This is a list of 188 notable Hindu temples , centers, and ashrams in the United States.
History
Following his famous speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago , Swami Vivekananda established Vedanta Societies in New York City and San Francisco in the 1890s. The Vedanta Society built its first temple, called the Old Temple , in North America in San Francisco in 1905.[ Note 1] [ 1] [ 2] [ 3] This temple has evolved into a bona fide Hindu temple.[ Note 1] Through the 1930s and 1940s, Vedanta Societies were also established in Boston , Los Angeles , Portland , Providence , Chicago , St. Louis , and Seattle . Although the Society's membership was relatively small, it paved the way for the later rise in popularity of yoga in the United States.[ 4]
Paramahansa Yogananda also came to the United States to attend a conference in 1920 and established the Self Realization Fellowship . Promoting yoga through his book Autobiography of a Yogi , he opened centers throughout the country. By the 1950s, the Self Realization Fellowship had become the most prominent Hindu organization in America. Its international headquarters Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine opened in California in 1950.[ 5]
The rise of counterculture of the 1960s in the United States saw the arrival of many gurus and swamis from India . The most prominent of these were Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada , Swami Satchidananda , Swami Rama , and Swami Muktananda . In the 1960s and 1970s, these and other teachers established centers, temples, and ashrams , many of which continue to the present day.[ 6]
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 facilitated a significant increase in Indian immigration.[ 7] [ 8] The Hindu students and professionals who immigrated in the late 1960s and 1970s often kept small altars and puja rooms in their homes. These altars became the first makeshift temples of the early immigrants. As these immigrants started raising families, they began taking active steps to preserve their culture and heritage. They formed religious communities such as the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and cultural organizations such as Bengali , Gujarati , Marathi , Odisha , Tamil , Telugu , and India Associations. Many of these associations rented halls, churches, and school auditoriums to celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali , Holi , and Navaratri . The religious groups often met in members' homes to study the scriptures, conduct pujas, or sing bhajans (devotional songs).[ 9]
By the 1970s, the religious groups and cultural associations started working together to create Hindu "temple societies." These societies formed in metropolitan areas with large Indian American populations such as Atlanta , Boston, Chicago, Detroit , Houston , Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh , the San Francisco Bay Area , and Washington D.C. The goal of the societies was to create permanent temples by purchasing existing properties such as private homes, former churches, warehouses, and office buildings, or by buying land and constructing new temples "from scratch." The Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh , inaugurated on June 8, 1977, and the Hindu Temple Society of North America in New York, consecrated on July 4, 1977, became the first Hindu temples in the U.S. built by Indian immigrants. In the 1980s and 1990s, temples were built in nearly all major metropolitan areas.[ 9] [ 10]
In the 21st century, Hindu temples have been established in many smaller cities and towns, and larger metropolitan areas have continued to add temples, as seen in the list below. In the meantime, older temples have been expanded and/or renovated to include kitchens, dining areas, community halls, and auditoriums to meet the growing needs of their congregations.[ 10]
List of temples
Locations of all temples having coordinates may be seen together in a map linked from "Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap" on the right of this page.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Temple
Location
Image
Notes
Old Vedanta Society Temple a.k.a. "Old Temple"
San Francisco 37°47′53″N 122°26′03″W / 37.79809°N 122.43430°W / 37.79809; -122.43430 (Old Vedanta Society Temple )
Unique building, constructed in 1906, the first Hindu temple in the United States. The Vedanta Society of San Francisco was established in 1900 by Swami Vivekanandaji, after his attending Chicago World's Fair of 1893 .[ 13] At Filbert Street & Webster. Or it was developed in two stages in 1905 and 1908. Incorporating Mogul was designed by Swami Trigunatitananda and architect Joseph A. Leonard . Its towers in multiple Indian, Mogul, and Western architectural styles, "are intended to symbolize the harmony of all religions and the pointed arches and domes the upward aspiration of the spiritual seeker."[ 14] [ 15] [ 16]
Malibu Hindu Temple
Calabasas
Shree Swaminarayan Temple Downey CA
Downey
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chino Hills
Chino Hills
Balaji Temple San Jose
San Jose 37°25′26″N 121°58′03″W / 37.42386°N 121.96757°W / 37.42386; -121.96757 (Balaji Temple San Jose )
2012 opened.
Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland
Oakland
Vedanta Society of Southern California, Santa Barbara Temple
Montecito 34°26′45″N 119°34′49″W / 34.44581°N 119.58020°W / 34.44581; -119.58020 (Santa Barbara Temple )
1956 completed. Early South Indian wooden, Japanese, and Chinese architectural styles.
