Hartford Courant
MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, June 16, 2003: More than 50 children who range from ages 4 to 15 fill the Sri Satyanarayana Temple’s downstairs room every Sunday. The Temple’s Sunday school is one of about a half-dozen Sunday schools within a temple in the country, said Jyotish Parekh, president of VHP of America, a religious and cultural organization based in New York with chapters in 30 states. On a recent afternoon, the kindergartners were on stage, practicing a song in English and Sanskrit for the temple’s first Sunday school graduation ceremony. The temple has been a haven for their immigrant parents, but it holds less appeal for American-born Hindu youths. As a result, the temple has been forced to reinvent itself. Temple leaders started the Sunday school a year ago. While the concept of Sunday school is unknown in India, it fits neatly into the American way of life. The curriculum, created by parents and members who act as teachers, is a systematic way of transferring a complex blend of beliefs and practices to the next generation. “It’s amazing to me how easy it is for them to understand some really complex, esoteric topics by using artwork, songs and dance,” said Divya Jyothi Difazio, who teaches at the temple. “They can now explain these concepts to a Western friend, who might come over to their house and see a shrine with an elephant-headed figure. They can explain the significance, and that they don’t worship elephants.”