Hindu Temple of Minnesota

Pratik and I are in Minneapolis at his parents' home for Diwali, the "Festival of Lights." On Sunday we went to the new Hindu temple in Maple Grove--it's amazing! Often times temples in America are set up in any space they can find, so they don't have the luxury of making the outside look as grand as they do in India. This new temple is on the outskirts of the Cities and is HUGE! So huge that inside there is a temple (within the temple!) for each god or goddess, and each has a roof which resembles a temple in India. (Pratik's dad explained this to me in great detail...I'll try to do my best to explain it.) For example, in the center there is a temple dedicated to Vishnu and the roof is designed to look like the Vishnu temple in India. Bearing in mind these intricacies are all under one roof, you can imagine the massive size of this building. The outside is equally detailed, though they are still putting the finishing touches on it. It was an amazing experience to share with the family. These photos are from the temple's website (you can find more info by clicking here). This is one of the most amazing houses of worship I've seen, and to think it is in our beloved Twin Cities.


Hope that you are all having a Happy Diwali wherever you are!

Temples within the temple.

Shri Shiva