As Chino Hills Hindu Temple Prepares to Break Ground, Height Still in Negotiation

August 25, 2005

Source: Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~21481~3027231,00.html

On August 25, 2005 the Daily Bulletin reported, "Developers plan to break ground on the site of a new Hindu temple [in Chino Hills] next weekend, though details regarding the structure's spires are still being worked out. City officials approved plans for the cultural center, dining hall and other portions of the development in 2004, with the exception of the mandir, or temple, which had initially called for 73-foot spires... The developer's original proposal had stoked heated opposition in Chino Hills, a bedroom community with few standout structures... [Govind] Vaghashia said that all mandirs are designed according to proportions outlined in Hindu scriptures, which call for specific proportions of height and size of the various components. For this reason, changing the height of the spires is not simply a matter of adjusting the plans, he said. Nonetheless, officials still expect more than 1,000 Hindus from around Southern California to attend the khaat vidhi ceremony, to be held Sept. 4-5. The event will feature swamis speaking ancient mantras, offering pujan worship to God. The ceremony is intended to bless the ground and call for the successful completion of the project."