June 26, 2010
Source: The Detroit News
Wire Service: AP
With 16 tiers of Hindu script inscribed into its concrete ceiling, the ornate cream-colored temple is an incongruous structure at the end of a winding road near Brandon, a growing bedroom community just outside Mississippi's capital city.
Members of the Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi hope the new 3,500-square-foot structure, built according to ancient rules of temple design called "agama sastra," will draw throngs of worshippers and tourists to the site in the heart of the Bible Belt.
Dr. Sampat Shivangi, a local physician, said more than 1,000 visitors were expected at the recent dedication ceremony.
"They are being made aware of our culture and heritage and what we bring to the U.S.," he said