America’s newest Murugan temple graces California’s Concord hills
By Reena Rathore, California
Muruganukku arogara!” these sacred words rang out across Concord, California, on May 9, 2025, rising with the beat of drums and the hum of Vedic hymns, as thousands of devotees, young and old, stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes lifted, hearts full, to witness a moment years in the making: the maha kumbhabhishekam, consecration ceremony, of the newly constructed Shiva Murugan Temple. Priests poured holy water, sanctified through fire rituals, over the Rajagopuram (gateway tower) and the temple’s other soaring rooftop towers. The water cascading down from the pots marked the fulfillment of a dream forged through decades of faith, devotion and community effort.
Though scaffolding partially obscured the view, it couldn’t dim the excitement in the air. Overwhelmed with emotion, devotees, dressed in traditional attire, teary eyed, stood with hands folded in prayer and voices united in devotion as the rites culminated and a water blessing was cast upon them from atop the temple, an experience that felt both deeply personal and profoundly communal.
Rooted in Agama Shastra and Vastu principles, the temple features hand-carved granite Deities, pillars and sanctums crafted by a team of traditional Indian sculptors under the leadership of Dr. K. Dakshinamoorthy Sthapati—an internationally renowned temple architect with over 40 years of experience—working in tandem with Indian American architect Sharad Lal.
The eight-day festivities, which included cultural performances and community feasts, drew over 15,000 visitors just in the first few days, with many traveling from all across the US. A huge outside video wall let all visitors view the rituals in real time.
A kumbhabhishekam finalizes the consecration of the Deity and sanctifies the temple, imbuing it with divine energy as a powerful spiritual center. Attending a kumbhabhishekam is said to be equivalent to 12 years of pilgrimage and temple worship.
The Concord Shiva Murugan Temple, a vibrant beacon of Saiva Siddhanta tradition in North America, owes its genesis to the visionary spiritual leader Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (founder of Hinduism Today magazine), affectionately known as Gurudeva (1927-2002). Recognized globally as a pioneer of Hinduism in the West, his far-reaching spiritual mission began in the 1950s in the Bay Area, where, in 1957, he founded the Palaniswami Sivan Temple in San Francisco. Three decades later it was transferred to Concord and ultimately became the Concord Shiva Murugan Temple.
Towering yet serene, ancient yet modern, the temple, which had been housed in a former Greek Orthodox church since 1987, might not seem out of place in Tamil Nadu. After a six-year construction period, it stands as North America’s first Panchavarna (five-color) Chola-style structure, showcasing a fusion of classical South Indian architecture and diasporic determination.
“I had tears in my eyes. I felt this is real, I can touch it, it’s a dream come true—not just for me or my board but for the entire community. It was a long journey. It wasn’t an easy task, you know, to get this done,” Athappan Nallappan, temple president, told Hinduism Today, acknowledging the uncertainty that loomed even days before the event. “Murugan has waited for 60-plus years to get into His permanent home.”
The murtis (Deity images) are a blend of old and new. Lord Murugan, Ganesha and Durga had long resided in the previous temple and were lovingly reintegrated into the new space. Newly sculpted and brought from India were Lord Siva, Meenakshi Amman, Santana Lakshmi and Kamadhenu. The main Deity is Palani Andavar. The temple also enshrines four other Muruga forms: Swaminatha, Bala Muruga, Karthikeya and Subrahmanya. A stunning silver peacock, Murugan’s vahana, or divine vehicle, formerly enclosed in a wooden case in the old temple, sits prominently in the central sanctum. Lord Murugan was seated on this peacock when He was ceremoniously welcomed into His new home.
Nallappan shared how the impact was deeply tied to the community’s familiarity with the old space. “People feel the vibes, that energy, when they walk into the new temple because they knew the old temple. If the place was not there, maybe it wouldn’t have been that impactful.” In the former building, Lord Murugan’s shrine had been above a basement, not grounded in the traditional way. “In Hinduism, the murti, the sanctum, is supposed to touch the earth.” Now, with the completion of the new temple, he said, “Murugan is in the right place for Him, the best place for Him, for centuries to come.”
