Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina
Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina is a Hindu Temple located in Cary, North Carolina and serves the estimated 21,000 Hindus in the Research Triangle. The temple is "dedicated to promoting the Hindu religion and humanitarian services across the Triangle." History. Starting in 1988, there was a growing demand by South Indians, living in the Research Triangle, for an alternative South Indian style temple. The only Hindu Temple in the area was an eclectic Hindu Temple in Morrisville. In July 1998, a couple bought 2.8 acres of undeveloped land at 21 Balaji Place, Cary . On Jan 1999, a Bhoomi Puja was held to purify the land and allow construction to begin. In 2002, Cary approved zoning for the construction of a Hindu temple. However, the group had to raise the funds for its construction. Construction. By 2007, the plans and design for Sri Venkateswara Temple were finalized, and construction began in April 2009. Fourteen artisans were brought in from India to hand carve the temple's decorative Hindu idols out of cement. Engineer Nand Gopal Sachdeva was the main builder; he worked free of charge and billed other expenses at cost. Without his generusity , the Temple would have cost $6 million, but ended up only costing $3.5 million. The Temple was completed in May 2009. Consecration. On May 29, 2009, Prana Pratishtha, a ceremony dedicated to inviting a deity to live in the temple, was held and the temple was open the following day. The Temple was dedicated to Sri Venkateswara, the god of wealth and well being. The opening ceremony of the Sri Venkateswara Temple was attended by over 10,000 guests including several politicians. During the ceremony a 9-foot tall, 2 ton statue of Sri Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu , was installed along with eighteen other deities. The total cost of the opening ceremony and consecration was over $1 million. Growth. Governor Roy Cooper signed a Diwali Proclamation, for the first time in the history of the North Carolina, at Sri Venkateswara Temple North Carolina October 18, 2017. The next day, for Diwali, there was a celebration at the governor's mansion in Raleigh, which ended with ending Chakrapani Kumara, the SV Temples priest, offering prayers. Originally at 2.8 acres, the Temple's campus has expanded to nine acres. Design. The Temple is modeled after the famous Sri Venkateswara  Temple in Tirupathi in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Bhaskar Venepalli, a member of the SV Temple board of trustees, say “That temple is very powerful, and actually as powerful as the Vatican. People stand in lines for several hours to go into the temple. In that context, it is very unique.” The temple'sdesign includes Murtis, Hindu Idols common in Hinduism sects practiced in Southern India. The temple's floors are black granite. Other structures. The property purchased for the Temple included the Nancy Jones House, the oldest building in Cary. In 2019, the Town of Cary bought the  Nancy Jones House, from Sri Venkateswara Temple, NC for $100,000 with plans of moving it off of Temple Grounds. Cary purchased the structure for its historical preservation.