Om Namo Venkatesaya
Om Namo Venkatesaya
Templ Legacy
A Legacy of Faith, Service & Community
A Journey of Faith
More Than a Temple. A Legacy for Generations.
For generations, a temple is more than a place of worship. It is a place where faith is nurtured, traditions are preserved, culture is celebrated, knowledge is shared, and communities come together.
The story of our Temple is a story of vision, devotion, perseverance and collective service. What began as an idea in 1989 has grown into a vibrant religious, cultural and educational institution.
Our legacy continues to grow through every generation, with a commitment to preserving our traditions while responding to the changing needs of the community.
Milestones of Faith
1989
The Vision Begins
1992
The Original Temple Site
1998
A Historic Milestone
2011
Twelve Years of Grace
The Vision
We dreamed of not just building a beautiful Hindu Temple, but of building an institution in the heart of New Jersey which would serve as a hub for fulfilling the cultural and religious needs of the community.
Even though the initial investment to purchase the property in Bridgewater was provided by grants and loans from a handful of us, the Temple engendered an abiding loyalty from the community since its inception.
That loyalty, in turn, invigorated a succession of Boards of Trustees into stewarding the growth of the Temple in line with the aspirations of the community.
We dreamed big and never wavered from our grand vision of where we wanted our Temple to be, but the Lord imbued us with enough common sense to have the necessary financial discipline to see to it that the Temple’s affairs were managed responsibly.
We did astute planning and, as and when finances permitted us, acquired additional property.
We faced innumerable hurdles along the way, but whenever we faced an intractable challenge, the Lord cleared the way and showed us a path forward.
The construction of Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir) and the performance of Maha Kumbhabhishekam in 1998 was a crowning achievement, which validated our steadfast commitment and years of tireless dedication to the cause.
The Beginning
Our History
Today Sri Venkateswara Temple (Balaji Mandir), popularly known as the Bridgewater Temple, is recognized as one of the most visited Hindu Temples in North America and has garnered a well-deserved reputation as one of the most vibrant.
It may seem now that this status of the Temple was preordained, but it certainly did not seem like that when we started the idea of building a Temple in central New Jersey back in 1989.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to have been involved since our humble beginnings did not know what was in store for us.
All we had was a commitment to the idea and boundless faith in the Grace of the Lord.
The Temple Today
Growing With the Community
From the first vision to the continuing growth of the Temple, every milestone reflects faith, dedication and community service.
01
Raja Gopuram
02
Prakaram
03
Education
04
Priest Housing
Renovation & Restoration
Major renovation work and repairs were undertaken in preparation for the 2011 Kumbhabhishekam celebrations, including repainting of the interior and parts of the exterior of the Temple.
Artists were hired to clean and restore all the Sannidhis and did a remarkable job of painting and highlighting all the intricate details of the surfaces.
The result is a fabulous setting for the architectural detailing of cast GRC panels as they were meant to be showcased.
The Temple that visitors see today is a result of diligent planning and execution over a number of years.
Throughout all this activity, the Temple managed its finances very conservatively. We were able to pay off all outstanding loans while at the same time managing to establish an endowment.
Where We Are Headed
Building for the Future
From the first vision to the continuing growth of the Temple, every milestone reflects faith, dedication and community service.
01
Expanded Temple
02
Cultural Center
03
Priest Housing
04
Infrastructure
Perseverance Through Challenges
Planning for these developments took considerably longer than anticipated because of regulatory hurdles that at one point seemed insurmountable.
But we persevered and the Lord cleared the way for us yet again, allowing us to conclude our planning activities and move forward.
True to the operating guidelines that we established for ourselves, we wanted to proceed with careful forethought in how we achieved these goals.
We did not want to overburden the Temple by attempting to prosecute all these projects at one time.
Late last year we awarded contracts for the priest housing project and the first phase of infrastructure improvements. These projects were nearing completion and would be available for beneficial occupancy in about a month or so.
We were currently in the process of completing designs for the Temple expansion project, which would be followed by the new cultural center.
Vibrant construction activity in and around the Temple was expected for several more years until the planned developments were completed.
The promise was that the result of all this activity would be a Temple and organization truly reflective of the needs and desires of the community and one which everyone could be proud of.
Where We Are Headed
Social Responsibility & Community Outreach
Serving the community is an essential part of the Temple’s mission.
Helping Those in Need
While fulfilling its religious mission, the Temple has always been at the forefront of responding to natural calamities around the world.
Charitable Causes
There have been numerous occasions when funds were raised by members of the Temple to support charitable causes.
Building Bridges
The Temple seeks to build bridges to surrounding communities through various outreach activities, including the annual Indo-American Festival.
Service to Fellow Man
We are also citizens of the communities that we live in and in this spirit, we have always extended a helping hand to the needy around us.
There were discussions about whether charitable giving could, in fact, become a part of the Temple’s charter.
The goal was to fully subscribe to the fundamental Hindu tenet that service to your fellow man is tantamount to service to God himself.
Indo-American Festival
One of the central missions of the Temple is to build bridges to the communities around us through various outreach activities.
