Sri Venkateswara Temple (Bridgewater, New Jersey)
Bridgewater, New Jersey, USA
- Deities
- Venkateswara (Vishnu), Sridevi, Bhudevi, Ganesha, Shiva Linga, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Radha Krishna, Rama
- Traditions
- vaishnava, shaiva, shakta
- Worship status
- active
- Coordinates
- 40.62772, -74.63476
- Darshan hours
- Varies by season; consult the temple's own website for the current daily schedule before visiting.
- Best time to visit
- Year-round; consult the temple calendar for major annual festivals and utsavams.
- How to reach
- At 1 Balaji Temple Drive, Bridgewater, New Jersey, in the central New Jersey / Somerset County area; reachable by car, with Newark Liberty International Airport the nearest major airport.
Location
Open in Google MapsNot to be confused with the older, smaller Sri Venkateswara Temple in Penn Hills, Pittsburgh, this Bridgewater, New Jersey temple is one of the largest Balaji/Venkateswara temples in the United States. It grew out of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of USA Inc. (HTCS), founded in 1989 by Hindu families in the central New Jersey area, which acquired land in Bridgewater in February 1992. Groundbreaking followed in 1995, and a stone-laying ceremony conducted by Chinna Jeeyar Swami in May 1996 marked the start of construction according to Vastu Shastra principles; the completed 11,000-square-foot temple, housing sixteen shrines, was consecrated and inaugurated in 1998. Its main sanctum enshrines Venkateswara flanked by Sridevi and Bhudevi, with subsidiary shrines to Ganesha, a Shiva linga, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Radha Krishna and Rama serving the religiously diverse Hindu community of the greater New York/New Jersey area. A proposed expansion drew a five-year zoning dispute with Bridgewater Township, ultimately resolved in 2009 with approval of a scaled-down plan.
Sources
- historical record: Wikipedia article 'Sri Venkateswara Temple (New Jersey)': the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of USA Inc. (HTCS) was established in 1989; land in Bridgewater was acquired in February 1992; groundbreaking took place in 1995; a stone-laying ceremony conducted by Chinna Jeeyar Swami followed in May 1996, with construction following Vastu Shastra principles; the temple, an 11,000-square-foot structure with 16 shrines, was consecrated and inaugurated in 1998; deities installed include Venkateswara with Sridevi and Bhudevi, Ganesha, a Shiva linga, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Radha Krishna and Rama; a five-year zoning dispute over expansion (application filed 2004) was resolved with approval of a scaled-down plan in 2009.