Selvanathan Jothiswarar of Kuala Lumpur felt profoundly conflicted when his late wife's insurance check arrived after her death in August of 2007 at the young age of 37.
"I just didn't know what to do," he recalls. "I had a loved one who had sacrificed everything for my sake," he said of his wife Rani. "It felt grossly unfair just to take the death benefit. I thought I should use the benefit to do what my wife loved most doing: giving."
She was remarkably responsive to needy individuals and good causes, he explained. "She would insist on my giving as much as we could, even if it meant depleting our savings or pawning her jewelry. If I hesitated, she would always say, 'It's OK if we are deprived of our wants. But a needy person or a noble cause should never be deprived of funds.' Every time we gave, I could see great satisfaction in her face."
With that image in mind, Selvanathan used the insurance proceeds to establish the Rani Jothiswarar Memorial Fund at the Hindu Heritage Endowment. But he still had to define the Fund's purpose.
"I discussed the fund with our Satguru Bodhinatha of Kauai's Hindu Monastery. Swami replied that the insurance proceeds could be used to maintain the retreat facilities for the monks on Kauai. I agreed. Our scriptures clearly say our monks must help keep the physical and inner world equilibrium. But it is the responsibility of the grihasthas, the families, to take care of the monks' material needs."
His family's relationship with Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami goes back to 2001 when Bodhinatha came to Ulu Behrang, Malaysia, shortly after becoming Kauai's Hindu Monastery's leader. "The first temple Kumbabhishekam which Bodhinatha presided over in Malaysia was the Ulu Behrang Ganesha temple where my father presided," Mr. Jothiswarar remembers.
"Swami blessed our home, too. From the day Rani was diagnosed with cancer, we were in touch with Swami almost every day by e-mail explaining her condition and seeking his prayers and guidance. There were frequent occasions where certain painful situations were overcome by Satguru's prayers. So when Rani left, I sought his advice on setting up a fund."
Selvanathan found that establishing the fund (fund #72) was more than a tribute to his wife. It was a salve to his grief. He encourages others to talk to their loved ones about what they want done in their memory when the time comes. That kind of frank discussion, he urged, though difficult, "will allow us to have the satisfaction of knowing we have done what pleases our loved one the most." He added that a gift supporting his Hindu faith was particularly comforting.
"As we suffer the grief of a great loss, the only bastion available is our religion," he shared. "We must make sure we offer the material help needed for our faith to live on and on, helping every Hindu overcome the moment of loss and grief."
An engineer by profession, Mr. Jothiswarar lives with his two children, Siva Jothiswary, 14, and Kodiswara, 10, and now works as an astrologer in Kuala Lumpur. He travels north on alternate days to Ulu Behrang, Perak, to assist his father, a Hindu priest and astrologer, with the Ganesha Temple prayer services.
For information about the Rani Jothiswarar Memorial Fund or to establish your own fund, contact Shanmuganathaswami at hhe@hindu.org. To donate to this fund, visit www.hheonline.org [www.hheonline.org].
Kauai Aadheenam Monastic Endowment
Ripla & Gaurav Malhotra US$501.00
K. Lakshmi Kantha Reddy 305.00
Pathmini Saravanapavan 25.00
