Temple for Hindu god Shiva readied in Atlanta

RIVERDALE, Ga. — Builders of the first traditional Hindu temple in the southeastern United States devoted primarily to the deity Shiva are working quickly and hoping for continued dry weather. They are hustling to finish the basic structure in time for consecration of the temple.

In the Hindu tradition, the weeks before the summer solstice are an auspicious time for temple consecration.

When completed, the new $1 million Shiva temple of the Hindu Temple of Atlanta will be one of a growing number in the United States built according to ancient Indian architectural specifications, and one of the few with an accompanying traditional temple to the deity Balagi, also known as Vishnu, right beside it.

Non-Hindu construction companies can handle the basic structure of a traditional Hindu temple. But “indianization,” or the creation of ornately carved facades and icons according to ancient styles, is the domain of specially trained artisans from India called silpas. The silpas often belong to families whose work, for many generations, is devoted exclusively to traditional temple building. Silpas worked on the indianization of the Balagi Temple for two years.