Nithyananda Vedic Temple, Seattle

The Hindu culture created huge temples for communities as a means to relate with the Divine. Every village in India has a temple, making one wonder why these huge, complex and beautiful structures were created, even if the homes in most villages were made of mud. Most of these temples are built in granite and are often much more expensive than the cost of all houses in these villages put together. What did we gain spiritually, culturally and socially from these huge structures?