One of the major avenues through which we accomplish this mission is by conducting the Indo-American Festival every year.
From its humble beginnings, this affair has grown into a major event which showcases our culture, values and talent
Education & Youth
Inspiring the Next Generation
01
Veda Classes
02
Language Instruction
03
Dance Classes
04
Youth Leadership
Education & Youth Participation
I am always gratified to see enthusiastic participation by children and younger generation in the activities of the Temple.
The Temple offers its facilities for any activity that helps in advancing the understanding of religion and culture.
Veda classes, language instruction and dance classes are offered regularly at the Temple.
We would like to see increased participation by everybody in these endeavors.
There is no greater legacy that we can leave for our children than inculcating in them a true appreciation for our culture and our values.
Another rewarding trend which I noticed has been increased participation and donations by younger benefactors.
This, indeed, is a heartening development which I would like to see continue.
We are, after all, building this organization for the posterity and we would like to see enthusiastic contributions from the younger generation.
We would like to see you develop into being the future leaders of this organization.
A Beacon for Generations to Come
" There is no calling that gives a greater peace of mind and a better reward than to be in the presence of God and to offer yourself in His service."
A Legacy Sustained by Devotees
Your Temple is a preeminent organization of its kind in North America.
Its growth and current status have been made possible by enthusiastic support from patrons and devotees.
As outlined before, there are ambitious plans for the future of this organization and the fervent hope is that your Temple will continue to fulfill its mission not just towards this generation, but will be a beacon for generations to come.
Our ability to accomplish this calling requires participation and support from all of you.
I urge all of you to consider actively participating in the Temple’s affairs.
Running the Temple is a huge undertaking and there are volunteering opportunities available, not just during major events, but also on a regular basis.
There is no calling that gives a greater peace of mind and a better reward than to be in the presence of God and to offer yourself in His service.
I take this opportunity to appeal to you to consider joining the ranks of the Temple donors.
Your tax-deductible contribution will allow the Temple to continue to fulfill its mission and will enable us to complete all the planned expansion activities.
HTCS website is a great resource and contains links to information based on your interest: https://venkateswaratemple.org/
You can always call the Temple’s main number and ask to speak to one of the officers of the Temple.
Our Archakas
Sri Lakshmi Narasimhacharyulu Ampolu
Sri Madhusudanacharyulu Kullakunta
Sri Kiran Kumar Murapaka
Sri Seshacharyulu Gattu
Sri Ravi Kumar Aravilli
Sri Abhiraman Krishnamurthy
Sri Deekshaya Sarma Suri
Sri Gnanaskandan Ramanathan
Sri Pattabhirama Sarma Kallem
Sri Hanuman Prasad Aravapalli
Sri Dattatreya Bhatta
2011 Milestone
The Maha Kumbhabhishekam
Twelve Years in the Making
The 2011 Kumbhabhishekam was an event twelve years in the making.
We were able to reach this milestone only because of the able guidance by members and officers of the Board, competent leadership by committee chairpersons and members, tireless service by countless volunteers, and service above the calling by our office staff.
Most of all, the milestone was possible because of the abiding loyalty of devotees.
Every individual who made the commitment and made personal sacrifices in giving up invaluable family time contributed to the success of this historic event.
Spiritual Leaders
We thank His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji for gracing the occasion and for his inspirational message.
We are grateful that Courtalam Sankaracharya, Paramahamsa, Jagadguru, His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Siddheswarananda Bharati Swamiji was able to grace the occasion of Sri Siva Parivara Maha Kumbhabhishekam.
We also thank all the archakas who came from parts of the United States, United Kingdom and India. Their valuable contributions enormously enriched our celebrations.
We thank the organizers of fellow Temples and coordinators both here and in India for generously lending us a helping hand.
The Spirit of Volunteerism
This event was put together by volunteer officers and committees who worked tirelessly for months.
These individuals, who all have successful careers, subscribe to the spirit of volunteerism wholeheartedly and choose to serve.
Since we are not professionals at conducting events of this magnitude, there must have been some missteps and inadvertent omissions.
Please be assured that we will work diligently to improve ourselves in the future to minimize inconvenience to our visitors.
The event was a testament to the dedication and selfless service of everyone involved.
Honoring Our Archakas
I would be remiss if I did not use this occasion to acknowledge and thank the contributions of our own archakas, for whom preparing for this event was a real labor of love.
They worked assiduously preparing for this event, building the Homams and other implements necessary for an event of this magnitude.
Throughout the week, they demonstrated their devotion by untiringly ensuring that all religious services were conducted without a hitch.
Some of them hardly even slept during the week and it is my belief that what sustained them was their unbound faith.
Our archakas are not mere technicians who perform religious services, but they are the face of the Temple.
Archakas are the only people that most devotees interface with during their visit to the Temple and I am proud that they exemplify the true calling of their chosen profession every day.
Our Children
Let me also congratulate all the children who worked hard in preparing for and performing in the cultural events during the week.
Their enthusiasm and participation demonstrated the importance of preserving our cultural traditions and encouraging the younger generation to take an active role in Temple life.