Progress Report 2024-2025

Shri Jagannath Society of North Carolina (SJSNC)

SJSNC Accomplishments 2024–2025

1. Overview

The mission of the SJSNC Board has always been to bring Lord Jagannath to Charlotte, NC, and to serve the local Hindu community by promoting the timeless Jagannath Dharma alongside cultural, educational, social, and charitable initiatives. In 2024–2025, the Board continued to advance this mission with unwavering dedication, focusing on strengthening community engagement, streamlining operations, and ensuring the seamless execution of both religious and administrative activities. During this period, participation in monthly Pujas and Rath Yatra celebrations grew steadily, reflecting the deepening bonds within our community. Special emphasis was placed on the Pratistha of Lord Jagannath, with meticulous planning alongside priests, careful idol procurement, and dedicated fundraising efforts. Through clear communication and regular updates, we ensured that every member could participate meaningfully, demonstrating our commitment to nurturing spiritual connection, unity, and devotion to Lord Jagannath.

2. Religious Activities

2.1 Monthly Pujas

• Streamlined the monthly Puja by opening additional slots and managing add/remove requests through a centralized Google Form.

• Successfully conducted eleven (11) monthly Lord Jagannath Puja each year, and the new year special puja.

2.2 Major Festivals

• Organized Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra smoothly in both 2024 and 2025 with 1500+ devotees which is increasing every year.

• Conducted Snana Purnima and Netra Utsav celebrations with larger community participation.

2.3 Rath Yatra Updates

• Continued the annual maintenance and refurbishment of the makeshift Balaji Rath, an effort sustained since 2018 under the dedicated leadership of volunteer Mr. Susil Panda.

• In 2025, the Rath storage area covering and reconstruction of the Rath’s top section was successfully completed under the leadership of Mr. Debasish Patra and the Rath Team.

• Shared detailed Ratha Yatra income and expense reports with all esteemed SJSNC members.

• Streamlined the Sukhila Bhoga preparation for 1500+ devotees in Hindu Center premises

3. Community Engagement

• Published a comprehensive event calendar covering the entire two-year period.

• The board conducted the General Body Meetings (GBM) for 2024 and 2025. We have also established a process to collect input from members via a Google Form, ensuring that their suggestions are included in the GBM agenda.

• Established the SJSNC WhatsApp Community, uniting all related groups under one umbrella to streamline communication with the broader community.

• Actively utilized the SJSNC private Facebook group to share important announcements, photos, and videos from community events.

• Provided consistent updates on the Pratistha through all communication channels, including GBM, monthly Pujas, community engagement meetings, emails, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube etc.

• Achieved a record number of members - 269 in 2024, and 375 in 2025 (30% increase compared to 2024) due to high community engagement driven by board members’ Pratistha efforts.

• Expanded the core committee by adding two members to support committee leadership.

• Introduced a newsletter to engage the community with updates.

4. Financial Updates

• Completed the Annual Audit for 2024 and 2025, sharing the results with the community during GBMs.

• Completed tax filings smoothly for both 2024 and 2025.

• Managed Certificates of Deposit (CDs) for SJSNC finances to optimize interest income.

• Regular updates provided to the community on financial matters.

• Funds Raised: $15,636 in 2024 and $30,654 in 2025 for Rath Yatra and Pratistha initiatives.

• Expenses: $7,269 in 2024 and $9,162 in 2025 (total: $16,431).

• Opening Balance (Jan 2024): $35,639; Net Income (2024–2025): $29,858.

5. Pran Pratistha Preparation & Planning

The Board has taken major initiatives toward the Pratistha of Lord Jagannath, working closely with Gajapati Maharaj, priests in Puri Temple, Local priests in USA, the Hindu Center management, and the community members.

5.1 Planning

• In addition to their regular responsibilities, the Board began focusing on Pratistha planning in October 2024, following the Hindu Center’s announcement of a potential temple opening date.

