Temples – sacred places where faith in the divine flourishes and artistic creativity finds expression. Many Hindu temples in India are known to have existed since time immemorial, yet the genius of ancient Indians as evidenced in the design and architecture of these temples leaves us baffled to this day. Perhaps the fact that their painstaking perfection was unaided by any sort of advanced equipment known today, makes their creation even more charismatic.

Thousands of miles away from India and its great architectural heritage; Hawaii is home to a mighty Lord Shiva temple on the serene islands of Kauai. Untouched by modern-age construction technology and machinery, the San Marga Iraivan Temple of Hawaii is akin to ancient stone temples of India. It is said to be North America’s first temple architecture of white granite stone chiseled and carved with traditional hand-held tools preserving the ancient stone carving techniques in the process.

Hawaii Iraivan Temple: Inspired by millennia-old Chola Architecture 

Iraivan Temple, whose foundation stone was laid in 1991, has taken the shape of a beautiful Chola-style temple with architectural grandeur and intricate carvings over more than two decades. The 4-foot-thick foundation bearing this 3.2 million pound temple is made of a crack-free formula involving coal ash. The temple is designed with great precision of art, science and engineering so that it lasts one thousand years in the seismically active region of Hawaii. Moreover, the spacing within the temple, as guided by Vaastu Shastra, elevates the vibration of the place and you cannot help but feel mystified here.

Musical Pillars & Other Architectural Highlights

Elaborate carvings, sacred motifs, and amazing structures meet your eye at this temple. Two massive elephant sculptures stand at the entrance. As you go further, you can see a large stone bell, long stone chains, finely carved pillars, eight stone lion pillars that come with a rotatable stone ball in their mouth.

Huge sandalwood doors lead the way to the main sanctum, where 108 bronze statues of Nataraja in various dance positions are placed in dimly lit shelves surrounding the main Shiva lingam. One of the many stunning features of Hawaii’s Iraivan Temple is its two “musical pillars” encompassing 16 carved rods that produce classical Indian musical tones when gently struck with a mallet.

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and his vision of Iraivan Temple    

The seeds of Iraivan temple in Hawaii were sown in 1975 when American Hindu guru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami visioned Lord Shiva walking along the place where the temple sits today. This vision inspired his decision to transform the place into a pilgrimage site for Shiva devotees from across the world. He named the temple after an old Tamil word, Iraivan, meaning, “He who is worshiped.”

Soon, the directions were in place. The temple has been hand-built following the traditional temple architecture principles mentioned in Agama Shastra (an ancient Sanskrit text with guidelines for temple construction, worship, etc) and designed in such a way that it survives 1000 years or more. The design of San Marga Iraivan Temple, Hawaii, is credited to V. Ganapati Sthapati.

Also Read: This temple in USA to get 10 millions lingams from India

Construction began in the 1990s. Required amounts of stone were primarily quarried in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu regions and the handcrafting of white granite stones was done by 70 local sculptors in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka. More than 4000+ carved stones were transported from Bengaluru to USA’s Kauai temple monastery, where craftsmen assembled them block by block.

Legend of Iraivan Temple’s 700-pound Shiva Lingam

Behind the intricately carved sandalwood doors of Hawaii’s Iraivan Temple is a rare 700-pound Shiva Lingam of quartz crystal (sphatik). Estimated to be 50 million years old, this sphatik lingam represents sky – one of the five elements called pancha bhuta. Legend has it that this sacred shiva lingam was found enclosed in mud, in its exact form and shape, by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami during his quest for it in Arkansas following his dream. This naturally formed lingam is anything unlike rock-cut structures created for worshiping purposes at temples.

This article is part of the series – Hidden Gems of America – by Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Indians and Americans. Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a one-stop portal for US-India travel news, Indian Diaspora stories, and US visa and immigration updates. Subscribe to Travel Beats for more such stories.

Location of Iraivan Temple in Hawaii

The temple is a part of Kauai Aadheenam (Hindu Monastery), a 458-acre temple-monastery complex located on Hawaii’s Garden Island, i.e. Kauai. This vast property sprawls next to the serene Wailua River. As you approach the Wailua River, you can see the shimmering golden towers of Iraivan Temple rising against the backdrop of the lush green Mount Waialeale. The distance between this Hindu temple in Kauai and Mount Waialeale is around 8 km.

Hawaii’s Iraivan Temple is considered one of the most elaborate Hindu temples ever created in USA. Travelers are allowed to take a tour of Kauai Aadheenam and its temple. You can walk along the serene trails weaving through the monastery’s forests, unwind by a beautiful pond, and explore the architecture of this beautiful temple, which transports you back to ancient India’s Chola era when temple architecture flourished to great heights.

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Other than the wealthiest temples, India is known for some of the tallest, largest and grandest structures in the world. Now, India is home to the world’s tallest Shiva lingam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Eclipsing the tallest Shiva Lingam temples across the country, the Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple of Chenkal near Thiruvananthapuram has entered the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness Book of Records for its astounding 111.2 feet height and and 50-feet diameter in breadth.

Unveiled in February 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shiva lingam of Kerala’s Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple is adjudged as the tallest Shiva lingam in India. It has already entered the India Book of Records for not only its height but also its unique cylindrical structure. Travel Beats, a leading overseas Indian community portal by Indian Eagle, shares some interesting facts about the Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple and the tallest lingam of Chenkal in Kerala.

