ணீர்! உற� �தி� உறையவில்ைல உதிரம்!

இன்னல் �தி� இளகிடவில்ைல இதயம்!

யா�ம் அ�பவேம அஞ்�வான் ஏன்!

நாம்் பிறக்கையில் இவ்�லகேம

�திதல்லேவா?

Poetry CovePoems have a way to speak to us in ways that we often cannot describe. It melts our existence into a few words. Here is to hoping that the poems on these pages will inspire you to turn in your poems for next issues of Chetna … we know there is a poet in you!


The experience of a prosecutorwho knows how the system works

Growing up as a first generation Indian in the United States can be a little challenging at times. I think that one of the things that has made me the person I am today is the 2 years that I spent at the Daly College

Indore in India. I did my 9th and 10th grades there. THese 2 years showed me the importance of family and brought me closer to my culture and heritage. I learned so many things there that I still value in my life today.

Growing up I can always remember my parents talking about becoming a doctor, lawyer or engineer and I thought that when I became older that I would become one of these professionals. I loved the structure that was around me when I went to school in India and I wanted something that was structured like that. Around the 11th grade I decided that I wanted to serve my country. Even as a child I was always fascinated with it, but never thought I would actually do it. My senior year I made the jump and enlisted In the United States Marine Corps. I picked the Marine Corps, because it was the hardest and most challenging boot camps of all the armed services. If I was going to do this I wanted to be a part of the best.

I shipped out for boot camp in August of 1997 and went to Parris Island for 12 weeks. I faced challenges and was not able to make some of the physical fitness requirements and was held back a few weeks. When it came to going to the rifle range to qualify with the M16 I was held back a few more weeks because I was not able to qualify right away. I think in total I was there for 16 weeks. I graduated in December of 1997. Being in the Marines also gave me some of the strong foundations of my life. My work ethic, my dedication and my determination I feel all came from the Marines.

In my 4 years in the Marine Corps I only came across one other Indian, so there were not many peo-ple that were in the same boat as me. I got to trav-el the world and see so many things that I probably would have not had the chance to see. I got out of the Marines as a Sergeant and that was my goal when I went in.

When I got out I started to go to school and also work full time. My first job out was nothing great. I

wanted to get into a big and secure company, so I applied to Comcast as an installer. I work hard and like working outside and this was right up my alley. I was an installer for 2 years and then was promoted to a Line Tech working on the main line cable and fiber optics. I did that for a year and applied to be a supervisor and got the position. I have been a supervisor with Comcast for 9 years now and very proud of myself and where I am today. I am able to provide for my family and live comfortably and did not follow the typical Indian-Ameri-ca route. Like my Indian-American brethren, however, ed-ucation is very important to me and so, I continue to go to school. I am only 5 classes away from getting my Bachelors in business management. I hope to be done this time next year.

Parag [email protected]

Brother in ArmsA M A R I N E O V E R C O M E S A L L


On a recent Saturday morning, Chetana’s editor, Deepak Parekh had a few acquaintances over to his home for tea and conversation. THe guests had a couple of things in common: THey had all spent

much or all of their childhood in the United States, they all had kids of their own, and they were all confronting the many challenges of raising those children in a society that was at once familiar and alien. (THey also all happened to be physicians.)

But the more than hour long discussion exposed many differences in their experiences over a lifetime. For instance, Sabla Rao, grew up in Michigan surrounded by the temple community, but was sent to live with her grandparents in India at age 12 because “my parents wanted me to be more Indian.” She ended up staying there through early adulthood. Her husband, Rajesh, meanwhile, came to America from India at age 8 and admits to being “fairly oblivious” to cultural differences between him and his schoolmates at the time. Rajesh Iyer’s childhood was heavily influenced by the presence of his paternal grandparents, who lived with the family and enforced a strict order rooted in religious practice, and he’s now raising a blended family with his Catholic wife. Anuradha Prasad avoided the move back to India, but was raised by parents who were nonetheless intent on preserving as much Indian cultural influence as possible, if not religious.

THe discussion was frank and wide-ranging. Here are a few of the highlights.

Talk about the place of religion in your day-to-day lives growing up in America. How have your parents influenced your approach to religion?

THe home environment played by far the biggest influence in their understanding and practice of religion. THe line between religion and culture was blurred, exasperated by the fairly widespread manner of practicing religion amongst Indians: repeating the same bhajans, same prayers, and same rituals without necessarily knowing the meaning of the sacred text. As it were, understanding God got mired in the repetitive and rote nature of rituals. Dr.

Iyer says: “We understood Hinduism because that was what I was taught. But I don’t know the link to God was until I started questioning different religions.”

THe group consensus, nonetheless, was that exposure to religion in spite of the limiting and limitless ways in which it is served in Indian American households is still valuable and central. THe role of environment was summed up by

Dr. Sabla Rao: ”When I went to India, I learned more, just because it’s all around you there. … So I think I became more religious after going to India.”