• In November 2024, the SJSNC President met Pandit Suryanarayan Rath Sharma in Puri to seek his guidance for the Jagannath Pratistha at the Hindu Center of Charlotte. Since then, ongoing consultations have continued via phone. Pandit Sharma confirmed that the dates proposed by the Hindu Center, in consultation with their priest, should be used for the Pratistha.

• Also in November 2024, the Board and Pratistha Planning Team began active communication with Gajapati Maharaj and his recommended priest from Puri, Pandit Suryanarayan Dash, for guidance on idol making and Pratistha preparations.

• The Pratistha Planning Team was formally established in December 2024, and its first meeting was held the same month.

• On February 22, 2025, a virtual engagement session with Gajapati Maharaj of Puri was organized via Zoom at the Hindu Center, attended by Hindu Center management and the SJSNC Pratistha Planning Team.

• The SJSNC President personally met Gajapati Maharaj twice, in March and April 2025, to further discuss the Pratistha planning and preparations.

• The Board has been working under the guidance of Dr. Sarat Mohapatra from Minneapolis, an accomplished senior priest who has performed Pran Pratistha rituals in multiple U.S. temples. Dr. Mohapatra has engaged Shri Debee Prasad Khadanga to assist him for the Lord Jagannath Pran Pratistha. Meetings have been held throughout the year to discuss and refine preparations.

• The Board, in consultation with Dr. Sarat Mohapatra, has developed a detailed plan for the four-day Pran Pratistha Puja rituals.

• Weekly planning meetings have been conducted with the Board and Pratistha Team to ensure readiness for the event, with additional working sessions scheduled as needed.

• The SJSNC office bearers continue to meet regularly with the Hindu Center management and the Pran Pratistha team to review progress and ensure full preparedness for Lord Jagannath’s Pratistha.

• The Board is collaborating closely with the Hindu Center (HC) to finalize the Pratistha dates.

5.2 Procurement & Preparation

• The idol order was finalized and placed in December 2024 with Pandit Suryanarayana Dash of Puri, as recommended by Gajapati Maharaj of Puri.

• In the first quarter of 2025, the Parsha Devatas were procured and brought to Charlotte with the assistance of the families of Mahesh Panda and Biswajit Ray.

• The idols were completed in March 2025 and shipped from Bhubaneswar to Charlotte, along with the Garuda Murti, Mukuta, and dress materials by the end of April 2025.

• The Singhasan design and woodwork were completed in the garage of dedicated volunteer Mr. Susil Panda, with support from the Rath Team. Acrylic painting was done by Mrs. Smrutirekha Ray, and sealing work is currently in progress.

• The Beshas (deity attire) are presently being prepared in Bhubaneswar and will be shipped to Charlotte upon completion.

5.3 Garuda Stambha

• We have proposed a permanent Garuda Stambha at the Hindu Center, which was approved by the Steering Committee.

• Our esteemed board member, Mr. Susil Panda, has collaborated with the Hindu Center to finalize the design and oversee the completion of the Garuda Stambha, crafted from the same stone used in temple construction.

• The expansion of the base width of the Lord Jagannath enclave from 16 inches to 21 inches was approved by the Hindu Center Steering Committee, and the work is currently in progress.

5.4 Odia Priest for Hindu Center

• Since November 2024, the Board has been working to hire an Odia priest from Odisha to conduct the daily Lord Jagannath rituals at the Hindu Center. The Hindu Center has applied for an R1 visa for the priest, which is currently in progress. We sincerely thank Mr. Sumit Misra for his valuable assistance in locating the priest.

7. Thank You

With heartfelt gratitude, we extend our deepest thanks to all our community members, devoted volunteers, board and committee members, priests, donors, and the Hindu Center management for their unwavering support and dedication. Your tireless efforts have been the foundation of the success of our monthly Pujas, Rath Yatra celebrations, and the ongoing preparations for the Pratistha. As we approach this auspicious, once-in-a-lifetime occasion, we eagerly look forward to coming together as a united community to celebrate the Pran Pratistha of Lord Jagannath at the Hindu Center of Charlotte, a sacred moment of devotion, joy, and shared spiritual connection that will be cherished for generations to come.