Murugan Temple of North America
Lanham, Maryland, USA
- Deities
- Murugan, Valli, Devasena, Ganesha, Shiva, Meenakshi, Durga, Palani Aandavar (Murugan)
- Traditions
- shaiva, shakta
- Worship status
- active
- Address
- 6300 Princess Garden Pkwy, Lanham, MD 20706.
- Coordinates
- 38.9696, -76.8676
- Darshan hours
- Varies by season; consult the temple's own website for the current daily schedule before visiting.
- Best time to visit
- Year-round; the temple celebrates all major Hindu and Tamil festivals.
- How to reach
- In Lanham, Maryland, about 5 miles from Washington, D.C.; reachable by car. Note: this is a separate temple from the nearby Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, also in Lanham.
Location
Open in Google MapsDescribed as the first temple in the United States dedicated specifically to the deity Murugan, the Murugan Temple of North America was conceived in the 1980s by Tamil Saivite devotees in the Washington, D.C. area and opened in 1999 in Lanham, Maryland โ a separate institution from the larger Sri Siva Vishnu Temple located nearby in the same town. Its main shrine enshrines Murugan flanked by his consorts Valli and Devasena, with four subsidiary shrines to Ganesha, Shiva, Meenakshi, Durga and Palani Aandavar (a form of Murugan associated with the Palani hill temple in Tamil Nadu), reflecting its identity as a traditional Saivite temple. The temple draws devotees from Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia, and as far as Canada, for its full calendar of Hindu and Tamil festivals. It underwent a second consecration ceremony (Kumbabhishegam) on May 13, 2011, and consecrated a new processional temple chariot (Ratham) on August 7-8, 2009.
Sources
- historical record: Wave 2 re-verification: address confirmed via Komoot Photon geocoding, which identifies 'Murugan Temple of North America' at 6300 Princess Garden Parkway, Lanham, MD 20706 (38.9695756, -76.867607), matching this entry's pre-existing coordinates almost exactly.
- historical record: Wikipedia article 'Murugan Temple of North America': described as the first temple in the United States dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan, conceived in the 1980s and opened in 1999; the main shrine honors Murugan with consorts Valli and Devasena, with four additional shrines to Ganesha, Shiva, Meenakshi, Durga and Palani Aandavar; it is identified as a traditional Saivite Hindu temple serving devotees from Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia and beyond; a second consecration (Kumbabhishegam) was performed May 13, 2011, and a new processional chariot (Ratham) was consecrated August 7-8, 2009.