Haveli is the Pushtimarg term for temple. Pushtimarg is one of the many sects of Hinduism and was established by Shree Vallabhacharya.

What is Pushtimarg?
Pushtimarg affirms that the Lord and his human creatures are the same; therefore the joy of the Lord is always present within his creatures. In order to experience this joy humans must be one with the Lord. There is not one approach to unity with god; however, it is only attainable if people will it.

Pushtimarg Fundamentals:
1. The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the main scripture. It describes the path of devotion.
2. Shree Nathji, a manifestation of Lord Krishna, is god.
3. Devotees must have selfless love and humanity towards Shree Nathji and all humanity.
4. A devotee must instill his devotion for Shree Nathji in all endeavors.
5. A devotee must be content with whatever Shree Nathji makes of him/her.

To learn more about the beliefs and practices of Pushtimarg visit: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6035/pushti.html
http://www.geocities.com/pushti_marg/introduc.htm
http://www.pushtimarg.com/

The Shree Nathji Haveli is the main temple of the Pushtimarg religion. All other havelis practicing Pushtimarg follow the traditions and practices of the Shree Nathji Haveli. This temple is located in Natadwara, India, approximately 42 kilometers North of Udaipur, India. The Shree Nathji Haveli is the main attraction of the town. The town survives on the works of the haveli.

The appearance and layout of the Shree Nathji Haveli are described in detail at: http://www.geocities.com/pushti_marg/map.htm. Before entering the haveli all shoes and sandals must be taken off. The only purpose of the haveli is to pay homage to Shree Nathji. The haveli does not provide living quarters because in the night Lord Shree Nathji and his friends come out and play ras, a traditional cultural dance. If people were allowed to stay in the haveli, they would disturb the Lord during ras.

The haveli has only one kitchen, but it is not for public use. The kitchen area is strictly for the preparation and cooking of prasad, food offered to the Lord. The rasoia (translated to "kitchen preparers" in Gujarati, an Indian language) are the only individuals allowed to cook prasad.

Who takes care of the daily activities of the Shree Nathji Haveli?
The 1,000 servants of the Lord oversee the daily activities of the Shree Nathji Haveli. The Tilakayat is the head of the Pushtimarg sect. Currently this position is held by Indrodaman. The staff and servants of all havelis, even ones outside India, report to the Tilakayat. The mukhiyaji is the person who takes care of the daily activities in each individual haveli; he performs the darshans, or prayers.

Rules of servants: All haveli servants must follow the Hindu rules of purity. For purity reason the haveli does not directly hire any women because the menstrual cycle is thought to be impure. For more information on the purity of servants and the job titles of servants please visit: http://www.geocities.com/pushti_marg/sevaks.htm

Are the servants of the Shree Nathji Haveli paid?
No. Servants are not paid a direct salary. The only receive the essentials of life, such as shelter, food, and clothing. The servants also receive money from selling prasad. The public does not receive prasad directly from the haveli. The Shree Nathji Haveli gives prasad to the servants who then set up shops outside the haveli where the prasad is sold to the public. Servants are allowed to keep the money earned from selling prasad.

How does the Shree Nathji Haveli raise money?
All of the money raised by the temple comes from donations by the public.

Darshan (Prayer) Schedule
1. Mangala Darshan: 5:45 am - The first darshan of the day. Lord has just awoken and eaten breakfast.
2. Shringar Darshan: 7:30 to 8:00 am - Mother Yashoda, the mother of Shree Nathji, bathes and dresses the Lord and allows visitors to admire him. After this darshan, the Lord goes out to play with gopis (female friends) and govals (male friends).
3. Gwal Darshan: 8:15 to 8:30 am - The Lord is preparing to go herd the cows. At the darshan the Lord's name is recited. Worshippers offer sacred tulsi (basil) leaves every time his name is said.
4. Rajbhog Darshan: 10:30 to 11:00 am - The Lord is resting. Fresh garland and lotus are offered to the Lord. Then arti is performed to ward of evil. Arti represents good over evil. After arti the Lord plays chopat, an ancient board game.
5. Uthapan Darshan: 4:00 to 4:30 pm - Lord has just risen from his afternoon nap.
6. Bhog Darshan: 5:00 to 5:30 pm - The Lord has had an afternoon snack. After the snack he prepares to go play with gopis and govals.
7. Shayan Darshan: 6:00 to 6:30 pm - The Lord eats his supper and prepares for bed. This is the last darshan of the day.
These seven darshans are the only times the public has the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Shree Nathji. The times of the darshans vary slightly according to the season or special festivals.

What festivals are celebrated at Shree Nathji Haveli?
The three main festivals celebrated are:
1. Divali (deepavali): The Festival of Lights. For more information please visit:
http://www.indiagov.org/culture/festival/diwali.htm or http://www.hinduism.co.za/deepaval.htm
2. Holi: The festival that celebrates good harvest and fertility on land. For more information please visit: http://www.indiagov.org/culture/festival/holi.htm
3. Janmashtami: A celebration Krishna's birth. For more information please visit: http://www.indiagov.org/culture/festival/jasthmi.htm

In 1977, Govindbhai Shah constructed the Vraj Haveli, a Pushtimarg temple, in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. The Vraj Haveli is officially the principle American shrine of Shree Nathji Haveli. It is also the official center of the "Path of Grace - Pushtimarg" in North America. It sits on 264 acres in the Blue Hills of Pennsylvania. The vast amount of land gives the haveli freedom to have large outdoor festivals.

