The Hindu Society of North Carolina

The Hindu Society of North Carolina runs the Hindu Bhavan, the temple on Aviation Parkway in Morrisville. Worship sits alongside cultural life here: the annual Ganesh Festival, cultural programs, art competitions, and a study series called Gita for Life.

The community met in homes and rented halls before buying a former church on Ashe Avenue in Raleigh in 1980. When that building filled up, members bought land in Morrisville and opened the Bhavan there in December 1986. Membership now runs close to 1,300 families, and people of every faith are welcome.

What to know

• The society traces its founding to 1976, before the temple had a permanent home.
• A social hall behind the Bhavan broke ground in 1999 and was finished in 2001.
• Total membership is close to 3,000 people.
• The senior club has more than 200 members who meet almost every weekday.