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\ Lansing,
Inc. 955 Haslett Road, Haslett, MI 48840
http://lansingtemple.org
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Board of Trustees
Chairman
Dhiraj
Shah 332-0327 Vice
Chairman Sudhakar
Kulkarni 485-1060 Secretary Chandrakant
Khiroya 332-7275 Treasurer Smruti
Shah 347-1209 Executive Board
Members: Ved
Gossain 349-2886 Shashikant
Joshi 349-6225 Prakash
Kapoor 349-5958 Pardeep
Kumar 347-
2930 Loki
Naga 332-
4944 As
one acts and conducts himself, so does he become. The doer of good becomes
good. The doer of evil becomes evil. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action,
bad by bad action. -Veda Upanishads |
February 5, 2004 Dear Friend: Namaskar and Jai Jinendra First and foremost, we would like to sincerely thank you
for your continued support of the temple. Many in our community donate
monies; support various activities and programs; and volunteer their time and
efforts in cooking, organizing, emceeing, providing medical and dental
services to the priests, conducting classes, maintaining our website, sending
mail/e mail communications, providing legal advice, improving our
processes/operations, serving on the committees etc. etc. To each of these
individuals, we express our heartfelt appreciation and convey our special
thanks. It is their work and support that makes our temple the thriving and
vibrant place that it is. For year 2004 our goals and action plans remain the same
as last year. Building the necessary additions is an important priority. Late
last month we arranged a meeting for the 2003 and 2004 members to discuss in
detail our plan, thoughts and ideas about the project. Your Board members
along with many community members articulated the many different needs for
the proposed additions. We shared temple’s financial data, and provided the historical
trends and details of how the temple is being funded. Our overall plan for
funding the future was discussed. And, we appreciated the feedback and
concerns that were expressed by members. As we move forward the input from
these members and others will help us in making better decisions. One point
from the meeting that needs to be reiterated – we will not proceed to start
the construction until we have secured financial commitments for fifty
percent of the projected costs. The process of obtaining these commitments
will begin soon. We appeal to you to be as supportive as you possibly can. A
brief update on the proposed additions - a hearing and discussion with
Meridian Township Board of Trustees on February 3rd appeared to
have gone well and we hope to get an approval soon.
With best wishes for a prosperous and
peaceful 2004. Sincerely, Your Board of Trustees |
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Tax
Exempt ID No.: 38-2399465 |
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"Skill, Knowledge,
Talent, Ability and Experience could best be utilized, implemented and benefited
from...when we first place ourselves in the right place” “Unity to be real must stand the severest strain
without breaking” -Mahatma Gandhi Always remember those who serve. Action
to be effective must be directed to clearly conceived ends. -Jawaharlal Nehru |
MAHA SHIVARATRI
From 6 AM on Wednesday, February 18 to 6 AM on Thursday, February 19,
2004
Maha Shivaratri, “the great night of Lord Shiva” is one of the holiest days in the Hindu religious calendar. It is considered the most auspicious day for the worship of Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva manifests Himself as a huge column of light (jyotirlingham) on this day and bestows his grace on His devotees. It is said that the devotees who worship Lord Shiva on this day will accrue the benefit of worshipping Him for a whole year. On Shivaratri, devotees fast during the day, maintain a sleepless vigil during the night and worship Lord Shiva in four yaamas (quarters) of the night. The observance of the fast and vigil is symbolic of self-control, one of the prerequisites for God realization. Shivaratri,
besides its great religious importance has also a special significance for
our community because it is anniversary day for the Temple. The Board of Trustees extend a warm welcome
to all of you and look forward to your participation enthusiastically in
sponsoring puja, chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” japa, singing bhajans, and
various other activities. May Lord Shiva’s blessings be with you, your family
and friends. PROGRAM
Wednesday, February 18, 20046:00 AM Shri Ganesh Puja/ Kalash
Sthapana, Shri Shiv Puja, Abhishekam and Aarti 8:00 to 11:30
AM Abhishekam open to Shiva
Devotees* NOON Shri Shiv
Puja, Abhshekam and Aarti 1:00 to 4:00
PM Abhishekam open to Shiva
Devotees* 4:00 PM Rudra Havan 6:00 PM Shri Shiv Puja,
Abhshekam and Aarti 7:00 to 11:30
PM Abhishekam open to Shiva
Devotees* 7:00 to 8:30
PM Bhajan, Kirtan, Aarti, and
Prasad MIDNIGHT Shri Shiv Puja, Abhshekam and
Aarti Thursday, February 19,
2004
1:30 to 5:30
AM Abhishekam open to Shiva
Devotees* 6:00 AM Japa, Aarti, Prasad
(ending of fast) 24 Hours
Continuous “Om Namah Shivaya” Japa: Please call
Sharmaji or Shastriji at the Temple to sign up for your time slot. Sponsorship: Rudra
Abhishekam, $25.00; Puja $25.00, Rudra Havan, $ 51.00
· Special Request to Shiva Devotees: Before you come to the Temple please shower, wear clean clothes (no work clothes, please). At the Temple please contact Sharmaji or Shastriji to do 108 times “Om Namah Shivaya” japa for cleansing the body and spirit and then do the abhishekam so that the sanctity of the Temple is preserved. Your cooperation in this matter is extremely appreciated. FOLLOWING THIS FUNCTION OUR PRIESTS WILL CONDUCT A
PURIFICATION ABHISHEK FOR PURIFICATION OF THE SHIVA LINGUM @ 8:00 A.M. ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2004. Special Note: YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS AT “MAHA SHIVRATRI DAY” WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED. For more information please contact the following Religious Committee members: Mrs. Meena Sharma @ 517-347-0567; Dr. Ved Gossain @ 517-349-2886; Shashi K. Joshi @ 517-349-6225; Prakash Kapoor @ 517-349-5958; Sharmaji, Shastriji at the Temple @ 517-339-6337. A
note from the board: Dr. Kulkarni, who is
coordinating reservations of Temple facility for public and private events,
is unavailable for next 4-6 weeks.
