Unlike other Missouri temples, Shanthi Mandir lacks the space to provide certain cultural and religious services. But, in order to expand, the temple must raise $1 million.
In contrast to the 20 churches located in downtown Columbia alone, there is only one Hindu temple in all of mid-Missouri: The Shanti Mandir. The temple provides a variety of religious and cultural services but remains limited by its physical size.
The Shanthi Mandir was founded in 2005 and is the only place of worship for Columbia’s Hindu community. In recent years, the temple has expanded significantly. Approximately five years ago, the Shanthi Mandir hired a priest to meet the needs of the town’s growing Hindu population. This decision improved community engagement and has allowed the temple to offer more services than it previously did. Currently, the temple organizes monthly poojas — worship rituals — in addition to special events during religious holidays. Language and performing arts classes are also taught at the temple.
Despite this growth, the Shanti Mandir is limited by its physical size. The small, house-like building is able to provide a sort of makeshift temple but is not an adequate space for grand rituals or large scale events. As the community continues to grow, the temple hopes to construct a bigger and better space for devotees to properly worship in.
The land has already been bought and preliminary architectural plans have been drawn up. The temple plans to break ground this summer and is set to be up and running in three years. According to the temple’s executive committee president, Sudha Khambhampati, a projected $1 million is needed for construction.
“We are a very small community to sustain anything huge, so the financial aspect of it has not been as promising as we wanted it to be,” said Khambhampati. “But we have the right intention and the right spirit and lots of people with a positive mindset who are working really hard toward that goal.”
Constructing and maintaining a larger Hindu temple poses a challenge. In addition to the $1 million to construct the buildings and shrines, the several idols — which would likely need to be purchased and shipped from India — are an exorbitant cost. Considering all of the other tools and resources needed to perform the rituals, the temple requires a large sum of money to accomplish this task.
As of now, the temple is relying heavily on individual donations. Nitu Patel, chairperson of the temple’s fundraising committee, has planned several fundraisers over the past few months to help this process. One such event was a garba night — a type of dance that celebrates the Hindu goddesses.
The fine arts are an integral component of Hinduism, as Hindu culture is rich in music, dance, literature and drama. Many followers of the religion believe that practice of these art forms is a way of connecting with the divine.
Many temples across the country — like The Hindu Temple of St. Louis — have concert halls and offer several learning and performance opportunities for the youth. For some, having these resources is just as important as the ritualistic elements of the religion.
“Our kids always struggle between being Indian and American; they are kind of confused,” said Patel. “They don’t know what’s going on so this will give them a direction to their culture.”
While the Shanthi Mandir offers some services, there are significantly less opportunities to get involved in comparison to larger cities. As a result, some parents drive their children to temples in St. Louis or Kansas City every weekend to experience the cultural aspects of their heritage that Columbia lacks.
“We don’t have many activities going on here so we take turns driving the kids,” said Patel. “My oldest was always very into Indian culture, but my three little ones were not. I started taking them to the St. Louis temple, and now it’s coming back.”
Maya Kitchens, MU junior from Birmingham, Ala., explained that being involved in religion and cultural dance classes at her temple back home gave her a way to connect with her heritage.
“Growing up, I was really close with the Hindu community,” said Kitchens. “I’ve lost a lot of that in college.”
Having a space that adequately meets the needs of the community would be a gamechanger for the temple. Although Hinduism is highly individualized, it is important that followers of the religion have ample access to resources and opportunities in order to truly connect with their culture and faith.
“The place where you worship is a safe space for you and your people. For me, I have all the Gods right here,” said Kitchens, pointing to her heart. “But if we had a temple, I would be able to go and properly pray.”
Edited by Egan Ward | eward@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Shirin Rekabdar-Xavier and Mary Philip
