Hindu Temples in the United States

India is a land of artistic and wonderful temples. Hindu Temples have not only been great abodes for worship but landmarks of architecture of the Indian sub-continent.

Indians who have settled in the United States look for the same peaceful abodes to pray and worship the many gods and goddesses. The religious landscape of the southeastern United States is becoming more diverse, as is the population. Along with the “church on every corner,” Hindu temples, Buddhist centers, mosques, and other religious centers contribute to the communities of this region.

We have to applaud the work of the many Indians who have come together to build these temples and places of worship for the Indian population. Some of the architectural marvels that have sprung from this hard work will make one feel as if visiting a temple in India.

Many temples are open daily for worship (morning and/or evening), often with longer hours on the weekends. Some have hired one or more full-time priests, while volunteers lead the rituals in other temples. Hindu festivals and holy days are celebrated at these temples with special rituals, food, cultural events, and socializing. Most of the temples also have the infrastructure for social and cultural events.

The purpose of this segment is to focus and familiarize the significance of each these temples.

HARI Temple, New Cumberland

Hindu American Religious Institute
301 Steigerwalt Hollow Road
New Cumberland, PA 17070
Phone: 717-774-7750
Email: vaisun@yahoo.com

Closest Airport: Philadelphia Int’l Airport/Lehigh Valley Int’l Airport

Temple Hours:

7:30 am to 12:30 pm (Special Aarti at 8 am and noon)

5:00 pm to 8:30 pm (Special Aarti at 7 pm)

About the Temple

Hari Mission and Vision

The mission of the HINDU AMERICAN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTE (HARI) is to serve as a center for Hindu worship, to promote spiritual development and conduct cultural and educational activities for the benefit of the Hindu community.

The vision of the HINDU AMERICAN RELIGIOUS INSTITUTE (HARI) is to bring together people of Hindu faith coming from various parts of the world so as to promote the Hindu way of life and to preserve and protect the rich Hindu cultural heritage in our present and future generations.

HARI has a beautiful RAMA TEMPLE which is located off Interstate-83 in New Cumberland, PA. The centrally heated and air-conditioned temple building is constructed on a 7-acre wooded lot on Steigerwalt Hollow Road off State Route 114 and has easy access from all major highways in and around Harrisburg, PA. HARI serves the spiritual, cultural and educational needs of HINDUS living in the greater Harrisburg area, York, Carlisle, Reading, Lancaster, Lebanon, Gettysburg, Grantville and other Central Pennsylvania communities. A Gateway Arch adorns the entrance to the temple from Steigerwalt Hollow Road.

The beautiful stone-faced, framed structure of the temple houses the deities on the main floor, which can accommodate nearly 450 devotees during major events. Worship of Ram Parivar, the presiding deities at the temple, is conducted in the altar located in the central part of the main floor. The main floor is also used to conduct religious celebrations, bhajan programs, religious and other lectures, weddings, havans, Sathyanarayana pooja and katha, cultural events such as music and dance programs and other general interest community meetings. A stage is available for the use of the speakers, artists and performers. The temple has three independent mixer systems; two of them are located on the main floor and one in the basement.

HARI Deities – The main deities are Lord Rama, Sitadevi. Besides the main deities, there are other deities Saraswati, Shiva-Parvathi, Mahaveer, Radha-Krishna, Durgamata and Lord Venkateshwara who are located in the wall niches on either side of the main deities.

HARI School conducts various educational activities that promote Hindu religion and Indian culture. The school offers classes in Hindu Religion; Indian languages such as Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil; Pre-SAT and SAT preparation classes in Math and English; Indian classical and folk dances; Indian Classical Vocal; Stress Free Life (Yoga); and Youth Forum for our youth.

This is just the high level overview of the temple. For more information please visit the temple website: http://www.haritemple.org/index.htm

|| Hari OM ||

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Disclaimer: Views of readers/column writers are that of their own and not of the Temple