August 20, 2005
Little Rock, AR
Devotees from
all around the region gathered in North Little Rock, a suburb
of Little Rock, to witness the auspicious groundbreaking ceremony
for Arkansas' first BAPS mandir, which will also be the state's
first Hindu mandir. The ceremony started on August 20th at
8:45 in the morning with a traditional Vedic Ground-breaking
ceremony and ended at noon with an assembly.
Devotees arrived
on buses from Houston and Dallas. Many others traveled from
surrounding areas such as Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri,
and Tennessee; all of whom were happy to bear the intense
heat in order to participate in the historic ceremony.
Mr. Patrick Hayes,
Mayor of North Little Rock, has been a major supporter of
the mandir project and offered his praises, "It is an honor
to be a part of the first Hindu temple in Arkansas and it
is something I will never forget." He continued by stressing
the importance of being aware of different cultures and welcomed
BAPS to the community. He concluded by presenting P. Anirdesh
Swami, head of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston, with
a plaque commemorating August 20th as "Swaminarayan Hindu
Temple Day."
Photo
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