For Meena Ravi Annamalai—who served as the temple’s construction chair, design lead, city liaison and fundraising architect— this was more than just a religious ceremony: it was the culmination of a decades-long journey filled with design debates, emotional trials, divine signs and spiritual perseverance. “For the past 14 years, I’ve lived and breathed for this project,” she told Hinduism Today. “When I saw how Muruga sat like a prince on His pedestal in the garbhagriha (sanctum), I thought, ‘Oh, He likes it.’ Finally, I was relieved of all my anxiety and stress.”
At the heart of the rites was Dr. Sivasri K. Pitchai Gurukkal, a leading Sivacharya and the revered head priest of Sri Karpaga Vinayagar Temple, Pillayarpatti, Tamil Nadu, who has performed Maha Kumbhabhishekam for over 3,400 temples worldwide. An accomplished scholar, author and recipient of numerous honors, Gurukkal is also a pioneer in religious education. In 1980, under the aegis of the Naharathar community, he established the Sri Karpaga Vinayagar Veda Agama Vidhyalaya to promulgate Saiva Siddhanta and Vedic traditions. He later established the Archaga Training Center and Siva Neri Kazhagam, which has trained over 2,800 professional priests who are serving in temples all over the world. All the priests at the Concord Shiva Murugan Temple were his students, as well as two-thirds of the priests who performed the ceremony.
“He was with us for ten days. Normally, at his age, he comes only the first and last day. But he was here every day. He’s 78. And because he was here, everybody came with dedication, passion and gave their best,” said Nallappan, who has been associated with the temple since 1991 and been on the board since 2001. Despite safety concerns and medical advice, “Gurukkal went all the way up to the towers and performed the rituals himself, and that was another emotional moment,” he added.
The lineup of priests included experts from New York, Houston, Livermore, Arizona, Chicago, London and Singapore. The selection wasn’t random. “We chose temples that supported us or whom we had partnered with in the past. Plus, there are priest networks.
WhatsApp groups and referrals helped us find the right people with special abilities. And of course, Dr. Gurukkal gave us a list of his recommendations,” said Nallappan. Joining Dr. Gurukkal was Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, the spiritual leader of Kauai Aadheenam in Hawaii and successor to Sri Subramuniyaswami, accompanied by Sannyasins Shanmuganathaswami and Siddhanathaswami. As Satguru Bodhinatha entered the premises, a wave of emotion swept through the crowd. Devotees eagerly approached with folded hands, many bending down to touch his feet while others stood in reverence, all eager for a blessing, and a photo to capture the moment.
Preparatory Rituals
Before the sacred water was poured upon the temple’s gleaming towers, extensive preparatory rituals, beginning May 2, were conducted to purity the site and invoke divine energies. Temple head priest Anand Subramaniya Sivachariyar told Hinduism Today that these inaugural days were devoted to Sparshahuti and Nadi Santhanam rites—Agamic ceremonies where each mantra serves to invite the Deity’s presence and clear the space of negativity.
Beginning May 6, a series of Yagasala Pujas were performed where fire offerings drew Lord Muruga’s divine essence into 27 kalasams (special pots used in puja). Over 27,000 mantras were chanted by nine priests, with each ahuti (offering) infusing the air as well as the waiting vessels with spiritual energy. By the night of May 8, Sivachariyar explained, all the energy that had been amassed demanded a tangible conduit. “We tied a holy thread of durva grass, a red thread, gold and silver string—like an electrical wire—to carry the power into the new sanctum,” he related. Spanning more than 1,000 feet from the temporary Yagasala pavilion into the heart of the temple, this “divine cable,” which was tied for two hours on May 8 night, ensured an uninterrupted flow of blessings.
At the Kumbhabhishekam Ceremony
At sunrise on May 9, the temple’s towers came alive as the water in the kalasams was used for the abhishekam. “After the power transfer, we poured the holy water over the Deities and towers,” Sivachariyar declared. This water—a sacred blend drawn from Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Kaveri, Rameshwar, Manasarovar, Thiruchendur and local American rivers—symbolized the union of ancient tradition with new soil. Inside the main sanctum, the energized murtis underwent a maha-abhishekam, an elaborate anointing with oil, milk, curd, panchamrit (five special foods), sandalwood paste and rose water. “Then we adorned the Deities in silk garments and diamond-studded jewelry,” Sivachariyar explained. “Even Lord Muruga’s spear is covered with diamonds.”