Surprising facts about India’s tallest Shiva lingam

Since it was unveiled, the Shiva Lingam – which is equal to a 10-storey building in height – has been fetching attention from all quarters to the Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple of Kerala. The Shiva lingam is neither hollow nor stuffed a piece of sculpture like the erstwhile tallest shivlings in India. Rather, it is a piece of architecture in the form of cylindrical structure.

“The top of India’s tallest Shiva lingam in Kerala is accessible to pilgrims through eight floors inside the cave-like structure. Six of the 8 floors represent six energy centers in the human body. The top of the lingam features a larger-than-life replica of Mount Kailash (the Himalayan abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi) with snow-clad idols of the presiding deities. The inside of the lingam features several marvels,” said Sourav Agarwal, Senior Editor of Travel Beats. 

The pathway from the base to the top of the tallest Shiva lingam in Kerala is decked with eye-catching murals and statutes of meditating monks in a cave-like environment. The passage is designed and constructed in such a way so as to symbolize seven hills of Himalayas. The first floor of the lingam is consecrated to 108 Shiva lingams, where devotees can offer ‘abhishekam.’

India’s tallest Shiva lingam is a seat of meditation 

India’s tallest Shiva Lingam at Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple has become popular as a haven of peace and meditation. The cave-like inside of the lingam houses six meditation halls for pilgrims, devotees and tourists to meditate on human body’s energy centers. The topmost floor features a grand lotus with 1000 petals symbolizing ‘sahasrara chakra’ or pure bliss in terms of yoga.

The construction of Kerala‘s Sivaparvathi temple lingam began in 2012. It went on for 6 years. Water, sand, and soil from various holy places like Kashi, Gangotri, Rishikesh, Rameswaram, Badrinath, Gomukh, and Kailash were mixed with the construction materials. The 108-feet-high Shiva lingam at Kotilingeshwara Temple in Karnataka was the tallest in the country until the Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple of Chenkal unveiled the 111.2-ft-tall lingam in February 2020.

Reportedly, the temple authorities have approached the central government to confer the status of a national pilgrim center upon the temple where India’s tallest Shiva lingam represents spiritual energy preservation.

Maheswaram Sivaparvathi Temple of Chenkal is just a 45-minute drive from Thiruvananthapuram and a 6-hour road trip from Kochi. IndianEagle.com, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Indian Diaspora, books cheap flight tickets to Kochi from USA. Indian Eagle’s phone-only budget flight deals (available at +1800-615-3969 from USA) keep NRIs flying to and from India.     

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Pilgrimage to the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh is incomplete without a piece of laddu, the most sought after prasadam at one of the richest Hindu temples in the world. It has been more than 300 years since laddu was introduced in the naivedhyam to Lord Venkateshwara in August 1715. Surprisingly, this sacred prasadam never falls short of demand even during the peak season of pilgrimage to the hilltop Tirumala shrine. In 2018, Brahmotsavam, the biggest crowd-pulling annual celebration at the Tirumala Temple, saw a record-breaking sale of 5,13,566 laddus on a single day. This pre-pandemic sale is still a landmark event in the history of the temple.

The whole-year-sale of the Tirupati Laddu contributes minimum Rs 500 crore to the Tirumala Temple’s annual revenue of Rs 3000 crore on average. Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indians abroad, shares with you some interesting facts about the Tirupati Laddu also known as Sri Vari Laddu.

The making and distribution of the sacred prasadam in colossal quantities makes an interesting case study for management students. The Tirumala Temple kitchen where a daily average of 3 lakh laddus and other prasadam are made is called Laddu Potu. Equipped with modern amenities, the Potu can produce 800,000 laddus a day. There are three conveyor belts for transferring ingredients from one end to the other. About 10 tons of gram flour, 300-500 liters of pure ghee, 700 kg of cashew nuts, 540 kg of raisins, 150 kg of cardamom, and 500 kg of sugar candy go into the making of the Tirumala laddu prasadam every day.

Interestingly, the Tirupati laddu undergoes rigorous checks on the index of quality, calorie count, and self-life at a dedicated testing lab before making it to the deity as part of the daily naivedhyam. Not just the final product, but also each of the ingredients used in the making of the holy prasadam undergoes multiple quality checks at the lab. It is said that the secret recipe of the signature laddu dates back to the Pallava dynasty that ruled the southern Telugu and Tamil regions for about 600 years (from 275 CE to 897 CE).

The Tirupati Temple laddu prasadam not only satisfies devotees’ yearning for divine bliss, but also supports the local economy. The daily making of 300,000 laddus or more and other prasadam generates employment for hundreds of local people. About 600 people, including 270 cooks, are employed in the prasad-making unit of the Tirumala Temple kitchen that works three shifts spanning 20 hours a day. Some of them are permanent workers, while some work on a contract basis. More contractual workers are roped in to ramp up the production of laddus for an influx of devotees during the Brahmotsavam. Some volunteers from the Vaishnava community come forward to offer free service in the temple kitchen on festive days.

