Our clients wish to create one of the first Hindu Education Centers in the world, especially in North America, where Hinduism and its pacifist ideals can be taught to both followers and the lay public.

First established in 1977, the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago (HTGC) is a 501 C(3) not-for-profit organization located in the suburb of Lemont, Illinois. This scenic bluff hill-side 22-acre property affords unique views, housing two temples – Shri Rama Temple and Shri Ganesha-Siva-Durga Temple since the 1980s. Subsequently, a Community Center and a Swami Vivekananda Center were developed, adding to the cultural and spiritual experiences for the tens of thousands of Hindus who visit this sacred campus each year.

There is an acute need for a dedicated school building on this site where academic instruction can be facilitated. The school, while primarily dedicating its mission to children, is also open to adult education, within and outside the community, for those interested in learning the fundamentals and subtle nuances that grace the philosophy of Hinduism. We wish that this school be inclusive and help people understand our pacifist yet informed way of life, followed by one of the most affluent immigrant cultures residing in the United States.

The proposed new school building will provide for the following: a. 7 large pods, each 52.5ft x 28ft accommodating two classrooms, bathrooms, meeting rooms, and offices. b. Each of these pods could be further divided by partitions into 14 smaller (34 ft x 14ft in size) spaces. c. A multi-purpose hall which can accommodate flexible uses for recitals, dance, lectures, and other media presentations, and includes a green room facility. d. The facility is completely accessible for people with disabilities by elevators, and as each level is connected by a system of ramps, which also serve as display galleries for rotating exhibits. e. The entire ensemble of structures have been designed to work with our hilly site topography and touch the land gently. Designed by an architect from CSA-Partners, Ltd., the following conceptual plan has been proposed.

Cyrus Subawalla – Principal Designer

Gandhali Marathe and Tejash Panchal – Project- Co Architects

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