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Murti Pratishtha [BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Lansdale, PA]

Sunday, November 5, 2006 marked a memorable day in BAPS history as the 51st temple in North America was consecrated. As the sun rose, local devotees eagerly began entering the newly renovated mandir complex and were taken by astonishment at the beautifully decorated mandir which seemed like an unfathomable dream 25 years ago. With short notice and only a month to work, a team of nearly twenty volunteers worked day and night, with many ending as late as 6 AM.

On that Sunday, a divine spirit filled the air as the chanting of Vedic mantras was heard all throughout the former 3.29 - acre farm land as over 800 people took part in the traditional Vishavashanti Mahapuja and murti pratishtha led by Pujya Kothari Swami. Pujya Kothari Swami and pujya santos consecrated the murtis of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, Shri Radha-Krishna Dev, Guru Parampara, Shri Sita-Ram and Hanumanji, and Shri Shiv-Parvati and Ganeshji. After the mandir's first arti, Pujya Kothari Swami, pujya santos, and honorable guests addressed the audience. Michael DiNunzio, the mayor of Lansdale for the past 26 years, stated it best when he said, "When I saw Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2003, I told him that I wanted a temple like Edison's in Lansdale, and now 3 years later, this has become a reality and I love you all for that." Finally, guests enjoyed an annakut of vegetarian items prepared by the Mahila mandal and offered it to the newly consecrated murtis. On the day before, the mahila mandal participated in a mahila satsang program and a kalaash yatra. On that evening, an auditorium overflowing with attendees watched a cultural program put together by the youths that included a kirtan aradhana, a dance performance, and an enlightening speech by Pujya Kothari Swami.

As only phase one of the mandir complex has been completed, the following phases for an extension, children's classrooms, and a parking lot are planned to be completed by Pujya Pramukh Swami's arrival to North America in the summer of 2007. For more details contact : mayank.amin@gmail.com or log on to : www.akshardham.com

The Pattern of Hinduism and Hindu Temple Building in the U.S. 
Karen Pechilis Prentiss

Hinduism has become increasingly established in the U.S. through a series of encounters over the past 150 years. These encounters are emblematic of Americans' increasing familiarity with Indian, and Asian, traditions; of contact between Americans and Indian immigrants, and of relationships among cultural traditions in a society that is self-consciously pluralistic. Two distinct forms of Hinduism have contributed to these encounters. In recent public lectures, Professor Vasudha Narayanan of the University of Florida has classified Hindu institutions in America today into two categories from Hindu tradition: 1. organizations that promote self-help practices (e.g. yoga, meditation), and 2. organizations that provide the means for formal ritual worship (e.g. temples). (See also her website on the Pluralism Project Affiliates page.) In Hindu Indian tradition, the paths of self-help and ritual worship are co-existing classical paradigms and present-day realities. The path of self-help is traditionally realized in the intense relationship between the guru and disciple; the path of ritual worship is traditionally realized in liturgical activities in temples performed by priests on behalf of worshipers. These are not mutually exclusive ways of worship; for example, there is often a temple at a guru's ashram, and temple priests have personal client relationships with worshipers. Today, these streams co-exist in America, as they do in India. However, the historical establishment of Hinduism in America reveals a distinctive pattern: For the first hundred years of Hinduism in the U.S., its followers have mainly practiced the self-help approach; during the last 30 years, building Hindu temples in the U.S. has become a dominant focus. This pattern is more controversially characterized as Americans representing Hinduism in America on their own terms during the initial period, followed by Hindu Indians representing Hinduism in America on their own terms in recent years. (Read rest of the article on pluralism.org)

These days there are Hindu temples all over the world including far off places like Sydney, Australia. With the rise in popularity of mediation) and yoga) it is no surprise that people everywhere are becoming interested in Vedic spiritual practices.

Stop Building Hindu Temples
By Shoba Narayan 

..........As Indian communities grew more affluent, they each wanted their own temple. They didn't want the hassle of getting up early on Sunday morning and driving a hundred miles to worship the Almighty. So they build their own temples, which served tiny communities with a few hundred Indians. There are now at least three temples serving the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, four or five temples in Silicon Valley within a radius of hundred miles, and three in the Greater Chicago area and the Metropolitan New York area. By some estimates, there are at least 200 such temples serving a Hindu population of merely 3 million......

Hindu temples in America, unlike their counterparts in India, don't have a presiding deity. The Shiva-Vishnu temple in the Washington, D.C., area, for instance, includes not only Lord Shiva and Vishnu but also Ganesh, Devi, Hanuman, and numerous other gods. This inclusive approach has paid off. While Indians in India only visit those temples that host their favorite deities, Indians in America can pretty much visit any temple anywhere in America and be assured that their favorite god will be present.

As a result, Hindu temples in America are packed on weekends and boast a strong attendance even during the week. Hindu women in colorful silk saris and men in Indian attire chant mantras, sing Sanskrit hymns and participate in the activities and events of the temple. Bored Indian-American teenagers in baggy pants stand on the periphery, having been dragged to the temple by their parents. At least, that is what it is like among my 24 nieces and nephews who grew up in America.

Sri Krishna Finds an Home In Idaho: Rediff.com

...While there are many Hindu temples on the east and west coasts, in states such as Idaho or Utah, they are a rare phenomenon. "Though the temple is primarily meant for the Indian community, it is also open to Americans who are drawn to Sri Krishna," says Anantapura Gupta (karmic name, Arun Gupta), president of the temple. Mayor Brent Coles will inaugurate the temple at 6 pm and the celebrations will go on for four hours.

Work on the temple began about a year after the rezoning committee of the city approved the plan. The council had to be convinced that there will not be a large scale disruption of life during festivals. Getting the permission from the zoning councils in several other cities has proved difficult, and in some cases impossible, for the construction of houses of worship by Hindu and Muslim immigrants.

Members of many zoning councils have said no racism was involved in their rejection of permits to build temples and mosques, and that they were only concerned about the disturbance to the surrounding residential areas. But the immigrant community has often suspected other motives. "Many mainstream Americans are afraid of the unknown," says Professor Surendra Gambhir of the University of Pennsylvania. "Some Americans also equate temples with cults."

There are about 200 Hindu temples and ashrams across North America. More than 75 per cent of them were designed and constructed in the past three decades.

Tirupati-style temple opened near Birmingham

The largest Hindu temple in Europe based on the architecture of the Tirupati Tirumala temple is being opened during a five-day religious festival in Tividale, near Birmingham.

More than 10,000 devotees are expected to attend a number of rituals scheduled to sanctify the Sri Venkateswara (Balaji) temple. Several sculptors and artisans have worked on intricate carvings in and around the temple.

Several priests have flown in from India to perform the rituals in Sanskrit. The five-day event will culminate in the installation of a 12-foot idol of Lord Krishna.

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Note: Page last updated: Aug 2017