The Murugan Temple of North America is the first temple in the United States that is dedicated to the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

deity

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganes ...

. The temple is located in

Lanham, Maryland Lanham is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2020 United States Census it had a population of 11,282. The New Carrollton station (the terminus of the Washington Metro's Orange ...

, about from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Conceived in the 1980s and opened in 1999, the temple celebrates all Hindu and Tamil festivals, holidays and special occasions. In addition, the temple conducts ''

bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam ( Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

s'',

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

and religious classes. Devotees from Maryland, Washington, Virginia and throughout the country (even from neighboring

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world ...

) visit this traditional Saivite Hindu temple. The main ''sannidhi'' at the temple is for Murugan with

Valli Vaḷḷi ( ta, வள்ளி) ("Creeper, Sweet potato plant") is a Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chiefta ...

and

Devasena Devasena (, ) is a Hindu goddess of aspiration, and the consort of the war god Kartikeya (Murugan). She is also known as Devayanai, Deivanai, and Deivayanai in Tamil texts. Her name is also spelled as Teyvanai or Tevayanai (). Devasena is d ...

. There are four other ''sannidhis'', for

Vinayaka Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...

(

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

), Siva, Meenakshi,

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around comb ...

and Palani Aandavar. Lanham Murugan Temple USA

Major festivals

The following major festivals are celebrated: *

Thaipusam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam ( Tamil: தைப்பூசம், ''taippūcam'' ?), is a festival celebrated by the Hindu Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of ''Thai'' (January/February), usually coinciding with Pushya star, k ...

* Panguni Uthiram * Vaikasi Visagam * Aadi krithigai * Nallur Kathirgamam Kanthan Festival (Lord Murugan ascends in the Ratham) *

Kanda Shasti Kavasam Kanda Shashti Kavacham or Skanda Sashti Kavasam ( ta, கந்த சஷ்டி கவசம்) is a Hindu devotional song composed in Tamil by Devaraya Swamigal (born c. 1820), a student of Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, on Lord Muruga, the son ...

* Thiruvathirai function for Lord Nataraja (Arudra Darisanam) *

Maha Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ca ...

Navaratri Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is o ...

(10 days) * Vinayagar Chathurthi *

Karthikai Deepam Kartika Deepam () is a festival of lights that is observed mainly by Hindu Tamils, and also by adherents in the regions of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka. Celebrated in Tamilakam since the ancient period, the festi ...

* Six Annual Abishegams for Lord Nataraja (''Thiruvonam'' Nakshatram in the month of ''Chithirai'', ''Uttiram'' Nakshatram in the month of ''Aani'', ''Thiruvathirai'' Nakshatram in the month of ''Marghazi'', ''Purva Paksha Chaturdasi'' evening in the months of ''Aavani'', ''Purattasi'' and ''Maasi'') The grand procession of Lord Murugan with Valli Devasena takes place during major festivals. On 7 August 2009, the Vellottam was conducted for the new Ratham. On 8 August 2009, Lord Murugan ascended in the new ''Ratham'' for the ''Nallur Kathirgamam Kanthan'' festival. It was drawn by the devotees around the Murugan Temple during an auspicious period. Every year, the Nallur festival is celebrated in Murugan Temple during August and Murugan ascends in the Ratham. The second ''Kumbabhishegam'' for all deities in the Murugan Temple was performed on 13 May 2011. The Sri Siva Vishnu Temple is located less than from the Murugan Temple.

References

External links

Murugan Temple of North America official website
Asian-American culture in Maryland Hindu temples in Maryland Lanham, Maryland Religious buildings and structures in Prince George's County, Maryland Religious buildings and structures completed in 1999 Tamil-American culture 1999 establishments in Maryland Indian-American culture in Maryland {{Maryland-struct-stub