Florida Southern College Hindu Temple - Lakeland, FL
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 28° 01.818 W 081° 56.814
17R E 406922 N 3100920
Located on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, this small Hindu temple is now part of the Garden of Meditation.
Waymark Code: WMHAD9
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 06/14/2013
Views: 4
The plaque in the garden tells its history:
Garden of Meditation
This garden is a very special and a very unique part of the Florida Southern College heritage. Here, countless individuals have paused to meditate and reflect in this oasis of peace. Here countless friendships have begun and romances blossomed. Here, also, is a unique memorial of a man of great faith, Dr. Frederick B. Fisher. This Hindu temple is his and this garden the result of his dream. The story begins in 1904 when a young man of 22 first arrived in India as a Methodist missionary. after several years, he returned to America to complete his studies. When he finally returned to India, it was as a Methodist bishop. The temple in this garden is symbolic of one of Bishop Fisher's most memorable experiences.
During those years in India when whole villages were pressing toward Christianity, Bishop Fisher was called to a village and requested to baptize every man, woman, and child there. As he completed baptizing nearly 600 people, the Hindu priest of the village threw off his robes, touched the Bishop's feet and asked for Holy Baptism. With astonishment, Bishop Fisher touched water to the priest's head. Then, at the priest's request, Bishop Fisher climbed a hastily provided ladder to the spire of the village's tiny Hindu temple, removed the Hindu symbol and planted a cross in its place.
The temple which stands here was carved by devout village workmen and brought from Benares, holy city of Hinduism. Hand-carved in 239 pieces of red sandstone, the Temple weighs about ten tons and is 25 feet high. Presented by the people of the village to Dr. Fisher, it was crated in pieces and shipped to his home in Massachusetts, where it was stored for several years.
The association of Dr. Fisher and Florida Southern began during Founders' Week of 1938. Dr. Fisher was the keynote speaker. After several days on the campus, the Fishers decided that the hillside overlooking Lake Hollingsworth would be the ideal place to rebuild the tiny temple and establish a garden of meditation. One month later, on April 15, 1938, Dr. Fisher died at the age of 56. His widow, Mrs. Welthy Fisher, also a distinguished missionary and author, decided to complete the project. The Freshman class of 1937-38, impressed by Dr. Fisher's messages, contributed the funds accumulated in its treasury to help with the establishment of the garden.
More than 15,500 miles from the land and the culture that created it, this little temple and its surrounding garden have become a well-loved part of the Florida Southern heritage.
The funds for this plaque have been graciously provided by Victor Rankin, president of the Freshman class of 1937-38, and his wife, Katherine.
Visit Instructions:
Include in your log one or two complete sentences. Logs containing a few words like "visited it" are subject to deletion. Photos of the Hindu temple are strongly encouraged when permitted otherwise please refrain from taking pictures inside and in any case, generally have respect for the religious nature of the site.
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