The Vraj Haveli does not have the same design as the Shree Nathji Haveli in Natadwara, but does have similar traditions. Shoes are forbidden in the haveli, as in the Shree Nathji Haveli. Once entering the main doors of the haveli one can go either left or right. To the left is the darshan room, while the right leads to living quarters and a kitchen. It is not customary to have living quarters and a kitchen for public use in a traditional haveli, but they were seen as necessary modifications for American circumstances.

Since Vraj is the official Shrine of the Shree Nathji Haveli in North America people are bused nationwide for major festivals. Due to the increased attendance living quarters and a kitchen were in demand. Because of financial constraints, separate living quarters could not be built. However, there a traditional kitchen in a haveli devoted to the preparation of prasad. Just as in the Shree Nathji Haveli only rasoia, special preparers, are able to cook prasad.

As of today, the Vraj Haveli has collected enough donations to build a new haveli that will only contain a darshan room and kitchen for preparing prasad. This new haveli fits the mold of a traditional Pushtimarg haveli. The building is currently undergoing construction. To see a picture of the new haveli please visit: http://www.vraj.org/. The old haveli will be converted into housing quarters for visitors.

Who takes care of the daily activities of the Vraj Haveli?
There are approximately 25 to 30 servants that take care of the daily activities. As in the Shree Nathji Haveli, the mukhiyaji is in charge of the darshan. The Tilakayat in India appoints the mukhiyaji at Vraj Haveli.

Rules of Servants: The rules of the servants are the same as at the Shree Nathji Haveli.

The Vraj Haveli also has an administrative committee. It votes on major issues such as when, how, and how much Vraj should spend on the new haveli. Each member receives one vote; this vote is the only advantage to being a member. In order to become a committee member one has to donate $8400. One does not need to attend darshans of the Vraj Haveli to become a committee member. Each year an individual from within the committee is selected for president. At the end of the year, this person steps down and a new president is chosen.

Are the servants of the Vraj Haveli paid?
All the servants receive the necessities of life, but the Mukhiyaji receives a small salary too. Other servants make money by selling prasad, as in the Shree Nathji Haveli.

How does the Vraj Haveli raise money?
All of the money raised by the temple comes from donations by the public.

Darshan (Prayer) Schedule - Shree Nathji is the Deity in the Darshan Room
1. Mangala Darshan: 9:30 am
2. Shringar Darshan: 10:30 am
3. Rajbhog Darshan: 12:00 pm
4. Uthapan Darshan: 4:00 pm
5. Bhog Darshan: 5:00 pm
6. Shayan Darshan: 6:00 pm

These six darshans are the only time one can catch sight of Shree Nathji. Unlike in the Shree Nathji Haveli, people are allowed in Vraj Haveli even when there is not a darshan. However, they are not allowed in the darshan room. The Vraj Haveli cannot perform the same number of darshans as the Shree Nathji Haveli because Vraj just does not have enough help.

What festivals are celebrated at the Vraj Haveli?
Vraj Haveli celebrates all the festivals that the Shree Nathji Haveli does. Not all festivals fall on weekends, so accommodations must be made for the working people. Vraj Haveli is forced to celebrate a festival twice, once on the actual day of the festival and once on the following Sunday. The Shree Nathji Haveli is not concerned with this because in India festivals are national holidays and people do not have work. In order to notify the public of upcoming festivals Vraj Haveli sends out a flyer to individuals on a mailing list.

Does Vraj Haveli offer other Activities?
The Vraj Haveli offers two fourteen day overnight camps. At the camps children learn about the Pushtimarg religion and Indian culture. At the end of the two weeks, every child participates in either a cultural dance or religious play. The camp children perform at the Janmashtami festival. The idea of camp is very untraditional, however it is needed in the United States. It is not needed in India because there children grow up around Indian culture and religion. Young Indian children, living in the United States, can become separated from their traditions. Camp is an entertaining, yet educational, place where children can learn about Indian culture and religion. Camps will ensure that the younger generation will not lose touch with their roots.

To learn more about Vraj Haveli please visit: www.vraj.org
 

The two havelis profiled above are examples of temples in one sect of Hinduism. Hinduism has many more sects where temples have different practices and beliefs. In order to learn more about other Hindu temples please visit:

http://www.indiantemples.com/Articles/hintemp.html
http://www.mandirnet.org/
http://dir.hotbot.lycos.com/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Hinduism/Temples/websites.html?page=1

Hindu temples have seen many changes when migrating to the United States. The modifications of the Shree Nathji Haveli to the Vraj Haveli are only a few examples of the many changes happening in American Hinduism. There have been criticisms of these changes, but change is not necessarily harmful. The transforms of the haveli were beneficial to Pushtimarg. Innovations, such as architectural design, festival days, and camps, allow more devotees to actively practice. The Vraj Haveli molded itself around American lifestyles, while still maintaining the fundamentals of the Pushtimarg religion. The changed haveli is now able to accommodate all practicing devotees.