Vedanta Society Of Southern California, Ramakrishna Monastery
Trabuco Canyon 37°25′26″N 121°58′03″W / 37.42386°N 121.96757°W / 37.42386; -121.96757 (Ramakrishna Monastery )
1949 consecrated.
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple[ 17]
Watsonville
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles
Established by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1950.
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
Temple
Location
Image
Notes
Saraswati Temple
Hanover
Hindu Temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati located inside Rollins Chapel at Dartmouth College.[ 82]
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Temple
Location
Image
Hindu Temple of Siouxland[ 110]
Tea
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
See also
Notes
^ a b However, its website states, "In actual fact, the Temple was not in any sense Hindu—not in organization, activities, membership, architecture, or decor."
References
^ Nolte, Carl (3 November 2018). "Week a fitting time to celebrate East Indians' success in SF" . San Francisco Chronicle .
^ "Old Temple" . sfvedanta.org . 30 December 2020.
^ "Visit to Vedanta Society and the Old Temple of 1905 | Society for Asian Art" . www.societyforasianart.org .
^ "Hinduism in America" . Archived from the original on 21 March 2016.
^ "Yogananda and American Yoga" . pluralism.org .
^ "The Rush of Gurus" . pluralism.org .
^ https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/RAD-IndiaII-FINAL.pdf [bare URL PDF ]
^ Batalova, Jeanne Batalova Mary Hanna and Jeanne (15 October 2020). "Indian Immigrants in the United States" . migrationpolicy.org .
^ a b "The New Hindu Immigrants" . pluralism.org .
^ a b c "The Temple Builders" . pluralism.org .
^ "One for all: Spirituality and its presence in Limestone County" . The News Courier . 26 February 2023.
^ "See former workshop transform into glittering temple for Diwali at BAPS mandir in Madison" . AL.com . 31 October 2014.
^ "Old Vedanta Society Temple" . Atlas Obscura .
^ "Old Temple" . Vedanta Society of Northern California. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2022 .
^ Swami Tattwamayananda, ed. (2016). The First Universal Hindu Temple in the West: A Landmark in San Francisco. Vedanta Society of Northern California. 144 pages. Available at link from https://sfvedanta.org/the-society/old-temple/
^ Arijit Sen (2010). "Architecture and World Making: Production of Sacred Space in San Francisco's Vedanta Temple". South Asian History and Culture . 2 (1): 76–102. doi :10.1080/19472498.2011.531611 . S2CID 143839200 . Full PDF available to download at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19472498.2011.531611 .
^ a b "Missing Janmashtami 2023 Celebration? These 15 Popular Hindu Temples in USA Can Be Visited In Janmashtami" . The Times of India . 7 September 2023.
^ "Proclamation: BAPS North America Anniversary Day" (PDF) . Tampa Government . 4 August 2024.
^ "Get to know Lakeland's diverse religious communities" . LALtoday . 20 July 2022.
^ "The 2022 Indiafest, presented by Manav Mandir Hindu Temple, held March 5-6 at Wickham Park" . Florida Today . 5 March 2022.
^ "Shree Swaminarayan Temple opens in SW Ocala" . Ocala StarBanner . 11 July 2022.
^ "New Hindu Temple of Tallahassee, Florida" . greatandhra.com . 13 August 2022.
^ "They built their Hindu temple together. A fatal gunshot tore them apart" . Tampa Bay Times . 20 May 2021.
^ "Trespassers caught on camera inside vandalized Hindu temple; temple hit 4 times in 5 months" . WPTV . 20 October 2017.
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Albany, GA" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Augusta" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Calhoun" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chattanooga" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Perry" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Savannah" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ Renken, Leslie (25 June 2014). "Extra: Indian immigrants find slice of home at Hindu Temple of Central Illinois" . Peoria Journal Star . Retrieved 27 October 2023 .
^ Buedel, Matt (30 December 2017). "Hindu temple in central Illinois draws growing numbers" . The Seattle Times . Retrieved 27 October 2023 .
^ Adams, Pam (27 October 2009). "Hindu Temple keeps dodging obstacles on road to karma" . The State Journal-Register . Retrieved 27 October 2023 .
^ "Inauguration Of The Home Of Harmony: Chicago" . 19 June 2022.
^ "In Rogers Park, glimpses of a neighborhood that reflects Chicago's diversity more than any other" . Chicago Sun-Times . 27 May 2022.
^ "A Whole World on One Chicago Street" . Chicago Magazine .
^ "Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago" . 26 January 2019.
^ a b "Hindu temple to open in Glenview this weekend" . Daily Herald . 14 April 2016.
^ "Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago" .
