After a lengthy struggle of five years, temple officials of Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple, situated in Bridgewater locality in New Jersey, USA, triumph in consent for a major expansion of its facility, against the township and neighboring locals.
In February 1992, the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of the USA submissively acquired property of 11,000 square feet in Bridgewater, New Jersey, along with a building of 9,800 square feet, with a vision of establishing the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara. Later on, the construction began in May 1996 with a stone-laying ceremony conducted by Chinna Jeeyar Swami, a religious guru. After two years, in 1998, the temple was inaugurated.
About New Jersey’s Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple
Sri Venkateswara temple is a Hindu temple situated in the Bridgewater locality of New Jersey. The temple dedicated to Lord Balaji is renowned for its various objectives. It not only offers its mesmerizing traditionally designed architecture but also a wide range of activities, for example, Hindu religious studies, meditation, vedic maths, summer day camps, and much more.
Within the temple, there are 16 shrines of Lord Venkateswara, Sridevi, Bhudevi, Garuda, Ganesha, Ambika, Nandi, Siva Lingam, Ayyappa, Subrahmanya, Satyanarayana, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi Narayan, Radha Krishna, Rama, Anjaneya, and Navagraha.
Sri Venkateswara temple is one of the biggest temples in the USA, having thousands of devotees and worshippers visiting every week, and it offers a variety of services and events. The temple has a 600-seat capacity auditorium, a banquet hall for Indian marriages, a number of classrooms, huge verandas, a yagashala, and a basement of the same size.
The idols (Utsav Moorthis) are from India. They belong to TTD – Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. The statue of the placed deity is made out of granite and is 7 ft (ca. 213 centimeters) tall. The deity is positioned with their companion Sridevi and Bhudevi, and all the other gods and goddesses are seated all around, according to Vastu Sastra. Furthermore, there are also various other places in New York to visit and explore the city and their culture.
The Legal Battle
In 2004, the temple authority proceeded toward the township seeking approval for a huge-scale expansion of their cultural center, parking garage, and housing for priests on Route 202. The residents neighboring the temple accused the temple officials of encroachment on their property over the expansion. The locals believed that the expansion would cause increased traffic, noise, and light pollution, etc., and that there shouldn’t be a complex of a huge size in a residentially zoned area.
The Bridgewater continuously denied the expansion three times in January 2005, December 2005, and May 2006, provoking the temple to file lawsuits against the township. Later, the project was scaled back to the size appropriate to zoning officials, and the temple was approved in its site plan.
All you Need to Know About the Timings
Before scheduling your visit to Sri Venkateswara Temple, have a look at the temple’s opening and closing schedules:-
| Timings | Morning Hours | Evening Hours |
| Monday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Tuesday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Wednesday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Thursday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Friday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 4.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Saturday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 12.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Sunday | 8.30 am to 12.30 pm | 12.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
Timings of the temple’s opening and closing may vary, Bridgewater temple calendar providing the events or festivals goes according to the Hindu calendar. Take a look at the temple canteen timings also:
Canteen timings of the temple:-
| Timings | Morning Hours | Evening Hours |
| Monday | – | 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Tuesday | – | 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Wednesday | – | 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Thursday | – | 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Friday | – | 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Saturday | 9.30 am to 12.30 pm | 12.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Sunday | 9.30 am to 12.30 pm | 12.30 pm to 8.30 pm |
You can enjoy several ranges of south Indian dishes available at the cafeteria of the temple. Also, if you are planning to organize any event at the temple, the cafeteria also provides catering services.
Temple Provided Services
Planning to visit the temple, but confused about the puja rates? Here’s a simple guide to quickly go through before performing puja at the temple:-
| Puja | Rates |
| Ashtottara Archana (With fruits) | $11.00 |
| Abhishekam (Any deity) | $45.00 |
| Ashtottara Archana (With gold flowers) | $75.00 |
| Ashtottara Archana (With silver flowers) | $50.00 |
| Homam | $45.00 |
| Kalyanam | $50.00 |
| Sahasranamam (Regular days) | $40.00 |
| Sahasranamam (Special days) | $50.00 |
| Satyanarayana Puja (Vratam) | $45.00 |
| One day temple Kainkaryam (Regular day) | $108.00 |
| One Day Temple Kainkaryam— Prices will vary on Festival Days | – |
| Navagraha Archana (All Grahas) | $75.00 |
| Sri Sahasra Lingarchana | $50.00 |
| Sponsor for Flowers / Prasadam / Vastram (Regular Day) | $50.00 |
| Pavitrotsavam All Day Events | $300.00 |
| New Year’s Day All Events | $250.00 |
| Devi Navaratri All 9 Day Events | $500.00 |
| Ganesh Navaratri All 9 Day Events | $300.00 |
| Brahmotsavam All 9 Day Events | $500.00 |
| Sundara Kanda Parayana(All 9 Days during Vasanta Navaratri) | $250.00 |
| Deepotsavam (During Brahmotsavam) | $50.00 |
| Sahasra Kalakabhishekam (Sri Siva / Sri Venkateshwara Swamy) | $50.00 |
| Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Yagnam | $50.00 |
| Sri Gayatri Yagnam / Sri Chandi Homam | $50.00 |
| Sri Sudarsana Homam / Rudrabhishekam | $50.00 |
| Prasadam – Laddu / Vada (Each) | $1.50 |
The temple organization also provides virtual priest services, online puja, and puja at home on Sri Venkateswara Temple site.