Darmaguhan & ShivaliSatgunasingam 75.00
Niraj Thaker 76.50
Other Donations 4,924.92
Total 5,929.25
Iraivan Temple Endowment
Gayatri Arasaratnam 100.00
Roger & Rosemary Brown 120.00
Victoria Lynne Johnson 51.00
Latha Kannan 153.00
Anonymous 600.00
Shetal Joshi & Anant Khudanpur 20.20
Anonymous 1,503.00
Niraj Thaker 76.50
Gunavinthan Siva Thirumalai 240.00
Raja Vishnu 123.50
T. Wickramavarathan 100.00
Other Donations 58,378.66
Total 61,476.78
Kauai Aadheenam Annual Archana Fund
Gunavadee Caremben 2.95
Somasundaram Caremben 2.95
Sukanta Caremben 2.95
Sharath Chigurupati 369.00
Kamala Guhan 240.00
Victoria Lynne Johnson 17.00
Shetal Joshi & Anant Khudanpur 20.20
Amooda Koothan 5.76
Saravan Koothan 5.76
Saroja Devi Manickam 1.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 33.32
Jayasutha Samuthiran 42.08
Devaladevi Sivaceyon 9.27
Nutanaya Sivaceyon 46.50
Patudeva Sivaceyon 9.27
Hemavalli Sivalingam 2.80
Kantaruban Sivalingam 2.80
Nitya Sivam 50.00
Potriyan Sivanathan 19.78
Uma Sivanathan 40.00
Siven Veerasamy 30.86
Total 965.17
Hinduism Today Lifetime Subscription Fund
Yatrika Ajaya 134.62
Jeri Arin 168.00
Kris Bhat 493.00
Jnanideva Cevvel 500.00
Ram M Cheerath 240.00
Maruthu Pandian Darmalingam 246.40
Kamala Guhan 160.00
Rosa Jaramillo Osuna 174.47
Auslin Mangal Lawrence 45.00
K. Nagarajah 958.60
Shankar Paramasivam 240.00
Bharati Patil 240.00
Bhaskar & Phani Peesapati 80.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 80.00
Suselah Periasamy 280.64
Kirit Shah 240.00
Sujata Singh 160.00
Rohan Sundaralingam 240.00
Shivani Vinayaga 86.63
Haresh D. Vyas 800.00
Total 5,578.28
Hindu Businessmen's Association Trust
Paramaseeven Canagasaby 26.86
Vel Mahalingum 23.03
Manogaran Mardemootoo 57.61
Easvan Param 956.14
Total 1,063.64
Boys School for Iraivan Priesthood
Bala Sivaceyon 18.54
Total 29.46
Kauai Aadheenam Matavasi Medical Fund
Maruthu Pandian Darmalingam 46.05
Gowri Nadason 166.18
Vayudeva Varadan 54.00
Other Donations 4,800.00
Total 5,077.15
Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam
Jnanideva Cevvel 500.00
Anonymous 900.00
Total 1,410.92
Sri Subramuniya Kottam Fund
Arumugam Alvappillai 60.00
T. Anbu & Gowthamy Balakumaran 90.00
Sangarappillai Manoharan 75.00
Thavaputhiran Sivapalan 30.00
Nirupa Vignarajan 900.00
Manny Yogarajah 90.00
Total 1,255.92
Kumbhalavalai Ganesha Temple Endowment
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00
Total 85.92
Hinduism Today Production Fund
Sherilyn G. Daugherty 100.00
Hiranya Gowda 93.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 33.34
Narayana & Sarojini Rao 1,500.00
Caryn Sobel 25.00
Total 1,762.26
Hindu Orphanage Endowment Fund
Vinaya Alahan 50.00
Sherilyn G. Daugherty 100.00
Jothi Kotta 666.00
Kumar Ranganathan 300.00
Alex Ruberto 75.00
G.V. Sarojini 20.00
Rodney & Ilene Standen 30.00
Raja Vishnu 123.50
Total 1,375.42
Hindu Education Endowment
Murali Balaji 8.33
Indu Dey 35.00
Naran D. Patel & Mani N.Patel Family 100.00
Total 154.25
Hindu Press International Endowment Fund
Hiranya Gowda 63.00
James Stapleton 18.00
Total 91.92
Loving Ganesha Distribution Fund
Eric Jautee 100.00
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 75.00
Gassa Patten 1,500.00
Total 1,685.92
Swami Agnivesh Endowment Fund
Prasad Krishnan 4.50
Total 15.42
Saiva Agamas Trust
Jnanideva Cevvel 600.00
Ganga Sivanathan 426.00
Total 1,036.92
Positive Discipline Endowment
Vinaya Alahan 50.00
Total 60.92
Alaveddy Pasupatheeswarar Temple Fund
Prasad Krishnan 4.50
Total 15.41
Hindu Heritage Endowment Administrative Fund
Anonymous 2,349.00
Total 2,359.91
