Hindu Temple DE Volunteers
Get to know the dedicated volunteers!
“Volunteering enhances our abilities to do beyond our convenience and comfort.”
Mr. Ajay Anne grew up in Tenali, a village in Andhra Pradesh. He came to the US in December 1996 and moved to Delaware in 2002. He currently lives in Hockessin, Delaware. Mr. Anne does many different things as a volunteer based on what is needed. Some of those things include managing the parking, making dosas, and supporting Telugu language and cultural classes and programs. He also helps new students understand why we come to the temple and why we have certain traditions. Mr. Anne volunteers because the universe is the employer of life and the temple helps remind people of that. He has a responsibility to work for nature and give back. Mr. Anne feels lucky to understand what the priorities in his life are, and likes being able to bring that awareness to friends, family, and community. One memorable experience he has had at the temple was the Sri Rama Navami event last year. He expected about 100-150 people total, and at the beginning of the event not many people were there. Mr. Anne sent a thought to the universe saying it is up to the universe who it wants to bring. After that, people started flooding in and more than 600 people showed up! He feels blessed to live in uncertainty and see how big the universe is. Mr. Anne believes that if you give the universe a chance it can take you beyond your intelligence and it gives you the opportunity to unveil what you truly are.
“It feels like a family.”
Mr. Renjith Raju was born in Kerala and grew up in Upper Darby. He has been living in Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania since 2010. Renjith started volunteering in 2000 doing anything that was needed, including helping the priests for abhishekams, cleaning, and packing food in the kitchen. In 2004, he started helping with the fundraising for the Ayyappa sannidhi with his friends Dakshinamoorthy and Bharath and the temple received enough money for them around 2012. Renjith had to call a lot of people to ask for donations and used to go to the temple in the early mornings every weekend to hand out flyers for the new installations. He even used to go to the movie theater and give flyers to the people leaving the Telugu and Tamil movies. Renjith used to arrange poojas and bhajans for Ayyappa sannidhi and currently still does this. He volunteers because he used to go to the temple every week with his grandmother and the temple gives him a sense of community. One of Renjith’s favorite projects was working on fundraising for the Hanuman statue. He appreciated how people were able to do their poojas there during Covid because the installation was outside. Renjith has a lot of respect for the president of the temple, Mr. Sarma Patibanda, because he is dedicated, always helping out, and has taught Renjith a lot.
“I feel privileged to be here in the temple’s unique aura.”
Mr. Sunil Kumar grew up in Bihar, India and came to the United States around 2004. He moved to this area in 2018 and now lives in Middletown, Delaware. As a volunteer, Mr. Kumar helps with office work and managing the counter. He provides information to the devotees about rituals and archanas as well as answers any other questions they have about the temple. In addition, he does other work that is needed by the priests or in the kitchen. Mr. Kumar also helps out during festivals because many volunteers are needed for those big events. He has been a volunteer since 2019. He volunteers because the temple’s mission aligns with his values. Mr. Kumar likes how the temple focuses on how human life is special and how it promotes spiritual learning through religious, cultural, educational, and spiritual activities. He appreciates how welcoming the environment is because lots of different parts of India are celebrated. Mr. Kumar also likes learning things from Mr. Sarma Patibanda and Mr. Siva Krishnamurthy. One memorable experience for Mr. Kumar was the day the Hanuman statue was installed. He was surprised by how large and enthusiastic the crowd was even though it was very cold outside. Mr. Kumar feels lucky to have seen and enjoyed that moment. He believes volunteering removes our ego, teaches us to respect everyone, and helps us to progress on our spiritual journey.
“The temple brings me happiness.”
Mrs. Poonam Sitaram grew up in Bangalore. She came to the US in 1994 and currently lives in Wilmington, Delaware. As a volunteer, Mrs. Sitaram mainly helps with pooja preparation. This includes getting flowers, helping with aarti, and cleaning the silver vessels. She also helps with whatever is needed, whether that is in the kitchen or with the flowers on Thursdays. Mrs. Sitaram began volunteering in 2000 shortly after moving to this area. She volunteers because it brings her a lot of peace and helps keep her grounded. Mrs. Sitaram loves the positive vibes and special feeling she gets when she spends time at the temple. It is satisfying to help others without expecting anything in return. Mrs. Sitaram’s favorite part about volunteering is that the people feel like family and the environment is very inclusive. She feels like the temple is a mini India. She loves making the people who visit feel happy and loves seeing smiles on their faces. Mrs. Sitaram has learned the value of true happiness throughout her time as a volunteer. She feels good with people doing good deeds. The temple community has helped Mrs. Sitaram be a better citizen and raise her daughter with good values. Through the temple, Mrs. Sitaram is able to understand the true meaning of life and her purpose.
“I love helping my community and seeing others enjoy themselves at the temple.”
Mr. Raj Kedda grew up in Hyderabad, India. He came to the US in 1991 and now lives in Hockessin, Delaware. As a volunteer Mr. Kedda takes care of the audio and lighting equipment that is used for performances. He manages audio and lighting for live shows and performances like arangetrams, concerts at the temple and handles everything related to technology. Mr. Kedda has been volunteering since the temple first opened. He helps out because he believes in community service and helping others. He also lives very close to the temple which is an advantage. Mr. Kedda’s favorite part about volunteering is that he is able to do something to help his whole community. He loves seeing devotees enjoying themselves and benefiting from their time at the temple. Since he is the one in charge of the sound equipment, he is able to meet legends and pandits that come to the temple like Sri Balamuralikrishna, Pandit Jasraj, Ms. Usha Uthup etc. Mr. Kedda has learned that lots of people want to do good for the community and they try to help out in any way they can.