Vraj Hindu Temple
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The Vraj Hindu Temple is located at 51 Manor Road in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, two miles west of the intersection of Pennsylvania Routes 183 and 895.
The temple is a multimillion-dollar temple or haveli covering 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the land. Vraj is also known as Nootan Nandalay, and abode for God Shrinathji, a manifestation of Krishna. It is visited by an average of 100,000 Hindu pilgrims annually.[1] Vraj offers daily prayers (Darshans), annual events and volunteer opportunities for young people.
The temple is associated with the Pushtimarg Vaishnav sect.[2][3]
Before 1987, Vraj Hindu Temple was a yoga recreational center. The land was purchased in the summer of 1987 by the temple's visionary founder Govind Bhikhabhai Shah (Kaka) with support from 29 other investors. The temple became official in November 1988 during the inaugural Patotsav Celebration when it was claimed that Shrinathji appeared for the first time at Vraj.[citation needed]
Darshans (prayer events)
The Temple has daily darshans. Darshan is a sanctum that is organized six times a day (everyday) as different prayers. Each Darshan has a special mood, emotion, clothes, music and food:[citation needed]
- Mangala - to underline the auspiciousness of the beginning the day.
- Shringar - Shrinathji is dressed, and a flower garland is placed around his neck.
- Raajbhoog - the main meal of the day with different types of sweet.
- Utthapan - for when Shrinathji is believed to wake up from afternoon siesta.
- Sandhya Arati - an evening prayer with light garland.
- Shayan - a celebration with music and drumming to herald the final prayer of the day.
