The SBAT Hindu temple in Ijamsville to undergo a $20 million expansion

Ijamsville, March 21, 2017: A local Hindu temple is about to go through the second phase of its expansion process that will include a larger than life deity statue as well as a second temple.

The current temple is about 5,000 square feet. According to the plans, the second temple will be about 51,000 square feet.The main deity statue of Lord Hanuman will be nearly 36 feet tall.

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While talking to Nexstar Broadcasting Inc, Abirami Thyagarajan, a temple volunteer said,"A lot of the growth came from the volunteers and all the devotees who donated. All the devotees who donated, who really want the temple, who can see it grow and who want it to grow [donated]."

Because of the raising interest in the Sri Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple, from not just Hindus, but community members alike, the plan to build a second temple on the property that consists of 42 acres of land has been undertaken.

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But the expansion regarding the building does come at a steep cost of $20 million. That money is coming from business loans and donations taken out by the Temple management.

The temple premise is open to anyone from any religion. It offers Hindu prayers and other related religious services. Temple members and volunteers also take part in community services such as donating to local food banks, providing support in disaster relief, and holding a dance class for children with autism.

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"And we do D.C. Kitchen, which is making food for poor people in D.C. It's a regular event that we do every year and we have people from here volunteering to go there," Thyagarajan added.

Hopefully, With the new space, the activities, prayer services and even community space for events and weddings will grow.

– prepared by Durba Mandal of NewsGram. Twitter: @dubumerang