Although they all were introduced to the ways of Hinduism, the learning was more practical by observation of their elders and for most part, there was never a forceful thrust of religion. Each parent had their own unique way of influencing their children’s view of the religion; fathers tended to be less ritualistic, more philosophical; mothers followed a routine: puja, a corner in the house to pray, periodic and frequent rituals based on Hindu calendar. Reading Hindu scriptures such as Ramayana and Mahabharat to their children was another way to pass on the religion.

Did you ever feel self-conscious about practicing or being identified with a religion that wasn’t well understood in the U.S.?

Not knowing what it is like to be part of the crowd, part of the majority … yes, that is bound to make one self-conscious but our group made the most of it, a majority of time. Some of them did not run into those awkward situations or did not experience any particular meanness about it growing up. Dr. Rao offered: “We lived in the rural Midwest, so there were no other Indians there. And in fact, there were hardly any other people of color. So on Cultural Day, you were the star. … THe religious part of it didn’t make me feel any stranger than being Indian did.”

Did you go through periods of questioning your religious identity?

Exposure to Hinduism, typically an hour on the weekend, was pitted against Christianity and other

My religion. My country. My identity.


Continued on Page 32

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religions all day at school. THe environment was not conducive to feeling comfortable in your religious skin. But if one does not have a strong religious slant than the conflict with religious identity is not as stark.

THe men seem to opine that they never strongly identified with being traditionally religious yet because of their background and parents influence, there is more interest in Hinduism. THere is a desire to incorporate practical aspects of Hinduism. Dr. Prasad explained:” … there’s a place I go for yoga. THey’re all of various religions, and they incorporate Vedanta into their practice. And I identify with that a lot more, the Vedanta view. I really enjoy that and try to give that to my kids.”

How has your parents’ approach to religion affected your own parenting approach?

All four participants accepted that they would like their children to grow up with a good knowledge of Hindu religion just as they were exposed to by their parents. However, all of them seem to share the view that instilling the experience of religion is important but at the same time it should not be forced on their children. Although each one of them confessed to not being too ritualistic, inculcating a value based aspect of religion, of Hinduism in particular and other religions in general, would give a good foundation for their children and place them in a better position to face life. “…or otherwise it’s just going to die off ” Dr. Iyer said,” if I do not pass on what I learned from my parents, I feel my children might lose out on the experience of Hindu religion.”

THe second generation Indian-Americans has at once a broader definition of religion and an uncomplicated parenting approach. Dr. Prasad puts it like this: “… they have the influence of their grandparents, from my in-laws, their whole way of being religious. So they see how they live with it, and for my parents, they see how religion affects them. So my hope is that they see religion in all these lights, so that one day they will say, “Oh, these are all the ways you could incorporate it into your life if you want it.” THat’s my philosophy for exposing them to religion.” Dr. Sabla adds: “… I just want them to believe in God and have that always in the back of their minds. I don’t do puja on a daily basis or anything like that, but it’s there. And it was a really good foundation for me, and I just want that for them.”

Our temples have invested time and resources into educating children about their religion. Are they going about this the right way?

Hindus are often told that Hinduism is a way of life. Hindu is not an “ism” and the attempt to organize it as a religion remains largely unsuccessful because the Hindu way of life, Sanatana Dharma (or, universal law), is all-embracing

in nature and excludes few Decalogue. It was remarkable that all the participants shared in the idea that that is how Hinduism has to be explained and taught. Dr. Prasad puts in the context of present day this way:” I put a little thought into this with friends who are Jewish and who follow Islam. Part of the way they impart a strong cultural and religious identity is more of their daily life surrounds their cultural center. So at the JCC, or at the Islamic Centers, their kids don’t just see it as a place where they learn about religion. THey love going there. THey play basketball. THey swim. THey have leaders there that they relate to, imparting these values to them. So they form more social networks with those values, and I think it becomes a larger part of their life. Whereas, for us, our center is mostly is all about God and religion. If you do it that way, it’s almost this little isolated island. You need more. …”

Are we better equipped in America to convey a more spiritual education to our children, since they are taught early to ask questions and are exposed to other faiths?

All of them feel that keeping the children in these ‘classes’ for an hour or two, and mechanical teaching of the scriptures as is often done here, may not produce the intended results; rather a simplified, practical and a more engaging way of getting it across to children is the need of the hour. “When my son was in middle school, they used to have a thing called Friday Night Lights at one of the churches in Birmingham and he went” Dr. Sabla elaborates:”… lot of the kids there are members of that church, and they had that every Friday night, they would go and hang out for three or four hours. Your kids were safe, and they formed those bonds. THat definitely, for kids as they’re growing up, those are the things that they remember. THose experiences that put them together, and that definitely will help with them identifying with the temple and identifying with their religion.”

