PREFACE

However, after my several visits abroad, my own personal experience is that the overseas Hindus take such care and pain in the pursuit of understanding the cardinal principles of Hinduism and practice it, nay, also preach it to our brethren in large number. The young and the old, despite their tight schedule and long hours of work from Monday through Friday, still find some time to think of the Almighty in the early mornings before embarking on their schedule. What is more interesting is that during the week ends, Saturdays and Sundays, the Hindus do not merely look forward to picnics and carnivals, but to more important congregation of the community as a whole in places of religious worship.

The various temples in United States attract such large gatherings that one is really amazed at the turn out; the volunteers assisting the devotees are drawn from men and women of high positions who wish to do real selfless work and in so doing they really enjoy the same.

I learn that the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, New York as well as Sri Meenakshi Temple in Houston, Texas and Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania have recently put up Kalyana Mandapams, with all amenities attached to it, at a cost over one to five million US dollars each. The New York Temple in Flushing is nearing its silver Jubilee now and the other two Temples are nearly 15 to 20 years old. I am pleased to note that there are one or two Hindu temples in every major city in USA and Canada including Chicago, Washington, Boston, Los Angeles and Toranto. The priests in almost all these temples in the United States and Canada are the ones from India, well qualified in their professional pursuits, also English speaking and doing wonderful job of propagating the Sanathana Dharma and the cardinal principles of Hinduism.

In the context of the above, your book "Principles and Practice of Hindu Religion" is such a welcome addition enriching one's knowledge in deeper measures. What pleases me most is that a medical professional of your high caliber could yet find so much time to author the book and it only shows your fathom less interest in propagating all the virtues and virtuous things enshrining Sanathana Dharma. While I wish the volume all the success, I consider it indeed a privilege that the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan celebrating its Diamond Jubilee next year will involve itself in the publication.