Appropriate Gift?

[Aanandinii]

Namaskar ji,

I have been planning a gift for the Pandit of the Temple in South Florida I went to last year during our annual trip to Florida.

It was my first visit to any Temple in the US and I was full of anxiety and nerves. Sri Shivachariayarji was very welcoming and calming, took time out of his morning meditation to speak with me and offered me some excellent guidance. He invited us back, but we could not go again while we were down. I think we may only manage one trip this year as well, though I hope for more.

I am so incredibly grateful to him and the Temple and wanted to make a special offering as a gift. I do not have the ability to give a big donation - though I still plan to donate what I can. I had a different idea, an inspiration, and am wondering if it would be appropriate.

I have been cleaning, oiling and mounting Nepalese Rudraksha seeds from dried fruits for a long time now. I use it as part of Sadhana, and also as a way to keep from picking at my fingers - my cuticles are finally almost healed.

I've also learned how to knot malas. So I was thikning of making a 108+1 Nepalese Rudraksha Mala and presenting it in a nice, velvet lined wooden box....

Would this be an appropriate gift for Sri Shivachariayarjiand the Mandir? If not, or if I should do anything specific with this idea i might have not thought of, what are people's suggestions?

Thanks for time and guidance.
~Pranam-s

[devotee]

Namaste Anandini ji,

That is a very good gift which is a symbol of your love and reverence.

OM

[Aanandinii]

Namaste Devoteeji,

Thank you! I know I can get over enthusiastic at times, it's reassuring to hear.

~Pranam

[Believer]

Namaste,

Many priests associated with the mandirs in the US don't quite get paid enough to live on. So, most times, I tend to give a cash donation in an envelope. It does not have to be a large one, but cash allows the flexibilty to the receiver to spend per their needs. Alternately, your mala idea is also a good one.

Pranam.

[Aanandinii]

Many priests associated with the mandirs in the US don't quite get paid enough to live on. So, most times, I tend to give a cash donation in an envelope. It does not have to be a large one, but cash allows the flexibilty to the receiver to spend per their needs. Alternately, your mala idea is also a good one.

Namaste Believerji,

Thank you for your response. This is something I have heard as well. My concern was so much centered around making sure the gift I was making would be appropriate and not over-the-top, perhaps I didn't put enough emphasis on my statement that I would also be donating some money - I have been putting aside a little each month in planning for that. I had hoped to be able to give more than I am going to have by December, but this year it is not possible.

That said, I has planned to put it in an envelope and leave it in the Hundi. Are you suggesting that instead I give it directly, along with the mala? Apologies if I misunderstand.

~Pranam

[Eastern Mind]

That said, I has planned to put it in an envelope and leave it in the Hundi. Are you suggesting that instead I give it directly, along with the mala? Apologies if I misunderstand.

~Pranam

Vannakkam: You definitely have to give it directly to the priest. The temple management will be counting the hundi, not the priest. Most priests work for a salary, and dakshina. Since the salary is often a pittance, they can use the dakshina. Generally dakshina is given after a puja (like a simple archana) is performed on your behalf. When he gives you the prasadam, you give hin the envelope. But of course you can always walk right up to him (not during puja, but after) of course.

Aum Namasivaya

[Aanandinii]

Vannakkam: You definitely have to give it directly to the priest. The temple management will be counting the hundi, not the priest. Most priests work for a salary, and dakshina. Since the salary is often a pittance, they can use the dakshina. Generally dakshina is given after a puja (like a simple archana) is performed on your behalf. When he gives you the prasadam, you give hin the envelope. But of course you can always walk right up to him (not during puja, but after) of course.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EMji,

I see! Thank you very much, and Believerji as well! I would not have guessed.

This brings up another question, though, about presentation. I am a little confused here because the Temple I go to is really more of a Satsang Center, they don't have a Priest or regular Pujari. So I am left without a good sense of the order of things...

When we attended this temple last year, we arrived early - about an hour after it opened - to attend the puja and aarti. We paid our respects at each shrine and then sat in meditation. Sri Shivachariayarji eventually asked us to come sit with him, and indicated that we should put our offerings on the silver plate he had laid out next to the table in front of him.

I intend to visit at the same time if they are still open then. I had intended to simply put our offerings in that spot he indicated last time, when we arrive. Should I instead wait until after the puja and arti to hand him the box/mala and the dakshina, or only the dakshina and give the box/mala earlier with the fruit and flowers we will bring?