So what would you want your kids’ central identity to be?‘I don’t know that we’ve determined that for ourselves”,

comments Dr. Rao while adding that he would want their children to be clear about their identity as Indian vis-à-vis a Hindu while being an American.

—Suba Ramesh, Balkrishna Padalkar and Krishnan Anantharaman


THE BHARATIYA TEMPLE OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

IN ASSOCIATION WITH DETROIT RUDRAM GROUP CONDUCTS

PANCHAYATANA YAGNA Friday May 8, 2015 to Sunday May 10, 2015

Panchayatana Worship is for five main deities representing five elements “Adityam Ambikam Vishnum Gananatham Maheswaram” with Homam, Abhishekam and Aarati

EVENTS SPONSORSHIP FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

(8AM-NOON) Ganapathy Panchayatana Yagna (5:00 -9:00PM) Durga Panchayatana Yagna (9PM-12MIDNIGHT) Mata Ki Chowki

Mukhya Yajaman (All 3 days of sponsorships)

$5000

All 3 days function $2500

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015(8AM-Noon) Vishnu Panchayatana Yagna (5:00 -9:00PM) Mrityunjaya Shiva Panchayatana Yagna

Any one day function $1000 Any one Homam or

Abhishekam $250

One Kalasam (Total 108)

$108

Bhagavathi Seva / Mata Ki Chowki /

Lalitha Sahasranama Archana

$51SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015

(7AM-Noon) Surya Panchayatana Yagna

Coordinators• Sundar Koduvayur (248)707-9979 • Ravi Khattree (248)212-0203 • Mini Garg (734)552-3200 • Mahaveer Khetawat (313)-304-5324 • Jambunathan Ramanathan (248)267-6558 • Usha Ram (248)646-6644 • Ramesh Narayanan (248)892-2181 • Ram Ramanathan (248)318-6392 • Viswanathan Subburaman (248) 477-9435 •

Srinivasan Muthuswamy (248) 848-1018

Email: [email protected] Temple, 6850 N. Adams Road, Troy, MI 48098. (248) 879-2552. www.bharatiya-temple.org


SEVA COMMITTEE#SEVA aims to provide community service to the com-

munity at large without any expectations

RELIGIOUS COMMITTEEBring community together by discovering eternal truth

with help of theology, vedic yagna & rituals and celebrating #Religious festivals and functions with family

OUTREACH COMMITTEE#Outreach committee serves to educate students and

non-Hindu visitors, as well as promote peace and nurture the understanding of Hindu faith within other Faith orga-nizations

LIBRARY#Library has an impressive collection in English and re-

gional languages. Offers Wi-Fi, Periodicals, magazines and DVDs Future plans include storytelling sessions and book clubs

BALBHARATI#Balbharati is the youth wing of the temple with the goal

of inspiring youth with community service, volunteering spirit and pride in our culture & heritage

ADULT & SENIORS COMMITTEEEnhance the life of #seniors by training them in technol-

ogy and offering social, health and spiritual programs and lectures several times a year

GURUKULSafe, healthy and nurturing environment for toddlers,

Montessori preschool and kindergarten children ages 3-6. Cultural/Spiritual enrichment in addition to Montessori lessons

KITCHEN AND PRASADTHe dedicated members cook appetizing #Prasad for

all devotees and serve it with a smile. Key principle of our

Kitchen committee is: Cleanliness is Godliness.

MAINTENANCEMake sure the temple and the parking lots are clean and

well #maintained. THe committee has a request for all devo-tees to please not chew gum on temple premises.

CULTURAL COMMITTEE Encourages participation and organizes events that pro-

mote the bond between the #cultural and religious entities of various parts of India

GIFT GALLERYPortrays the very concept of Hinduism and showcases

Hindu Dharmic manuscripts in condensed form, Deities and articles of worship. All proceeds go to the Bharatiya Temple

INFORMATION SYSTEMS #techgeeksfortemple is what the committee sees itself

as. Dedicated group of highly energetic individuals who are eager to start the e-Chetana edition to reach worldwide readership

EDUCATION#Educate children and adults in a wide range of topics

from Hinduism, yoga, dance, music to languages and even sports

MEMBERSHIPMembers are the backbone of the temple. THe committee

helps get the word out and encourage #membership

PUBLICITY#Publicize Bharatiya Temple Events, enhance commu-

nication between devotees and various committees and in-crease revenue.

—Shubha Kolachalam and Bhairavi Parekh

#bharatiyatempleT EMP LE COMMI T T EES

IN 140 CHARACT ERS OR LESS


[email protected]

Chetana: The Bharatiya Temple Quarterly6850 N. Adams RoadTroy, MI 48098

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