For months, the Hindu community of West Orange has held services under a giant white tent.

Now, a temple is in the works.

"Given the large community here, we felt the time was right," said Vishnu Hardowar, the temple's spiritual leader.

On Saturday, the congregation broke ground for a 6,000-square-foot temple on a 5-acre lot at 8406 Clarcona-Ocoee Road. When completed in late summer, the Shri Surya Narayan Mandir -- which means "a manifestation of God" -- will be topped with a pointed dome and an Om, an ancient sacred Sanskrit symbol.

"Distinctive," is how Hardowar describes the temple.

The project is an achievement of the community and his family.

His father, the late Hardowar Panday, established temples in his native Crabwood Creek, Guyana, and in Jamaica, N.Y. The 19-year-old New York temple is attended by 600 families and has become a community and religious center, Hardowar said.

The Ocoee location is a sister to that facility. Why Ocoee? Several years ago, Vishnu Hardowar moved to the Orlando area. Like his father, he is a pandit -- a Hindu spiritual leader. Vishnu Hardowar is also a veterinarian, known in the community as "Pandit Doctor."

Hardowar said he saw a need for a temple immediately, especially for immigrants from his native Guyana and elsewhere in the West Indies.

Nearly 75,000 West Indians live in Central Florida. The Hindu population numbers 7,000 to 10,000 families. Many Orlando Hindus are immigrants from India, but others are from Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, which also have large Indian populations.

Central Florida has about a dozen temples of varying sizes. Some are small houses where a living room has been cleared to hold an altar. The largest Hindu temple in the area is in Casselberry. On a 10-acre site, that temple is run by the Hindu Society of Central Florida has a membership of 2,600 families, most from mainland India.

The Shri Surya Narayan Mandir (mandir means temple or church) has members from the Apopka, Ocoee and Winter Garden areas, although it pulls from other parts of Orlando as well.

A variety of rituals associated with Hindu customs -- some based on nationality -- is one reason there are so many temples. Another is the sprawling nature of Orlando, Hardowar said. People want a temple close to home, he said.

The 5 acres on a winding part of Clarcona-Ocoee Road was purchased two years ago. The mostly residential street is dotted with horse stables and other churches. Forest Lake golf course sits at one end.

The congregation started small -- about 30 families. Hardowar said they met under the tent, revival-like. Wind blew in dust. Sometimes, it rained.

"The need for the temple is immense," said member Purnesh Singh, who also attended the sister temple in New York for years.

Now, 150 families attend the Ocoee temple. Sunday services will continue at 9:30 a.m. until the building is finished in August.

The project -- sanctuary and community center -- will be completed in two stages. In upcoming years, a second building will be added to the campus.

For the groundbreaking, Hardowar and his older brother, Ram Hardowar, a spiritual leader at the New York temple, presided over services. On Feb. 22 and 23, the ground was blessed in what is called a Bhoomi Pooja -- a prayer service to honor mother earth. Flower petals and sandalwood sticks were thrown into a flame as an offering.

Singh said the need to build a temple was mostly an effort for the community to attract members of the younger generation who are straying from the culture.

"We need a place identifiable to our young people," Singh said.

For more information, visitwww.ssnm.org.

quote:

His father, the late Hardowar Panday, established temples in his native Crabwood Creek, Guyana, and in Jamaica, N.Y. The 19-year-old New York temple is attended by 600 families and has become a community and religious center, Hardowar said.

The Hardowars are a very respected family.
The late Pandit Hardwar was a very good Pandit.

quote:

Originally posted by Chief:

quote:

His father, the late Hardowar Panday, established temples in his native Crabwood Creek, Guyana, and in Jamaica, N.Y. The 19-year-old New York temple is attended by 600 families and has become a community and religious center, Hardowar said.

The Hardowars are a very respected family.
The late Pandit Hardwar was a very good Pandit.

Interesting that the construction of more temples continue at a break neck pace, lock in step with the retirement ages of the priests. Now the question is...why are these fellas building thses massive structures with public funds, and the control, yes controls, are tightly held by the kith and kin?

quote:

Originally posted by laker:

quote:

Originally posted by Chief:

quote:

His father, the late Hardowar Panday, established temples in his native Crabwood Creek, Guyana, and in Jamaica, N.Y. The 19-year-old New York temple is attended by 600 families and has become a community and religious center, Hardowar said.

The Hardowars are a very respected family.
The late Pandit Hardwar was a very good Pandit.

Interesting that the construction of more temples continue at a break neck pace, lock in step with the retirement ages of the priests. Now the question is...why are these fellas building thses massive structures with public funds, and the control, yes controls, are tightly held by the kith and kin?

now you want to open a can or worms..Lake yu bad yu noo :)

Bass...I tell you this I call it the way I see it. Too bad if it is bad for some people to accept.

quote:

Originally posted by laker:
Bass...I tell you this I call it the way I see it. Too bad if it is bad for some people to accept.

I know Bro...yu is a no nansense bannas..nuff respect man.:)

quote:

Originally posted by SuperMike:

quote:

Originally posted by laker:
Bass...I tell you this I call it the way I see it. Too bad if it is bad for some people to accept.

I know Bro...yu is a no nansense bannas..nuff respect man.:)

Mikey..respect to you too. See, when the mass remains quiet, then the leaders, and I use this term very loosely, feels that they are embolden to do the nonsense, especially if they shroud it in some form of piety. Now religion lends piety to many many sinners, so these bozos go on committing sin in the name of religion/god, and then everybady come and cuss the respective religion that these hypocrites practice. Now, irregardless how divine your prayer is, if you bring religion in to disrepute, you deserve nothing but the wrath of your god. That being said, if something is wrong in the eye of mankind, then I dare say, it is wrong in god's eyes. My take.

quote:

Originally posted by laker:

quote:

Originally posted by SuperMike:

quote:

Originally posted by laker:
Bass...I tell you this I call it the way I see it. Too bad if it is bad for some people to accept.

I know Bro...yu is a no nansense bannas..nuff respect man.:)

Mikey..respect to you too. See, when the mass remains quiet, then the leaders, and I use this term very loosely, feels that they are embolden to do the nonsense, especially if they shroud it in some form of piety. Now religion lends piety to many many sinners, so these bozos go on committing sin in the name of religion/god, and then everybady come and cuss the respective religion that these hypocrites practice. Now, irregardless how divine your prayer is, if you bring religion in to disrepute, you deserve nothing but the wrath of your god. That being said, if something is wrong in the eye of mankind, then I dare say, it is wrong in god's eyes. My take.

Well said Bro and these are the reality we see around us as we speak,not forgetting that it affects human kind in every sector,race,religion and belief.We must however in these cases(of Islam and Muslims) direct our concerns and criticisms to the actual perpetrators and must refrain from attaching these ridiculous behavior to this noble faith. Ever so often folks fail to segregate these two and proceed to slam all Muslims like me as you know what.How the hell am I responsible for the actions by the Osamas the Zarkawies and the folks in Saudi Arabia and why should folks paint me with the same brush.