Until before the pandemic, the world renowned Tirupati Temple laddu used to be made and distributed in three categories: the prasadam laddu, the big laddu, and the small laddu. The Tirumala Temple’s Potu (kitchen) used to produce some 3000 ‘big laddus’ weighing 700 gram each and 75000 ‘prasadam laddus’ weighing 250 gram each on a daily basis, in addition to the continued production of 3 to 3.5 lakh ‘small laddus’ weighing 175 grams each. Among devotees, the VVIPs would get one big laddu free of cost. The special ‘darshan’ ticket holders would get the same for Rs 200 each before the pandemic. Rs 170 was the cost of making a big Tirupati laddu back then. The temple authorities would spend Rs 39 for making a single unit of the most sought after small laddu.

Until the end of 2019, the temple administration offered two small laddus at a subsidized price of Rs 10 each to ‘Divya darshan’ and ‘Sarvadarshan’ devotees. A maximum of two extra laddus were available for Rs 25 each. Devotees wishing to take more prasadam home, in addition to the aforementioned quantity, they would have to pay Rs 50 for a single piece of the small laddu. The complexity of making laddus in three different categories, and the subsidized pricing under different ‘darshan’ systems had been incurring an average loss of Rs 250 crore every year until the entire system, from production to distribution, was simplified by removing multiple size categories and differential prices, right from the beginning of 2020.

Also Check: Tirupati Balaji Temple’s New VIP Darshan System

Now every devotee receives the blessing of Sri Venkateshwara Swamy in the form of a Tirupati laddu (free of cost) after darshan of the deity in the temple. In addition to the free prasadam, any number of laddus can be availed for Rs 50 each in the open counters.

The Tirupati laddu got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2009, which prevents sweet outlets of all sizes from selling counterfeit versions of the laddu. In 2013, the Madras High Court banned the sale of laddus with the brand tag ‘Tirupati’ at a Chennai-based sweet store, in an effort to preserve the sanctity of the Tirumala prasadam as it is touched at the holy feet of Lord Venkateshwara being distributed to pilgrims.

In August 2021, the Tirupati Temple administration took a step towards the green future by replacing single-use plastic bags with biodegradable bags for devotees to carry the prasadam all the way back home. There is a dedicated counter on the premises where devotees can buy these eco-friendly bags before moving on to the laddu counters. Made of corn starch at a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in Hyderabad, the bags are not harmful for both environment and cattle. The temple authorities had distributed the prasadam in about 10 crore single-use plastic bags during the period from 2014 to 2019.

In the 2022-23 budget for the Tirupati Balaji Temple, the governing board expected a revenue Rs 4000 crore, including Rs 400 crore from the sale of the legendary laddu prasadam, Rs 670 crore from the interest accrued on fixed deposits in several banks, Rs 360 crore from the sale of darshan tickets, Rs 126 crore from the sale of devotees’ tonsured hair, and Rs 1000 crore from devotee’s direct contribution to the hundi.

The daily sale of the holy prasadam is unaffected despite the recent #TirupatiLaddu controversy, as nearly 14 lakh laddus have been sold from September 19 to 23, 2024, as per media reports. Unsurprisingly, the faith of devotees from across the country remains unshaken.

How to reach Tirupati Balaji Temple 

About 560 km is the distance between Hyderabad and Tirupati. The distance from Bangalore to Tirupati is some 250 km. 155km is the distance from Chennai to Tirupati. Tirupati Airport (Renigunta) is a short flight from Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad International Airports. Tirupati Town is a 15km drive from Renigunta Airport.

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At some temples in India, Venkateswara Swamy, Sri Ganesha, and Sankatmochan Hanuman double up as “Visa Gods” for hundreds of thousands of Indians wishing to study, work, live and settle abroad. Pesky paperwork, convoluted process, visa appointment delay, fears of rejection, and likes drive ambitious individuals with their passports in folded hands to the visa temples where the deities are believed to answer their prayers for visa approvals. After all, Indians are known for their steadfast faith in the divine power.

What makes India the largest beneficiary of H1B and L1 visas issued by the United States every year? It is the visa temples in India, and one of them is in Telangana. Hardly 25km from the IT corridor of Hyderabad City, Sri Chilkur Balaji Temple grants visa boons to STEM students and software professionals aspiring to live the American Dream. Though the temple is nearly 500 years old, it came to be known as Visa Balaji temple in Hyderabad only in the 1980s.

Hundreds of visa seekers from far and wide throng the temple daily, with the crowd swelling on weekends during visa seasons. Hyderabad’s Chilkur Balaji Temple is believed to expedite the visa paperwork, remove obstacles from the process, and minimize the visa interview delay (if there is any) for those who make 11 pradakshinas around the sanctum sanctorum, chanting ‘Govinda’ with devotion. They revisit the temple and perform 108 pradakshinas out of gratitude to the deity if they are blessed with their desired visas to travel/settle abroad.

No wonder why the twin states of Telugu-speaking people receive a majority of US student visas and US employment visas every year.

Let’s travel straight to Punjab where a village named Talhan near Jalandhar has one of the visa temples in India. Unlike other visa temples where coconuts and flowers are offered to the deity, the Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara receives toy planes from the visa seekers. Not only students aspiring foreign degrees or working professionals looking to have a better life overseas, but also parents seeking well-to-do NRI grooms for their daughters visit the gurudwara in Talhan.

