Look inside Cary's Sri Venkateswara temple
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and a growing number of Hindu faithful now call the town of Cary home as well as their center of worship.
Fourteen years ago, a Hindu community centered in Cary began building their dream. Their Sri Venkateswara temple, modeled after a famous temple in Southern India, grew to become the largest in North America. Now the temple and its worshipers have become part of the community.
Temple president Suneel Kolluru said the $3.4 million project was built to serve a growing Indian population. It now serves about 21,000 Hindu worshipers in the Triangle and opens its gates for curious visitors.
"That's the beauty of our temple ... it might be senior citizens coming in, students coming in. They want to know more about it, and everybody's welcome," said Kolluro.
There are some rules: visitors must leave their shoes at the entrance, and shorts are not allowed.
Kolluru said both Cary and the state of North Carolina have embraced them.
Last year, Gov. Roy Cooper and other state leaders appeared at a Festival of Lights celebration at a Hindu temple in the town of Morrisville. They were also part of the inauguration of the Venkateswara Temple's seven-story white tower in Cary.
Craftsmen from India built the 87-foot-tall Rajagopuram, or monumental entrance tower, to the temple, off N.C. Highway 54 near Northwest Maynard Road.
"That's the beauty of this, right? This whole city, North Carolina itself, they embrace us. They love the way the temple is growing," said Kolluru.
Kolluru said the temple belongs to the Cary community.
"We are in the land of opportunity which we call it, and this temple is open for all," Kolluru said. "I would like everybody to come - and obey the rules and understand the Hindu culture and see their God."
This week, the temple in Cary celebrated one of their week-long festivals – Brahmosvam, a cleansing ceremony in honor of Lord Brahma.
More than 20,000 people of Indian descent live in Cary and neighboring Morrisville, and Hindi is the most-spoken foreign language in Cary, local officials say. But the Sri Venkateswara Temple attracts Hindus and visitors from around the country.
