SKAI Foundation Hours:
Weekdays: 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM & 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Weekends: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM & 5:00 to 9:00 PM
Char Dham Hindu Temple:
Constructed and operated by SKAI Foundation, a non-profit foundation (501(c) (3). EIN 20-8655454
About SKAI Foundation:
The SKAI Foundation is pleased to announce that it will build, operate and maintain the “Char Dham Hindu Temple” at The Woodlands, Texas. The temple is located at S.H. 242, at the intersection with Northway Drive, approximately three miles west of Interstate 45 North. There will be four worship centers, called “Char Dham”.
They are: Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath and Rameshwaram. In addition to the four worship centers, there will be a multipurpose cultural center, a yoga center and quater priests.
The SKAI Foundation (Surya Kabita Amlan Ishan) was established in 2007 by Dr. Surya Sahoo and his wife Kabita Sahoo with the help of their children Amlan and Ishan.
The mission of the SKAI Foundation is to provide direct services to charities, including helping the poor and disadvantaged, advancing education, religious services by establishing and maintaining religious facilities, promoting activities within the community and eliminating prejudice and discrimination.
By maintaining the mission to help the SKAI Foundation in need, the contributes to local food banks. The foundation also plans to help students in need by establishing scholarships to help with education.
SKAI foundation is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation. Contributions are Tax Deductible.
The SKAI Foundation is planning the construction, operation and maintenance of the Hindu Char Dham Temple in The Woodlands, Texas. In addition to a worship center, the facility will have priest quarters, multi-use cultural center & yoga center.
About The Temple:
The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka.[12] Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer.[13] The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair.[14] There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas.The name Chota was added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char Dhams.[citation needed] The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime.[16] Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples.[16]Adi Shankaracharya (Adi Shankara), the eighth century philosopher and reformer who was credited to the revival of Hinduism, was also responsible for coining the words Char Dham, referring to the four holy abodes of the lord Vishnu. During his extensive tour throughout India, he also established Mathas in those four places dedicated to the research and preservation of four Vedas. Jyotir Matha as an example at Badrinath, was assigned the task of maintaining and preserving of Atharv Veda. Sharada Matha at Dwaraka was assigned the task of maintaining and preserving the Sam Veda. Govardhan Matha at Puri was assigned the task of Rig Veda and Sringeri Matha at Sringeri hills in the South India was assigned the task of Yajur Veda. These four pilgrimage places in India are considered to be the most holy places in this universe for Hindus. They are Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri, and Rameshwaram. The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of two Vaishnavite, one Shaivite, and one mixed site. Geographically the Char Dham makes a perfect square with Badrinath and Rameswaram falling on the same longitude and Dwarka and Puri on the same latitude, representing the farthest north, east, west, and south points of India at the time of Adi Shankara. However, there is another Char Dham usually known as “Chhota Char Dham” located in the close proximity of the Himalayas. As opposed to the predominantly Vaishnavite Char Dham coined by Adi Shankara, Chhota Char Dham represents all three major Hindu denominations (Shaktism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism). This Chhota Char Dham includes Yamunotri and Gangotri representing Shaktism, Kedarnath representing Shaivism, and Badrinath representing Vaishnavism. It is a common Hindu belief that Lord Vishnu takes his bath at Rameswaram (in Treta Yug), meditates at Badrinath (in Satya Yug), dines at Puri (in Kali Yug) and retires at Dwarika (in Dwapara Yug).
Badrinath Temple in the north, the abode of Shri Badrinath is also known as BhuVaikuntha, which means earthly abode of Lord Vishnu. Badrinath is located in the Himalayas on the banks of river Alaknanda in the state of Uttrakhand. Dwarka Temple in Gujurat, the abode of Lord Krishna, is also known as Jagat Mandir. There are two main gateways in this temple: the entrance is called Swarga Dwar and the exit is known as Moksha Dwar near the Gomati River. Puri Temple in Odisha is the abode of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarsan. Jagannath means Lord of the Universe. Puri is also famous for its Rath Yatra (car festival) where 3 chariots are pulled in procession carrying Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra. Rameshwaram Temple, the abode of Sri Ramanatha Swamy (Lord Shiva), is located in the South is in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. This temple is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India.
According to Sanatan Dharma, life is divided into four logical stages called Ashrams that include Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. The last stage of life is the actual preparation for the final liberation. Pilgrimage and austerity are the most important characteristics of this phase of life. It is also a general belief that a journey to places of pilgrims erases one’s sins and can reach the mokshya. Therefore, Char Dham is considered extremely sacred for all Hindus and the pilgrimage to Char Dham at least once in life is a dream come true for all. In addition, it is thought that Adi Shankaracharya deliberately established these four dhams throughout India during the eighth century, with the aim of reviving the Hindu religion and unifying all the Hindoos of the country.
Char Dham (literally: “the four abodes/seats’) are the names of four places of pilgrimage in India that are widely revered by most “Hindus”. They are: Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath and Rameshwaram. These temples are located in the 4 directions of India (north, west, east and south respectively). The four temples united in one place signify the unity of the inhabitants of the whole world.
The Char Dham defined by the revered saint Adi Shankaracharya consists of two temples of the Vaishnavite tradition, one of the Shaivite tradition and a mixed site. Char Dham are often regarded as the most revered pilgrimage sites for Hindus who must be visited in a person’s life. The Char Dham Hindu Temple, in The Woodlands, Texas, will be a unique temple uniting the four temples in one place and one of a kind in the United States and perhaps in the world.
SKAI Foundation Temple Deities:
Lord Ganesh
Lord Jagannath Subhadra And Balabhadra
Sri MahaLakshmi
Sudarsana
RadhaKrishna
Dwarakadesh
Lakshmi Narayana
Shirdi Sai Baba
Durga Mata
Badrinarayan
Saraswati Mata
Vaikhanasa Acharya
Ram Parivar
Ramanatha Swamy
Sri Venkataswara / Balaji
Ayyappa Swamy
Navagraha
Panchamukha Hanuman
Priest / Temple Services inside Outside The Temple:
Aarati Any Amount
Archana
Sahasranama Archana Pooja
Abhishekam (On Scheduled Days**)
Abhishekam (On Requested Date)
KalyanaUtsavam (On Requested Date)
New car / Vehicle Pooja
Satyanarayana Pooja on Poornami (Full Moon Day Group)
Satyanarayana Pooja on other days
Navagraha Shanti Puja
All Homas/Havan
Namakaranam
Annaprasanam
Chowlam- Hair offering ceremony
Akshrarabyasa
Upanayanam
Grihapravesham***
Vivaha Nischaitartha (Engagement)
Wedding Ceremony
Seemantham (baby shower)
Ganapathi Homa
Vaastu Shaanti
kalasarpa dosha shanti
Chandika Homa
Aayushya Homa / Birthday Homa
Sudarshana Homa
Maha Mrurthunjaya Homa
Rudrabhishek (personalself)
60th Birthday
Hiranya Shraadha / Annual ceremony
Hanuman Vada mala seva
All Deities Archana Seva Annual (Everyday)
Sathyanarayana Pooja Annual (Once a month)
Each Deitie Archana Seva Annual (Everyday)
Sri Venkateswara/Ganapathi/Shiva/Jagannath/Sai Baba EX.
Each Deitie Abhishekam Annual
Texas SKAI Foundation Address:
8044 College Park Dr,
The Woodlands, TX 77384.
Phone : 936.271.2263