ORLANDO, FLORIDA, June 20, 2005: Sunday’s ceremonies to celebrate the new Hindu Temple offered a feast of color, sound, scents and flavors. Priests and Indian women inside the temple wore a palette of bright and jewel-toned colors in their traditional garb. Conversations were muted by sounds of chanting and drumming. Smells of incense wafted through the air. Outside at lunchtime, the crowd dined on dishes including spicy roasted vegetables, beans and rice. Hindu priests from around the country took part in the holy celebration. So too did thousands from Central Florida. “It’s like, once in a lifetime,” said Veena Selvamani, 13, who stood outside videotaping as helicopters dropped rose petals on the ornate 12,000-square-foot building. She stooped to pick up a petal, planning to keep it as a memento of the day.
Sunday was the culmination of a five-day celebration of the temple’s opening. Hindus from around Central Florida see the temple as a source of cultural pride that will draw local Hindus, tourists and those who are simply curious about the building. Volunteers had toiled virtually nonstop in preparation for the ceremonies, polishing sacred objects, making floral decorations and serving food. “I know people who haven’t slept for days,” said Sangeeta Mohan of Heathrow, who attended religious ceremonies at the temple last week and spent the morning of her 38th birthday there. “It was a good celebration,” she said. “I was blessed by God.” When asked what she liked best about Sunday’s ceremonies, Mohan’s 11-year-old daughter, Smiti, paused. A friend stopped by and quickly answered for her. “The energy force,” said Sheela Desai, 50, of Altamonte Springs. “The energy going on in this area right now. You can feel it. There’s something powerful going on right now.”
The previous day, at least 300 non-Hindus had showed up to learn more about Hinduism. The curious included Dottie Pearson of Altamonte Springs. “I’ve never been to India. I don’t know much about Hinduism,” said Pearson, 76, struggling a bit to remove her shoes before entering the temple. “I thought this would be the time to learn more.” Inside, she looked in awe as crowds gathered around the shrines. I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m looking at. That’s understandable, said Anil Deshpande, chairman of the temple’s inauguration celebration. “To an outsider, this looks like chaos,” he said. “These are just different traditions and expressions of the same Deity.”