Hindus laud Sugar Hill in Georgia for extending Shiv Mandir's permit

Nevada (US), Dec 15 (ANI): Hindus have applauded the City Council of Sugar Hill (Georgia, USA) for reportedly extending the proposed Shiv Mandir's permit for two years.

Well known Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that this was a step in the right direction as in these difficult financial times, extension would encourage the temple management to speed up the project as existing analysis, surveys, and studies reportedly would not have to be redone. Once up and running, this Temple would contribute to the area economy and landscape.

Named as Shiv Mandir of Atlanta, it held Bhoomi Poojan few months back and its construction is slated to begin late next year. With a high-tech theme, besides the main sanctuary, this temple complex will reportedly ultimately include domed ceiling, kitchen, dining hall, community center, auditorium for weddings/events, lodging facilities for visiting pilgrims-saints and temple priests, various multilingual priests, park, playground, recreational and daycare facilities, library, museum, school to teach Sanskrit-other languages-dance-music-arts-culture-etc.

This 55,000 square foot facility on 11.34 acres is expected to cost around $10 million. Besides Lord Shiv as main deity, it will also have other Hindu deities and its architecture will follow Hindu concepts and designs, reports suggest. Ajeet Das and Alok Gupta are President and Vice President respectively of the Temple Board.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also commended efforts of temple-project leaders and area community to realize this wonderful Hindu temple complex.

Rajan Zed further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this new temple complex would focus in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

Chartered in 1939, Sugar Hill (popularly known as "The hill where the sugar spilled"), a city in northern Gwinnett County (Georgia), has earned the "Community of Pride" designation. Gary Pirkle is the Mayor while Bob Hail is the City Manager.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents. (ANI)