SHREE GANESH TEMPLE OF CHICAGO
Donation protected
Hello and Hariom! My name is Mita Shewakramani and I am one of the board/family members of Regal Foundation. We began the Foundation in 2013 as a way to give back to the community of "Little India" in Chicago IL. Everything we have we owe to this community. As an immigrant from India our father came to this neighborhood in 1979 and worked at a local sari shop. Now running several of his own successful businesses of Indian clothing and jewelry, he realized there was a serious oversight in this community, that lacked a place of worship for his fellow Hindus.
As a strong believer of Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, our father made the imperitive decision to close down one of our jewelry showrooms and convert it into a Hindu temple during the annual 11 day Ganesh Chathaurthi. This celebration hosted a seven foot Ganesh statue imported in from India, and opened our doors to the public for daily worship. Although it was our first year doing anything of the sort, the overwhelmingly positive response from the community reinforced our promise to host the event every year.
Just prior to our third annual festival, a space belonging to a bank became available just a block away from our showrooms, and in the heart of the Little India neighborhood. Without hesitation, Regal Foundation made the decision to purchase 2545-47 W. Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659 as the permanent home for the Lord Ganesh. The cost for the property was $965,001.00. We currently have received Aldermanic and community approval to convert the space to a proper Hindu temple, and Regal Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3) is currently operating as the Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago.
We are creating this GoFundMe account to make improvements to the interior and exterior of the building to create the first true Hindu temple in Chicago that features the traditional facade of the temples found in India. The fact that no such temple exists in the city limits is astounding to residents of all faiths, as Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in the world and celebrates its cultural diversity with its wide array of distinct neighborhoods. This has been a dream of my father's for over thirty years, and something direly lacking in Chicago and in our neighborhood. We wish to create a space that is open to the public for worship, offer classes in yoga, meditation, Hindi language and religion, and astrological readings to everyone that walks in our doors. This community is home, we come here every day and are constantly committed to creating a world that will be better when we leave it, and having a place to pass down and share our culture and traditions is vital.
We at Regal Foundation hope you share our passion and dedication to making this dream a reality. Any amount you donate will be used towards the reconstruction and maintance of the Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago. We will be very grateful for any assistance you provide, and if you'd like to be included in our list of sponsors that will be in a plaque near the entrance of the Temple please see below for details.
Ganpati Bappa! Morya!
A recent article regarding the Temple can be found here: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20161209/west-ridge/shree-ganesh-hindu-temple-west-ridge-devon-avenue-palace
Diamond Sponsor: $10,001+
Gold Sponsor: $5,001-10,000
Silver Sponsor: $1,001-$5,000
Bronze: $501-$1,000
As a strong believer of Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, our father made the imperitive decision to close down one of our jewelry showrooms and convert it into a Hindu temple during the annual 11 day Ganesh Chathaurthi. This celebration hosted a seven foot Ganesh statue imported in from India, and opened our doors to the public for daily worship. Although it was our first year doing anything of the sort, the overwhelmingly positive response from the community reinforced our promise to host the event every year.
Just prior to our third annual festival, a space belonging to a bank became available just a block away from our showrooms, and in the heart of the Little India neighborhood. Without hesitation, Regal Foundation made the decision to purchase 2545-47 W. Devon Ave Chicago IL 60659 as the permanent home for the Lord Ganesh. The cost for the property was $965,001.00. We currently have received Aldermanic and community approval to convert the space to a proper Hindu temple, and Regal Foundation, a recognized 501(c)(3) is currently operating as the Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago.
We are creating this GoFundMe account to make improvements to the interior and exterior of the building to create the first true Hindu temple in Chicago that features the traditional facade of the temples found in India. The fact that no such temple exists in the city limits is astounding to residents of all faiths, as Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in the world and celebrates its cultural diversity with its wide array of distinct neighborhoods. This has been a dream of my father's for over thirty years, and something direly lacking in Chicago and in our neighborhood. We wish to create a space that is open to the public for worship, offer classes in yoga, meditation, Hindi language and religion, and astrological readings to everyone that walks in our doors. This community is home, we come here every day and are constantly committed to creating a world that will be better when we leave it, and having a place to pass down and share our culture and traditions is vital.
We at Regal Foundation hope you share our passion and dedication to making this dream a reality. Any amount you donate will be used towards the reconstruction and maintance of the Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago. We will be very grateful for any assistance you provide, and if you'd like to be included in our list of sponsors that will be in a plaque near the entrance of the Temple please see below for details.
Ganpati Bappa! Morya!
A recent article regarding the Temple can be found here: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20161209/west-ridge/shree-ganesh-hindu-temple-west-ridge-devon-avenue-palace
Diamond Sponsor: $10,001+
Gold Sponsor: $5,001-10,000
Silver Sponsor: $1,001-$5,000
Bronze: $501-$1,000
Organizer and beneficiary
Mita Shew-Mani
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Nirmal Shewakramani
Beneficiary