Press Release
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS, June 16, 2011: The Woodlands area Hindus will open their newest temple, the only one on the north side of the city, on an 8-acre lot along tree-lined Woodlands Parkway this weekend. The 10,000-square-foot building has an unadorned stone exterior — to adhere to building codes – but will be home to the tradition’s colorful, ornate worship and Deities inside.
Though The Woodlands remains a heavily white and heavily Christian suburb, an influx of Indian-American professionals in recent years has added religious diversity to the picture-perfect master-planned community. The Hindu population in The Woodlands has more than tripled in the past 15 years to about 350 families and continues to grow by 20 to 25 families annually, Hindu leaders say.
After six years of planning, fundraising and construction, the new house of worship in The Woodlands will be able to host holiday celebrations, day-to-day devotionals and cultural events. The $3 million temple will serve Hindus from several nearby communities. “Now, it’s going to be a lot easier to go more frequently,” Abhinav Suraiya, 22, said.
Spiritual preparations for the temple’s opening began last weekend, when about 75 Hindus gathered as the new temple’s priest, Pundit M.M. Chakrapani Bhattacharya, prayed to cast away obstacles and blessed the water vessels that will be used during the installation of the Deities over the temple’s opening weekend.
“We are looking forward to serving the community through charity work,” temple board member Nimish Dhuldhoya said. Since the Hindu population in the area includes doctors, businessmen and educated professionals, Dhuldhoya says they will try to reach out through schools and hospitals.