Hindu Temple of Canton Nears Half-Year Mark

On a recent Sunday morning, worshipers trickled in to the main prayer hall of the Hindu Temple on Cherry Hill Road. The crowd of nearly 200 people faced the divine figurines in their elaborately decorated niches along the western wall.

Lord Krishna, the god of love; Ganesh, the god of opportunity; and Lakshmana, the goddess of wealth and purity; were among the divine beings represented by the figurines on the altar. The dressed and jeweled figures, imported all the way from Jaipur, India, were wrapped in silks in bright purples, yellows and reds.

People bowed toward the altar decorated with flower garlands and fabrics in reds, greens and yellows. They took seats on the padded floor to listen to songs of praise accompanied by music from the harmonium – a free-standing floor keyboard instrument, and tabla – a set of hand drums.

This communal part of prayer at the Hindu Temple is called Bhajans. “It’s a reminder of our devotion to God,” said Head Priest Shiva Kumar Bhat, who has been with the temple for 14 years.

“We say God has different forms, although God is still one,” he said. “Each god has different stories.”

Hindus believe in one supreme being, he said, often referred to as Brahman or the Universal Soul, who is represented through a multitude of divine beings each having their own stories – stories of forgiveness, strength, courage, love and family.

Bhat said a common misconception about Hinduism is that followers worship many gods. “We say that God is one,” he said. “But there are different forms. Like the government is one, but it has different departments. But it is still all called the government.”

During the Sunday service, worshippers listened quietly, swayed to the rhythm or sang along. “Indirectly, it helps you bring the stress down,” Bhat said about the bhajans.

The weekly prayer service, from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., includes bhajans and Aaarati, a ritual where candlelight is circled around the figurines and worshippers pray for knowledge. There is also prasad, or a ritual involving blessed food, that happens after prayer when worshippers gather together to eat.

More than 1,000 people come through the temple in any given week, Bhat said, and worshippers come from all over metro Detroit. Sunday attracts the most worshippers, although it does not have any traditional significance. Regular prayers do occur throughout the week, including Fridays and Saturdays, along with additional activities.

The Hindu Temple of Canton is a 37,000 square foot building that includes facilities like rooms for religious studies, yoga and dance classes; a banquet hall; a full commercial kitchen and Wi-Fi throughout, according to Manoj Sachdeva, temple prsident and member for 10 years.

He said the current temple cost approximately $8.5 million and is about four times the size of the old one, which was around 12,000 square feet and used to stand where the new parking lot is now.

Canton is a good spot for the temple, Bhat said, because it’s in an optimal locale near the highways and airport. “It took about four to five years in planning,” he said about the new building. “Since 2004.”

He said the temple opened in August of last year with a large celebration lasting three days and was attended by 3,000 people.

Sachdeva said in an e-mail that he was a key person in planning for construction of the current temple. “We had a team of very dedicated members … as well as volunteers who took a very keen interest in every detail during temple construction,” he said.

The white-columned, marble-floored and chandelier-lit structure is run by a board of trustees, Bhat said, as well as different committees like a religious committee, a festival committee, a youth committee and an operational committee for taking care of all temple activities.

Sachdeva and Bhat both stressed that the temple is open to all. “We respect everyone,” Bhat said.

The Hindu Temple, 44955 Cherry Hill Road, Canton, MI, is open 8 a.m. to noon and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The temple can be reached at 734-981-8730. For more information, visit www.thehindutemple.org.