CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, November 5, 2002: Swami Vivekananda is credited with introducing Hinduism and Yoga to America in 1893. A dream Swami had was to build a “Temple Universal” which a century later is being brought to fruition by the Chicago Vedanta Society. “We are planning to build an historic temple and monastery — a sanctuary where people of all faiths can come to worship, study, and pray,” says Swami Chidananda of the Ramakrishna Mutt and Mission and head of the Chicago Vedanta Society. Swami Chidananda says the project will be completed by 2005. Initially, an interfaith shrine, a large prayer hall seating more than 500 people, and an ashram would be built on a 15-acre site located in a Chicago suburb. The ashram, providing serene surroundings for meditation and yoga, will include guesthouses for visitors coming to receive instruction in meditation, religion and spiritual practices. The entire project will be financed through donations.
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