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On Sunday morning, members of the Atlanta Vedic Temple gather for services in Lilburn, a northeastern suburb of Atlanta. |
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Members sit on mats surrounding Dr. Veer Dev Bista, the head priest. This morning service includes the celebration of a member's tenth birthday. |
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The Atlanta Vedic Temple is a chapter of the Arya Samaj movement, which is a denomination within Hinduism. Swami Dayananda (1825 Ð 1883), an Indian religious reformer, founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, partially out of frustration with British domination of India. The Arya Samaj was a nationalist movement that stressed social reform, and the infallible authority of the Vedas. |
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Ryan Anil Alli, 10, (right, in white) is the one celebrating his birthday. He has prepared readings and prayers for the occasion. |
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Alli's parents, Roy and Dolli, (right, forefront, facing away) sing along with the prayers. Saurabh Gulati, 20, (left, in yellow, with micrphone) leads the chant from the prayer book. Gulati, a student at Georgia Tech, has attended the temple services for three years. |
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"Anyone, rich or poor, of Indian origin or not, can follow Vedic teachings, whether they are 'followers' or not," Bista tells members. Many members of the Atlanta Vedic Temple are Indian American, but there are also members from Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Nepal. |
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Women of the Relief Society, the women's auxiliary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), sing "Amazing Grace" together at an all-day women's conference. |
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Sister Martha Poston, joining in for "Amazing Grace," has been a member of the LDS (or Mormon) Church for twenty years. When Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the church, began amassing followers in the nineteenth century, he began an organization for women that he said would operate much like the priesthood did for men. He organized the Relief Society, and all adult LDS women have been members since. |
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The Atlanta Relief Society's stake conference, which includes women from multiple congregations, is held on a Saturday in an eastern suburb, Tucker. |
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The goal of the day is to produce crafts, quilts and "hygiene kits" for the needy. Sister Siobhan Ollivierre, a young missionary sent to Atlanta from Vancouver, works on a craft project. |
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The stake's women hope to complete 150 handmade quilts to this year, which are then donated to needy families. |
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Members of the Relief Society work on a quilt. |
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The Relief Society sisters also prepare "hygiene kits" for the poor, which will be distributed through the LDS Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City. Each hygiene kit contains soap, towels, combs, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. |
