Sri Krishna Ashram
- Location : Marlboro, NJ
- Community Served: Hindu Community
- Focus: Hindu Religion/Spirituality
Organization background
The Sri Krishna Ashram in Marlboro, New Jersey is
an ashram that follows
the Visishtadvaita Philosophy as given by Bhagavad Sri Ramanujacharya,
as elaborated by Sri NigamAntha Maha Desika and
as currently followed by the Jeers of Sri Ahobila Mutt, India.
Its construction was inspired by the founder of the Sri Ranganatha temple
in Pomona, NY. In addition to the ashram in New Jersey, the organization
also has started
a pilot project in Narsaraopet, Guntur district in
Andhra- Pradesh, India.
The goal of the organization is to
impart Vedhic Dharma to all the people at large and to teach them to
deserving students.
Project background
Religion and Culture are an important component of the sense of identity of an individual,
and preserving that sense of group identity is an important facet of human life.
Of the religions practised today, Hinduism is one of the most ancient.
The Hindu religion places a great deal of emphasis on spiritual development.
The basic idea is that a human being is more than just an individual, who
is born, lives according to the whims of fate, and then dies, but is
part of something much more grander and ever lasting. The Hindu religion
encapsulates this concept of something grander and ever lasting in its
various deities.
Ancient Hindu mythology postulates a triumvirate of deities and their consorts:
Lord Vishnu (the Preserver), Lord Brahma (the Creator) and Lord
Shiva (the Destroyer). In addition to these three main deities, there are also
many other deities in the Hindu religion.
The worshippers of Lord Vishnu are called Vaishnavaites, and there are several temples
all over the world dedicated to this Lord and his various incarnations.
The rituals of worship and
code of living for Vaishnavaites are specified in several books - however, slightly different
interpretations of these books, have led to slightly different sub-groups of Vaishnavaites,
one of which are Srivaishnavaites.
One of GKF's mandates is to preserve and nurture Hindu cultural and religious practices,
and support for the Ashram is in line with that mandate.
GKF contributions to SKA
- 2018: general cost of running ashram and its projects
- 2021: support for purchasing property for ashram