Hindu Craftsmen Return Home After Completion of Chicago Hindu Temple

October 22, 2004

Source: Daily Southtown

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/yrtwn/south/221syt2.htm

On October 22, 2004 Daily Southtown reported, "the eight men, known as shilpis, are master Hindu craftsmen. They were hired by the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont for an extensive ornamentation project. The men have worked 72 hours a week for more than two years with only a couple of short vacations. In five weeks, they will return home — leaving a temple filled with carved panels depicting Hindu deities and a display of the 10 incarnations of Vishnu. The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago is a sprawling complex that includes two temples — the Rama temple and the Ganesha-Shiva-Durga temple. Both are named for their presiding deity... Last weekend, the membership held three days of ceremonies to resanctify the temple. For the nearly 12,000 temple members, the $135,000 construction project was more than ornamental, temple trustee Bhima Reddy said."