Unsurprisingly, the market outside the gurudwara has several shops dealing in toy planes of different sizes, which sell like hot cakes. The prevailing belief is that those offering prayers at the Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara in Talhan are blessed with the increased likelihood of international travel to USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The 150-year-old gurudwara features a huge replica of aircraft atop its roof similar to various rooftop sculptures in some Punjab villages with NRI population.

Gujarat is no exception in the context of a visa god or goddess whose divine intervention is ritually sought to expediate visa approvals. Tens of hundreds of visa aspirants from across Gujarat and Rajasthan visit Chamatkarik Hanuman Mandir in Khadia, Ahmedabad every day.  The presiding deity of this modest temple is locally known as ‘Visa Hunauman’, as Lord Hanuman was the only one to have travelled overseas (without documents) in search of Devi Sita.

The visa Hanuman Mandir in Ahmedabad earned the moniker ‘Chamatkarik’ as it is believed to have done miracles even for those who had fewer chances for visa approval. The temple priests perform certain rituals to invoke Lord Hanuman and seek His blessings for devotees wishing to travel abroad.

The national capital, New Delhi, is home to two such temples granting visa boons to Indians, irrespective of caste, community, and economic status. One of the two is Pracheen Hanuman Mandir near the VFS Global Application Center at Connaught Place. Among the oldest and most popular temples in Delhi, Pracheen Hanuman Mandir is a go-to destination for those who dream of taking flights from New Delhi to USA and other countries for better opportunities.

Also, B1/B2 visa seekers visit the temple as their travel plans often take a backseat due to visa appointment delays at the US Embassy, New Delhi (where 475 days is the current wait time).

Located on IGNOU Road, Chamatkari Visa Wale Hanuman Mandir is another such place in Delhi for those awaiting coveted US visa stamps on their passports. International travel aspirants and visa applicants write their problems in red ink on a piece of paper and offer it at the feet of Lord hanuman in the temple. Interestingly, this visa temple keeps a register for those who write ‘thank you’ notes as a gesture of gratitude if their visa issues are resolved.

The trail of visa temples across India ends at the Sri Lakshmi Visa Ganapathy Temple in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Located within 10km from the US Consulate in Chennai City, the temple is frequented by troubled visa seekers with passports in one hand and coconuts in the other hand. Sri Ganesha, the god of happy beginnings, is revered as the remover of visa-related obstacles for one’s international journey at this temple. Since visa approval marks the beginning of an international trip, irrespective of the purpose, Tamil Nadu’s only visa temple in Chennai has become a beacon of hope for those anticipating visa delays or fearing visa interviews.

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In July 2022, Ford that linked Detroit to Chennai for 25 years shut down its production unit in India for having accumulated operating losses of over $2bn since 2012. But the Ford scion, Ambarish Das – the great grandson of legendary Henry Ford – is still in India, not as a corporate honcho but a disciple of Srila Prabhupada Maharaj, the founder of ISKCON. He is busy shaping up his guru’s vision of the world’s largest Radha-Krishna temple – the Temple of Vedic Planetarium – in Mayapur, the ultimate destination for divine love in rural Bengal.

Alfred Brush Ford, who is the chairman of the $100M project and donated over $30 million for it, took up the Hindu name, Ambarish Das, after being initiated by Swami Prabhupada on their first meeting in Dallas, Texas in 1974. He accompanied Swami Prabhupada on his first trip to India from the US in 1975, which led the course of his life towards the ocean of devotion and spirituality. He took a plunge into the deepest recess of Krishna consciousness and came out wearing a chandan tilak on his forehead, like millions of ISKCON devotees.

Located on the Ganges whose holy water seems to be washing the feet of Krishna, the Temple of Vedic Planetarium is on the verge of completion under Alfred Ford’s supervision, though the mighty construction began in 2008. Spread over more than a half of the ISKCON Mayapur campus, the Vedic Temple – also known as Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir – is bigger than the Taj Mahal, London’s St Paul Cathedral, and the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul.

Inspired by the design of the US Capitol building, India’s first religious monument of Vedic science and culture can accommodate 10,000 people together in its main prayer hall sprawling 1.5 acres. The 113-m high dome over the main temple hall is the second tallest in the world, next to the dome of St Peter’s Basilica Church in the Vatican. The dome features a grand chandelier depicting a rotating 3-dimensional model of the universe as described in the Vedic scriptures, including the Srimad Bhagavatam. The cosmic chandelier is designed in a way so as to show the hierarchy of the universe from different levels of escalators.

Not only Ambarish Das, but also his Indian American wife, Sharmila Bhattacharya from Bengal, and their two daughters who live in Florida are invested in the construction of the ISKCON Temple of Vedic Planetarium. The couple made a whopping donation from their personal wealth and collected funds from different parts of India for the temple. Anisha Ford, one of their two daughters, received a gift of $1 million from her grandmother after having earned a master’s degree from Harvard University. She donated the gift money for the construction of Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir.

The meticulous use of Bolivian blue marble sourced from Vietnam and South America has lent pristine blue luster to the three domes of temple. The planetarium wing on the east side of the world’s biggest religious monument in Bengal will house a state-of-the-art theatre with seating capacity for 200 viewers. The large domed screen of the theatre will demonstrate India’s Vedic science of the cosmos. Exhibits to be displayed across the four floors of the planetarium wing will give an educational experience of Vedic Cosmology.

