Pravasi Bharatiya Temple officials offer apology to Sadhvi

VHP of America applauds Hindu Samaj Mandir, Mahwah for welcoming Sadhvi Ritambhara Devi

PUJYA Sadhvi Ritambhara Devi, (Didi Maa) visited the the Hindu Samaj Mandir, Mahwah, NJ, US on September 6. It was a the special invitation by the Board of Trustees who were gracious enough to correct the earlier error of canceling Didi Maa’s Bhagavat Saptah at the same venue having been mislead by mischievous propaganda of lies and distortions by the Indian Muslim Council-America and NRI’s for secular and harmonious India.

On the concluding day of five-day long spiritual discourse at Sheraton Hotel in Mahwah, Manmohan Khanna, President for Religious Affairs and one of the founders of the Hindu Samaj Mandir tendered a heartfelt apology to Didi Maa for the Mandir’s earlier decision and invited her to the Mandir for a darshan and discourse. Ritambharaji, who believes in bringing together the Hindus and who had earlier said that she did not feel insulted because a saint is above such feelings, readily accepted the invitation.

She was welcomed at the doors of the Mandir by the trustees and executives of the Mandir. Mandir was jam packed with the devotees eager to listen to the electrifying words of Ritambharaji.

In an electrifying talk that lasted for half an hour, Ritambharaji touched upon several spiritual and secular aspects of human life. She stressed the need for purity of mind in quest for inner peace. She said that one should not eat with a disturbed mind as food would become poison instead of being prasad (grace). She talked of importance to show gratitude to the mother earth, elements of nature and the elders. She differentiated between Daya (pity) and Karuna (compassion). Daya generates ego in one’s mind and looks down upon someone as pitiable, while Karuna is an ever flowing stream of positive feeling for one and all. She was happy to observe that in spite of several obstacles, Hindus had exhibited spirit of unity.

She briefly talked about her ‘Vatsalyagram’ project where orphaned children, women abandoned and abused by the society and old women discarded by their families, are brought together under one roof to constitute a loving family unit. Such an arrangement produces productive citizens out of people who had no hope earlier.

Dinesh Khosla, a founder trustee of Hindu Samaj Mandir gave concluding remarks. He noted the pain and turmoil that they all had gone through in past few days. He assured Ritambharaji of continued dialogue and stressed that there was no ill intention in their earlier decision.

When asked for his reaction, Jyotish Parekh, president of VHPA said by reversing the decision and welcoming revered Sadhvi Ritambharaji (Didi Maa) to the temple for religious discourse, the trustees of the Hindu Samaj Temple of Mahwah have served the true purpose for which the temples are built. They have served the members of the temple in specific and the Hindu community in general by upholding the dharma.

Girish Gandhi, Vice President, Seva of VHPA hoped that the Mandir executives had genuinely regretted their earlier decision and that they would check with Hindu organisations in future and not succumb to Islamic organisations’ pressure tactics.

Ours is a culture of respect, acceptance and sacrifice, said Dr. Abhaya Asthana, General Secretary of VHPA. He further said, “I am so delighted, these values eventually triumphed and Didi Maa was re-welcomed to deliver a moving discourse at the Hindu Samaj Mandir in Mahwah, NJ. The Hindu community has sent a clear signal to hate mongers and bigots, whose divisive campaigns in the past failed repeatedly in Florida, Houston and Boston as well, that their shenanigans will not work anymore. From Florida to Los Angeles and from Boston to Washington people have thronged to listen to Sadhvi Ritambhara’s enchanting discourses retelling the stories of Sri Ram and Sri Krishna and conveying the message of Hindu heritage, values, peace and love. Her pious work on “Vatsalyagram” that creates wholesome families out of orphaned children, destitute widows and elderly ladies is a novel concept worthy of emulation all over.”

Vijay Narang, Media Director of VHPA had this to say: It is pathetic that these so called peace and harmony loving organisations, carrying the political baggage of Indian politics, still use the same tactics to threaten and terrorise the minority Hindu community in the USA that they have used in India in the past centuries.

He said, it is equally sad that they just can’t handle the strength and power of a saint just because she is a woman; this in itself is very revealing.

I feel proud that every effort to threaten and terrorise the Hindu community by these organisations, discredited by their close ties with terrorist organisation banned in USA and India, has been frustrated by the brave Hindus and their leadership at the Hindu Samaj Mandir in Mahwah, NJ.

This highly successful five day Bhagavat Katha attended by hundreds was a most befitting reply to those who themselves are extremely intolerant, who support banned terrorist organisations like Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the Maoist-Naxalites and then advise the Hindus about pluralism.
(FOC)