Sorry for so many questions... Thank you so much for your time and guidance!

~Pranam-s

[Believer]

Namaste,

Sorry, not quite getting a grasp of the mandir set up here. Does Swamiji own and run the Satsang center or is he an employee? In any event, I tend to split my donation between the hundi and the priest or the officiating person. The larger hundi contribution goes towards maintaining the mandir and the smaller priest's envelope is for his personal upkeep. If the administrator and the priest/swamiji happen to be the same person, then it all ends up in one pile. And the priest's dakshina can be given at any time.

Pranam.

[Aanandinii]

Namaste,

Sorry, not quite getting a grasp of the mandir set up here. Does Swamiji own and run the Satsang center or is he an employee? In any event, I tend to split my donation between the hundi and the priest or the officiating person. The larger hundi contribution goes towards maintaining the mandir and the smaller priest's envelope is for his personal upkeep. If the administrator and the priest/swamiji happen to be the same person, then it all ends up in one pile. And the priest's dakshina can be given at any time.

Pranam.

Namaste,

Apologies, I am causing confusion here. I will try to clarify. I live in Massachusetts and the only Temple I can easily reach on days I have to work is the one I frequent. This is a Satsang Center which is only open for an hour every evening during weekdays, for devotees to come and pay respects and Aarti for the presiding Deity of that day. On weekdays things are run by the Temple Trustees. There is a Pujari who directs things on Saturdays and Sundays, when they are open more hours. On large festival days they will hire a Pandit or Priest from another temple and he will be assisted by the Pujari, and the general community is directed as a whole by another elder Trustee who acts an a kind of Emcee.

My Family is mostly Atheist but on my mother's side they were raised as Catholics. They still practice Christmas for various reasons, the largest being an emphasis on the importance of tradition and Family. Most of the elders on that side live in South Florida, either permanently or during the winter months up north. So, the whole Family congregates in South Florida for this time, for about a week, myself and my other half included.

Last year I had been wanting to start worshiping at a Temple regularly but had a lot of anxiety. For that and other reasons I decided to start while down in Florida, and looked up temples near the city we stay in. There were two which were possible to go to and I felt drawn to one. This is the Temple I am speaking of regarding this gift, whose Priest was so kind and helpful.

This Temple in South Florida is run by a Trusteeship and Swamiji is employed by them. The Temple is generally open from 9 AM till Noon, and puja and aarti take place around 10. They are also open evenings, but there are usually family functions that get in the way of evenings. Last time we got to the Temple around the time it opened, and I had hoped to do the same this time, leaving the gift with our offerings (and dakshina) and spending some quiet time in meditation and enjoying the energy of the place.

I am now not certain if it would be more appropriate to give the gift and Dakshina after the puja and aarti or place it with offerings when we arrive as I had intended... though last year the Priest had what appeared to be a youth class right after and I wouldn't want to interrupt the start of that.

I am probably over-thinking, aren't I? But if there is a generally more accepted or universal pattern of doing things, I would prefer to do that...

I am also planning something for the Temple I frequent up here in MA, but on Shivaratri as I can't manage a gift for both at the same time, and that will mark a year since I began going there anyway.

I hope that clarifies, my apologies again for the confusion. And thank you again for your time and guidance. =)

~Pranam

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste,

I am now not certain if it would be more appropriate to give the gift and Dakshina after the puja and aarti or place it with offerings when we arrive as I had intended... though last year the Priest had what appeared to be a youth class right after and I wouldn't want to interrupt the start of that.

Vannakkam: Normally they're separated. You give the temple offerings as you enter ... the fruit and flowers, milk , etc. whatever you might have. Then later you sneak money into the hundi, and give the dakshina to priest. Because our temples in the wet encompass so very many Indian traditions under one roof, it's also a good idea to write 'Priest Dakshina on the outside of the envelope, especially when it's coming from you. He might think you simply don't know where the hundi is, or what its for, and error on the side of caution by putting it into the hundi.

Good luck with it. You can do no REAL wrong here, but I understand that you just want to follow the normal protocol. Not having visited that temple myself, I'm actually not that sure either, but I have been to enough temples to make a fairly educated guess. That temple is on my North American list.


Aum Namasivaya