Newsletter – July/August 2022
| We are in Summer time. Hard to believe that we are onto the second half of 2022. Last month several of our families celebrated the High School graduation of their kids and now are getting ready to bid them farewell; mostly journeys across the water with both joyous and teary eyes. These are times which many in the older generation remember melancholically as the first step in the growth of the next gen. We wish all of them the best in their life pursuits. The intermediate gen is also moving along in their career paths and many are beginning their journey of life long learning and professional commitment in the coming months. All our good wishes follow them as well. Life is indeed a double edged sword. Mira Savara shares her memories of Oma Rana who just recently passed away. It is indeed the mixing of joy and sorrow that makes up the journey of life that all of us undertake. The adage of “living for the moment” is front and center in our thoughts in these unpredictable times with so much chaos around us. COVID is set to stay with us for a long time and we are learning to live with it in a reasonable practical manner. But there are other ailments afflicting the population around us such as mental health and gun violence that we need to be able to address for the safety, sanity and sanctity of our future. I would continue to urge members of our community to remain mindful and vigilant of their surroundings and take reasonable and practical precautions.  We just celebrated July 4th as the independence day of this adopted nation for many of us. Next month on August 15th, many in our Indian community will celebrate Independence Day. Flags are a symbol of idea/identity and as a part of our family celebration we had four flags flying in our home on the 4th to honor our roots and current status (American, Hawaiian, Canadian and Indian). The origins of flags goes to the ancient Chinese and Indian culture and since then have evolved into varied usage in times with a very chequered history. In my research I would like to recognize them as symbols of identity and help us with our own goals in the context of this identity. I would love to hear other thoughts even as our family had a robust discussion on this topic before actually for the first time after leaving India embarked on having flags at home. LOTUS is planning to have an in person event for Diwali. We are hoping to finalize details in the next few weeks. Please block of the weekend of October 29th if you would like to be a part of it. We welcome ideas from the community to help us make this a successful and enjoyable event. This newsletter is reaching your mailbox on Guru Purnima. Take a moment to think about your teachers and mentors who have guided you in life until now. With these last thoughts, take care and have a wonderful summer. Warm aloha. |
 | Temple Activities – June 19th, 2022 There was a semblance of the old attendance at the Wahiawa temple. This month we will be having the pooja zoom casted on July 17, 2022. Please try and attend between 12 and 2 pm if you are able to join. The link to join the meeting is HERE. You are welcome to join us in person at the Wahiawa temple too. If you would like to do any special pooja for this coming month please contact V. Balaraman directly to make arrangements for the same. |
| Remembrance – Oma Rana Mira Savara, July, 2022 Rest in love, dear Oma. Be at peace and let your soul fly free. On July 4, 2022, our beloved friend Oma Rana passed away. It has left me, and so many others, heartbroken. Oma, her 2 sons Lovneet (Lovee) and Manmeet (Manu) and late husband Yash Paulsingh Rana were among the first families attending the LOTUS prayers when the prayers started in 1989 at the Healing Stone in Wahiawa. She took great joy in cooking for the LOTUS temple prayer gatherings and volunteering for the Diwali functions. She sang along joyfully for the bhajan hour at the monthly Puja. Her cheerful attitude and bright smile will be tremendously missed at LOTUS gatherings.  Oma had a gift of being able to connect and make a relationship with everybody in a few minutes. She was addressed as “Mrs. Rana“,“Bhabhiji” , “Oma Didi” and “Oma Aunty“ Each name meant something special to the person addressing her. Oma was a wonderful friend to me, supporting me for over 30 years. She believed in being authentic with people and offered valuable and truthful advice, which I will miss. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with her. She was a devoted mother to her sons, Lovee and Manu, and laid a strong foundation for them. The many people who love her and her children will watch over them, as she did and make sure that they have a great life, full of her values and wishes. When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure” – Unknown |
| July/August 2022 Calendar: July 13 – Guru Purnima July 17 – Wahiawa Temple Pooja Day July 29 – Bollywood Night on Oahu July 30 – Islamic New Year August 5 – Varalakshmi Vrat August 7 – Friendship Day August 11 – Rakhi/Raksha Bandhan August 18 – Janmashtami August 19 – Hawaii Statehood Day August 21 – Wahiawa Temple Pooja Day August 31 – Ganesh Chaturthi |