^ a b The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia . Indiana University Press. 2006. p. 744.
^ Otwell, Rachel (24 April 2018). "Hindu Temple Of Greater Springfield Breaks New Ground" . NPR Illinois . Retrieved 27 October 2023 .
^ Klickna, Cinda Ackerman (14 October 2021). "Hindu Temple to open Oct. 13-17" . Illinois Times . Retrieved 27 October 2023 .
^ "Leaders, dignitaries mark dedication of new Hindu temple" . The Republic . 30 August 2022.
^ "Finding Faith: New Mandir in Greenwood" . WISHTV8 . 15 August 2023.
^ "Tri-State Hindu community celebrates opening of new temple in Newburgh" . Courier & Press . 20 October 2022.
^ "Hindu Temple Inauguration a 'once in a lifetime' event for local devotees" . Indiana public media . 16 December 2022.
^ "First Hindu Temple in Iowa" . hinduismtoday . 2005. Retrieved 20 January 2020 .
^ "New Hindu Temple opening this week in Bowling Green" . WBKO . 21 May 2022.
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Washington DC" . BAPS . Retrieved 21 August 2024 .
^ "Hindu Temple of MA, Inc. – Om Namo Narayanaya" .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Springfield" . BAPS .
^ "Chinmaya Mission Boston – To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time" .
^ a b "Siddha Yoga Centers and Websites around the World" .
^ "Sri Chinmaya Maruti Temple – 1, Union St, Andover MA – 01810" .
^ "Boston Sri Kalikambal Shiva Temple" . Boston Sri Kalikambal Shiva Temple .
^ "Vedanta Society" . Vedanta Society .
^ "Sri Siddha Lalitha Peetham" . siddhalalitha.org .
^ "Inner Space Harvard Square » Meditation Center" .
^ "Shri Sai Chavadi" . shrisaichavadi.com .
^ "Vedanta Centre, Cohasset, MA, spiritual center, meditation classes, Vedanta philosophy" . www.vedantacentre.org .
^ "Shree Umiya Mataji Mandir" . sanskarusa.org .
^ "New England Shirdi Sai Parivaar" .
^ "Parvati Parameshwara Temple" .
^ "SRI RADHA BHAKTI" . SRI RADHA BHAKTI .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Boston" . BAPS .
^ "ISSO Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Temple - Lowell, MA" . issoboston.org .
^ "Rayaru Mutt | NE SRS Brundavan | United States" . NE SRS Brundavan .
^ "Vallabh Youth Organization" .
^ "Shivalaya Temple of Greater Boston is a place of worship, prayer, education, social and cultural activities for Hindu community of Greater Boston" . www.shivalayaboston.com .
^ "Home" . vidyapeeth.dwarkamai.com .
^ "Shravan Mas Katha - Boston, US - SMVS" .
^ "Shri Gurusthan" . dwarkamai.com .
^ "Hindu Temple for Worship" . Mysite .
^ "Sarva Dev Mandir" . www.sarvadevmandir.org .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, South Boston" . BAPS .
^ "Watertown - BRAHMA KUMARIS" .
^ "| Siddha Yoga Meditation Center in Greater Boston" .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Westborough" . BAPS .
^ "Satsang Center" .
^ "A Hindu temple in Portage makes up for lost time with big plans for its 25th anniversary" . WMUK . 11 August 2022.
^ "Welcome to Missouri Ganesha Temple" . Missouri Ganesha Temple . Retrieved 9 March 2023 .
^ Hindu Temple at Dartmouth College
^ a b "Swami Jagdishwaranand, 71, Spiritual Leader, Dies" . The New York Times . 21 December 2005.
^ Queens NY to get first ever Krishna Janmashtami 2014 Block Party
^ Nicole Karapanagiotis (2021). Branding Bhakti: Krishna Consciousness and the Makeover of a Movement . Indiana University Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-253-05490-6 . Last but not the least, the Bhakti Center's third floor is a relatively large, full-functioning ISKCON temple.
^ "The Broome Street Ganesha Temple" .
^ "Sri Sri hari Mandir USA LLC" . Sri Sri Hari Mandir USA .
^ "Athens Krishna House" .
^ "Krishna Consciousness movement invites spiritual Athens locals" .
^ "Bslnd Worldwide Website" . bslndusa.org .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cleveland" . BAPS .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cincinnati" . BAPS .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Columbus" . BAPS .
^ King, Danae. "Hare Krishnas' new temple takes environment into account" . The Columbus Dispatch .
^ "Siddha Yoga Meditation Center, Columbus, Ohio" . www.symc-columbus.org .
^ "Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple & Hindu Cultural Center of Ohio" . www.lakshmiganeshtemple.org .