The west side of the Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium houses a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Narsimha. The five levels of the Narsimha Temple will be adorned with marvelous artworks depicting the stories of Bhakta Prahalad and Lord Narsimha. The ceiling of the Narsimha temple dome will feature nearly 450 diamond-like coffer panels with gold leaves. The divine spectacle of this wing will be complemented by ten 7-meter tall ‘deva murtis’ which will be placed in such a way so as to bow to the Lord, with their hands folded in reverence. Reportedly, the gates to the Narsimha wing will open in October 2023.

80 miles from Kolkata, Mayapur – the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 15^th century Vaishnava saint – will become a spiritual Disneyland with various facilities for devotees of different age-groups after the grand opening of the temple early in 2024. The world’s largest temple with the biggest dome in Bengal will house a Vedic science center, an institute for science and spirituality, a world-class research center, and an institute for higher studies.

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The revolution of transforming the contemporary socio-cultural landscape of India with sky-penetrating statues seems to have spread to America. After housing the temple with the tallest gopuram (87-feet) in North Carolina and the world’s second largest Hindu temple in New Jersey, America unveiled the tallest standing statue of Lord Hanuman on 18 August following a three-day prana pratishtha ceremony in the south coast. Remarkably, the 90-feet tall Hanuman sculpture is the third tallest statue in the United States, next to the Statue of Liberty in New York, and the Pegasus & Dragon in Florida.

Named the Statue of Union, the Hanuman sculpture has been inaugurated at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas. It is the tallest Hanuman statue not only in USA but in North America. Made of panchdhatu, the statue stands tall on a massive pedestal designed like a lotus and supported by elephant sculptures. The statue has been shaped in the posture of blessing devotees with both hands, unlike traditional statues of Lord Hanuman holding his principal weapon in one hand.

The 90-feet tall Hanuman statue in Texas is named ‘Statue of Union’ in a tribute to Lord Hanuman who was instrumental in finding the whereabouts of Devi Sita and helping Sri Rama rescue her from Ravana. The reunion of Sri Rama and Devi Sita would not have been possible without Hanuman. Precisely, he is highly regarded as an eternal emblem of devotion, strength, commitment, and selfless service. The statue took one year to be built after the foundation was laid in May 2023.

With the Hanuman Statue of Union, Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple near Houston, has become a spiritual epicenter for Indian immigrants and Americans of Indian descent, amid the decline of social values, the erosion of human ethos, and the rise of conflicts across geographies. It is a must see for visiting Indians in the USA. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and her eight divine forms.

The newly inaugurated Statue of Union in Texas took the distinction of being the tallest Hanuman statue in USA from the one at the Hindu Temple of Delaware. It broke the record of the 45-tonne heavy and 25-feet tall Hanuman statue which was installed at the Hindu Temple of Hockessin, Delaware, in 2020. The life-size statue was constructed in Telangana and transported from Hyderabad to New York by sea for $100,000. Currently, the 50-feet tall Mangal Murti Hanuman idol in Ontario, Canada is the second tallest statue of Lord Hanuman in North America.

Brought to you by Indian Eagle, the leading travel-booking partner of Indians in USA, this article is part of our continued series on new attractions in America for the Indian Diaspora. Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a one-stop portal for US-India travel news, US visa & immigration updates, community stories, and Indian events in USA.

Also check out this short video on 5 new grand temples and lofty statues in India

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Similar to the largest Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple in America, the Middle East’s first-ever stone temple is all set for a grand inauguration on February 14. Located near Zayed International Airport of Abu Dhabi, the BAPS Hindu Mandir resembles a lotus in the sprawling desert from high on. The temple, a monumental piece of architecture spread across 27 acres of land donated by the UAE government, is a beacon of global harmony, embodying the cultural legacy of both countries – India and the UAE.

The BAPS Hindu Mandir in UAE makes for an ideal detour for Indian travelers transiting through Dubai DXB Airport or Abu Dhabi (now Zayed International) Airport. This newest addition to a Dubai or Abu Dhabi stopover itinerary would turn your layover into a spiritual sojourn when you connect to India or USA via the UAE. Built for a whopping US$ 110 million, the temple with 410 pillars rises 108 feet above the golden sandscape of Abu Dhabi.

A spiritual oasis for global harmony in the Gulf

With its foundation laid in 2017, the temple is a beautiful artwork in stone that evokes wonder and admiration for thousands of skilled artisans, engineers and volunteers from India, the UAE, the US and other countries. “A Muslim king donated for a Hindu mandir, where the lead architect is a Catholic Christian, the project manger is a Sikh, the foundational designer is a Buddhist, the director is from the Jain community, and the construction company is a Paris group,” said a BAPS spokesperson. Indeed, the temple is a tangible emblem of communal harmony in the Gulf.

Massive construction and 700,000 volunteering hours     

The construction of Abu Dhabi’s BAPS Hindu Temple had been a huge logistic undertaking over the past four years. 180,000 cubic feet of sandstone from Rajasthan and 40,000 cubic feet of marble from Italy have gone into the making of this spiritual Xanadu. More than 25,000 hand-carved pieces of stone from India were assembled on site as per the preconceived digital model. It demanded more than 690,000 hours of over 200 volunteers from different walks of life.

