International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization (ISSO), a global charity group, is setting up a 500-acre spiritual retreat centre for cultural and mental wellbeing at Bowling Green in the US state of Virginia. Named Devasya, it will be an interface between a Hindu temple and a cultural hub for Indians and other communities in the USA.
Devasya will be home to a traditional Hindu temple where 150-year-old idols of Hari Krishna Maharaj and Shree Radhikaji will be worshiped daily. The main temple will be surrounded by smaller shrines for several other Hindu deities. A restaurant serving satvik Indian food to devotees within the premises of Devasya is also on the agenda. Western vegetarian cuisines will also be served at the restaurant round the year. A few dozen cottages have also been planned as relaxation shelters for visitors.
Devasya will have an agenda of festivities and programs for visitors, devotees and spiritual peace seekers. All major Hindu festivals including Diwali, Holi, Navaratri, Dussehra, Sankranti, and Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated with equal enthusiasm, to provide a spiritual passage for inner peace to Indians from Washington DC Metropolitan Area and other parts of the USA.
Since enlightenment is a stepping stone to spirituality, various cultural programs like conferences, seminars and musical concerts will be hosted alongside religious festivities at Devasya. The planned spiritual retreat will also be a hub of cultural education for different age groups. Devasya will offer courses on yoga, meditation, Indian languages, sangeet (music), nritya (dance) and Indian vegetarian cooking.
Devasya will also provide space for weddings, social gatherings and community events. People will be educated on and provided traditional naturopathy and herbal treatments here. A Gaushala has also been planned to make opportunities of Gau Puja and Gau Daan available for Hindus. There will be provisions for water sports too.
Smoking and alcohol will be strictly prohibited on the premises. Devasya will be easily accessible from anywhere in Washington DC Metropolitan Area. Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, commended the project and said Hinduism and the spiritual philosophy of India are full of enlightenment. It is a pressing need of the time to pass on Indian cultural values and traditions to the coming generations amidst distractions in the consumerist and materialistic society. Hope, the proposed temple will help in this direction.
