Hindu Youth Explore Their Faith In US National Forum

Source: india-herald.com

FORT PARKER, TEXAS, February 17, 2010: Fort Parker State Park in Mexia, Texas was filled to capacity from February 5-7, for the Hindu student’s South Regional Retreat with 91 students representing eight universities and three states across the southern United States. Anju Bhargava, a member of President Barack Obama’s new Faith Advisory Council, flew to Texas from New Jersey for the night with a message. Bhargava described her experience as a Hindu American as well as her role as one of many Hindu American parents.

The South Region was especially honored to share the weekend with Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and Senthilnathaswami from the Kauai Hindu Monastery.

Swami Bodhinatha, the publisher of Hinduism Today magazine, renowned for his interaction with Hindu youth, led two discussion sessions–the first discussed how to balance college student life with being a Hindu and the second, science and ethics, specifically on medical ethics. Applicable and informative, both hours were well received.

Having been involved in various Hindu activities for years, Vaishnavi Kapadia, a senior at The University of North Texas describes this particular retreat as “an especially fulfilling experience because of our guest speakers. The wisdom they shared with us has inspired me to continue giving back to our community well past my college years.”

The evocative messages of the speakers were clearly heard, and to verbally as well as visually emphasize and expand on such ideas, representative Rishi Bhutada from the Hindu American Foundation opened the eyes and ears of the attendees even further to the innovative efforts of the Hindu community on various fronts. Bhutada’s information along with Sewa International’s regional coordinator, Vasudev Singh’s, presence, opened the doors for the students’ further participation in Hindu activity post-graduation.

Reflecting on the day, sophomore Anand Jayanti said, “I felt instantly a part of something much larger than me. Everyone there, in a similar manner, put aside what made them different and celebrated what we shared - our faith and dedication to Hinduism and the effort to provide Hindus on campuses all across the nation a venue to practice and expand upon their own faith.”