Priest Vishwanathan Mahadevan of Maryland was among those who led the community in this “once-in-a-lifetime” ceremony. “It’s a blessing and a divine experience to be a part of this grand occasion,” he said. Srinivasan, a young priest from Shri Ganesha Gayatri Mandir in Chicago, Illinois, said, “I am very excited that my first big puja in North America is this ceremony.” Longtime volunteer Prabhu Vedanayagam, associated since 1994, said, “The newly consecrated shrine not only stands as an architectural marvel but also as a living bridge between worshipers and the cosmic forces that shape their daily lives.”
Hayward’s Bala and Hashnee Subbusundaram, Chennai natives, reflected on how the expanded sanctuary has deepened their connection to both tradition and community. Hashnee noted, “We are big devotees of Lord Murugan and are followers of this temple and the community here. It’s a divine blessing. Our parents in India have also contributed to Lord Muruga. We are so happy that everyone is now able to relish this bigger space.” Bala added: “There is so much energy when you step into the temple, which is done beautifully, and it brings a lot of energy from people as well. We will continue to come here to seek blessings from not just Lord Muruga but Lord Siva, Meenakshi Amman and other Deities as well.”
For Kalai Selvi, a San Ramon restaurateur, the ceremony was deeply stirring. “I love Lord Murugan. We have a group of friends who walk from San Ramon to the temple every month.” But nothing had prepared her for the innauguration of this new place: “From seeing Lord Murugan in a small building to now seeing Him in this new temple, I had tears in my eyes.” Selvi, whose restaurant serves meals during the annual Thaipusam Walk (see p. 27), brought her 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter with her “to keep them connected to their roots.”
Attendee Mohan Kumar marveled at how faithfully the artisans have replicated South Indian temple art. “Lord Muruga is a very famous God in Tamil Nadu, so this is really huge for us. Until now, we never had such a big temple with our traditions and culture which I can now show to my son. I have been to temples in multiple states in the U.S. but have never seen anything like this,” he said. Kumar, who lives an hour away in Tracy, used to visit the temple once a month, but now said he plans to “visit twice a week.”
The Birth of a Temple Movement
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami’s journey began with a spiritual calling that led him to India and then Sri Lanka at the age of 20. In 1949, he meditated in the caves of Jalani, where he had a profound spiritual awakening. It was in Jaffna that he met his guru, Sage Yoga-
swami, who initiated him into sannyasa and instructed him thusly: “Go around the world and roar like a lion. You will build temples and feed thousands.”
In December of 1949, Gurudeva returned to America. In 1953, he began his teaching mission, and in 1957 established the Palaniswami Sivan Temple on Sacramento Street in San Francisco, long before the Hindu diaspora had taken root in the US,. It was a small sanctuary, housing murtis of Lord Ganesha, Lord Murugan and Satguru Yogaswami, carrying the spiritual essence of the East to an unfamiliar West. While earlier institutions like the Vedanta Society existed in the U.S., the Palaniswami Sivan Temple was the first formal Hindu temple in North America with regular worship practices.
Transformation: Concord Era Begins
Three decades later, Gurudeva realized his little temple was too small for the growing crowds. While driving through Concord, California, searching for a larger space outside the big city, Gurudeva pointed to a Greek Orthodox church and said: “That would be a good temple.” The very next day, a devotee successfully acquired the property, and extensive renovations were set in motion. On April 30, 1987, Gurudeva personally performed the eye-opening ceremony for Lord Ganesha. Just days later, on May 2, 1987, he consecrated Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugan at the temple’s new location.
In the early years, devotees conducted the pujas. Eventually, trained priests were brought in from India. In 1995, Gurudeva— focusing on the growth of his Hawaii headquarters (established in 1970), entrusted the ownership of the Concord temple to the local Indian community. An ad-hoc committee, formed at a meeting in Berkeley solidified plans for managing temple operations. By 1996, the temple became a 501(c)(3) organization as the Concord Shiva Murugan Temple.
