By the grace of HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, the first Namadwaar Prayer House outside of India, was opened in the Houston area on Feb 14, 2010, the day of Universal Love.
This year, on Vijayadasami Day, Oct 18, 2018, the beloved, old prayer house hall — which was the hallowed hall that saw incessant Mahamantra chanting, parayanam, Katha, numerous divine Utsavs and celebrations for over 8 continuous years — was demolished as the first step towards the construction of a larger, more robust building.
Here is a nostalgic tribute by a Houston devotee to Sri Swamiji’s grace in giving us that little divine space that has now merged with the Cosmic space.
Sri G….
Your ways are forever a mystery
that we always fail to measure
the space marked for history
with memories full of treasure
an out-house with five odd walls
-who’d build such a space?
only You knew the plan for the hall
filled with nothing but your Grace!
for eight years You occupied night & day
and welcomed sadhus far and away
isn’t this all Your lovely play
to shelter us from the worldly melee
it’s here You showed the path
and how to celebrate
You gifted us the work
to You and only You, no debate
on day one, there were but sixteen
and now ten-fold!
one by one, the end unseen
we came in, to Your fold
opened on the day of love
and now, merged on the day of victory
into the divine cosmos above
with the sparkling Name – to set us free!
Sriram Ramanujam, Houston TX
