On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Rowan University Hindu Student Association (RUHSA), also called Rowan Hindu YUVA, hosted a Cookies & Chai sale in the Chamberlain Student Center from 1 to 3 p.m.
The club is one of the newer additions to the campus, aiming to provide a space for Hindu students to practice their faith and foster connections.
“We started it [RUHSA] with the goal that all the Hindu students at Rowan are able to have a community for themselves, to come together to pray, and it’s just a way for us to build a community together and connect to God,” said club president Subh Patel, a junior exercise science major.
Offering a wide variety of baked goods as well as chai shots, the profits from the fundraiser went towards various charities, including the humanitarian organization World Vision, which provides aid to underprivileged people in countries around the world. A portion of the funds also go back into the club and will be used to fund their future projects.
“We help children in East Africa who are affected by devastating natural disasters, poverty, hunger, or displaced from their homes,” said junior civil engineering major Meet Patel.
Another major component of Hindu YUVA besides service is celebrating religious holidays, including Maha Shivarati which occurs in February and March to celebrate the deity Shiva. They are also partnering with the South Asian Students Association(SASA) to celebrate Holi or the Festival of Colors, Love, and Spring.
“Besides service, we’re doing a lot of the Hindu events for pretty much every holiday and festival, not all but most of them. Our next event is Maha Shivarati and that will be in James Hall at 7 p.m.,” said Meet Patel.
Looking at the future of Hindu YUVA, Subh Patel hopes to create a place where Rowan’s Hindu community can feel included–harboring a welcoming space to worship, create friendships, and give back to communities.
“The goal of Hindu YUVA is to bring Hindu students into a place where they feel like they have a safe space, a place for them to come together and pray,” said Subh Patel. “They can have other people they can relate to, and we just see that grow and overall, just having as many Hindu students from Rowan come together for this.”
For students looking to get involved in Hindu YUVA, join their GroupMe by visiting https://groupme.com/join_group/97599207/3Zditry4. For updates on the club and upcoming events, follow them on Instagram @rowanhinduyuva.
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