About the Temple
The Sri Meenakshi temple in Pearland, Texas is a prominent Hindu temple in the United States, inspired by the renowned Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, India.
The temple was built in 1982 by Indian artisan S.M Ganapathy Sthapathi in the famous Dravidian style of architecture.
The temple is popularly known for its existence as the 3rd oldest Hindu temple in the USA.
Brief Temple History
The Sri Meenakshi Temple Society came to light in 1977 by a group of dedicated devotees of Sri Amman from the Houston area.
They envisioned a common holy place of worship to the deity that would replicate the architectural grandeur of the Sri Amman temple of Madurai, India.
A 5-acre land was acquired in 1978, and a plan was laid down by Ranjit Banerjee, who serves as a professor of architecture at Houston University.
Skilled craftsmen and artisans were deputed from India to recreate the intricate carvings and sculptures that adore the original Sri Amman temple in India.
In 1982, the inauguration ceremony with Mahakumbha ahishekam was officially performed for the main deity of the temple.
Later in 1995, an esteemed Raja gopuram and corner temples were completed and the temple was fully ready for the devotees.
Temple Timings
| Days |
Time |
| Mon to Fri |
8.30 am to 1.00 pm
5.00 pm to 8.30 pm |
| Sat & Sun |
8.30 am to 8.30 pm |
Deities and their significance
The temple is dedicated to the main deity Sri Meenakshi Devi-a tutelary deity of Madurai and is considered a powerful avatar of Maa Parvati.
Also, the temple adores other wish fulfilling deities in the precinct like:
- Lord Sundareswaran– A name for Lord Shiva or Mahadev
- Lord Venkateshwara Swamy- A form of Lord Vishnu who is the preceding deity of Tirupati, AP
- Maa Lakshmi– A goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, abundance, and growth
- Other God’s namely Ganesha, Rama, Ayappa, Maa Durga, Nandi and Garuda.
- Also are the sculptures of Tamil Alwar and Nayanar poet- these are the saints and gurus of Vedanta philosophy
Festivals celebrated in the temple
The temple performs various festivals and rituals that are dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi(Parvati) like
- Navrathri– A nine-day and night festival that falls during the month of Sept-Oct, the temple witnesses huge crowds during this festival, where each day a unique avatar of the deity is celebrated and adored.
- Also, Durgashtami( 8th day of Navarathri dedicated to Maa Durgamba), Rudra Japam, and Suvasini Pooja are of great religious significance in the temple
Special Pooja Rituals
Here are a few special poojas and seva services performed in the temple in Texas, USA.
| Pooja Ritual |
Day |
Time |
| Meenakshi Abhishekam |
Friday |
7.00 pm |
| Shiva Abhishekam |
Monday |
7.00 pm |
| Ganapathy Homam |
Everyday |
7.00 pm |
| Sri Meenakshi Shadasopachara Pooja |
Last Friday of the month |
7.00 pm |
| Venkateshwara Abhishekam |
1st Sunday of every month |
10.30 am |
| Padmavathi Ahishekam |
Friday |
6.30 pm |
Facilities in the temple
- The temple complex has a function hall also known as Meenakshi Kalyan Mandapam.
- It has a customized library that is a treasure trove of mythological and spiritual books
- It also has a peacock sanctuary which is a tourist attraction sport
- There is ample space in the temple vicinity for vehicle parking
- The temple serves the devotees in the best possible way by feeding them delicious south Indian food in a large canteen on a timely basis.
If the listed information is incorrect or If you know more information about this temple,
Please let us know through the mail to sakalamblog@gmail.com, We will change it so other devotees will know the correct information.
Also, If you could send the photos of the temple, we will upload it for devotees references.
