Local Hindus Pray, Raise Money For Tsunami Victims

The Hindu Society of North Carolina

held a prayer session Tuesday evening in Morrisville.

The gathering was as much a prayer for the dead as it was a call for help for the victims.

While everyone shudders at the pictures, Ganesh Kristipati recognizes them, having grown up on India's coast.

"I lived 5, 6 miles from the coast. So the first thing is, what happened to my parents? That's when we kind of got panicked," he said.

His parents are OK, but the places of his childhood are not.

"They're all gone. They're all wiped out," Kristipati said.

Yash Garg's son lives in California, but is currently visiting India.

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"I had faith in God and I said, 'No, nothing can happen to my son. He will call me,'" she said.

Garg's son did call -- although it was hard to find words to describe what happened.

"He said,'Mom, don't worry. We are OK, but this disaster is so huge I can't tell you on the phone,'" Garg said.

But this much was clear-- help is needed. The society is raising money and supplies.

"Let us try to collect as much as we can," a speaker said.

Many of the affected areas are so poor that money goes a lot further there.

For example, the Share and Care Foundation says it built a school, library, community center and 40 homes with $150,000 after a 2001 earthquake in India.