The temple construction commanded strict adherence to the principles of Shilpa Shastra. The use of iron and steel was completely avoided in the construction of the Middle East’s first BAPS mandir, just like Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. Fly ash was predominantly used in the concrete mix for the foundation to make the temple sustain 1000 years in extreme temperatures of Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, 100 sensors have been embedded in the foundation and 350 sensors throughout the temple structure to receive data on seismic activity, pressure changes and temperature volatility in the area surrounding the temple.

Design, architecture, sculpture, facilities, attractions

BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi is a spiritual Xanadu with a waterfall, a Varanasi-like ghat, a pillar of pillars, and the Dome of Harmony. Despite being a modern structure, the temple exudes the age-old charm of ancient Indian stone shrines in its every inch from the splendid sandstone exterior to the majestic marble interior. The intricate carvings on the pillars, domes, walls and arches bring to life timeless tales of the Indian epics and teachings of the Hindu scriptures – which walk the followers of various faiths through the cultural heritage of Bharat.

The temple pays homage to its geographical host by integrating some elements of the Arabian heritage into its traditional design. The seven shikaras (spires) with beautiful figurines of Hindu gods and goddesses carved onto them, represent the seven emirates of the UAE. The temple walls feature carvings of horses, camels and falcons among the animal-centric motifs found in the Emirati sculpture, alongside engravings of classical dancers and musicians from the history of India. The Sun, the Moon, and other objects of celestial importance have also been sculpted to connect the temple with the cosmos.

BAPS Mandir of Abu Dhabi, open to all, is a congregation of the most worshiped deities from all over India. the temple has shrines dedicated to Radha Krishna, Ram Sita, Hanuman, Shiva Parvati, Lakshmi Narayana, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Jagannath, Ayyappa Swami, and Padmavati Venkateswara. It also houses lifelike idols of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Akshar-Purushottam. With a capacity to accommodate 10,000 people at a time, the temple has earned the distinction of being the largest temple in West Asia

Among the attractions within the  temple complex are thematic gardens, an amphitheater, and a waterfall feature symbolic of the confluence of three holy rivers – the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the Saraswati. The amphitheater designed like a ghat on the Ganga River in Varanasi boasts of serene ambience. The temple complex also houses an exhibition hall, a meditation hall, a library, a food court, a visitor center, a gift shop, children’s playgrounds and several other facilities.

The Dome of Harmony, one of the architectural highlights of the temple, features exquisite carvings of the pancha bhutas – air, water, fire, earth and space – signifying the harmonious coexistence of these basic elements in the universe. Among other attractions are 96 bells adorning the path leading to the main temple. These bells collectively signifies Pramukh Swami Maharaja’s 96 years of mortal life on earth.

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North America homes not only the largest Akshardham Temple in New Jersey, but also the temple with the tallest gopuram in stark contrast to the skyline of North Carolina dotted with modern high-rises. GOPURAM, a most distinctive feature of South Indian temple architecture, is more than a majestic structure at the main entrance of a temple. Rising to the sky, it attracts positive energy from the universe and serves as the gateway to a divine space brimming with cosmic energy. Precisely, it stands for India’s ancient history, cultural prosperity, and spiritual glory.

North Carolina’s Sri Venkateswara Temple is the only Hindu shrine with the tallest gopuram in not just the States, but North America. Cary, a quaint town near Raleigh in the Research Triangle Park where thousands of Indians have settled over years, is the location of the temple. Though the temple was built in 2008, the 87-feet raja gopuram is the newest addition. The 7-storey gopuram of Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary, NC was commissioned when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. The tower was erected and inaugurated when the world began to rise over the pandemic.

“The raja gopuram is the threshold between the mundane and the divine. Named the ‘Tower of Unity and Prosperity’, the intricately sculpted gopuram of North Carolina’s Sri Venkateswara Temple is where devotees leave their worries behind while stepping into the sacred complex, according to the board of trustees. So high is the sociocultural significance of temple towers that the entrance of Trichy International Airport’s new terminal is modelled on the 240-ft high gopuram of Ranganathaswamy Temple,” said Sourav Agarwal, the Editor of Travel Beats.

The 2.5-million-dollar tower came into being because of the “donate a brick” program that elicited a warm response from the local Indian Diaspora. Evidently, the Tower of Unity and Prosperity signifies the growth and harmony of the Indian community in North Carolina, especially Wake County that houses over 51,000 Indian-origin immigrants, according to the 2021 census. Built in adherence to the Shilpa Shastra and Vastu Shastra principles, the tower was unveiled on Diwali, the festival of lights, in 2022, with North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper in attendance.

The temple housing a 9-ft murti of Sri Venkateswara Swamy is the Tirupati Balaji Temple of North Carolina. In the late 1990s, an Indian couple bought 2.8-acre land for the temple, raised funds for construction and laid the foundation brick. Inaugurated in 2009, the temple has the Dravidian style of architecture and features beautiful carvings of Hindu deities as well as mythological figures from the Indian epics. 14 skilled artisans from India were brought to Cary to sculpt the idols and figurines for the temple. There are also small shrines consecrated to 18 other gods and goddesses besides the presiding deity, Lord Venkateswara.

