Top 10 Incredible Beautiful Hindu Temples in the US
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| Top 10 most famous temples in the US |
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As a result of the large influx of people from Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the Caribbean, Hinduism has become one of the most prominent religions in the United States.
The 1893 speech by Swami Vivekananda in Chicago is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of Hinduism in the United States.
In the years that followed, beginning in 1902, Swami Rama Thirtha gave Vedanta lectures across the United States for roughly two years. The earliest Hindu temples in the United States were constructed by the Vedanta society. In 1957, the first authentic Hindu temple, the Shiva Murugan temple, was constructed in the United States.
About 450 temples have been constructed so far.
This article explores some of the most famous temples in US that are popular for their art and architecture.
Top 10 Most Famous Hindu Temples in America
10. Eternal Mother Temple
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| Photo: Wkipedia |
A tirtha peetham (pilgrimage) in the west for devotees of Devi Adi Parashakti Durga, the Parashakthi Temple, also known as the Eternal Mother Temple, is located in the center of Pontiac, Michigan, in the United States. The first pooja for the newly constructed temple was held on Vijayadasami day in 1999.
Mission statement: To spread Divine Mother's grace throughout the world, enabling people to discover and encounter the Divine.
Deity in charge: Devi Parashakthi
The "Divine Pure Eternal Consciousness" that took the form of Shiva Shakthi and created a Nada Bindu (sound and spiritual light) that divided into Shiva and Shakthi is known as Divine Mother Parashakthi. Her manifestations of various vibratory divine entities are the source of all gods and goddesses. She is there in the form of Parashakthi Karumari Ambika, who is closest to the earthly creations, at the Parashakthi Temple. Devi Parashakthi is Kundalini Shakthi, which took the form of Prakrti (Shakthi) and, along with Purusha (Shiva), materialized as both living and non-living things in a variety of universes (the multiverse).
The Maha Meru is also present in the Mother Parashakthi Sanctum (Sannidhi), which grants this Sannidhi the status of RajaRajeswari or Bhuvaneswari. Goddess Raja Matangi, Devi Varahi Ambika, and Devi Bhuvaneshwari are also placed on the same pedestal. This is a very highly energized place of worship because the Maha Meru and the various manifestations of the Great Mother are there.
9. Sri Lakshmi Temple
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| Photo: Sri Laskhmi. org |
The first traditional Hindu temple in New England is the Sri Lakshmi Temple in Ashland, Massachusetts, also known as the New England Hindu Temple, Inc. (NEHTI). Priests from Britain, the United States, and India celebrated the temple's opening in 1990. The temple was expanded in 2005 and 2018 after its 1990 debut. Lakshmi, who Hindus view as the Goddess of Prosperity, is the main deity worshiped.
Although South Asians started coming to the United States at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, they did not arrive in large numbers until the second half of the century. A small number of Hindu Indian immigrant families in the Boston metropolitan area started praying and worshipping together in 1978. In order to organize weekly spiritual gatherings, the group established a legal entity called the New England Hindu Temple, Inc., and they started doing so at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Melrose, Massachusetts.
Hindu temples were built by a group of devotees as a permanent place of worship as a result of their weekly gatherings. Members of a committee contributed $101 each to the building of a traditional Hindu temple in New England. In Melrose, Massachusetts, on October 28, 1978, the committee made its intentions to construct a temple public.
In order to build a temple, the New England Hindu Temple, Inc. bought 12 acres of land on Waverly Street in Ashland, Massachusetts, in 1981.
The temple's designs were created in accordance with Hindu scriptures by architect Ganapathy Sthapathi of the Institute of Architecture and Sculpture in Tamil Nadu. In the United States, Sthapathi has helped build a lot of Hindu temples.
Hindu rituals were performed as part of the temple's groundbreaking ceremony on June 19, 1984, to sanctify the land on which it would be constructed.
The temple committee submitted an application for a loan in June 1985 to the Thirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a private trust with headquarters in India that oversees Hindu temples all over the world. The TTD approved the request and gave the money to the New England Hindu Temple, Inc.
The exterior stone cladding was finished in 1986. The temple celebrated its initial consecration even though interior construction was still going on. Weekly services were held at the Needham Village Club as long as the interior was unfinished. The entire temple had been built by 1989, and a four-day grand opening ceremony took place in May of 1990. Due to the fact that it is devoted to Lakshmi, the Hindu deity associated with prosperity, the temple is more commonly referred to as the Sri Lakshmi Temple.
8. Hindu Temple of Florida
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| Photo: Wikipedia |
A STRONGLY DISTINCTIVE BUILDING BURSTS SUDDENLY ABOVE THE TREE TOPS LESS THAN TEN MILES NORTH of the Tampa International Airport, on an unassuming side road that winds through the flat terrain and lush vegetation typical of Florida's bay area. The Hindu Temple of Florida, which was created to meet the needs of a burgeoning Indian community, stands out among its suburban surroundings.
