October 28, 2022
2 mins read

Gateway Tower of largest Hindu temple in North Carolina unveiled

The temple is modeled after the famous Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, and is known to be the largest Hindu temple in North America..reports Asian Lite News

Adding on to the Diwali cheer among Hindu-Americans, a new 87-foot tower at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary was inaugurated by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in presence of hundreds of devotees.

The completion of the tower, which is named “Tower of Unity and Prosperity”, comes 13 years after the temple construction started in 2009, and is now the tallest of its kind in North America, according to temple leaders.

“What a wonderful day this is, especially in times of trouble… walking into this temple with reverence and leaving your worries on the outside for just a while… That’s something we all need to do, but then we can always leave the temple with even more determination than ever to address those worries, and to make sure we’re doing something about it,” Governor Cooper said addressing the community, CBS17 reported.

Approval for the tower was granted in 2019, and construction began in April 2020, “right at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic”, Lakshminarayanan Srinivasan, general secretary of the temple’s board of trustees, told Raleigh News & Observer.

According to Srinivasan, the “donate a brick” program, which invited Indian-Americans from across the country to donate whatever they could to help see through the tower’s completion, around $2.5 million from more than 5,000 donors.

Srinivasan said that there are additional plans for expansion, including an assembly hall that would be built next to the temple. He added that there are plans to build fountains and a “manicured landscape” to surround the temple.

The temple is modeled after the famous Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, and is known to be the largest Hindu temple in North America.

Sri Venkateswara Temple came into being after there was a growing demand in 1988 by Indians living in Triangle area of North Carolina, who wanted the grandeur and minutely detailed artwork of South Indian temples reproduced here.

Fourteen artisans were brought in from India to hand-carve the temple’s decorative Hindu idols out of cement.

The expansion of the temple comes at a time when the Indian population in the Triangle area, also known as Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, is growing.

According to Indian American Impact, 425,000 Asian Americans live in North Carolina with Indian-Americans making up the largest ethnic group.

According to 2021 census estimates, over 51,000 Indian-Americans lived in Wake County in North Carolina, and 57,000 in Wake, Durham and Orange counties combined.

ALSO READ: Biden, Herzog discuss Iranian drones in Ukraine

Previous Story

Biden marks 4 years since Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

Next Story

Democrats pin hopes on Obama ahead of midterms

Latest from -Top News

Russia, Ukraine Resume Talks

The upcoming talks follow a significant hiatus in diplomatic engagement between the two nations, which have been locked in a brutal conflict since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Russia and

UN Pays Tribute to Indian Soldiers

Thursday was observed as the 77th UN Peacekeepers Day, honouring the work of 61,353 peacekeepers, of whom 5,375 hailed from India….reports Asian Lite News Brigadier Amitabh Jha and Havildar Sanjay Singh, who

Modi’s New Warfare Playbook

Modi has upended the old playbook and India and Pakistan are entering dangerous new territory where nuclear deterrence is no longer a guarantee against conventional conflict…writes Collins Chong Yew Keat The India-Pakistan

World needs Dubai’s ambition: Morgan

Piers Morgan has hailed Dubai’s transformation as an example of what visionary leadership can achieve. British broadcaster Piers Morgan has praised the extraordinary ambition and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin

Mohammed honours football champions

Ruler of Dubai hails players as role models during palace reception His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, received the
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Deadly Tornadoes Ravage Central U.S., Claiming 18 Lives

Over 120 million people are at risk of severe weather

South Africans are flocking to US again

The US topped the tourist revenue among the overseas markets