வடக்கு ஹூஸ்டனி மாபெரும் இந்துகோவில் கட்ட அனுமதி

தற்போது ஹூஸ்டனில் வாழ்பவர்கள் ஹூஸ்டன் ஸ்ரீ மீனாட்சி கோவிலுக்கு செல்கிறார்கள்.
உட்லாண்ட்ஸ் என்னும் இடத்தில் வடக்கு ஹூஸ்டனில் புதிய இந்துக்கோவில் நிர்மாணத்துக்கு அனுமதி வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இது பிள்ளையார் கோவில்.

வாழ்க வளமுடன்

Hindus get the OK to build temple in The Woodlands
By BARBARA KARKABI
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
the first temple of their faith in Montgomery County.

The Woodlands Design Review Board recently approved designs for the temple, which will be built on 8.3 acres of land at the intersection of Woodlands Parkway and South Forest Gate, about seven miles west of Interstate 45.

About 150 Hindu families live in The Woodlands and an estimated 250 other families live in the area — including Tomball, Conroe and northern Harris County.

Along with other Hindus in north Houston, many of them now travel to Pearland to worship at the Sri Meenakshi Temple, said Rajendher Reddy, president of the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands governing council.

"We wanted something inside The Woodlands," Reddy said. "It's easier for parents. Most are working parents with small children."

The temple is in walking distance of two of the villages and a short drive from the others, he said.

Hindus in the area have dreamed of their own temple for at least five years, Reddy said. They purchased the land in 2005 for $700,000, an amount the community raised in less then seven months, he added.

The temple will be built in phases, Reddy said.

The first phase will include the main temple, a Ganesha temple, classrooms and a kitchen in 13,500 square feet. It should be completed in 2009 at a cost of $1.5 million. The temple committee has $350,000 in the bank, Reddy said, and $250,000 in pledges. They hope to have $1 million by the end of year.

When finished, the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands will encompass 89,000 square feet, including a 39,000-square-foot reception hall/auditorium.

Kirksey Architecture designed the building to blend the Hindu tradition with The Woodlands look, Reddy said. The temple will have natural light from high windows and is in an area filled with trees, adjacent to Forestgate Park. Eventually there will be a large fountain in an open area that can be used for festivals.

"We are trying to make it green, keeping in mind The Woodlands has lots of trees." Reddy said. "And we want to make sure it blends in with the local architecture and with nature. From the outside it will be modern, but inside will have a typical look."

It will be a combination that appeals to the worship traditions of both north and south India, he added.

A statue of Ganesh, the deity of good fortune, has been donated from a Hindu temple in Hawaii. Statues of the deities Shiva, Lakshmi and Vishnu (Balaji) are being donated by the Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple in south India, famous for being the richest temple in the world, Reddy said.

"In India, ritualistic worship is done just as often at home as in the temple," said Beth Kulkarni, also a member of the temple's governing council. "But here the congregational ritualistic worship is very important because of the sense of community."

Although they do not have a building yet, members of the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands have gathered for festivals and classes at other locations in the area for two years.

"We have a threefold dream," Reddy said of plans for the temple. "The first is for religious purposes. ... The second is education, which we have started. And the third is community outreach. We want to involve the local community, to show the Hindu culture and to do volunteer work in any way we can."

barbara.karkabi@chron.com