Hindu Mandir (Temple) Executives representing 113 Temples and Hindu Organizations from more than 25 states of US and Canada and Caribbean converged in Romulus, MI to attend the Third Hindu Mandir Executives Conference (HMEC), from September 26, 2008 through September 28, 2008. They traveled from as far as British Columbia in Canada, Hawaii, California, Florida, and the heartland of America, with a mission to nourish, protect and sustain Hindu Dharma in America.

This very successful HMEC-2008 follows the second HMEC held in Edison, NJ in August 2007 and the first ever such Conference of Executives of Hindu Mandirs(Temples) held in Atlanta, GA, in June 2006, which were attended by representatives of 99 and 57 temples respectively from all over North America.

The executives represented a wide cross-section of the Hindu community. These attendees who numbered over 225, were physicians, scientists, businesspersons, homemakers, engineers, etc., besides being temple executives with deep commitment to fulfilling the spiritual and social needs of Hindu-American community.

The group was diverse in terms of age, race, generation, as well as national origin. The conference had some parallel sessions for the youth representing temples from across the nation. Deven Patel, a 30 something, President of Shri Mandir San Diego, CA, said, “This platform will serve the purpose of furthering our cause in preserving HINDU Dharma for our future generations in USA”.

Addressing the temple executives from across the country, Swami Dayananda Saraswati of the ‘Arsha Vidya Gurukulam’, who was the keynote speaker, emphasized that the Hindu Mandirs should be halls of learning for the Hindu youth besides being the altars of worship.

At HMEC 2008, Hindu Mandir executives collectively deliberated on the evolving social, religious, cultural and spiritual needs of 2.5 million strong, confident, diverse and vibrant Hindu-American community. Deepak Kotecha, author of ‘Hindus Awake’, was inspired and mentioned that “Hindu Temples are now rising above their denominational confines and presenting a unified face of Hinduism to which the world can look up to, admire and be inspired by.”