From a “Buckshot Welcome” to an afternoon of gratitude: New Hindu temple hosts open house

Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 6, 2018

 Just over three years after their sign was sprayed with more than 60 buckshot, leaders of the Sri Mata Hindu Temple are inviting the public to an open house at their new temple 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 at 8535 Lasater Road in Clemmons.
The temple is Forsyth County’s first Hindu temple. In the past, local Hindus have driven to eastern Guilford County, 50 miles from the current location, for worship services. The new structure, a gleaming white brick, 3,600-square-foot one-story structure, sits on a 7.6-acre tract on this quiet stretch of rural road in western Forsyth County.
Temple leaders are calling the open house an “Afternoon of Gratitude” to express their thanks for the outpouring of goodwill from the community following the defacement of the sign that announced plans for the temple. Special invitations have been issued to members of nearby Christian and Muslim worship centers.
Sri Mata Hindu Temple has completed its first phase, which contains the main temple based on the “Panchayatana Style” (adopting the five Gods structure). Statues of deities, under creation in India, are expected to be delivered to Clemmons later this year.
The Open House program begins at 2 p.m. with a period of socializing followed by a description of the temple at 2:15 and a tour at 2:45. A question-and-answer period precedes light refreshments at 4 p.m.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and neighbors across the county responded to the shooting incident in 2015 quickly. No determination was made on whether the action was intended to intimidate the congregation or was simply an act of vandalism. Several nearby churches, local community leaders and individuals representing other faith traditions have provided continuing support since the shooting.
Approximately 500 Indian families live in Forsyth County with many of them followers of the Hindu faith. Hinduism is generally recognized as the world’s oldest organized religion, dating back more than 4,000 years. Hinduism is the third largest religion with 900 million adherents, most of them in India. Christianity and Islam are larger.
The mission of the Sri Mata Hindu Temple is to “establish a temple for the Hindu community of North Carolina, offer daily worship at the Sanctum Sanctorum according to Veda, and thereby support and promote Hindu religion and culture.”
For additional information, contact Sri Mata Hindu Temple by email at info@matahindutemple.org.