About Us
History of Our Temple
The Brahmma Premananda Ashram and Temple was started in 1991. Originally located in Portland, the ashram moved to its current location in 2004.
The Temple/ Ashram has been functioning in the current location ever since. The BPA Temple is housed in about 2 acres of land with a sprawling rose garden in the city of Tigard (a beautiful suburb of Portland). Since its inception the BPA Temple has strived to be a place where the spiritual requirements of the community are fulfilled with religious, clutural, educational, social and charitable activities.
All ventures of the BPA Temple is non-political. The main goal is to encourage the understanding, customs and followings of the hindu way of life while traversing and respecting the practices of all the religions around the world. Cultivating unity, brethren goodwill among people of various backgrounds thereby contributing to the enrichment of the human kind has been the motto of the BPA Temple since its beginning.
The temple has been aptly named Brahmma Premananda ashram and temple – a combination of Brahmma (The God of creation), Prem (meaning love in sanskrit) and Ananda (meaning happiness in sanskrit).
The BPA Temple is a registered Non-Profit Organisation under federal and state authorities.
Swami Vishwa Premananda
Swami Vishwa Premanada is the leading light of the organisation and efforts behind BPA temple. Tigard. His efforts started at his tender age of 12, when he left home in search of god. Swamiji travelled across India visiting many ashrams and temples, seeking out and learning from many learned sanyasis (hindu saints).
Swami Chaityananda of Uttar Kashi in the Himalayas had a profound impact on Swami Vishwa Premananda when they met during one of his travels. At Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, Swamiji was initiated as a Sanyasi by Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj.
During his travels Swamiji studied the vedas, various scriptures and mastered the art of yoga. He also studied english and sanskrit.
He started his international journey in 1987 with a trip to Australia. He rejoiced in sharing his spiritual experiences and spreading the philosophies that were taught to him by his vast learning from scriptures and his various gurus with the diverse communities of people who came to his lectures.
Swami Jagadishwarananda
Swami Jagadishwarananda a prominent disciple of Swami Vishwapremanada, is the presiding Swamiji at the Brahma Premananda temple in Tigard, OR. Swami Jagadishwarananda started his journey in spiritualism in the yearly 90s. Inspired after a meeting with Swamiji in 1991 in Chicago, Swami Jadadishwarananda was inducted as a monk on Guru Poornima of 1997.
From 1997 to 2004 Swami Jadadishwarananda continued to be a disciple and learned meditation and the sacred ways of spiritualism as well as hymns and mantras to worship god and perform sanskaras.
He was called upon to become a lead monk at the Tigard ashram in August 2004. Swami Jadadishwarananda became a devote sanyasi and started performing poojas, sanskaras and blessing ceremonies at the temple.
Serving with a belief that it is his karmic destiny to serve the spiritual needs of the devotees of Brahma Premananda Ashram, Swami Jadadishwarananda is well known and much appreciated among his devotees. Known best for his sense of humor, swamiji’s approach to kids and leading them to the path of god is much looked upto.
Current Members
Founder
Swami Viswa Premananda
Trustees
Victor Nobleza (General Secretary)
Bharat Thakkar
Kokila Thakkar
Venkatesh Ramakrishnan (Secretary & Treasurer)
Bhagwat Thakkar
Sandeep Chander
From Our Devotees
Swami ji is very respectful and knowledge about prayers to perform. Very welcoming and open to everyone. Love this temple.
Quiet nice place to visit. Doesn’t come with the usual noise chaos and confusion of a regular temple. Worth the visit if one genuinely wants to spend time with God and with oneself to do some seeking, meditation and introspection.
You get eternal peace when you visit this place…..you feel the existence of God in that peaceful environment!!!