The 1996-built structure stands out for its prominent pyramid design, which serves as the entrance tower and is perched atop an exterior staircase that leads worshipers to a rooftop courtyard and pooja room. After the structure was finished, a process known as "Indianization" started, adorning the exterior with the elaborate architectural details that can be seen today.
Priests who predominately perform services in Sanskrit can be found at the Hindu Temple of Florida, which is open for weddings, birthday parties, and various public and private poojas. Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world, is non-canonical, so the temple has no set days or hours for services, no set donations, and no set ways to worship.
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7. Murugan Temple of North America
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| Photo: The Plannery |
The first temple in the country dedicated to the Hindu god Murugan is the Murugan Temple of North America. About 5 miles (8.0 km) outside of Washington, D.C., in Lanham, Maryland, is where you'll find the temple.
The temple, which was conceived in the 1980s and opened in 1999, commemorates all Hindu and Tamil holidays and special occasions. The temple also hosts religious classes, bhajans, and Tamil services. This traditional Saivite Hindu temple receives visitors from all over the nation, including the neighboring country of Canada, as well as Maryland, Washington, and Virginia. The primary sannidhi in the temple is for Valli Devasena and Murugan (Karttikeya). There are four additional sannidhis, one each for Meenakshi, Durga, Siva, Ganesha, and Palani Aandavar.
During significant festivals, Lord Murugan and Valli Devasena are brought out in a grand procession. The Vellottam for the new Ratham was held on August 7, 2009. For the Nallur Kathirgamam Kanthan festival, Lord Murugan ascension in the new Ratham took place on August 8, 2009.
During a fortunate time, it was drawn by the worshippers in the area of the Murugan Temple. Every August, during the Nallur festival, Murugan ascends in the Ratham at the Murugan Temple. The Murugan Temple's second Kumbabhishegam for all of its deities took place on May 13, 2011. Less than 2 miles (3.2 km) separate the Murugan Temple from the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple.
6. Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago
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| Photo: Timeout |
Established in 1977, the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) is a complex of Hindu temples in Lemont, Illinois. Two distinct temples are part of the complex:
The Rama Temple is home to Lord Ganesha, Sri Hanuman, Lord Venkateshwara (Balaji), Mahalakshmi, Sri Krishna, and Radha in addition to Sri Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana.
Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Durga Devi, Lord Subrahmanya, Devi Parvathi, Nataraja, Ayappasamy, and Navagraha are all present in the Ganesha-Shiva-Durga Temple.
There is also a separate Spiritual Center with Swami Vivekananda's name on it. Meditation, yoga classes, and spiritual lectures are just a few of the many spiritual pursuits that take place at the Swami Vivekanada Spiritual Center, which also houses the RITU Meditation Center.
A 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda is located next to the Vivekananda Spiritual Center on "Vivekananda Hill," a hillock on the temple campus. It is based on a photograph of the spiritual leader that was taken in Chicago following his appearance at the World's Parliament of Religions in 1893. It is the first Vivekananda statue that has ever been erected in a public setting in the United States of America.
The temple, located in Lemont, Illinois, is one of the most impressive displays of devotion outside of India. It is perched on a forested hillside above the Des Plaines River valley. The Rama Temple, the Ganesha-Shiva-Durga Temple, the community center that connects the two temples, and the Vivekananda Spiritual Center are the four buildings that make up the temple complex.
The Rama temple was constructed in accordance with plans in the genuine Chola dynasty (an Indian dynasty that ruled from the 10th century) style. The architecture of the temple is a flawless fusion of the old and the new. A potent representation of Hindu spirit is its magnificent 80-foot tower (Gopuram). The temple's lower level has a large hall with the capacity to host cultural events.
The Ganesha-Shiva-Durga temple is a smaller temple located north of the Rama temple. This temple was constructed in the first century B.C.E. Kalinga dynasty architectural style.
5. Shiva Vishnu temple
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| Photo: Wikipedia |
A Hindu temple called Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (SSVT) is situated in Lanham, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. One of the biggest temples in the country is this one. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is one mile from the Temple, which is situated on Cipriano Road. On the same road, there are two temples. In the neighborhood is the North American Murugan Temple.
The two primary deities represented in the temple are Vishnu as Ananthapadmanabha (the deity of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple) and Shiva as Ramanathaswamy (the deity of the Rameswaram Temple). Along with them, there are shrines for the Navagrahas, Rama, Krishna, Ganapathi, Subrahmanya, Andal, Hanuman, Parvathi, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Durga, and Ganapathi. Ayyappa has a separate shrine with 18 steps that is modeled after the well-known Sabarimala temple.
Throughout the year, the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple presents a number of cultural events. These consist of dance and concert performances by local and featured performers.
4. Shree Swami Narayan Temple
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| Photo: Chicago Magazine |
God: Swami Narayan
Location: Illinois Itasca, Chicago
In 1998, the Narayan temple first opened. It was reportedly the most expensive Hindu temple in the Midwest at the time when it was constructed for a reported $10 million. The temple is 34,000 square feet (3,200 m2) in size and boasts wedding and banquet facilities.
