Sri Venkateswara Temple (New Jersey)
History
In 1989, a group of practicing Hindus in areas surrounding New Jersey established the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of USA Inc. (HTCS). In February 1992, the HTCS purchased land in Bridgewater, New Jersey in hopes of building a traditional stone temple. Devotees began engaging in regularly scheduled spiritual activities and worship in the building previously built on the purchased land, as the planning for a new temple continued. In 1995, the ground breaking ceremony of the new temple was performed. In May 1996, a stone laying ceremony was conducted by Chinna Jeeyar Swami and the temple construction began according to the Vastu Shastras. In 1998, consecration ceremony was conducted by Chinna Jeeyar Swami and other priests and the temple was inaugurated.
In 2019, the Bridgewater zoning board approved the temples plan for expanding facilities.
Deities
There are 16 shrines within the temple which include sacred images of Venkateswara, Sridevi, Bhudevi, Garuda, Ganesha, Ambika, Nandi, Siva Lingam, Ayyappa, Subrahmanya, Satyanarayana, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi Narayan, Radha Krishna, Rama, Anjaneya, and Navagraha.
References
- ^ Hooli, Shekhar H. (5 June 2017). "New Jersey's Venkateswara Temple - world's costliest and largest Hindu temple [PHOTOS+VIDEOS]". www.ibtimes.co.in.
- ^ "Sri Venkateswara Temple".
- ^ Govindan, Indira (2001). Building Hindu temples in America: A study of Sri Venkateswara temple at Bridgewater, New Jersey (PhD). ProQuest 304689368 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "History of Sri Venkateswara Temple - Bridgewater, NJ USA". htcsusa.org.
- ^ Giambusso, David (3 May 2019). "After long legal battle, Hindu temple in Bridgewater wins expansion approval". NJ.com.