Kauai Aadheenam Religious Art and Artifacts Fund
Rajadeva Alahan 153.00
Sherilyn G. Daugherty 100.00
Total 212.91
Thank You Bodhinatha Fund
Hotranatha Ajaya 33.00
Jnanideva Cevvel 600.00
Anonymous 60.00
Sherilyn G. Daugherty 100.00
Amarnath & Latha Devarmanai 324.00
Allison Harmer 11.34
Shetal Joshi & Anant Khudanpur 20.20
Rajkumar Manickam 108.00
Krishnakumar Manoharan 51.00
Dayavati Murugan 58.00
Anonymous 125.00
Manoharan Navaratnarajah 150.00
Hong-Nhung Nguyen 15.00
Shanta Devi Periasamy 345.00
Anonymous 191.00
Jayshree S. Rao 1,008.00
Alex Ruberto 45.00
Laurie & Mark Scurich 200.00
Vayudeva Varadan 63.00
Raja Vishnu 123.50
Total 3,641.95
Mathavasi Travel Fund
Sherilyn G. Daugherty 100.00
Total 110.91
Saivite Hindu Scriptural Fund for the Visually Impaired
Vidyavathi Ande 50.00
Alex Ruberto 45.00
Total 105.91
Sri Chandra Madhab Debnath Endowment
Anonymous 525.64
Murali Balaji 8.33
Total 544.88
Manitha Neyam Trust Fund
Bala Sivaceyon 37.07
Total 47.98
Taos Hanuman Fund
Murali Balaji 8.34
Total 19.25
Kapaleeshwara Temple Orphanage
Rajkumar Alagesan 54.00
Prasad Krishnan 4.50
Savithri Sundaresan 101.00
Total 170.41
Manjung Hindu Sabha Orphanage Fund
Dayavati Murugan 58.00
Total 68.91
Pazhassi Balamandiram Orphanage Fund
Rajkumar Alagesan 54.00
Prasad Krishnan 4.50
Anonymous 23.00
Savithri Sundaresan 101.00
Total 193.41
Karnataka Temple Development Fund
Hiranya Gowda 303.00
Ramesh & Arundathi Gowda 300.00
Subramanyam Krishnamurthy 10.00
Total 587.91
Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah Endowment Fund
Ramana Gopalan 1,500.00
Total 1,510.91
Hindu Literature Fund
Anonymous 111.00
Nigel Subramaniam Siva 600.00
Total 721.91
Hinduism Today Complimentary Subscription Fund
Hiranya Gowda 153.00
Jothi Kotta 667.00
Natraj Narayanswami 20.00
Anonymous 108.00
Total 958.92
Himalayan Academy Book Distribution Fund
Raja Vishnu 123.50
Total 134.41
Kauai Aadheenam Yagam Fund
Victoria Lynne Johnson 17.00
Total 27.91
Yogaswami Hindu Girls' Home of Sittandy Endowment
Jeri Arin 200.00
Maruthu Pandian Darmalingam 46.05
Shetal Joshi & Anant Khudanpur 20.20
Rajkumar Manickam 25.00
Natraj Narayanswami 143.00
Subramaniam Pennathur 33.34
Kumar Ranganathan 150.00
Ganga Sivanathan 300.00
K. Suriyakumar 1,500.00
Silas H. Zirkle 375.00
Total 2,803.50
Siva Poomi School Trust
Natraj Narayanswami 20.00
Total 30.91
Yogaswami Hindu Boys' Home Fund
Siva & Dharshi Balasingham 75.00
Maruthu Pandian Darmalingam 46.05
Dharmalingam Siddhan 150.00
Total 281.96
India Hindu Tribals Endowment
Jothi Kotta 667.00
Total 677.91
Murugan Temple of North America Puja Fund
Shetal Joshi & Anant Khudanpur 20.20
Vayudeva Varadan 54.00
Total 85.11
Saivite Tamil Foundation Endowment
S.K. Vadivale 45.82
Total 56.73
Rani Jothiswarar Memorial Fund
K. Balaraman Family 155.42
Rani Jothiswarar Estate 100.00
Sarkunan Krishnan 100.00
Total 355.42
Ramanathaswamy Temple Cleaning Fund
Vinaya Alahan 100.00
Panshula Ganeshan 20.00
Amravadee Kownden 100.00
Sushela Ramalingam 150.00
Shebabrata Shaha 7.00
Harish Mathuradas Thakrar 5.00
Total 382.00
Kauai Aadheenam Renovation Endowment
Other Donations 600.00
K.D. & A.D. Williams gave to 65different funds totalling $720.36
Total Contributions $106,075.83
Funds at Market Value, June 30, 2008
Total Endowment Funds $8,958,030.33
Total Pooled Income Funds $208,010.48
Grand Total US$9,166,040.81
MISSION STATEMENT: Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally managed financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: Halbert, Hargrove/Russell, Investment Counsel; Alvin G. Buchi