CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, September 22, 2008: A Hinduism-inspired temple that devotees say was 115 years in the making opened Sunday in southwest suburban Homer Glen.
Since 1967, the Vivekananda Vedanta Society has been in Hyde Park, but growing membership, lack of parking at the old site, an increasing percentage of members who live in the suburbs and a desire to fulfill the teachings of Swami Vivekananda led the society to build a new temple, said society spokesman Frank Parlato.
Vivekananda, famous for a speech on religious harmony he gave at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and for his strong defense of Hinduism, referred in his writings to a non-denominational temple that would teach meditation and the spiritual discipline of yoga to anyone from any faith for free.
More than 300 people gathered Sunday at the 32,000-square-foot temple, a mix of prairie-style and classic Hindu architecture, to see the new shrine room. The local swamis moved into their new quarters there Sunday. The temple, set on 15 acres, has a library, meditation area and bookstore.