Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
PEWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, June 30, 2002: When Prem Sharma came to the United States in the 1960s to study at Marquette University’s dental school, the Burma native and a handful of Hindu families would hold prayer meetings in their houses for lack of a space to worship. Having long outgrown gathering in basements, a burgeoning Wisconsin Hindu population now has a temple of its own to call home. Sharma shared his joy with dozens of other Hindus flitting about the wooded grounds, as they prepared for the defining moment in the life of the two-year-old temple — the pran pratishthapana, or the installation of the deities. “It’s a matter of great joy and pride for our community,” said Sharma, 70, of Milwaukee. “This has been a long time coming.” The temple brought in a dozen Hindu priests from across the country to lead pujas for the different deities in the installation ceremonies, addressing the needs of Hindu communities in every part of India. “It has been a most beautiful thing, to watch the whole community come together,” temple board member Manju Shah said. “This temple has become the hub of the Indian community.”