Please contact Prakash Kapoor at 517-349-5958 for any reservations In
order to clarify frequently asked questions Regarding
membership dues, We
have provided answers to some frequently Asked
questions. Please
refer to the next Two Pages Calendar 2003 Donors’ list: In the following pages you will find
list of donors who contributed during 2003 or have contributed $100 or more
in prior years. Donation amounts listed here include general donations,
special event donations and membership dues. It does not include amount paid
for priest services, rental fees for library material, temple rent, etc. We
have tried to compile this list with utmost care. However, if you see any
error, please first check your records (canceled checks or bank statement)
and if you still have questions, please feel free to call Temple Treasurer. |
Membership Dues
Happy New Year. We hope that you all had nice holiday season. Once again, it is our great pleasure to print answers to the frequently asked questions related to membership issues. Please read them carefully and you are welcome to call our Treasurer, Smruti Shah if you still have questions.
Q. What is the annual membership?
A. Any individual or family wishing to become a member must have
a. Donated a total of $250 (excluding membership dues) to
this Temple in their lifetime and
b. Paid annual membership of $150 (family) or $75
(individual)
In order to be
eligible to vote in a particular year, dues must be paid prior to June 30th of that year.
Q. Who can become a member of the Bharatiya Temple?
A. Any individual or family subscribing to the objectives of the temple and submitting the necessary dues and donations.
Q. Are there any exceptions to this policy?
A. Life members (an individual or family who has donated a total of $10,000 and honorary members need not pay annual membership dues.
Q. What are the benefits of the membership?
A. Membership in this great institution is a privilege. It primarily provides you and your spouse (family membership) a right to vote in the election of the Board of Trustees and therefore a voice in the administration of Temple activities. It also allows you to rent the temple facility for private functions such as weddings, birthday party etc.
Q. Who can serve as a Trustee?
A. (a) Life member
(b) Any
individual or family, who has donated a total of $1,000 in their lifetime to
this Temple and has paid annual
membership dues.
Q. What type of payments made to the Temple are tax deductible?
A. Bharatiya Temple is a tax-exempt organization under Sec. 501 (c)(3) of Internal Revenue Code. We must use this status very wisely and follow all regulations. IRS regulations state that any donations made to the Temple in cash or kind to the extent that the donor does not receive any value of goods or services back from the Temple are tax deductible.
The following payments help the Temple activities but do not qualify for tax deductions as a contribution under the current IRS regulations:(These are few examples)
Purchase of tickets for Temple-sponsored cultural events. (However, if you sponsor the program to defer the cost, it will be a tax deductible item.)
Cost of Ad placed in Temple brochure
Purchase or rental of library books or videos
Any amount paid towards services such as Priest services for puja in your home, Sunday school/Bal Vihar, Temple rental etc.
In the event a fund raising dinner or program is arranged, the Temple will
provide you with the portion of the
total price which will be eligible for tax deduction.
Q. Do I get a receipt for my contributions?
A. Majority of
work at the Temple is handled by volunteer workers. It is not cost effective
and possible to send a receipt for every contribution we receive. Consistent
with IRS regulations we will mail you a
receipt only when your contribution exceeds $250 per donation. For donations
less then $250, your canceled check will be your receipt. We also publish a list of all donors in the January newsletter for
the previous calendar year.
We cannot apply any part of your contribution as a membership dues without your express instructions. Please complete this form and return it with your payment before the due date to become a voting member.
Name: (Last and first name)____________________Spouse_____________________
Address:__________________________ State:___________Zip________
Dues: Circle one Family $150 Individual $75
Phone: Home__________________ E-Mail________________________
Checks Payable to “Bharatiya Temple of Greater Lansing” and mail to: 955 Haslett Road, Haslett MI 48840
YOUR MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE