HR0425 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0425 LRB097 12138 KXB 56178 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the devotees of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple of Greater Chicago on the 25th anniversary of the Temple; and

WHEREAS, Thousands of devotees from the Midwestern states, especially from the Chicago area, used to travel to Pittsburgh to have darshan of Sri Venkateswara swami; while the experience was spiritually rewarding, the time and effort required to make the trip was making it difficult for many to have his darshan as often as their hearts desired; many felt a void in their spiritual lives and their discontent was widespread; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the philanthropy of 9 families who donated 20 acres of land with a farm house in Aurora, as a site for the proposed Balaji temple, a beginning was made in the realization of a dream; since Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple is an institution that has to serve innumerable generations to come, plans were drawn on a magnificent scale related to the means available and the needs of the moment; and

WHEREAS, Padmasri M. Muthiah Sthapathy, a noted expert on temple construction in India, collaborated with Sri Subhash Nadkarni, a reputed architect of Chicago and a devotee of Balaji, and together they designed the temple; the design is an excellent blend of ancient Shilpa shastra and modern architectural technology; the design also served as a model for other temples that were built later in the United States; a unique feature of the temple is provision for circumambulation (pradakshina) inside the temple, not only around the presiding deity, but around all the major shrines inside the temple; and

WHEREAS, The mission of the Temple is continuing and promoting the highest values of Hindu culture, philosophy, religion, spirituality, and tradition in their adopted Homeland with benevolence, compassion, and tolerance; and

WHEREAS, The Grand 25th anniversary celebrations will be held May 29-June 5, 2011; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the devotees of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple of Greater Chicago on this momentous occasion and wish them the best for years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the devotees of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple of Greater Chicago as a symbol of our respect and esteem.