Hindu temple to open in Glenview this weekend

A dual-sided statue of Lord Hanuman, a Hindu god, standing 22 feet tall and weighing 46,000 pounds will greet people as they enter into Glenview's new, white marble Hindu temple set to open this weekend.

The 39,000-square-foot temple named the Hanuman Mandir of Greater Chicago sits on 4.1 acres at 3623 W. Lake Ave.

"We did not have any (temples) on the North Shore, and we wanted to have something in the vicinity for the public so they wouldn't have to worry about traveling far," Devotee Savi Ram said.

Lord Hanuman is known for being a devotee of the god Rama and gives energy and teachings of service. The statue took just under six months to complete.

"The statue comes from one piece of marble," Ram said. "It is dual-sided so the whole structure from top to bottom is replicated on both sides."

This allows devotees to see Lord Hanuman as they enter and leave the temple.

Ancient rituals to celebrate the opening of the temple will be performed starting Friday and continue through Sunday. Hindu priests will recite prayers and install India-carved Hindu deities on altars in the temple.

The public is welcome to attend the mandir's ribbon cutting, scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday. After the ribbon cutting, the public will be able to go into the mandir and serve a bit of offerings, Prasad, to the deities.

"The temple was made for people to visit and be exposed to service, humanity and religion and to learn more about Indian culture," Ram said.

The temple will not keep regular hours after the grand opening until construction is complete.