Renovation and Expansion
The budding temple underwent steady physical and spiritual growth. Additional Deities were added in the early 2000s: Vishnu, Durga and Navagrahas. The southeast entrance was realigned to face east in keeping with Vastu Shastra principles. Bronze statues of the 63 Nayanmar saint, gifted by Gurudeva, were installed. From 1988 to 2010, the temple expanded by acquiring adjacent properties, increasing its footprint from 0.33 acres to 1.25 acres.
Plans for a larger temple began in 2011, culminating in the Bhoomi Puja (ground breaking) on August 21, 2016, attended by 2,000 devotees. This ceremony laid the spiritual foundation for the new complex. On January 26, 2019, a Vastu Puja was held to harmonize temple energies with cosmic principles. After securing necessary permissions and approvals, the project officially began with a ceremonial Golden Shovel event. On September 5, 2024, a Balalayam ceremony blessed the temporary relocation of the sacred murtis presence during renovation.
First envisioned as a modest us$5–7 million project, the dream grew into a $15-million-plus endeavor as ideas expanded and devotees stepped up with support. “The $15 million is our estimate and projection, and we still have more work to be done,” Nallappan confirmed. “It does not include any of the land costs. It’s just pure construction costs—material, labor etc.”
From Dream to Reality
The temple continues to serve the spiritual, cultural and communal needs of Bay Area Hindus. It celebrates major Hindu festivals with much fanfare, including the annual Thaipusam Walk, and promotes classical music, dance and devotional art across generations. It welcomes all with a devotee-first honor system: there are no compulsory fees for puja participation. Priests perform homas, milestone pujas, weddings, housewarmings, etc. A team of volunteers prepare weekend meals in a full-fledged industrial kitchen. Management encourages youth participation in religious, cultural and volunteering roles.
When you step inside the temple, you’re enveloped in cool air, glistening granite and a flood of natural light all day long due to three levels of windows and skylights, a sensory contrast that’s both striking and symbolic. The Vimanam tower above the sanctum tells a story: “At the base, Murugan is shown in a kingly form. As you go higher, you see Him dressed only in a small loincloth, like in Palani, Tamil Nadu. It signifies detachment. You shed your attachments as you approach the sanctum. It’s a journey from material to spiritual,” added Nallappan. But light is just one part of the temple’s many architectural marvels. High ceilings evoke awe and elevate the spirit. “God is always in a higher position, and that gives you wonder,” he said.
The temple’s exterior is framed in concrete and wood. This keeps the temple naturally cool, even in hot weather. The sanctums, Deities and pillars are carved from solid granite. An eye-catching kodimaram (flagpole), made with a wooden core and copper overlay, greets visitors near the entrance.
The granite sanctum is anchored in three ways to meet Concord’s seismic regulations. “We struggled with every stone, especially as we went up higher and higher,” Annamalai said, recalling the two-story sanctum sanctorum and the sculptors who worked tirelessly to place each block. “My heart used to be in my throat watching them. I would keep admonishing them to be careful. We had to get so many approvals from our structural engineer, a special testing engineer and another from the city. But it all worked out. It looks beautiful.”
While the temple radiates tranquility today, the journey to build it was anything but smooth. With an optimistic 18- to 24-month timeline, Covid lockdowns brought the world to a standstill in mid-2019, shortly before the ground breaking ceremony. “We had to stop everything for six to eight months,” Nallappan recalled. “There was no foot traffic, and no way to generate money. We wondered what kind of message we were getting. It was a setback.” Funding a project of this scale in the middle of a global crisis was daunting. The temple’s future seemed uncertain. “It was a major concern—how do you complete a project like this without big donors?” said Nallappan. “Small donations add up, but we needed large commitments to stay afloat.”
So, Nallappan took the leap. “I wasn’t comfortable asking others for big money unless I stepped up myself. I committed $1.5 million over three years. Over time, it went up to $2 million.” That leap of faith inspired confidence in others. “People want to give money; they just have to trust that the team can execute it.” That trust opened doors, and a breakthrough came with a $3-million pledge from prominent Murugan devotee and philanthropist, Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL Group and the Shiv Nadar Foundation. “He was in India and had never even seen this temple. But he has given to Murugan temples before, so I used that connection,” Nallappan noted.
