New Hindu Temple to be Built in Minneapolis, MN

October 3, 2003

Source: Star Tribune

On October 3, 2003 the Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) reported that on a hill "between a swamp and farmland off the interstate in Maple Grove [MN]...a 35,000-square-foot temple will rise to become the first of its kind in the Upper Midwest. It will serve the 30,000 or so Hindus who live in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and western Wisconsin. The closest temple like it is in the Chicago area...The vision for this temple started 25 years ago with six people.         Dr. Kusum Saxena and her husband, Krishna, were among the six who pooled their resources to find a place where the Hindu community could pray and worship. With a $15,000 down payment, they bought a one-room, 75-year-old Methodist church on Polk Street NE. in Minneapolis, and turned it into a temple and community gathering place. The first worship service was held May 6, 1979.         Before then, Saxena said, Hindus gathered in each other's homes to pray.         But after 25 years in the church, she said, it's time for real temple. 'This present one is becoming very old,' she said...Construction on the temple will start in the spring. It's scheduled to be completed in fall 2005. The $4.7 million temple will accommodate up to 500 people for festivals or special occasions, he said. It's expected to hold up to 200 people during Sunday services.