CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, July 11, 2014 (Concord Monitor): From the windows of the Heights Community Center auditorium in Concord, a man’s monotone voice chants holy Sanskrit legends. This is Srimad Bhagavata Maha Purana, a week of devotion and community organized by the new Hindu Faith Trust of NH.
The people inside pray for peace around the world, enlightenment in their own hearts and brotherhood in their community. From 9 a.m. until the evening, every day until Wednesday, people will gather in the auditorium to pray, chant, dance and sing, and receive blessings. Organizers from the Hindu Faith Trust said they expect people from across New England to attend over the weekend.
Though it has been organized mainly by Hindus from Bhutan, the event is designed to bring New Hampshire’s Hindu community – from India, Nepal and elsewhere – together to worship and bond. Less than 1 percent of the population in New Hampshire is Hindu, according to a study released in April, but that population is growing and seeking to build places to gather for traditional services and festivals.