One of the best places to visit in Houston, Texas was the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - the first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in North America. We got there at 11.30am thinking it’s the time of the opening so we can go inside. Little did we know it was worship time so we took part in it. We took our shoes off and sat down. It’s very short, 15 min or so and extremely interesting. I caught myself staring a bunch of times. I had to sit in the back with the women while my husband sat in front with the men. At the end we took turns going inside the Mandir, first the men, then the women. We had to wash our hands before entering and then grab a little silver cup of warm water and poured it over a little gold statue of Murti. The whole experience was pretty amazing, I love discovering new cultures. Photography was not allowed inside but it’s INCREDIBLE. It’s all Italian marble, sculpted in the finest of details in India and shipped back to the US. The outside is limestone from Turkey. The whole Mandir is incredible. Outside the Mandir there is a little exhibit showing India’s contribution in the world and also a little shop where you can eat traditional food. Sooo yummy!! Go if you have the chance!!!
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The first Hindu Mandir in North America
One of the best places to visit in Houston, Texas was the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - the first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in North America. We got there at 11.30am thinking it’s the time of the opening so we can go inside. Little did we know it was worship time so we took part in it. We took our shoes off and sat down. It’s very short, 15 min or so and extremely interesting. I caught myself staring a bunch of times. I had to sit in the back with the women while my husband sat in front with the men. At the end we took turns going inside the Mandir, first the men, then the women. We had to wash our hands before entering and then grab a little silver cup of warm water and poured it over a little gold statue of Murti. The whole experience was pretty amazing, I love discovering new cultures. Photography was not allowed inside but it’s INCREDIBLE. It’s all Italian marble, sculpted in the finest of details in India and shipped back to the US. The outside is limestone from Turkey. The whole Mandir is incredible. Outside the Mandir there is a little exhibit showing India’s contribution in the world and also a little shop where you can eat traditional food. Sooo yummy!! Go if you have the chance!!!
Hindu Mandir in Houston
One of the best places to visit in the Houston area, Texas was the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - the first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in North America. We got there at 11.30am thinking it’s the time of the opening so we can go inside. Little did we know it was worship time so we took part in it. We took our shoes off and sat down. It’s very short, 15 min or so and extremely interesting. I caught myself staring a bunch of times. I had to sit in the back with the women while my husband sat in front with the men. At the end we took turns going inside the Mandir, first the men, then the women. We had to wash our hands before entering and then grab a little silver cup of warm water and poured it over a little gold statue of Murti. The whole experience was pretty amazing, I love discovering new cultures. Outside the Mandir there is a little exhibit showing India’s contribution in the world and also a little shop where you can eat traditional food. Sooo yummy!! Go if you have the chance! For me, it’s a place that I would visit over and over again.
