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Sri Venkateswara Temple

Penn Hills, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

VerifiedDocumented history
Deities
Venkateswara (Vishnu)
Traditions
vaishnava
Worship status
active
Coordinates
40.4989, -79.832
Darshan hours
Varies by temple and season; consult the temple's own trust/management for the current daily schedule before visiting.
Best time to visit
Year-round; the temple's annual Brahmotsavam draws the largest crowds.
How to reach
In the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, reachable by car; Pittsburgh International Airport is the nearest major airport.
Festivals
Brahmotsavam (varies (annual))

Location

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Founded from a shrine established in a store basement in 1972, the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh broke ground in Penn Hills on 17 April 1975 and was completed and consecrated on 8 June 1977 โ€” widely regarded as the first Hindu temple in the United States built by Indian immigrants, and a model for the many that followed. Modeled after the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple (and remodeled in 2005 to resemble it more closely), it has served as a focal point for the growing Indian-American Hindu community since the 1970s wave of post-1965 immigration.

Sources

  • historical record: Consecration on 8 June 1977 and its status as the first Hindu temple in the US built by Indian immigrants are documented in American Hindu community histories, including the Pluralism Project at Harvard University ('The Temple Builders').
  • historical record: Cross-checked during verification pass against Wikipedia (citing the Harvard Pluralism Project): a shrine began in a store basement in 1972; groundbreaking for the Penn Hills temple was 17 April 1975; the temple was completed and consecrated on 8 June 1977. A 2005 remodel (~$1.5 million) made it more closely resemble the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.

For review

  • Corrected during verification pass: the original entry said the temple was 'consecrated in 1976.' The Pluralism Project at Harvard University (via Wikipedia) dates the consecration precisely to 8 June 1977, following an April 1975 groundbreaking; 1976 was not confirmed by any source checked.