Hindu, nondenominational temple to open in Cedar Park

By Joseph M. de Leon Wednesday, 03 March 2010

CEDAR PARK — Later this month, Hindus and people of all faiths will have a new place in Cedar Park to pray, meditate and learn.

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin, 2509 W. New Hope Road, will hold a three-day traditional Hindu celebration starting March 19 to honor the temple’s opening, temple officials announced in a press release March 1.

A new 7,500 sq. ft. building will be home to the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple. The $2 million complex will include five buildings on four acres adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park. The temple has been operating at a temporary location in the Railyard Shopping Center in Cedar Park since January 2008.

Craig Sastry, one of the temple’s founders, said the Sai philosophy teaches that all religions are good.

“Strictly speaking, we are not a Hindu temple, because all faiths are welcome to come and pray and meditate here,” he said. “People may be different, but love is fundamental to every religion and every person.”

Many of the temple’s members are skilled immigrants from India attracted by the information and computer technology industry in the Austin area, according to the release. Two Hindu priests will be available to serve the temple’s Hindu members.

More than 200 children participate in the Cedar Park–based temple’s Sunday school program, which emphasizes love, non-violence, truth and peace, according to the release. Temple volunteers have prepared more than 40,000 meals each year, which are distributed through Caritas and Salvation Army in Austin.

Members of the temple are followers of Shirdi Sai Baba, a man who lived in India and is regarded as a saint and died in 1918. His life is detailed in the book “Sai Satcharitra.” The Sai philosophy is often summarized “love all and serve all, help ever, hurt never.”

Every year, more than 22 million people visit the main Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, in Shirdi, India, making it one of the most visited religious pilgrimage spots in the world, according to the release.

For details, call 335-8809 or visit www.saiaustin.org.