A bridge to the roots and a spiritual anchor for Indians in and around North Carolina, the temple has a gurukulam (traditional school) among other facilities within the 9-acre complex, which will house a two-story multipurpose assembly hall and a sprawling cafeteria in the next phase of expansion. It was at this temple that the state governor signed the historical Diwali Proclamation in 2017, declaring October as the month of Hindu Heritage.

Sri Somesvara Temple on Mount Soma, known as the Mount Kailash of America, is another must-visit place in North Carolina for Indians. Mount Soma, a 450-acre Vedic community amidst lush greenery and profound serenity, is where science and spirituality complement each other. Read our exclusive article about Mount Soma, home to one of the most beautiful jyotirlinga shrines outside of India.

Brought to you by Indian Eagle, the leading travel-booking partner of Indians in the US, this article is part of our continued series on the hidden gems of America for the Indian community. Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a one-stop portal for US-India travel news, US visa and immigration updates, community stories, and Indian events in USA.

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India will ring in the New Year 2024 with elaborate preparations for the most anticipated inauguration of Ram Mandir, Ayodhya on 22 January – that will go down as a momentous event in the annals of Indian history. Of the most ambitious religious constructions, such as Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir and Mayapur ISKCON’s Vedic Planetarium Temple; the Ram Mandir is a manifestation of the deep-rooted faith of millions of Indians who hold Ram Lalla close to their hearts.

Designed 3 decades ago by Chandrakant Bhai Sompura, who hails from a renowned family of architects credited with over 200 shrines, including Gujarat’s Somnath Temple; the Ram Mandir of Ayodhya is a lot more than a brick-and-mortar edifice. Each and every brick in the grand temple complex, which will spread over 70 acres on the holy banks of the Saryu River, is concretizing the spiritual and cultural glory of India. It’s a harbinger of cultural renaissance, a testament to resilience, and a monument celebrating the homecoming of Ram Lalla.

Expected to be the world’s third largest temple next to BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, New Jersey upon the final-phase completion in 2025, the Ram Mandir complex will be spacious enough to host a million devotees at any time. The massive three-storey structure that rises 161 feet above ground is supported by a 50-ft deep foundation, ensuring that the temple can withstand the blows of time for at least one thousand years without requiring renovation. The foundation can resist even a 6.5-magnitude earthquake, asserts Champat Rai, the general secretary of the temple trust.

A sneak peek into garbhagriha of Ram Mandir

The garbhagriha of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir is a world of ancient Indian art in itself. A kaleidoscope of various sculptures from different parts of the country, it is modelled on the inner sanctum of Gujrat’s Modhera Sun Temple wherein the first rays of the sun fall on the deity. Similarly, the garbhagriha of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is designed in such a way adhering to the millennia-old Vaastu Shastra principles that sunrays would fall on Ram Lalla to be enthroned on an 8-ft-high gold-plated marble throne. A 5-ft murti of Lord Ram shows Him as a 5-year-old child armed with a bow and an arrow.

Interestingly, no steel or iron has been used in construction of the Ayodhya temple. The main temple is built entirely of stones, wood, copper and white cement. Every brick with ‘Ram Naam’ engraved on it has gone into erecting the temple, just as the stones bearing the same sacred name were laid to build Ram Setu in Treta Yuga. It reflects unbridled devotion of Hindus through ages.

Artisans and sculptors from across India have come together to bring Ram Mandir alive as an immortal wonder on earth. The superstructure is carved out of Bansi Paharpur pink sandstone from Rajasthan. Crafted by a team of carpenters from the temple towns of Tamil Nadu, the 44 doors of the mandir, including the garbhagriha door and the main entrance, will leave devotees in awe of their intricate design, impeccable beauty, and geometrical precision.

A most intriguing feature of Ayodhya Ram Temple is its east-facing Gopuram-style entrance, masterfully integrating Dravidian glory into the Nagara architectural splendor. Every inch of the temple – from walls and doors to columns, ceilings and plinths – is adorned with exquisite carvings of gods, goddesses, and narratives from the epics and scriptures of India. The sculpture of the temple provides a window to the cultural heritage of Bharat. The 366 columns feature life-like idols of various avatars of Vishnu, Shiva, Saraswati, and Chausath (64) Yoginis.

An octagonal shikara towers above the sanctum sanctorum, which is surrounded by five dome-shaped mandapas. Kudu, Nritya, and Rang mandapas are located on one side of the garbhagriha whereas Kirtan and Prarthana mandapas are on the opposite side. Of the colossal temple accessories is a whopping 2100-kg bell that will fill the air of Ayodhya with sonority of the morning and the evening aarti. A 44-ft dhwaj dand (flag pole) will be perched atop the temple. A dhwaj dand or dhwaj stambh represents the cosmic axis and draws the energy of the universe to the garbhagriha.

Arrangements are in full swing for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony to take place on 22 January. 600 kg of desi ghee from Jodhpur and turmeric from Cambodia have already arrived in Ayodhya. The Maharishi Sandipani Ram Dharam Gaushala in Jodhpur sponsored ghee for the first aarti and hawan rituals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 10,000 dignitaries from different parts of the country will attend the inauguration ceremony. On the auspicious day of Ram Lalla’s consecration, a special puja will be performed at 5 lakh temples across India.

As per reports, a time capsule has been placed 200 feet under the ground where the foundation of the temple has been laid. The main objective of placing the time capsule is to save the origin of the temple so that the temple history can be traced thousands of years down the line.

