Welcome to the Banashankari Temple of Virginia

We are maintaining a shrine for the Divine Mother in a temporary property and working to build a traditional Agamic Temple for the Goddess in the mountains near Charlottesville, Virginia. This will be the first Hindu Temple in the Charlottesville area and the first Temple for Goddess Banashankari outside India.


Our Mission

We  perform Vedic rituals for the peace of society and are working to create a shrine for the Goddess and a sanctuary for spiritual seekers. We are currently offering services from an interim property as we raise funds to purchase a property for Temple construction. 

To us, a Temple is a sacred space where channels are open to the inner realms. In a duly consecrated Temple, it is easier for a person to meditate and to connect with higher spiritual forces. The Lord is omnipresent, but people do not generally see or feel that Divine presence all around them. In a sacred Temple, It is much easier for people to experience the Divine. In the sacred space of the Temple, people often find answers to their questions, and experience great healing. This is possible due to the assistance of the many Devas (spiritual beings) working through the sacred Temple. 

The complex rituals conducted in a Hindu Temple have been revealed by the ancient Sages to benefit all living beings. The mystical rituals, which require many years of study to master, use different mantras, visualizations, meditations, gestures, procedures, and offerings to purify the atmosphere and to mitigate the karmas of society. These rituals help to avert troubles of all kinds like poverty, disease, conflicts, and natural disasters. They help to increase peace, cooperation, happiness, good relationships, prosperity, and progeny for society.     

Learn About Our Interim Property and Future Plans

Temple History and Progress

Our Temple operates from a temporary location while we work towards securing a permanent site. Previously, we purchased two properties for the Temple (one in 2011 and one in 2016), but in both cases, neighbor's opposition to our Temple created obstacles. For six years we tried to get permits for a Temple at the last property near Richmond, Virginia. County officials denied our permit application. So we sold that property in 2021, but could only afford an interim property. The new 2-acre property serves as a temporary shrine for the Goddess, a rectory for Swamiji, and a residence for Temple volunteers. The Soma Matha House is the home base for all our online teachings and events. While we are grateful for this space, the property is too small to build a Temple and is very open to the neighboring properties in a rural residential neighborhood. 

​None the less, we are performing daily pujas and offering many online services and one monthly Purnima Devi Puja which is open to the public. People can visit the Temple at other times by appointment. We are seeking spaces nearby to offer more public pujas and teachings.  In 2025, we brought three large black granite murtis from India for the Temple. We are raising money to implement repairs to the property and to pay off the mortgage so we can sell this property and purchase a suitable property for the Temple. Our goal is to pay it off as quickly as possible so that we can sell and relocate to a suitable property to construct Devi's Temple.  

Support the Mission and Donate Today.

A SACRED TEMPLE, SPIRITUAL REFUGE, &
PILGRIMAGE SITE FOR SPIRITUAL SEEKERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.

3% Cover the Fee

An ancient prayer for peace we recite as a part of every Temple ritual is:

 ॐ स्वस्ति प्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्ताम्
न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः ।
गोब्राह्मणेभ्यश्शुभमस्तु नित्यम्
लोकास्समस्तास्सुखिनो भवन्तु ।।

काले वर्षतु पर्जन्यः । पृथिवी सस्यशालिनी ।
देशो ऽयं क्षोभरहितः । ब्राह्मणास्सन्तु निर्भयाः ।।

oṃ svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantām
nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṃ mahīśāḥ .
gobrāhmaṇebhya śubhamastu nityam
lokā samastā sukhino bhavantu ..

kāle varṣatu parjanyaḥ . pṛthivī sasyaśālinī .
deśo ‘yaṃ kṣobharahitaḥ . brāhmaṇāssantu nirbhayāḥ ..

May the wellbeing of the people and the governors increase. May the rulers regularly attend to the wellbeing of society in a just and lawful manner. May the cows who provide milk and the righteous enjoy prosperity. May the rain fall in the proper season and the crops grow abundantly. May the country be free from distress, and the people be fearless to live virtuous lives. 

May the whole world be comfortable and happy!   

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions about our temple and how you can get involved.

  • Yes, as a 501c3 not-for-profit we rely on your generous donations to support our temple and activities. Your contributions help us in our mission to create a permanent space for worship and community. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference.

  • Since June 2024, we are currently closed to the public until we can complete necessary repairs to make the building safe for visitors. Once renovations are completed, people will once again be able to visit.

  • We offer a full variety of prayer services including providing spiritual teachings and initiations. We can perform deity pujas and homams, samskaras (rites of passage), weddings, funerals, grihya pravesham (house entering), vahana pujas (vehicle blessing), satya narayana puja, etc.

  • Participation is open to everyone! You can join our events, volunteer, or attend our classes. We welcome all who seek spiritual connection and community.

  • A puja is a prayer ceremony that involves offerings to Deities. It is a way to express devotion and seek blessings. Temple pujas help to mitigate the karmas of society to increase peace, and prosperity for society. Our temple conducts various pujas throughout the month, each with its own significance.

  • Temples are built to create a sacred space on Earth, where people’s prayers are empowered as they connect with the Divine. It is difficult for people to see Divine forces around them. The sacred space of a Temple makes it much easier for people to be aware of spiritual forces around them. When people visit a Temple regularly, their spiritual practice and homes altars are empowered by the thousands of Devas working through the Temple. The Temple is a beacon of spiritual light which sends positive energy to the surrounding community. The presence of such a sacred Temple helps to mitigate the karmas of society and improve conditions for the entire region. Poverty, disease, pandemics, natural disasters, violence, and other tragedies are reduced by the presence of a Temple, and peace, harmony, happiness, and prosperity are increased.

  • Everyone’s experience is a little different. Each person receives the blessings which are most needed at a given time. Many report feeling a deep sense of peace or bliss when visiting the Temple. Many have experienced healing or relief from various symptoms, though we make no claims about this. Some experience spiritual visions or receive answers to questions. Others do not feel much at the time of visiting the Temple, but notice conditions in their lives to improve after visiting. The blessings sent from the inner realms by the thousands of Devas working through the Temple are very subtle. Practicing mindfulness when visiting the Temple can help to increase a person’s awareness of the spiritual energies working on them.

Help Us Build Our Temple

Your generous donation will help us a permanent home for our spiritual community.

Donate