Authentic Hindu temple proposed in Marlboro
New structure would permit installation of permanent images
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

The Marlboro Planning Board has started taking testimony on an application that proposes to build an authentic Hindu temple for the Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center on Wooleytown Road in the Morganville section of Marlboro. For story, see page 54.

MARLBORO - Members of the Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center (HATCC), Wooleytown Road, have put forth an application to construct an authentic Hindu temple to replace their current facility, which does not conform scripture mandates.

The Planning Board began hearing testimony on Sept. 19 for the construction of the temple.

Currently the HATCC, represented by attorney Jonathan Heilbrunn, has two buildings on its property - a one-story prayer hall and a two-story building that houses classrooms and administrative offices.

The proposed plan for the Guruvayoorappan temple contains a 32,596- square-foot two-story temple/ multipurpose hall and a separate 15,170- square-foot building that will be used for priest quarters.

Heilbrunn said the applicant wants to offer the township an application that does not require any variances or waivers and is willing to comply with all suggestions from the board's engineer and planner.

At the Sept. 19 meeting, Dr. Mani Yegnasubramanian gave testimony on behalf of the applicant.

Yegnasubramanian is the chairman of the Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation, Stroudsburg, Pa., and an honorary adviser for several temple institutions in the United States and Canada. He has been teaching the Vedic scriptures and philosophy for more than 18 years in New Jersey.

In his testimony, Yegnasubramanian spoke of the need for an authentic temple in the area. According to his testimony, in an authentic temple, images are sculpted in granite and marble and will be permanently installed in accordance with the Hindu scripture.

At present, images are cast in metal and the building is not built according to scriptural specifications. He said no permanent installations can be made in the current buildings.

"So unless a temple is built and the images installed as specified in the scriptures, we will not have a 'temple,' " Yegnasubramanian said.

He explained that the scriptures permit the use of temporary images and installations as a transient measure, but to have the total functionality of a temple as ordained the features cannot be temporary.

Yegnasubramanian spoke about the purpose of the temple/multipurpose hall. The temple itself will be housed on the second floor. Inside the temple there will be areas designated to specific deities. Different priests work specifically with a certain deity.

These priests will be trained in specific Vedic schools, or Patasalas. Each image of a deity has specific rituals and is placed among the temple according to the instructions of the scriptures.

The first floor of the building will be the multipurpose hall. Yegnasubramanian explained that this portion will not be used for social occasions. The religious aspects of marriages and particular birthdays may be conducted within the hall.

Scholars giving lectures on aspects of religion or culture, and musical offerings to the gods will be made in the downstairs hall. Should there be a main religious service upstairs, there will be no other major activity in the other section of the temple.

The downstairs will also house a library and storage area. As people of the Hindu faith do not wear footwear during religious services, an area will be set aside for shoe racks, according to the plans.

In addition, family members will have the ability to perform ancestral rites, which at the moment they cannot do.

According to Yegnasubramanian's outline on the project, there are two kinds of specific prayers Hindus have for their ancestors. There are prayers offered following the death and cremation of an individual for 13 days and two consecutive days a month for the first year. The cremation rites would not be performed on the grounds of the temple. Also, prayers are offered on the anniversary date of the person's death.

He said a devout Hindu will perform these rituals for the rest of his life. These prayers are private to a family and cannot be mixed with temple rituals, nor are they performed within the temple. Priests who administer these rites cannot perform in regular temple services for the remainder of the day. Currently this type of service is not offered due to a lack of space.

Heilbrunn cleared up a question concerning kitchen facilities on the property. According to Heilbrunn, the offering of rice to the deities, prasadam, is a common practice. The food is then distributed to the worshippers. He said there will not be kitchen facilities in the temple, rather the rice would be prepared in electric rice steamers.

The priests' quarters will contain kitchens, but these are part of the separate building.

Four priests are currently in the temple, but an authentic temple usually has 12, which includes two supervisory priests. The HATCC plans to build a priest's quarters with 12 units, where priests and their families will stay.

Yegnasubramanian said the priests must be housed within the premises of the temple so they may render timely services to the gods and to the devotees.

Planning Board member Elvera Fernandez asked Yegnasubramanian if there are any authentic temples within the area.

He said the closest authentic temple is in Bridgewater, Somerset County, which is about 45 minutes from Marlboro.

The temple's proposed hours are 8:30- 11:30 a.m. and 4:30-8:30 p.m. on weekdays. Weekends and holidays will have the temple open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. At these times a devotee may worship whenever he chooses to do so. It is estimated that visiting devotees may number 30 to 50 at any given time.

There would be a regular service in the temple every day for an hour. Yegnasubramanian said there are a few festival days in the year, Diwali, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and Sivaratri.

During these festivals it is estimated that several hundred people will be spread out visiting over the course of the day. He also said some of these events are performed for more than one day, giving the opportunity for people to come over a few days.

"I think this is thrilling and I can't wait to see it completed," Heilbrunn said in a telephone interview.

The board members will hear testimony from the applicant's engineer, traffic engineer and architect at their Nov. 7 meeting.