Hindu Temple of Greater Tulsa

Information about this center is no longer updated. This data was last updated on 5 December 2013.

Phone: 918-438-3850
Email: info@htgt.org
Website: http://www.htgt.org
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History

There has been a Hindu presence in the Tulsa area for over twenty years. For the majority of that time period, families were loosely organized and met to worship in various homes. The dream of building an actual temple to come together collectively had been in the thoughts of community members for all that time. It was not until 1999 that members stumbled upon an auction of 11 acres of land to the east of Tulsa along 21st street. With the help of a donation by two doctors, the land was acquired with great hopes of actually building a temple. Fundraising for the project was started, and the first phase of the Temple was completed in 2001. The Temple formed a Board of Trustees to oversee operations and hired a priest to lead services. The Sunday service is the largest and best to attend if unfamiliar with the Hindu tradition, and is open to the public. Lunch is generally included thanks to the generosity of India Palace Restaurant in Tulsa.

Demographics

For the main service on Sunday mornings, attendance reaches close to 100 members. The community itself is comprised of some 500 families that are mainly of Indian descent. Sanskrit is used in all services, but everything is explained in English as well.

Description

The center is located on 21st Street approximately two miles east of Tulsa. It is set in the middle of an 11 acre plot of countryside. A beautiful white gate guards the road to the temple; the dome is barely visible due to the tall trees surrounding the building. The dome itself was built by four Shipli who came from India especially for the project. Pictures of the inside of the Temple can be found on the center's website.

Activities and Schedule

Aside from daily and weekly services, the temple offers special sermons, yoga classes, music classes, and meditation lectures. A full Temple calendar can be found on the center's website.

Other

The Temple is the only traditional Hindu temple in the state of Oklahoma. There is, however, a Jain temple in Tulsa as well. The Hindu Temple of Greater Tulsa is very active in the interfaith scene in Tulsa. It offers tours and fairs to learn about the center, and even lends its priest to speak at different engagements across the city.