Nadar’s daughter, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCLTech, participated in the May, 2025, ceremony, which concluded with warm felicitations honoring the patrons for their generous support and dedication. Also present was Dr. K. Srikar Reddy, Consul General of India at San Francisco.
Built on Devotion, Not Debt
Once funds began to flow and construction resumed, things finally turned around. “When money is no longer an issue, everything becomes easier,” Nallappan quipped.
Despite the major hurdles, what makes this temple’s story even more remarkable is that it was completed without any loans. “It was not always the plan.”Initially, with no cash in the bank and limited revenue, the temple administration was forced to seek a loan to show financial solvency to general contractors and the city. The search for a willing lender delayed the project by three months. Although they secured a line of credit, the temple leadership, guided by a long-held principle of avoiding debt, was determined not to pass liability onto the community. “I come from a community that doesn’t believe in borrowing money and spending. We wanted to spend the money we had in our hand and go from there,” Nallappan said. So, while the loan was taken, it was never used.
While the Covid lockdown disrupted timelines, it also gave time to raise more support. Eventually, the bank asked to redo the loan, since it hadn’t been used. Facing additional costs to renew it, Nallappan chose not to: “I said, ‘Let’s bite the bullet. Let’s go and figure this out,’” he recounted, adding that along the way, the temple purchased several adjacent properties, including a residence for the priests.
“I really am afraid of debt,” Meena Annamalai added. “I told myself back in 2012, if I’m not going to have debt for myself, I cannot very well leave debt hanging over the temple or Muruga.” So, she turned to the community, launching her first fundraising effort with a Lakshmi Puja during Akshaya Tritiya, which raised a modest $30,000. Through annual galas, cultural performances, silent auctions and personal appeals, she helped raise much more. “Among nine galas, the first one raised a quarter million and the last gala raised around $4 million.”
One anonymous donor matched up to $100,000 every year, she shared. “Even people who couldn’t attend still sent money. They wanted to be part of this.” Annamalai ran the campaign herself, sending thousands of messages via WhatsApp, updating supporters with construction photos and speaking at community events. “I’m not a great photographer,” she said. “But I shared everything I could. I WhatsApped about a thousand people.” Over the years, despite fears that people would grow tired of being asked for money, she received unwavering support and maintained a 10,000-strong donor database.
“I was only a representative of the 50–60 volunteers, donors, designers, architects, drivers and staff who made the temple possible.” Throughout the entire process, she added, the neighbors were supportive and welcoming, seemingly embracing the temple as an important part of their community. “I have heard that with some other temples, people have complained about bells ringing late in the evening, etc., but we never encountered any issues here,” she said.
Letting Go, Building Against the Odds
The decision to tear down the old temple—now converted into a parking lot—was a painful one. In Hindu tradition, temples are built but rarely torn down. “We needed to take the temple down to get the parking permit. Nobody was comfortable in making the call,” said Nallappan. A solution appeared unexpectedly: the paint store next door, long unavailable, suddenly came up for sale. “We took that as a sign. Murugan is giving a signal: He’s ready to move. He doesn’t even want to leave Second Street. He’s just going from one end to the other,” quipped Nallappan.
Annamalai, who was intricately involved in nearly every detail of the temple’s design, initially volunteered to help with fundraising. But when the project needed leadership, Meena stepped in and eventually quit her tech career to give it her full attention. in 2015, as president, she brought Dakshinamoorthy Sthapati on board. Despite having no background in construction, she coordinated the import of dozens of containers of hand-carved granite from India, managed teams of contractors and sculptors and navigated complex zoning laws, building regulations and inspections. “I still don’t know where the Port of Oakland is,” she joked. “But I’ve received 36 containers from there. I have gotten so much support.”