Festivals Celebrated at the Temple
The grace of a temple is seen especially at the time of festivals. Lucky, if you get the chance to visit the Sri Venkateswara Temple at the time of:-
- Brahmotsavam – It is a grand festival celebrated for nine days. The festival is conducted at different times in different temples. Brahmotsavam is celebrated during June/July.
- Deepavali – One of the most important Hindu festivals, celebrated during October/November.
- Dhanurmasa Puja – From December middle to January middle, every early morning prayer is performed. During Dhanurmasa Puja, the temple opens at 5 am.
- Ganesh Chaturthi – On this special occasion, a special Abhishekam is performed every morning to Lord Ganesha for a span of nine days.
- Janmashtami – On the birthday of Lord Krishna, devotees fast for the day and break it at midnight. Janmashtami’s celebration includes: Sri Krishna Abhishekam; Fruit Alankaram; Sri Krishna Janana Ghatta Parayanam (Sri Krishna‟s Birth Story); Raj Bhog; Bhagavadgeeta parayanam; Dolotsavam; Butter pot breaking ceremony; and Rukmini kalyanam.
- Navaratri – During the month of September/October, all the nine forms of Goddesses are worshipped for nine days.
- Pavitrotsavam – Pavitrotsavam is a special Temple festival that is celebrated annually during the Kartika month for three days.
- Pradosham – Pradosham is a puja of Lord Shiva. At the temple, special Shiva Abhishekam is performed during Pradosha Puja.
- Sani Trayodasi – Sani, referred to as the Lord of Saturday, are worshipped on the day of Trayodasi.
- SankataHara Chaturthi – This puja is performed for Lord Ganesha once a month on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha in the evening.
- Siva Ratri – This festival is celebrated to honor Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati on this day.
- Sri Ramanavami – Sriramanavami is a week-long festival, including a number of activities. Special festivities of this function include Sri Rama’s birth, Sita Rama Kalyanam, his victory over Ravana, and his coronation ceremony.
- Ugadi – The day is celebrated as a new year according to the Hindu Lunar calendar.
- Vaikuntha Ekadasi – On this day, it is trusted, that the gates of Vaikuntha are ceremoniously open for devotees to enter. This day is celebrated as Vaikuntha (Abode of The Lord Sriman Narayana) Ekadasai in all the Vaishnava Temples.
- Varalakshmi Puja – It is a special Puja performed for goddess Sri Varalakshmi – the consort of Lord Vishnu.
These auspicious occasions are celebrated in the temple throughout the year. You can be a part of these festivals and experience the gracefulness of the occasions by visiting the Bridgewater temple.
Donations and Membership
If you are highly devoted to the charity or want to become a member or a volunteer, you can visit their online portal and register yourself to do so.
You will need to visit their site on Sri Venkateswara Temple:
Address: 1 Balaji Temple Dr, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, United States
Contact: (908) 725-4477
How To Reach?
If you have finally made up your mind to plan your trip to Sri Venkateswara Temple, here’s a little more help in making your traveling more pocket friendly.
You can take any public transportation like, transit, bus, or train to Newark city. You can also book a taxi from:
- American Transportation: 908-526-0055
- AAA Express Limo and Taxi: 732-868-0023
- AA All Somerset Taxi : 908-904-6666
- Allstar Skyview Somerville Taxi: 908-725-2233
- Sky Ride Car: 800-243-8555
Once you reach the city, Sri Venkateswara transportation/directions site can be your guide till you reach the temple.
Why is Venkateswara temple famous?
Sri Venkateswara temple is famous for its magnificent architecture and for the activities and events performed at the temple.
Why is Lord Venkateswara worshipped?
Lord Venkateswara is believed to be another incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is said that he is made to protect humans from miseries in the Kalyuga.
Which day is Lord Venkateswara day?
On the first Saturday of every month and the whole month of Purattasi is celebrated as Lord Venkateswara day.
When was the Balaji temple opened in New Jersey?
In 1998, the temple of Sri Venkateswara was inaugurated. The foundation for this temple was laid back in 1992.