^ "VEDIC WELFARE SOCIETY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO" . www.vwscolumbus.org .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Dayton" . BAPS .
^ "Kailasa in Ohio | Prayag" .
^ "Chakra" . www.svtco.org .
^ "SLN Temple Girard Ohio – Sri Lakshmi Narayan Temple of Youngstown, OH" .
^ "Sri Saibaba Temple Society of Ohio" .
^ "Welcome to Sri Sai Baba Temple of Greater Cincinnati |" .
^ "Chinmaya Mission Columbus – "Unto Him Our Best" " . chinmayamissioncolumbus.org .
^ "Thousands in Reynoldsburg celebrate Tihar, the Nepali version of Diwali" . The Columbus Dispatch . 24 October 2022.
^ "Chakra" . www.balajiusa.org .
^ "Cleveland, Ohio (ISSO) - Kalupur Mandir" . swaminarayan.info .
^ "With prayer and pyrotechnics, a new Hindu temple comes to life in southern Butler County" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . 28 August 2022.
^ a b "Chinmaya Mission Pittsburgh is Expanding" . Newswire.com . 9 February 2022.
^ "Hindu Temple of Siouxland" .
^ "Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple" . www.dallashanuman.org .
^ "Welcome To Hindu Temple of San Antonio" . www.hindutemplesatx.org .
^ "Krishna Center - Salt Lake City - Radha Krishna Temple in Utah" . 18 November 2011.
^ "Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple: Home" .
^ https://www.vermontmandir.org
^ a b "New Hindu temple opens in Chesapeake" . The Virginian Pilot . 1 August 2019.
^ "Bellevue Hindu Temple and Cultural Center" .
^ "Sai Parivar Foundation" .
^ "Home - Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, Bothell, WA" .
^ "Welcome to the Nithyanandeshwara Hindu Temple" .
^ "About Us SD Mandir WA" . 19 January 2019.
^ "Kent Hindu Temple" .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Seattle" .
^ "JAYA HANUMAN TEMPLE AND CULTURAL CENTER" .
^ "Lakshmi Venkateswara Temple" .
^ "Saibaba Seattle" .
^ "VEDA Sri Venkateswara Temple - Hindu Temple" .
^ "Hanuman Nagri" .
^ "Vedanta Society of Western Washington" .
^ "Hindu Temple - HSEW" .
^ "Hindu Religious & Cultural Center (HRCC)" .
^ "AHA Shiva Vishnu Temple" .
^ "Home" . Hindu Temple of North East Wisconsin .
^ Krishna, Hare. "Welcome to krishna temple Milwaukee" . krishnatemplemilwaukee .
^ "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Milwaukee" . BAPS .
^ "HTW – Hindu Temple of Wisconsin" .
^ "MANDIR OF MADISON" . MANDIR OF MADISON .
^ "milwaukee - Chinmaya Mission Centre" . milwaukee .
^ "WISS - Wisconsin Shirdi Sai" .
External links
Akshardham
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chino Hills
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston
Boise Hare Krishna Temple
Durga Temple of Virginia
Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Birmingham
Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa
Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City
Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies
Hindu Temple of Atlanta
Hindu Temple of Bloomington-Normal
Hindu Temple of Central Indiana
Hindu Temple of Dayton
Hindu Temple of Delaware
Hindu Temple of Florida
Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago
Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati
Hindu Temple of Greater Wichita
Hindu Temple of Las Vegas
Hindu Temple of Minnesota
Hindu Temple of Omaha
Hindu Temple of St. Louis
Hindu Temple of The Woodlands
Hindu Temple of Toledo
Iraivan Temple
Kadavul Temple
Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple
Maha Ganapati Temple of Arizona
Malibu Hindu Temple
Murugan Temple of North America
Northwest Arkansas Hindu Temple
New Vrindaban
Prabhupada's Palace of Gold
North Texas Hindu Mandir
Oklahoma City Hindu Temple
Radha Madhav Dham
Radha Krishna Temple, Dallas
Santa Barbara Vedanta Temple
Society of Abidance in Truth
Shiva Vishnu Hindu Temple of Greater Cleveland
Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Orlando
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago (Itasca)
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago (Wheeling)
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Downey
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey (Colonia)
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey (Weehawken)
Sri Ganesha Temple of Alaska
Sri Kasi Vishwanatha Temple Flint
Sri Meenakshi Temple (Pearland, Texas)
Sri Somesvara Temple
Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina
Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh
Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple (Spanish Fork)
Vedanta Society Of Southern California, Ramakrishna Monastery
Sri Lakshmi Temple, Ashland
Vraj Hindu Temple
Yogaville