Ravi Nadesan, a longtime disciple of Gurudeva and a board member for over 30 years, joined Annamalai in serving as the liaison with the city. Constructing a granite temple on seismic land was a logistical and bureaucratic maze. Unfamiliar with the religious requirements of Hindu temples, local city authorities, rejected early design plans. Annamalai recounted how she pushed back on requests that would have compromised tradition. “They wanted the sanctum to face Concord Boulevard, the main thoroughfare. They said, ‘The building is so beautiful and Second Street is only a little street. Turn it around to face the boulevard.’ But that would be south-facing. I said, ‘I can’t do that. It has to be east-facing.’” When officials suggested moving the structure to the corner of the lot, she resisted again, explaining, “That’s Agni Mula. It has to be in the Brahmastanam, in the center of the plot.”
When city officials insisted on visual accessibility of the vimanam (the tower above the sanctum sanctorum) from the sidewalk on Concord Boulevard, she had to reimagine the ceiling. “We came up with a two-tier ceiling that now allows sunlight to stream in through the windows, and you can see the vimanam and even Palani Andavar right at the top.”
City regulations posed daunting challenges. On an original site of only 0.92 acres, the City of Concord demanded massive parking and 21 percent landscaping. Initial approval was denied for a modest 2,300-sq-ft temple. “I’m glad that did not get approved,” she said. “After further discussions and securing parking contracts with nearby organizations, we now have 14,100 square feet—7,100 for the temple and 7,000 for a cultural center.”
To address the city’s aesthetic expectations, the temple team enhanced the side walls of the towers with traditional Kerala Panchavarna colors—yellow, red, green, black and white—creating symmetry and visual appeal. “We had been focusing totally on the Rajagopuram,” Annamalai noted, referring to the temple’s grand entrance tower. “But the walls of the temple became very beautiful because the city of Concord wanted to see the temple. We had two painters come from India. They mixed 48 different shades to get it right.”
Each compromise led to an unexpected design triumph. Much of the beauty, she admitted, came because the City of Concord Design Review Board “made me jump through hoops for almost 8-9 years. But I’m very happy. It became even more beautiful. This project is the magnum opus of my life. Everything that happens, happens for the good,” Annamalai said, invoking the Bhagavad Gita.
With the temple itself complete and operational, work continues on the adjoining cultural center, landscaping and a commercial-grade Hindu kitchen, scheduled to be finished later in 2025. “We delayed landscaping until after Kumbhabhishekam, knowing thousands would be walking through. Now we’re finishing the flooring, kitchen equipment and a walk-in refrigerator to preserve flower garlands for the Deities,” she said.
Designed to Last Generations
The Shiva Murugan Temple is a result of extraordinary collaboration between tradition and technology. Dakshinamoorthy Sthapati, who has designed and constructed over 300 temples worldwide, intentionally chose Chola temple architecture for its aesthetic maturity, intricacy and geometric precision. “The Chola period was a renaissance in temple design. We followed their aesthetic but added our own creative features,” he shared with Hinduism Today, adding that the design underwent multiple revisions before approval.
Dakshinamoorthy sets out to redefine convention with each project. “My goal was to create something unique. All the temples I’ve worked on are different from each other,” he said, recounting a career dedicated to reimagining sacred spaces. “Temples in the U.S. and around the world should avoid stereotypical designs,” he noted. “They should honor ancient traditions but also fit the needs of the modern world.”
Central to his design was the visibility of the Vimanam, the 47-foot pyramidal tower above the inner sanctum, or garbhagriha. “In many temples, the Vimanam is hidden from view,” he explained. “But it is a Deity in itself. According to Agama Shastras, even the temple’s structure is sacred. So I raised the central hall and introduced a double-tiered garbhagriha, ensuring that the Vimanam could be seen and worshiped from every angle.” Built in a seismic zone, the temple was designed with cutting-edge techniques that adhere to California’s rigorous building codes. On advice from Indian American structural engineer Arun Shah, lightweight but strong fiber-reinforced polymer was employed to handle structural load challenges.
“We used reinforced concrete inside and tied the granite structure to it,” said Dakshinamoorthy, who’s been serving as a state-level expert for the Tamil Nadu Hindu Endowment Board. “Even ornamental details like kalasams are anchored to the core. The result is a unified, durable structure.” Notably, the Vimanam and the five-tiered, 48-foot-tall Rajagopuram were constructed using Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC); but unlike typical GFRC applications, these were filled with concrete, not left hollow, making them solid, waterproof and crack-resistant. “It looks traditional from the outside, but it’s built with the strength of modern materials.”