The post Spread over 110 Acres, INR1800cr Ram Mandir of Ayodhya is India’s Largest and can Accommodate a Million Devotees first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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India is touching dizzying heights of glory with back-to-back massive constructions. The country, which is now home to the world’s tallest Statue of Unity in Gujarat, the world’s tallest Shiva statue in Rajasthan, and the world’s tallest railway bridge in Jammu & Kashmir, will see the inauguration of more wonders including the world’s largest Vedic monument in Bengal, and the world’s tallest temple in Uttar Pradesh.

The world’s tallest temple in question is Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir under construction at a whopping cost of $1 billion. Speculated to be one of the most expensive temple buildings in the world, this ISKCON temple will boast an astounding height of 700 feet on completion. Interestingly, the temple will surpass the world’s tallest Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (597 feet) in height.

The temple complex sprawls over 62 acres, while the 7-story temple building will have a total floor area of 540,000 square feet. A contemporary touch to the temple’s traditional Nagara style of architecture is meant to serve ISKCON’s purpose to reinterpret the profound wisdom from India’s ancient scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam within the modern context to render their eternal relevance to the current generation.

The towering structure will have four temples on its four ends. The temples will be dedicated to Krishna Balram, Radha Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Swami Prabhupada. The main temple housing the idols of Radha Krishna will have a grand prayer hall that can accommodate 5000 devotees at a time. The prayer hall will be beautified with sculptures and frescoes depicting the life of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. The soon-to-be inaugurated Mayapur ISKCON Temple near Kolkata will have the largest prayer hall with space for 10,000 devotees.

Anticipated to be a colossal wonder of white marble, the world’s tallest ISKCON temple will feature a lotus-shaped dome with the glass surface that will be dazzling on moonlight nights. The temple is a dream project for renowned architect Bimal Patel, a Padma Shri awardee, and his team. He is the chief architect for the Rs 14000cr Centra Vista, Gandhinagar Akshardham Temple, Gujarat High Court, Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Varanasi Viswanath Dham, and the new campus of IIM Ahmedabad.

The upcoming Radha Krishna temple site in the holy land of Vrindavan will also house a spiritual sanctuary comprising 12 forests, which will be named Madhuvana, Talavana, Kumudavana, Bahulavana, Kamyavana, Khadiravana, Vrindavana, Bhadravana, Bilvavana, Lohavana, Bhandiravana, and Mahavana after the twelve gardens of Brijbhumi. These forests are said to be modelled on the gardens described in the stories of Sri Krishna. Each forest will be landscaped with orchards, lush vegetation, green pastures, waterfalls, lotus ponds, musical fountains and artificial hillocks.

There will be a heritage museum, a library, a cultural center, and a viewing tower with telescopes at the Vrindavan Chandrodaya Temple complex. Visitors can catch panoramic views of the premises, Vrindavan town and the Yamuna River from the viewing tower. The 7-storey temple tower will have an elevator. Visitors will be able to enjoy a light and sound show on the universe’s planetary systems, as described in the Vedic literatures of Bharat.

Seva being integral to the culture and philosophy of ISKCON temples worldwide, the Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir will have a spacious Annadanam Hall and food distribution counters. Sadhus, pilgrims and the underprivileged will be served sattvic meals in the well-ventilated Annadanam Hall, while the food distribution counters will offer one serving of prasadam to every visitor. A huge temple kitchen where sattvic food will be cooked for the deities, priests and visitors is also on the construction agenda.

An expansive biodiversity park within the temple complex will feature themed zones like sacred forest, butterfly park, and ayurvedic herbal garden. It will not only serve as a natural habitat for some local species of flora and fauna, but also provide a serene space for visitors to revel in the beauty of nature. Beautiful nature trails will meander through flower gardens, trees, small lakes, and water fountains. A walk through the ayurvedic herbal garden will enrich your knowledge of medicinal plants.

One of the most interesting facts about ISKCON’s Vrindavan Chandrodaya Temple is that its foundation is deeper than the world’s tallest skyscraper Burj Khalifa in Dubai by five meters. Burj Khalifa has got its foundation rooted 50 meters under the surface. Moreover, the temple will have earthquake-proof features, like shock-absorbing foundations and seismic isolation systems. Despite its location in the earthquake-prone region of the country, the temple can withstand intense tremors up to magnitude 7.5.

Reportedly, one end of the temple complex will be connected to the other end with skywalks. Devotees from across the country will have various accommodation options to enjoy the divine bliss for a few days within the complex. Other than a helipad, the temple site will have a 12-acre parking lot, goshalas, and a huge convention hall for religious and cultural events. The convention hall can also be booked for marriages and other social ceremonies.

Interestingly, the temple site is expected to have a Krishna theme park with fun rides among various attractions for young devotees (kids). other than community development, welfare programs for the underprivileged and widows of Vrindavan will be on the agenda of the temple body, as per reports. While Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir is expected to be fully completed in 2026, its south wing is set for inauguration in the auspicious month of Kartik in 2023.

Vrindavan is a 3-hr drive from New Delhi IGI Airport, which is well connected with major US cities by Air India, British Airways and other airlines.

The post Interesting Facts about Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir in India: World’s Tallest Temple under Construction first appeared on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

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