Source: The Washington Post

On May 18, 2003 The Washington Post reported that "the dozen or so deities at the Rajdhani Mandir, a Hindu temple in Chantilly, draw hundreds of devotees each week who stand or kneel before the various incarnations of God to seek blessings. But this weekend, Hindus found themselves praying alongside newcomers of a different faith... In a three-day ceremony where smoky tendrils of incense swirled and wafted as monks chanted, the temple inaugurated Lord Buddha into the ranks of its deities. In doing so, the Hindu temple became the first in the Washington area to worship Buddha, organizers say. Hinduism experts say the temple is one of just a few in the nation to worship Buddha... 'There are parallel teachings. . . . Both teach compassion, equanimity, joy,' said Bante K. Uparatana Mahathera, a Sri Lankan immigrant who serves as president of the International Buddhist Center in Wheaton."