BAPS SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR

A heavenly landmark

Sacred spaces are found all over Houston. You can listen to a mariachi mass in the Old Sixth Ward or celebrate the Lunar New Year at Asiatown’s Teo Chew Temple. With so many diverse cultures contributing to the city’s melting pot, you can easily take a tour of the world’s religions without needing a plane ticket.

A visit to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir transports you to India, where Hinduism originated. Located in the Sugar Land suburb, home to many Indian-Americans, the mandir is a traditional Hindu temple built according to shilpa shastras, a spiritual blueprint based on ancient Indian architecture and engineering. During the day, the mandir’s white limestone exterior takes on the appearance of a gleaming palace made of intricately carved sugar cubes. At night, the mandir’s colored lights cast a magnificent glow. You’ll take off your shoes to enter the mandir, where prayers are offered to murtis, or deities sculpted in marble who are treated much like a person by the monks who feed, dress, and put them to bed. As you stand beneath the mandir’s dome, 16 celestial beings look down from above. Look for the elephants and horses, symbolizing strength and unity, that are carved in the mandir’s podium, and the peacocks, the national bird of India, that appear on pillars. An exhibit, “Understanding Hinduism,” informs visitors about the faith, along with the Mandir’s friendly staff who are happy to answer your questions.

TIP: In Brazos River Park, Interlacing Patterns, a mosaic wall made from recycled glass, celebrates the area’s multiculturalism.