The Hindu Temple of Florida is a

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 ...

temple and cultural center in

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

History

In 1983, a group of Hindus residing in and around

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

established the Hindu Temple of Florida, a non-profit organization. In 1989, the organization purchased land located ten miles north of

Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is an international airport west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA)., effective December 30, 2021. T ...

. Construction for the temple began in 1994 and concluded in 1996. In 1996, the Maha Kumbabhishekam and the

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

of the deities was performed by a priest to commemorate the opening of the temple. Following the opening, after six years of continued construction, the intricate carvings and sculptures seen on the external facing walls of the temple were completed.

Temple dimensions

The temple is 70 feet tall and 14,573-square-feet. The

rajagopuram A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South I ...

was designed and created by Muthiah Sthapathi and artists from

Chennai, India Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Tamil Nadu, the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, Indian state. The largest city ...

Temples in Tampa, FL

Other Indian temples in Tampa, FL include: # Ambaji Mandir of Tampa Bay # BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir # Jain Temple # Sanatan Mandir # Shree Mariamman Kali Temple # Shri Radha Krishna Mandir # Shri Saraswati Devi Mandir # Vishnu Mandir

References

* {{Hindu temples in the United States Asian-American culture in Florida Religious buildings and structures in Tampa, Florida Hindu temples in Florida 1996 establishments in Florida Indian-American culture in Florida Buildings and structures in Hillsborough County, Florida