The temple held carnival games and raffles, Indian craft exhibits, henna temporary tattoos, historical exhibits, guided temple tours, live dance performances, and native foods to commemorate its tenth anniversary in 2008. The procession included eleven various cultural performances that the temple youth had planned. In addition to participants from different parts of the USA, India, and England, officials anticipated that 5000 people would attend this celebration.
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3. San Margairaivan Temple
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| Photo: Youtube |
On the island of Kauai in the U.S. state of Hawaii, there is a Hindu temple in the Chola style called the San Marga Iraivan Temple, which is dedicated to the god Shiva. The Tamil word "Iraivan," which means "He who is worshipped," is one of the oldest words for God. Construction on this white granite temple, the first of its kind in the western hemisphere, started in 1990.
Eight kilometers from Mount Waialeale, the Iraivan Temple is situated next to the Wailua River. The Kauai Aadheenam and Kauai's Hindu Monastery, also known as the Saiva Siddhanta Church, is responsible for its upkeep. The temple is being built right now. After construction is finished, Spatika (Crystal) Lingam will be housed there; in the meantime, crystal Lingam is kept in the Kadavul temple. A 700-pound, 39-inch-tall, uncut quartz crystal that is thought to be the largest six-sided, single-pointed crystal ever discovered will serve as the temple's focal point.
The importance of the Iraivan Temple is stated by Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal of Kailash Ashram in Bangalore: "The Iraivan Temple is going to be to America what the temples of Chidambaram, Madurai, Rameshwaram, and other great Siva temples are to India."
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had a dream on February 15, 1975, in which he saw Lord Shiva strolling across the area where the current temple stands. This dream served as the inspiration for Iraivan Temple. It is intended to serve as a site of pilgrimage for all Hindus. Three criteria were established by Subramuniyaswami for its design and construction:
→ that it follow traditional design according to the Saiva Āgama
→ that it be designed to last 1,000 years
→ that it be entirely carved by hand, without the use of any machinery.
V. Ganapati Sthapati finished the temple's design in the late 1980s. The carving of the 4,000+ granite blocks began in 1990 at a construction site in Bangalore, India, and was later transported to the temple location in Kauai. A group of silpi temple carvers assembled the stones in Kauai starting in 2001, guided by a master architect known as a sthapati. In a few years, the 3.2 million pound temple should be finished.
Two Indian swamis are helping with the project and donated eleven acres of land outside of Bangalore in 1990: Sri Sivaratnapuri Mahaswamigal (also known as Tiruchi Swami) and Sri Balagangadharanatha.
2. BAPS Shri Swami Narayan Mandir
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| BAPS Shri Swami Narayan Mandir - Photo: The Buzz Magazines |
A Hindu sect within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya is called Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS; IAST: Bocsavs Aksar Puruottam Svminryaa Sasth). Yagnapurushdas (Shastriji Maharaj), who believed that Swaminarayan continued to be present on earth through a lineage of gurus beginning with Gunatitanand Swami, founded it in 1905.
The BAPS has expanded significantly since 1971, thanks in large part to Pramukh Swami Maharaj's leadership. The 44 shikharbaddha mandirs and more than 1,200 mandirs that BAPS has as of 2019 allow devotees to pay respect to the murtis of Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami, and their successors, facilitating the practice of this doctrine. Additionally, BAPS mandirs offer events that promote culture and youth development. Many followers see the mandir as a venue for Hindu values to be taught and integrated into daily activities, family life, and careers.
Through BAPS Charities, a distinct non-profit aid organization that has led a number of projects around the world addressing healthcare, education, environmental causes, and community-building campaigns, BAPS also engages in a variety of humanitarian and charitable endeavors.
1. Malibu Hindu Temple
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| Malibu Hindu Temple |
The 1981-constructed Malibu Hindu Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Venkateswara and is situated in the Santa Monica Mountains in the city of Calabasas, close to Malibu, California. The Hindu Temple Society of Southern California owns and runs it. It is a popular destination for Hindus in Southern California and was constructed in the traditional South Indian style. In the Western Hemisphere, it is one of the biggest Hindu temples.
On the temple's grounds, the priests are housed and live. The temple hosts numerous ceremonial gatherings and offers a variety of locations for picnics and meditation. For special cultural and Hindu programs, it has a full stage.
Vasan Srinivasan, a Los Angeles-based civil engineer, served as the Temple's first president. In addition to managing the construction and bringing the priests from India, Srinivasan played a key role in raising money from neighborhood families. Nadadur Vardhan, an Indian American tax consultant, presided over the temple later on and up until his passing in July 2017. Hindu Temple Society of Southern California is generally in charge of running the temple.
The Hindu temple is divided into two sections: the upper complex, where Lord Venkateswara is the presiding deity, and the lower complex, where Lord Shiva is. Both complexes have shrines for other gods in addition to the one who serves as the presiding deity.
The temple was used in a brief scene in the Chris Farley-starring 1997 film Beverly Hills Ninja and in a song in the Tamil film Jeans in 1998. The Hindu priests of this temple blessed Britney Spears' 4-month-old son in front of a large crowd in January 2006. Media outlets from all over the world covered the event.
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