About Barsana Dham
Facts About Barsana Dham
200 acre campus with Temple
50 full time adult residents (no minors)
Barsana Dham is a local landmark and a source of pride for Austinites. It is recognized as a source of authentic knowledge about the Hindu faith. Barsana Dham regularly offers educational tours to a wide variety of groups, including schools and universities.
Barsana Dham provides educational programs to teach others about Hinduism and India. Teachers are regularly invited to speak at local churches, civic groups, schools and universities. Visiting groups frequently schedule tours of the Temple and grounds.
Barsana Dham provides community facilities for traditional Hindu weddings and other family and cultural events.
Thousands of Texans have attended yoga classes at the Barsana Dham yoga residential retreat center.
Every Sunday a community worship service is held which is attended by hundreds of members.
Hindu organizations and Temples from around the United States gather at Barsana Dham for national conferences and events.
Thousands of Hindus from around the country and the state of Texas participate in the programs at Barsana Dham. Hindu families from Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi and from as far away as Europe, New Zealand and India regularly come to visit.
Barsana Dham has been very involved in the local inter-religious community for the last 15 years.
Important Events for Barsana Dham
Barsana Dham's vice president, Prabhakari Devi was invited to deliver the first ever Hindu prayer in the Texas Senate.
Barsana Dham opened its doors to Hurricane Katrina evacuees & conducted a fundraising drive in its wake, donating all funds collected to American Red Cross.
Religious festivals bring Hindus from around the state and region together to Barsana Dham. The last important festival of Holi drew more than 3,000 worshippers.
April 26, 2008 is the 12th annual Barsana Dham Mela and Open House, a tradition that was started to invite the community to visit, tour the temple, experience the sights and sounds of India and learn about the basic beliefs of Hinduism. The Mela attracts more than 5,000 people every year.
About Swami Prakashanand Saraswati
Shree Swami Prakashanand Saraswati is a widely respected spiritual leader of Hinduism, the world.s oldest major religion and its third largest with approximately 1 billion members.
Born on January 15, 1929, Shree Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, was given renounced monastic orders in 1950 by one of India.s most renowned spiritual leaders.
In 1990, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati founded Barsana Dham, a non-profit, center in Austin, Texas, devoted to religious education and charitable works.
He is a world renowned author of several authoritative books on Hinduism. Swami Prakashanand Saraswti has often been the keynote speaker for Austin inter-religious services.
He works tirelessly to uplift people through his writings, teachings, lectures and in the creation of temples and Hindu centers around the world. He also has personally overseen the construction of two charitable hospitals in India, and is beginning a third hospital.
Shree Swamiji has been honored with many international awards and titles to recognize his charitable and spiritual work.