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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate the devotees of Sri
4Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple of Greater Chicago on the
525th anniversary of the Temple; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Thousands of devotees from the Midwestern states,
7especially from the Chicago area, used to travel to Pittsburgh
8to have darshan of Sri Venkateswara swami; while the experience
9was spiritually rewarding, the time and effort required to make
10the trip was making it difficult for many to have his darshan
11as often as their hearts desired; many felt a void in their
12spiritual lives and their discontent was widespread; and
 
13    WHEREAS, As a result of the philanthropy of 9 families who
14donated 20 acres of land with a farm house in Aurora, as a site
15for the proposed Balaji temple, a beginning was made in the
16realization of a dream; since Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji)
17Temple is an institution that has to serve innumerable
18generations to come, plans were drawn on a magnificent scale
19related to the means available and the needs of the moment; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Padmasri M. Muthiah Sthapathy, a noted expert on
21temple construction in India, collaborated with Sri Subhash
22Nadkarni, a reputed architect of Chicago and a devotee of

 

 

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1Balaji, and together they designed the temple; the design is an
2excellent blend of ancient Shilpa shastra and modern
3architectural technology; the design also served as a model for
4other temples that were built later in the United States; a
5unique feature of the temple is provision for circumambulation
6(pradakshina) inside the temple, not only around the presiding
7deity, but around all the major shrines inside the temple; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The mission of the Temple is continuing and
9promoting the highest values of Hindu culture, philosophy,
10religion, spirituality, and tradition in their adopted
11Homeland with benevolence, compassion, and tolerance; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Grand 25th anniversary celebrations will be
13held May 29-June 5, 2011; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we congratulate the devotees of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji)
17Temple of Greater Chicago on this momentous occasion and wish
18them the best for years to come; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the devotees of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji)
21Temple of Greater Chicago as a symbol of our respect and
22esteem.