Our new center opened on February 21, 2009.(Front - L to R: Terry Deskin - Contractor - Portrait Renovations, Mayor Pro Tem Pat Malone - City of Carrollton, Miles Deskin, Ajit Mohekar, Calin Costian, Gagan Ahluwalia)
After ten weeks of construction and much dedicated work by many committed volunteers from the Dallas group, the great day finally came and the new center was open. Many people had been involved in the long process, starting from the search for the right place for the center, deciding on this property in Carrollton, the process of purchasing the property, completing the design and finding our contractor. At every stage, there were interesting stories that proved that this was not an ordinary project.
The design evolved from understanding the wishes of everyone in the Dallas group for what the new center should be, the functions it should support, and the atmosphere it should create for people visiting it. Initial ideas were constrained by concerns about our very limited budget. This track of thinking resulted in designs with simple rectangular rooms and basic finishes. We then took a different tack of designing the center we really wanted, a place that will express an atmosphere of artistic enjoyment. We then set about finding ways to achieve this vision. The design of the center as constructed includes a large main hall with room to seat about 80 people, a reception / lobby area, a breakroom and office and two restrooms. Thanks to the work of the project team and particularly the contractor and his subcontractors, many of the features that appear to be expensive such as the curvy walls, sheet rock ceilings and chandeliers of the main hall were completed for a lower cost than regular construction.
The center is used to provide free meditation classes to the general public. These classes are conducted by local members of the organization all of whom volunteer their time. We have professionals within the organization who feel compelled to share the peace, joy and satisfaction they have found in their lives by following Sahaja Meditation.
The creation of the center was inspired by the founder of this meditation, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, who has devoted her life to helping humanity. She has travelled the world spreading the message of peace and integration. She never charges any money for this meditation. The building of the center is a demonstration of what she teaches, that human souls working together can realize the vision even with very limited budget and resources.