All stone sculptures, sanctums and columns were handcrafted in India over a two-year period by expert stonemasons and traditional sculptors, and the entire structure was trial-assembled there before being shipped to California. “It is something like a prefabricated structure,” he said. “This helped ensure precision and avoided delay and errors during execution here.” The final design involved over 800 stones, with just the sanctum sanctorum using over 200 granite pieces.
Devotees can walk around the sanctum using three pradakshina (circumbulatory) paths: one circling the main sanctum, another within the temple hall and a third open-air path around the perimeter. Each is designed with accessibility in mind, including wheelchair access.
An author of several award-winning books on the philosophy, principles and symbolism of temple architecture, Dr. K. Dakshinamoorthy is personally committed to this temple. “I don’t take on many temples at once,” he said. “Each one should be a signature temple. We are not just building with stone. We are making this temple a living element and we are putting a soul into it. This temple is attracting people because it was built using proper geometry, proportion and ancient wisdom.”
Masters of Stone: The Sculptors
Behind the awe-inspiring stone carvings and intricate architecture stands a group of Tamil Nadu-based shilpis, master artisans who were selected for their skill and deep dedication. The 15 artisans, who arrived in April 2021, had previously worked with Dakshinamurthy on various international projects. They remained on site in California for an extraordinary four-year period.
Mariappan, the team supervisor, explained that the temple’s design is a synthesis inspired by thousands of ancient temples. “The Sthapati visited many of India’s big, well-known temples and combined their best features. That was the architectural ambition he executed here,” he noted in comments translated by Senthil Chindambaram, public relations and construction board member. “In India, stones are laid one over the other. But here, due to regulations, they had to drill and secure each piece differently. There was a learning curve at first, but once they understood the system, it became second nature.”
It was their first time working in the US. That opportunity itself was momentous—but learning that they would be building a temple for Lord Murugan, a Deity revered by Tamil communities, gave the project a layer of spiritual fulfillment. The sculptors brought all of their tools from India, staying true to traditional methods. Working in the U.S. brought new challenges, especially with differences in construction materials and building codes, but the team adapted quickly. While local contractors handled the foundation, plumbing and electricity, the Indian sculptors were solely responsible for the stonework, murals, painting and intricate detailing of the structure.
These artisans have worked in countries as far-flung as Singapore, the U.K. and Australia. But what sets this project apart, they said, is that they saw it through from start to finish, with no turnover in their team, leaving a personal imprint on every stone. With the project now complete and receiving national media coverage, the sculptors expressed both joy and nostalgia, eager to reunite with their families, yet aware they were leaving behind a sacred legacy. “When we see this temple on YouTube or the news, we’ll feel proud that we have accomplished such a great project. We came here for a purpose, and that purpose has been fulfilled,” they said.
This temple is a powerful reminder that faith, when matched with perseverance, can carve stone—and shape history.
A Thaipusam Walk
By Reena Rathore, California
In february 2023, hinduism today asked me to report on the Thaipusam festival walk to the Shiva Murugan Temple, one of its most revered annual traditions. That year, despite frigid temperatures and a bout of rain, the temple registered its largest turnout to date for this event. About 6,000 devotees, coming from as far as Canada, Austin, Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, New Jersey and Seattle, walked devotionally to the temple to pay obeisance to Lord Murugan. Two years later, in 2025, over 12,000 participants joined the walk. Individuals use this time to fulfill their vows and thank Lord Murugan, also known as Lord Kartikeya, for fulfilled desires, forgiveness and continued good health.
“One family planned their entire trip from Singapore around this event,” noted Senthil Chidambaram, the walk’s lead organizer. Participants began their walk at the crack of dawn along two popular San Francisco Bay Area trails: the Iron Horse Trail, a seven-hour, 21-mile path beginning at Bishop Ranch 3 in San Ramon; and the Contra Costa Canal Trail, a 2.5-hour, seven-mile route starting from Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. Dressed in down jackets, puffy parkas and sturdy shoes, they walked in pairs, families and large groups, some pushing bundled-up babies in strollers, others guiding toddlers and teens. Dotting the trails were multiple food stations, where dedicated volunteers handed out breakfast, lunch and hot beverages. Both routes are set against a backdrop of rolling hills, making the walk a scenic one that an entire family can enjoy. The event culminated with darshan of Lord Murugan. Afterwards, shuttles ferried participants back to their starting points.
