BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple

In the early 1970’s and 80’s a handful of Swaminarayan devotees in the Houston area began meeting at each other’s homes on a weekly basis to hold religious gatherings. As the number of devotees and the Asian Indian community in the surrounding area steadily increased, a special place of worship was needed, and with the help of devotees from around the southwestern states, a Hindu Mandir in 1988 was inaugurated on a five acre land adjancent to where the current traditional Mandir stands.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is headed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, is a denomination of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism. The mandir, located in the Houston suburb of Stafford was built in 28 months and consists of 33,000 pieces of hand-carved Italian marble and Turkish limestone. The mandir is the largest of its kind in Texas and was constructed according to guidelines outlined in ancient Hindu scriptures. The grounds spread over 22 acres and in addition to the mandir, include a haveli and the Understanding Hinduism exhibition. The haveli is a cultural center in which weekly congregations are held. The Understanding Hinduism exhibition provide visitors with a foundation of the key tenets of Hinduism. The mandir is open daily for worship and to visitors.