Hindu temple in Cary plans expansion that will attract ‘visitors from all over’

When Dr. Raj Polavaram moved to Cary after finishing his residency and medical fellowship in New York, his big-city friends didn’t understand.

“They said, ‘Why are you going to a small town?”’ Polavaram told the Cary Town Council this week. ”And I said that this place was going to be the right one.”

That was 1998.

“Soon after, I came back, and I brought about 15 doctors,” Polavaram said. “Surgeons, gastroenterologists, urologists, all specialties. They’re here, and they’re all practicing and they’re enjoying.”

Today, Polavaram heads the board of trustees of the Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina. It is the largest Hindu temple in the state, with about 20,000 members.

“All the religious activities are taking place on a regular basis as of the age-old rituals, and also it has become a place for the cultural gatherings,” he said. “It’s serving not only the spiritual and cultural but also the emotional needs of most of the Hindu population in this area.”

Now the temple is expanding. Polavarum spoke to the council Tuesday night as part of a rezoning request for an assembly hall the temple wants to build next door. It would host cultural events and weddings and allow Sunday school on site. Currently, the temple’s Sunday school classes are held at Cedar Fork Elementary School in Morrisville.

Valli Kodali, a trustee, said in an interview after the meeting that lack of space has led to devotees eating offerings from the temple outside under trees or in their cars.

Lakshanyaa Rajendran Balaji, a high school freshman whose name means “one who achieves goals,” looks forward to the new space. She volunteers at the temple, helping visitors learn more about her culture.

“It’s really awesome, because you get to meet so many people,” she said.

House of the Lord Vishnu

The Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina is dedicated to and houses Venakateswara, a form of the Lord Vishnu, and it is one of only three Hindu temples in the country built according to ancient temple regulations. It serves as the house of the Lord, where devotees come to pray, meditate or talk with priests.

Another trustee, Bhaskar Venepalli emphasized the openness of the temple.

“The whole Hindu philosophy believes the whole universe is one family,” Venepalli said. “There’s nothing like any membership there. Anyone is welcome to get the blessings of the Lord.”

Students of architecture, philosophy and culture visit the temple, he said, which is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

The temple has owned the initial plot of land, only 2.8 acres at first, since 1998, and was dedicated in 2009.

“Ever since, the temple has grown up with the community, which has grown quite a bit,” Polavaram said.

As many as 100,000 people living within an hour of the temple come on a regular basis, he said.

The community has been planning the expansion for a year and a half. In 2019, the town approved a new gateway monument near the temple entrance, the largest of its kind in the United States. The temple plans to dedicate it next spring.

“With the addition of that and also the new building, it’s going to be really an iconic structure in the Triangle area,” Kodali said. “It’s going to attract a lot of visitors from all over the surrounding states. We are very excited about it.”

Road improvements

The town received 25 written comments supporting the expansion.

Five written comments asked for better turn lanes and traffic lights to make traffic flow safer and reduce backups.

Glenda Topp, of Glenda Topp and Associates, represented the temple and assured the council that they intend to improve the roads.

The temple has held community meetings and listened to neighbors, she said, noting how weddings, Sunday school and other activities have been forced outside because the temple didn’t have space.

Four houses will be removed in the area, which will allow for streetscaping. The road will be improved, and the new building will have its own parking. The temple building and the assembly hall will measure 55,000 square feet total.

The council approved the application, but that is only the beginning of a several-month process. The application goes next to an advisory board that will make a recommendation to the Town Council.

Polavaram said that, 30 years after immigrating from India, he’s proud to live in Cary and of what it stands for.

“I’ve seen this beautiful town growing, and wherever I go it’s become a very prominent name for the growth and prosperity,” he said.

This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 8:25 AM.