Begun over a decade ago by a handful of community members, the Thaipusam walk has grown into a large-scale annual tradition under the temple’s stewardship. “Lord Murugan is worshiped in South Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka and in the southern part of India, mostly by Tamilians. But over time we have seen devotees from Gujarat, North India and the Telugu community. Many also visit because we have Lord Siva as one of the main Deities in the temple,” Chidambaram explained.
Much preparation goes into organizing this massive community event. Permits and approvals had to be secured from the cities of San Ramon, Walnut Creek and Concord, as well as from Heather Farms Park, and the East Bay Parks Department, which oversees the trails. Setting the event in motion required opening up registration slots to manage attendance, a critical step that informs logistics such as food planning, transportation and trail safety. Working with more than eight restaurants, the food and snacks team begin organizing months in advance, mapping out distribution logistics and planning stations, supplies, tents, tables and food safety protocols.
Prepping for food begins the day before the walk. Simultaneously, the signage team installs parking markers and mile signs, while the safety and security team coordinates with park rangers, Boy Scouts and bike patrol volunteers to ensure safe trail usage. Six to seven Concord police officers are recruited to oversee crowd management. In addition to volunteers, hired staff and a medical team are stationed along the trail to ensure participant safety.
Maneuvering a stroller on slippery pavement, Venkatesan Ramaswamy, a regular participant, said he feels although the celebration is more full-scale and grand in India, he is grateful for the experience in this foreign land. For many, the experience was as emotional as it was spiritual. “This was my first Thaipusam walk,” said Prasanna Gamini. Originally from Andhra Pradesh, she joined the seven-mile trek after hearing about it from friends. “This isn’t a tradition where I am from, but we wanted to participate in it and feel the spiritual vibe. It was such a great experience.” Learning more about the festival’s origins from fellow walkers also added to the experience, said Gamini, who was joined by her friends Sheela and Leishi.
For others, it was a day of gratitude. Indra K. Vijay, who walked with her husband and daughter, said she made dietary and spiritual preparations leading up to the walk. “Even in India, we undertake spiritual walks for different Gods and most of the time you are offering prayers through that and also making wishes. It’s been a while, so I decided to do it. I’m a theist who prays every day. For this, I washed my hair and avoided nonvegetarian food. Some people also fast for this. I’m hoping to do the 21-mile walk next year,” she said. Her 10-year-old daughter Anya described the experience as “fun.”
For Kartik Hariharan, named after the God Himself, the walk served a dual purpose. “My mom prayed a lot to Lord Kartikeya to have a child, and so when I was born, she named me after Him. I told her about the walk and she asked me to do this after sharing the story behind it,” he said while catching his breath. “I think 18 miles was pretty good. The last three miles were tough, but overall, it was very well organized, right from the start to all the pitstops we had, and snacks and refreshments. It was a flat terrain, you are not doing any elevation gain, but it’s on concrete, which is hard on your knees if you are not used to it. Getting “fitter for the Grand Canyon” was another motivation behind this, he shared, “but we are all very spiritual and religious and I would do it again, as the experience was very fulfilling.”
Among those who experienced the Thaipusam celebration for the first time in the US was Anusha, a fitness enthusiast. She made it a bonding activity with her friends, Praneeta and Swapna. “We started at 6:45am and finished around 2pm. The walk was very beautiful,” she said. “Thaipusam is something I grew up with, but I did not know they do it here. In India, there’s a lot more spectacle, but here, it was therapeutic. Very relaxing walk, where you are in the zone with nature, and I think the rain made it pleasant.”
Whether spiritually calming or therapeutic for the soul, the walks foster a deep sense of community, shared accomplishment and camaraderie—one that lingers long after the celebration ends.
About The Author
Reena Rathore is a journalist with over a decade of experience at indiawest.com telling stories that amplify Indian American voices across arts, culture, politics and community. Previously, she led the launch of eight radio stations across India.