Sep 27, 2011
Shree Shakti Mandir – Ambaji USA
1450 Huie Road, Lake City, Georgia 30260
The existence of Shree Shakti Mandir is a direct reflection of Gujarati peoples love for religious practices. The religious minded Gujarati community got to gather and created an institution for the future generation to preserve nurture our rich cultural heritage. In the year 1991 the group acquired 31 acre land, out of that 5 acres of land was acquired from Ram Corporation at cost, in the Lake City area under the leadership of late Dr. Sumant Patel. On the auspicious day of March 22, 1991 groundbreaking ceremonies took place and thus Shree Shakti Mandir came into being.
Interestingly, the group consisted of people from north-south and middle part of Gujarat. The vision was clear in everyone’s mind, however, raising funds for the project was a million dollar question. . It was the beginning for community and its wealth accumulation as we see them today! Gujarati community from all neighboring states-Alabama, South & North Carolinas got united and Mother Goddess also shower blessings on this unique project. On June 6, 1993 Murti-Pratishtha ceremony consummated. People generously donated for the various idols of Mother Goddess and during its ritualistic ceremonies of instilling life in them. Keeping in mind variety of sects of followers, Shree Shakti Mandir has idols of Mother Goddess Ambaji, Goddess Lakshmiji, Goddess Umiyaji, Goddess Bahucharaji, Goddess Kalika, Lord Radha-Krishna; Lord Ram-Lakshman-Janki; Lord Shiva and Parvatiji, Lord Ganeshji; Lord Hanumanji’s in the sanctum sanatoria.
Since 1989, before Shri Shakti Mandir came into existence, some of the Gujarati people were celebrating big Hindu festivals in a rented facility. Among such celebration, Navaratri celebration was chief among others. Shri Shakti Mandir came into being as an answer to this need.
In the infancy of Shree Shakti Mandir, devotees received a hand written circulars, which became a professionally printed newsletter in a short time. Later on Shree Shakti Mandir published a self-sufficient quarterly “Shakti” and ran it for four to five years. “Shakti”, the well-received magazine of Shree Shakti Mandir carried articles on Mandir’s activities its photographs, upcoming events, articles on religious subjects and some nice inspirational religious stories.
From the day one Shree Shakti Mandir celebrated all Hindu festivals and served delicious Mahaprasad at the end of function for all the participants. In the initial years, there used to be a small kitchen on your right hand side as you enter into the Mandir. Men and women volunteers devoted their time in whatever capacity they could in preparing Mahaprasad for attending devotees. Shree Shakti Mandir has also played a major role in establishing a tradition to celebrating a festival on the day it falls and not conveniently on the weekend. This tradition gave religious minded Hindus a flare of their native land! The learned and well versed in rituals and tradition teams of priest takes care of all the deities in the temple and serves the community needs. They conduct religious functions in the Mandir as well as go to devotee’s homes to conduct religious functions too.
A Trustee Committee and an Executive committee were formed to carry out Mandir’s operation. Later on Mandir found a formula to work with only a “Governing Body”, replacing both committees. Dr. Sumant Patel served as a chairman since inception and insisted that he should be replaced by a young dedicated businessman Mr. Mukeshbhai Patel who is popularly know as “MA”. Dedicated to service, self-effacing young MA gave a new boost to Mandirs’ all the activities in all direction.
As a first project, Shri MA created a playground in front of Shree Shakti Mandir. Secondly, he moved kitchen from front of the Mandir to the rear of the temple. The front of the Mandir where kitchen used to be is now houses “Dhrma-Gyan Bandar” a store selling Puja materials and religious literature at a reasonable rate. In the mean time, Shree Shakti Mandir, being the only abode of Mother Goddess in USA, attracted many many visitors from far away. To respond to the devotees need for a good vegetarian meal during their visit, Shree Shakti Mandir started “Shri Ambika Bhojnalay” a free place to eat during 12 Noon to 8 pm for all the devotees barring all cast and creed. Call it blessings from Mother Goddess or devotion of devotees; there have been a continuous stream of donations to run “Shri Ambika Bhojnalay” ever since its inception.
The steady stream of donations of all kinds has enable Shree Shakti Mandir to keep on going and meet the socio-religious needs of devotees. The overwhelming response forced Shree Shakti Mandir for expansion. Again, Shree Shakti Mandir acquired 10 more acres of land from Ram Corporation, which was controlled by Late Dr. Sumant Patel and his business friends.
Just as man proposes, God disposes…In they year 2003 late Dr. Sumant Patel was travelling to attend his brothers’ late rites, he got a massive heart attack in the airplane near Karachi and he departed this earth for heavenly abode. It was a lightening shock on all the devotees of the Shree Shakti Mandir and rest of the Asian-American community at large.
There were two projects that were conceived during late Dr. Patel’s presence. (1) To build a ‘Shikhar’, a traditional dome on Shree Shakti Mandir. (2) To build a big hall to play Navaratri Garba and use the facility for wedding. The later project got precedence over the first one.
Following untimely demise of Dr. Sumant Patel, his business colleagues involved in Ram Corporation got together and decided to donate 16 acres of land to Shree Shakti Mandir for expansion of the temple and build an old people’s community. The then Governing Body decided to construct a 65000 square feet hall consisting a 40,000 square feet ‘Chachar Chok’, a 10,000 square feet hall and a 3,000 square feet hall. All three halls have their independent kitchens too. Also there are rooms to conduct classes for young adults and storerooms to hoard supplies. When Shree Shakti Mandir undertook this project, they did not have enough funds to complete this massive project. However, dedicated followers and blessings of Mother Goddess allowed us to complete this project in a record time of six months. The new hall was unanimously named ‘Sumant Center’. Pujya Didi Sadhvi Rutambharaji delivered maiden discourses on Shrimad Bhavat’ at ‘Sumant Center’.
This facility hosted two great discourses during the year 2009. First Shri Rameshbhai Oza gave seven-day discourses on ‘Shrimad Bhagvat’ followed by Shri Morari Bapu’s discourses on Ramayana. Both discourses attracted many Hindu devotees from all over USA and they all, during their short visit, expressed their satisfaction about the facility.
The various small halls are available at a reasonable rate to the community for socio-religious functions.
As we all know Shree Shakti Mandir has come a long way. All of us at Shree Shakti Mandir believe that it was blessings of Mother Goddess as among all disappointments and difference of opinions among workers; there was never a doubt about our goal! Today, looking behind I can say with confidence that all the workers’ dedication and endeavors have placed Shree Shakti Mandir at a very high pedestal that is envious to many non-Hindus. We also believe that in future many more will come forward to serve Mother Goddess in their own special way.
May Mother Goddess bless all who helped realized this dream and those are thinking of come forward to serve!
-Ambalal Patel
