Hindu Temple in Troy Set to Expand

April 20, 2006

Source: Detroit Free Press

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060420/NEWS03/604200529/1005

On April 20, 2006 the Detroit Free Press reported, "If the plans of the Bharatiya Temple come to fruition, the skyline in a little corner of Troy will be punctuated by the unmistakable steeples of a Hindu house of worship. Members plan to more than double the size of the current temple with a $9-million addition designed in the style of traditional Hindu temples, with domed shikars -- or steeples -- reaching up to the sky. Built in 1981, the temple at the corner of Adams and South Boulevard is a utilitarian brick building devoid of the architectural details that identify Hindu temples in their native India. It was expanded to its current 27,000-square-feet in 1991. Over the years, the congregation has outgrown the facility and members wanted a temple that would reflect their Indian heritage and their religion. The Bharatiya Temple has 1,000 dues-paying members, but its doors are open to anyone who wants to worship, said Rao Chalasani, chairman of the temple board. He estimated there are about 30,000 to 40,000 Indians in southeast Michigan, the majority of them Hindus."