The tall ornately carved temple on a wooded bluff overlooking a valley soars over the treetops reaching up to the sky. As I drive up the hill, it grows larger in the sky. The beautiful temple is a classic example ancient architecture of the Hindu religion. The Weekly Photo Challenge: Foreign offers me an opportunity to share images of a classic religious architecture.
entrance to temple
I pass under the gate to the entrance of the temple on the hill. While I climb up the stairs to the top, I think about the interesting history of the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. It was built by a love of dance and culture. In 1980, members started performing Ramayana, a dance drama, to raise funds to build a temple of worship. It started off as a grass-roots effort that grew as famous dance artists joined in.
The temple was built in the small Midwestern town of Lemont, Ill. It might seem foreign at first to have a Hindu temple in a small Midwestern town, but actually it fits in perfectly. Lemont, a small hillside town split in half by the Illinois & Michigan Canal, is nicknamed the “Village of Faith” and filled with church spires and religious buildings reflecting the many ethnic groups that worship and live there and in surrounding towns. So, if you’re looking for a religious holiday or festival, visit Lemont because there is always some celebration going with about 113 places of worship.
Lemont skyline
On Saturday, October 27th, the temple is hosting Vijaya Dashami celebrations with fireworks that is one of the many events going on in town that also include a Halloween Hoedown with costume parade, ghost stories at the Lemont Area Historical Society and a Fall Arts & Crafts Fair at the Franciscan Village. If you’re in the area on Saturday, you can trick or treat at the Halloween Hoedown and end the day with the celebration and fireworks display at the temple.
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Foreign alright 🙂
Thank you. It’s a scenic spot at the temple on the bluff.
Beautiful photographs, I love reading through the backstory as well. 🙂
I marvelled at the ornate, intricate design…such a beautiful building..glad it came through in photos. Thanks!
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I wanted to become an architect before because I want to create structures like the ones you’ve posted here. A structure that is very important and at the same time, beautiful to look at. Too bad I didn’t have the talent for that. LOL.
The photos are beautiful. I wish I could go visit such buildings too. 🙂
Fantastic shots … that first one is amazing! 😉
Amazing foreign photos of this Temple. Beautiful and ornate in design. I enjoyed reading the history of this Temple. Thank you for sharing this wonderful Foreign photo and story. 😉
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These are wonderful photos and I love that you provided some background
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That is really foreign in the middle of Lemont, IL and certainly not some place that you would expect to find it. Thanks for like of my Weekly Photo Challenge Foreign post.
I can’t believe this is in Lemont. I live so close to Lemont for many years now and I didn’t know there is this beautiful temple there. Thanks!
I’ve hike hilly Lemont and walked across the bridge to hike by the temple and nearby waterfalls. If visit and post pictures, please share a link. Thank you!
That temple is quite beautiful!
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Great and impressive website! Enjoy and all the best! And thanks for your like on coherenttimes.
Your welcome, and thanks for visiting.
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